Beneficiary 2. Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), Espoo, Finland
VTT is a multidisciplinary expert organisation on technology and technology-based business research. VTT’s special strength is its ability to create new, globally competitive technologies and innovations by combining knowledge and expertise in different fields. Technological focus areas are applied materials, bio and chemistry processes, energy, information and communication technologies, industrial systems management, microtechnologies and electronics, and technology in the community. The technology focus area for the bio and chemistry processes encompasses bio- and chemical technology, and basic technologies and applications in the process industry. The key areas are sustainable chemistry, biotechnology and process development. Chemical and biotechnical methods are used to produce chemicals and polymers from biomass-based raw materials. The value of biofibre is raised by means of functionalisation. Processes of the forest cluster’s value chain (chemical suppliers, technology vendors and paper manufacturers) are renewed, and new ones developed with the aid of pilot plants. The creation of environmentally friendly functional end-product properties is a key research topic. The focus areas for material research are functional materials/surfaces and nanomaterials, natural fibres and polymers, materials for printed intelligence, engineering materials, materials for transportation and consumer goods, functional structures and building materials. Methods and functional polymer applications are developed to improve the competitiveness of the packaging industry. VTT has participated to two EU-projects related tothe topic of FORESTSPECS: BioComp (Knowledge-based multi-component materials for durable and safe performance, FP6-NMP 515769) and WACHEUP (New concepts for upgrading pulp mill waste streams to value-added chemicals, FP6-NMP 13896).
Two VTT units will be involved in the project.

• 14. Dr. Salme Koskimies, PhD, 1977, University of Brandeis, USA in physical organic chemistry. Chief Research Scientist in Industrial chemistry, VTT since 2001. Research fellow, group or department manager in Neste Oy 1981-2001 in oil, industrial chemicals and polymers research areas. Docent, Industrial Organic Chemistry, University of Lappeenranta and UHEL since 1989. Member of international organisations (COST) and panels (EU/COST and MC-Chemistry). Over 25 scientific papers and 40 patents leading to substantial amount of new business. Order of White Rose of the Republic of Finland in 1996. Her special area in FORESTSPECS project is industrial organic chemistry related to upgrading of biomaterials.

15. M.Sc. (Eng.) Sami Alakurtti, Research scientist, his special area is organic synthesis related to betulin derivatives.
16. M.Sc. Pauliina Pitkänen, Research scientist, her special area is organic and polymer synthesis related to suberin derivatives.
17. M.Sc. (Eng.) Janne Hulkko, Senior research scientist, his special area is organic and polymer synthesis related to coating applications
18. M.Sc. Saila Jämsä, Senior research scientist, her special area is coatings and adhesives applications and wood products.
19. Ph.Lic. Leena Paajanen, Senior research scientist, her special area is research on the fungicidal activity of bioactive products

Role in the project

• Isolation, fractionation and characterization of biologically active compounds from wood or wood residues (WP2).
• Separation, fractionation and characterization of humic substances from peat (WP2).
• Modification of the most interesting identified wood, wood residue or peat-based compounds chemically, and characterization of the obtained compounds in terms of their chemical structures and purities (WP2).
• Providing WP3, WP4 and WP5 with compound fractions, isolated pure compounds and/or the chemical derivatives of the isolated pure compounds for various biological, physiological and pharmacological activity tests, for testing their properties from the perspective of material science, and for assessment of their value as ingredients in cosmetic products (WP2).
• Providing WP5 with required materials for environmental remediation studies (WP2).
• Study of suberin derivatives and modified peat extractives as potential speciality chemicals, for example as plasticizing and chelating agents (WP3).
• Providing continuous feedback to the WP2 and WP6 to guide the structural optimisation and innovations for new product options (WP3).
• Evaluation of the overall feasibility of the new innovative approaches to utilize wood residues and peat, arising from the project (WP6).
• Analysis of the technical feasibility of products/processes developed in the project, at different stages based on the maturity of technologies developed (WP6).