The Lahti Region has one of the largest concentrations of environmental business in Finland. Environmental expertise in the region focuses on soil and water research, clean energy production as well as waste treatment and recycling. .
Lahti Region and Science and Business Park provide
Solid base to create environmental technology and business
By providing first-class working environment for companies in the field of environmental technology and business, the Lahti Region is becoming the most important centre of environmental business in Finland. The progress is based on long traditions and on a new cluster based networking model consisting of regional companies and other organizations. In the knowledge core of this development are the environment cluster and Lahti Science and Business Park.
A cluster based regional business strategy for 2005-2008 was drawn up by LAKES – Lahti Regional Development Company Ltd and the Lahti Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with local companies and enterprise organizations.
The clusters include environment, mechatronics, well-being, wood processing and plastics. Each cluster includes small and large enterprises, education organizations and regional and local authorities. The cluster groups produce signals that are going to be used in planning future development activities.
The environment cluster development boosts: *Developing environmental technology and its commercial applications and operating environment of companies *Creating new networks and increasing co-operation *Increasing education, research and development activities that are based on the needs of companies. “The environment cluster offers new instruments for growth to other clusters and branches of industry operating in the area and develops in its own right as an individual growth area,” says Mr Juha Määttä, Director Cluster Development Services. In front, Ms Saija Tillgren, Assistant. |  |
Investments boost growth
Thanks to a new business strategy, significant investments have been and will be made into development of the environmental business sector in the Lahti Region.
According to Määttä, environmental cluster activities have gained momentum and the greatest investments are due to be made in the environmental business in the near future. “The sector's growth has been rapid, and the future looks extremely promising.”
When compared internationally, the most significant trade is water management and recycling. One of the fastest growing sectors are recycling and soil restoration.
“Investors' willingness to establish new capital trusts in Lahti Region is a concrete example of the faith in the region's growth potential. This can be seen in the increased number of new companies,” Määttä continues.
LSBP - focus on the environment
Lahti Science and Business Park (LSBP) houses 40 companies, 250 employers, University of Helsinki Department of Ecological and Environmental Sciences and Lahti Research Laboratory. Photo: Lomagraphics Oy.
According to Mr Lauri Ylöstalo, CEO, the Lahti Science and Business Park Ltd., the main focus of the LSBP is in the environmental technology business.
| “We intensify regional and international networks and the utilization of science based resources. In this role, we coordinate and boost research, product development, and innovation activity in the environmental cluster. " "Furthermore, LSBP provides diverse development, internationalization and consultant services. For instance, companies looking to break into the Russian market can access services from our St Petersburg office,” Ylöstalo explains. |  |
The LSBP coordinates also a number of regional and national development programs.
“We are responsible for creating an efficient regional innovation system as well as developing the regional university system Lahti CleanTech Campus for Helsinki University of Technology. We also aim at acting as the coordinator of the National CleanTech Cluster,” Ylöstalo reminds.
The LSBP has also been responsible in establishing the Lahti Research Laboratory - an accredited testing laboratory – which specializes in the analysis of samples of water, contaminated soil, food samples, air, construction materials, waste, sludge and composting.
Environmental team members, from left, Ms Annukka Havas, Manager Internationalisation Services, Ms Kati Tuominen, Assistant Cluster Development Services, Mr Mika Sulkinoja, Project Manager Cluster Development Services and Mr Jukka Heiskanen, Assistant Cluster Development Services
Home of international networking
Lahti Science and Business Park has been the Primus Motor and heads a global network for the environmental business sector.
The international IASP Enviroparks network gathers and connects environmental focused companies and science and technology parks and offers them a synergetic arena for cooperation.
The network, established in February 2005, has grown rapidly and already 33 parks from 19 countries have joined in the network.
Science and Technology Parks from three different continents form the core of the network, including Lahti Science and Business Park Ltd, Technology Park, Perth, Australia, Québec Metro High Tech Park, Canada, Environment Park, Torino, Italy and Teknikhöjden, Stockholm, Sweden.
The network has developed an internet based information and marketing platform (www.envimatch.com) for business-to-business service.
“Envimatch is a tool to strengthen technology transfer and to promote the growth of business enterprises aiming at claiming their share of this strongly expanding sector,” Ms Annukka Havas explains.
Furthermore, Lahti Region and Lahti Science and
Lahti Science and Business Park Ltd in Brief:
*World's Leading Environmental Technology Science Park,
*Long-term goal is to be a World-Class Concentration of CleanTech Businesses.
*LSBP is engaged in activating the transfer of know-how to companies and fostering innovative entrepreneurship in the Lahti Region.
*The Primus Motor of IASP Enviroparks, the international network of environmental technology focused science parks
*Established in 1991 as Neopoli Oy
*Estimated turnover 2006 6,8 M€
*Ownership: Communities in the Lahti Region 84 % (The City of Lahti 74 %), companies 12 %, universities and polytechnics 3 %, private persons 1 %
Excellent infrastructure to develop business
The Lahti Region is stemming power from cooperation with regional research, education and expert organizations.
The Department of Ecological and Environmental Sciences of the Helsinki University Faculty of Biosciences is carrying out research programs and offers higher education up to the doctoral level.
