LUT University and ANDRITZ Oy, which is part of the international technology group ANDRITZ, have agreed on extensive collaboration in fibre technology research. The unique corporate collaboration model is a step toward a new way of sharing infrastructures and intensifying research collaboration.
"This collaboration will enable us to build laboratory facilities on LUT's Lahti campus on a wider scale than we had anticipated. In practice, we will expand the campus laboratories by nearly a thousand square metres, acquire a wider range of equipment and recruit new staff to Lahti," Dean Riina Salmimies sums up.
The laboratories are currently being designed, and collaborative activities will start in September 2022. Salmimies is especially glad that the laboratory work in Lahti will, from the very beginning, be strongly driven by the needs of industry, such as the growing bioeconomy cluster in the area.
According to Kari Tuominen, President and CEO of ANDRITZ Oy, the planned research centre and LUT's academic expertise bring added value to the company's own research and innovation.
"By investing in product development, we aim to strengthen our brand as a forerunner of innovative technologies and an appealing employer. Locating the research centre in Lahti, Southern Finland, will enable close collaboration between ANDRITZ and LUT researchers."
"The modern research centre will enable us to study, test and analyse both conventional and new fibre materials in a centralised way. Both LUT and we focus on technology that promotes sustainable development, the utilisation of side streams, and energy efficiency. LUT educates highly skilled workforce, whereas we offer them thesis projects and jobs," Tuominen continues.
What LUT and ANDRITZ Oy have in common is a strong global and international perspective.
In addition to the collaboration agreement now concluded, the two have thought about expanding their research collaboration beyond fibre research.
"This is a completely new approach to collaboration. It remains to be seen what opportunities it will open up in the coming years," Kari Tuominen and Riina Salmimies say.
ANDRITZ Oy is a leading global supplier of systems, equipment and services for the pulp and paper industry including wood processing, fiber processing, chemical recovery, and stock preparation. The number of employees of ANDRITZ companies in Finland is approximately 1 500. The Center of Excellence are Kerava, Kotka, Lahti, Lappeenranta, Savonlinna, Tampere, Vantaa, and Varkaus. ANDRITZ Oy's headquarters are located in Helsinki, Finland and the company's turnover is about 990 million euros. The company is owned by ANDRITZ AG of Austria.
