Press Release 27 May 2008
The Finnish Chemical Industry Federation

The Chemical Industry Innovation Award given to St1 Biofuels Oy

Chemistry creates solutions for energy, health and materials challenges

The decentralised ethanol manufacturing solution by St1 Biofuels Oy has been granted the 10th consecutive chemical industry Innovation Award. Moreover, two innovations received an honorary mention. The new catalyst technology created by Borealis Polymers Oy enables new properties in polymer materials. The whole blood analysis method by Innotrac Diagnostics Oy makes it easier and quicker to make treatment decisions in emergency and intensive care. The awards were presented on Thursday, April 24, 2008 in Helsinki, at a theme forum organised by the Chemical Industry Federation. The award recipients were selected by the Finnish chemical industry’s Scientific Advisory Board.

Ethanol from waste materials reused in transportation

St1 Biofuels Oy’s rewarded innovation meets the challenges of sustainable development in many ways. The new method is used in manufacturing ethanol from waste raw materials. The resulting product can be used as vehicle fuel. This way the solution helps cut down carbon dioxide emissions and oil dependency in traffic and transportation. Also, the method promotes waste material use.

St1 Biofuels Oy brings small production plants close to the waste raw material supplier, and the product is centrally concentrated. The heat energy needed by the plants is produced with biofuels, the plants are energy efficient and the by-products usable in an efficient way.

The Scientific Advisory Board viewed the recognised solution as an exemplary innovation, the likes of which Finland should produce more. Through technological know-how, production-related solutions and entrepreneurship, St1 Biofuels Oy has actively tackled the climate and energy challenge.

New emulsion catalyst technology improves plastics properties

The Catalyst research team by Borealis Polymers Oy received an honorary mention for its new technological solution, which is used in manufacturing plastics raw materials. The properties of plastics made with this technology can be more accurately tailored to customer needs.

In the method named Sirius, the new ZN PP catalyst is manufactured in a completely new way, and it also works unlike any other previous solutions. The innovation is already in use in the manufacturing of polypropelyne at Borealis’ own plants. The commercial opportunities are significant.

More efficient health care with whole blood diagnostics

Another honorary mention was granted to an innovation that speeds up emergency and intensive care. The diagnostic measurement system developed by Innotrac Diagnostics Oy gives reliable results directly from the patient’s blood sample in less than 20 minutes. Making diagnoses and treatment decisions is this way much quicker, which helps increase the efficiency of health care.

The first commercial products are designed for detection of cardiac and vascular diseases. The method is already being applied in other diagnostics areas. International interest is also broad.

Chemical innovations tackle current issues

This year the chemical industry Innovation Award was presented for the 10th time. The innovations entered in the competition were of fairly high quality and responded to current issues.

The decision-making Scientific Advisory Board was especially pleased by the large number of candidates focusing on energy, climate and environmental challenges. The competition proved in its part that chemistry has versatile solutions to support both sustainable development and other areas of human well-being.

The chemical industry Innovation Award is nowadays presented every two years as recognition for a significant, commercially viable innovation in the chemical industry. The first prize is worth 20,000 euros. The Award was established in 1997 by the Board of Directors of the Finnish Chemical Industry Federation. The initiative for the Award came from the chemical industry Scientific Advisory Board.

The goal of the Innovation Award is to encourage research-based, innovative activities and to promote the commercialization of new innovations. In addition, the goal is to promote the emergence of entrepreneurship in the field. The award is granted to a person, a team or an enterprise and it covers activities carried out at universities, at research institutes and in enterprises.

Further information:

Inventor Antti Pasanen, St1 Biofuels Oy, tel. +358 49 762 1388
Project Manager Anders Nymark, Borealis Polymers Oy,
tel. +358 50 379 4151
R&D Director Harri Takalo, Innotrac Diagnostics Oy,
tel. +358 40 508 7104
Assistant Director Riitta Juvonen, Chemical Industry Federation of Finland, tel. + 9 1728 4318

Photographs of the Award recipients: www.chemind.fi/photo_gallery