The Academy of Finland’s Strategic Research Council has granted funding to the Faculty of Law at the University of Lapland for the consortium research project Bio-oils based polymeric composites - Value chain from syntheisis to additive manufacturing (VALUEBIOMAT).
The VALUEBIOMAT project received funding for 4 006 611 euro in total, of which 569 879 euros goes to the University of Lapland, Faculty of Law. The project is led by Professor Jukka Seppälä from Aalto University, Department of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering from Aalto School of Chemical Engineering. In addition to Prof. Seppälä’s group, from Aalto also Prof. Jouni Partanen and his group from the Department of Mechanical Engineering from Aalto School of Engineering and Prof. Jan Holmström and his group from the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management from Aalto School of Science participate in the project. The other consortium partners are Associate Professor Rosa Ballardini (University of Lapland, Faculty of Law), Professor Hannu Ilvesniemi (Luke) and Senior scientist Peter Ylen (VTT).
One of the major global challenges we currently face in materials science relates to the transformation from a fossil petro-chemistry based polymeric materials to a sustainable, renewable and carbon-binding one. VALUEBIOMAT presents a groundbreaking paradigm change, and provides the knowledge needed to foster the transition towards producing polymers and plastics fully based on renewable plant oils and fats. Especially, the project will deliver groundbreaking results for the production of bio-composites based on novel long chain polyamides. In addition, the project will integrate developments on these novel bio-based and CO2-capturing composite materials, with emerging digital manufacturing and additive manufacturing (AM) technology. Moreover, VALUEBIOMAT will develop novel suitable business models and address the changes needed in the legal framework in order to support a smooth transition towards distributed (i.e. non-centralized, local) manufacturing of bio-based polymeric products.
“Research on the role of private law in fostering development and adoption of sustainable innovation in general is highly important; yet, to date, quite scarce. By placing our analysis into the concrete techno-economic-ecologic framework offered by VALUEBIOMAT, we will shed light over important issues of private law and sustainability that are also applicable on a more general level”, says Associate Professor Rosa Maria Ballardini from the Faculty of Law at the University of Lapland.
Finland provides with an ideal context for this research, especially because the country is at the frontline of scientific research in all the relevant disciplines, as well as in the wide industrial production of refined bio-based oils and fats suitable for polymers production.
Overall, the concepts developed in VALUEBIOMAT will be of disruptive nature and have great socio-economic impacts globally.
The first period of the Bio-oils based polymeric composites; value chain from syntheisis to additive manufacturing project takes place from 1st June 2019 to 31st August 2022.
For further information:
Associate Professor Rosa Maria Ballardini
Faculty of Law, University of Lapland
+358 40 18 98 816, rosa.ballardini(at)ulapland.fi
More details on the decision can be found from:
http://webfocus.aka.fi/ibi_apps/WFServlet?IBIF_ex=x_Konsortio2&CLICKED_ON=&YKONSORTIO=VALUEBIOMAT&UILANG=en&HAKU=755&TULOSTE=HTML