“In 2008, the Lahti region is going to be known for its state-of-the-art expertise at both national and international level in aquatic ecology, soil ecology, environmental biotechnology, and environmental issues related to urban ecosystem research,” estimates Martin Romantschuk, Professor in Environmental Biotechnology, University of Helsinki.
The Helsinki University of Technology Lahti Centre offers programs in environmental management leading to master's degrees, licentiate degrees, and doctorates, as well as Open University education.
Furthermore, the Lahti Centre also offers complementary education programs in environmental and quality management. Helsinki University of Technology is in the process of developing a new environmental technology center in Lahti, offering several new professorships. The Center is due to open in 2008.
The University of Helsinki together with Lahti Polytechnic supply the Region's environmental business sector with a guaranteed stream of
skilled and educated workers.
Long traditions of environment cluster
The roots of the environment cluster in the Lahti Region can be found in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a time of extensive construction of water supply and sewage systems in Finland.
Today, the 130 enterprises and corporations in the region employ around 1 800 people. The volume of business in the sector is approximately EUR 370 million. The environmental sector is growing rapidly and is mainly incorporated into traditional industries such as plastics, metal and logistics.
Lahti Region serves as an important distribution center for southern Finland. The Trans-Siberian railway and Vuosaari harbour strengthen its position an internetional logistic center.
Some spearhead enterprises
Galvatek Oy has gained 40 years experience in supplying water treatment plants to various fields of industry in a number of countries which has required continuous development of both expertise and process equipment.
Oy Ekofinn Ab is focused wastewater treatment activities and has delivered in 17 years more than 8000 biological sewage treatment units to 23 countries.
Uponor has become the Finnish market leader in manufacturing of plastic pipes for water and sewage pipe use. It provides also solutions for wastewater treatment in areas not connected to municipal sewage network.
Consulting Engineers Paavo Ristola Ltd. is the Finnish market leader in the field of environmental consultancy. Today, the company employing over 130 staff is owned by Ramboll.
Kuusakoski Oy is the leading recycler of metal-based products in the Northern Europe and also recognized as one of the largest suppliers and refiners of recycled metals in the world. Kuusakoski has over 100 service locations in Finland, Baltic countries, China, Poland, Russia, Sweden and Taiwan. Kuusakoski is also specialized in the design, manufacture and delivery of recycling machinery and equipment for industrial customers.
Greenvironment Oy is concentrating in bioenergy and demanding energy solutions developing and offering new, innovative products for burning and utilization of biogases locally. Currently, the company got an order for its third plant delivery for Germany. (See also separate article Utilization of biogases into heat and electricity on site
Hämeen Biodiesel Oy is planning to build a fairly large biodiesel producing plant in Asikkala. Biodiesel production is due to start up in 2007. The planned annual production capacity of the biodiesel plant will be approximately ten million litres of oil.
Oilon Oy is the leading burner manufacturer in northern Europe. It manufactures oil, gas and multifuel burners for power plants, industrial processes, district heating plants, vessels, heating of one-family houses as well as larger dwellings, for capacity range 12 kW - 63.000 kW.
Ideachip Oy manufacturers screener crusher processing attachment, windrow turners and soil stabilizing and compacting equipments. The products are designed to work in the most extreme conditions.
Salvor Oy, a joint venture of The Finnish Road Enterprise and Lassila & Tikanoja aims at cleaning contaminated soils.
Lassila & Tikanoja, founded in 1905, is specializing in environmental management and property and plant maintenance in the Baltic Sea region. L&T is operative in Finland, Sweden, Russia and Latvia. L&T is continuously developing new solutions for environmental management.
New investments form base for future
Four of the five nationally significant recycling plants are being constructed in Lahti's Kujala region. Thus, the Kujala region is developing into Finland's number one recycling center.
“With production and turnover in the construction and service industries growing at a rate far above the national average, extremely large-scale investment plans in the environmental technology field”, says Juha Määttä, Cluster Director.
The Kujala area also provides an excellent operational environment for companies providing services, planning and equipment for the environmental sector.
Lassila and Tikanoja Oy's treatment plant collects domestic, trade, industrial and construction waste from across the whole of southern Finland. The site will be equipped with a production line for sorting and baling recycling materials, as well as a separate line for waste treatment.
Kujala Compost Ltd, the biggest composting plant in Finland, is just starting up operations in the Kujala region. The plant will produce energy waste fuel (REF) for Lahti Energia Oy's new boiler plant.
Kuusakoski Oy is building a service center in Kujala, which collects, pre-processes and creates products from such materials as recyclable metal, scrap vehicles, and metal-bearing materials, as well as electric and electronic products, construction waste, wood, paper, cardboard and plastic. The products are resold as raw materials for industry.
PSV-Metalli Oy is building a construction waste recycling plant in Kujala, which will specialize in the reuse of concrete and brick crushed aggregate in the laying foundations. To date, most of this waste has gone directly to landfill sites.
The pilot research centre being established in Lahti will include an area simulating a real life environment in order for companies and research organizations to test methods and insulation techniques for restoring contaminated soil.
Lahti Region website
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