Tapojärvi is a Finnish family-owned company that has grown in 70 years from a one-man enterprise into an international group employing more than 1,000 people. The company’s operations are based on mining and circular economy services as well as industrial raw material recycling.
Tapojärvi is one of the few Finnish industrial companies that has expanded rapidly across several European countries. In recent years, the group has grown significantly, and its goal is to hire several dozen more employees by the end of 2025.
The company is now led by the third generation: CEO Mari Pilventö, granddaughter of the company’s founder Esko Tapojärvi.
Pilventö has brought Tapojärvi’s circular economy expertise to international forums, presenting solutions that replace virgin raw materials with industrial side streams — reducing emissions and conserving natural resources.
“Tapojärvi has grown because we’ve had the courage to renew ourselves. For us, circular economy isn’t a trend — it’s a way of doing industry and providing services in a new and responsible way,”
says Mari Pilventö, CEO of Tapojärvi.
Tapojärvi will celebrate its 70th anniversary on 27 October 2025. On the same day, the Tapojärvi Innovation Challenge Final will take place at the SnowCastle of Kemi, bringing together young European innovators and industry experts.
The competition, now held for the fourth time, seeks new solutions for utilizing industrial side streams and advancing the circular economy.
Students Innovate the Future of Industry
The Tapojärvi Innovation Challenge gives students the opportunity to develop ideas that make a real impact on the sustainability of industry.
This year, four European finalist teams have been selected. Their innovations represent cutting-edge circular economy solutions:
The total prize pool is €16,000, with the winning team receiving €10,000 and the opportunity to continue developing their innovation in collaboration with Tapojärvi.
The competition is organized in cooperation with EIT RawMaterials, which supports European raw materials and circular economy innovation.
Tapojärvi Innovation Challenge 2025
