The recognition was given at the national industrial circular economy flagship event, the ACEF2024 forum, in Kemi on May 30.
In his award justification, Director of the Circular Economy Center, Tuomas Pussila stated that Tapojärvi has demonstrated incredible courage by investing a significant portion of its annual revenue into R&D work.
“The company has managed to make circular economy profitable through various innovations and never rests on its laurels,” Pussila praised.
Last year, Tapojärvi invested 4.9 million euros in R&D activities.
“Annually, we invest 2-4 percent of our revenue in various circular economy projects. We aim to bring products to the market with a lower carbon footprint than those currently available,” says Mari Pilventö, Tapojärvi’s Acting CEO.
The latest example of the company’s R&D investments is the opening of a laboratory focused on circular economy innovations in Oulu in May. The Eco Innovation Research Center is dedicated to the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of products made from industrial side streams. “TapoEko is our new circular economy product line, which we have begun launching to our customers,” says Tapojärvi’s Business Director, Veli-Matti Marttala.
Circular Economy Ideation with the Younger Generation
Tapojärvi’s Innovation Challenge competition, organized for students in the field, received applications from 29 teams representing 22 universities worldwide. Participants included 71 students from 43 different nationalities. The competition aims to increase students’ understanding of industrial circular economy challenges and help them develop sustainable solutions for industrial side streams through new product and service innovations. The winning team’s innovation has the potential to become a new sustainable circular economy service product. A recording of the Innovation Challenge event can be viewed on Tapojärvi’s website here.
Circular Economy Act of the Year Award
The Circular Economy Center annually awards the national Circular Economy Act of the Year Award to an innovative, inventive, or bold act, company, person, or initiative that promotes industrial circular economy. The award aims to highlight industrial circular economy with positive stories and examples.
Instead of material rewards, the award consists of a tree from a Finnish forest. Tapojärvi’s Business Director, Veli-Matti Marttala, together with the Director of the Circular Economy Center, Tuomas Pussila, selected a suitable tree from the forest in Tervola a few days before the event.
