Tapojärvi’s 4th Innovation Challenge focused on the utilization of by-products from the mining, steel, and forest industries.
Tapojärvi Innovation Challenge 2025 – Final and Winners
GeoCura won the Tapojärvi Innovation Challenge 2025 competition. Team RecyGeo placed second, and Team Kaabricks came third. Team ECHRO, which finished fourth, won the public vote and received a €2,000 special prize.The final was held on October 27, 2025, at the SnowCastle of Kemi
Tapojärvi organized the international Innovation Challenge competition for the fourth time, bringing together European university students to develop solutions for utilizing industrial side streams.
In 2025, the competition attracted 37 student teams and a total of 110 students from across Europe.
The final took place at the SnowCastle of Kemi as an exclusive gala event for invited guests.
The finalist teams presented their solutions to the jury, and the evening culminated with the announcement of the winner — decided by a combination of jury evaluations and a public vote.
The event was streamed live on Tapojärvi’s YouTube channel for everyone to watch.
Results 2025
1. GeoCura – Concrete 2.0
GeoCura is developing a geopolymer-based, self-healing concrete where cement is replaced with copper mine tailings and fly ash.
The solution can reduce CO₂ emissions from concrete production by up to 80% and extend the lifespan of structures.
“Using bacteria as part of the concrete industry is a great idea that should definitely be explored further. This is a unique innovation.” — commented jury member Mauri Kauppi.
2. Team RecyGeo
Developing a fire-resistant and thermally insulating geopolymer coating made from paper and mining industry side streams.
The coating offers an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional chemical fire retardants and helps reduce building energy consumption.
3. Team Kaabricks
Producing bricks and building panels entirely from recycled materials such as textile industry residues and mining waste rock. The process requires no cement or firing, making it an energy-efficient and cost-effective construction solution.
4. Team ECHRO – Audience Favorite
Developing a process that extracts valuable chromium from stainless steel slag and converts the remaining material into a permanent carbon dioxide storage.
The team won the public vote and received a €2,000 special award.
For more information about the winners and finalists,
read more here >.
Purpose of the Competition
The main prize was a €10,000 cash award and a potential career opportunity within the Tapojärvi Group.
The competition was organized in cooperation with EIT RawMaterials and supported Europe’s goals for a circular economy and strategic autonomy by connecting students with industrial partners.
Industrial Side Streams as the Future of Industry
Tapojärvi’s Acting CEO Mari Pilventö emphasized that the competition was a concrete way to accelerate the circular economy through collaboration between students and industry: “For us, the Innovation Challenge is a way to discover new solutions we might not otherwise see. At the same time, it brings young talents closer to the realities of the industrial world.”
According to Mikko Korhonen from EIT RawMaterials, the competition demonstrated that industrial side streams are the raw materials of the future: “Europe’s competitiveness depends on how effectively we can utilize waste and side streams in new ways. This competition shows that the circular economy provides the key.”
Encounters That Last
Simon Coen, a member of the winning team from 2023, returned to Finland this autumn to host the final.
He met this year’s finalists and said he was impressed by their ideas and preparation.
Simon’s story illustrates how the competition can create lasting connections and new opportunities even years after participation. Read more about Simon’s thoughts here.
YouTube channel.
