The utilisation of industrial side streams has moved to the heart of Europe’s green transition. At its core lies raw material self-sufficiency.
“Demand for materials – especially critical raw materials – is growing so fast that Europe’s own production cannot keep up,” says Mikko Korhonen, Business Development Manager at EIT RawMaterials.
He emphasises that side streams must be addressed broadly if the EU’s circular economy and autonomy goals are to be achieved.
“Solutions must be found through both technology and competence. Open, joint ideation between companies, research and students is one way to accelerate the transformation.”
Organised for the fourth time, Tapojärvi’s Innovation Challenge has grown into an international programme attracting dozens of student teams from across Europe. During the past year, the circular economy innovations developed by the students have been refined together with Tapojärvi’s sales and development team. Four teams have advanced to today’s final to present their innovations.
ECHRO is developing a dual-effect process that extracts high-quality chromium from stainless steel slag and transforms the remaining material into a product that permanently binds carbon dioxide – reducing both metal waste and emissions.
GeoCura is creating a concrete revolution
by producing geopolymer-based self-healing concrete from mining waste. By replacing cement with copper mine tailings and fly ash, CO₂ emissions from cement production could be reduced by up to 80%.
Kaabricks manufactures bricks and panels entirely from recycled materials, combining textile industry residues with mining side rocks. The production process requires neither firing nor cement, making it an energy-efficient and low-cost alternative to traditional building materials.
RecyGeo develops a fire-resistant, heat-insulating coating made from paper and mining industry side streams. The coating reduces buildings’ energy consumption and provides an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional chemical fire retardants.
“This is our way of finding solutions we might not come up with ourselves. It’s also a way to bring young innovators into the reality of industry,” says Mari Pilventö, Acting CEO of Tapojärvi.
Both EIT RawMaterials and Tapojärvi see circular economy not as an optional extra, but as a prerequisite for the future of industry.
“For us, circular economy is everyday work, not a separate project. Responsibility is reflected in how materials are treated and what they become next,” Pilventö says.
According to Korhonen, Europe’s competitiveness will increasingly depend on how well companies can reuse waste and side streams in new forms.
“Circular economy is not a compromise – it’s a solution. It’s the way to maintain industrial production in Europe.”
Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/live/rxzuely2RP0
Finalists:
Judges:
In cooperation with: Tapojärvi and EIT RawMaterials
