Finnish-Turkish partnerships strengthened during World Circular Economy Forum in Helsinki
The World Circular Economy Forum in Helsinki brought together innovators working on circular solutions for nature and the economy. Team Finland Türkiye hosted a delegation from Turkish textile, mining, and renewable energy sectors to explore cooperation between Finnish and Turkish industries.
The World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2023 gathered more than 8,400 game-changers in Helsinki and online from 156 countries on May 30 to June 2. Organized by Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund, and Nordic Innovation, the forum offered circular solutions for nature and the economy. Highlights of forum include:
- Sitra proposes to the next European Commission: Put nature at the heart of decision-making and continue the European Green Deal(Link to another website.)
- Multilateral development banks join forces to accelerate circularity(Link to another website.)
- Circular collaboration in the Global South tightens(Link to another website.)
- Engage the youth and regenerate nature – strong messages from the World Circular Economy Forum(Link to another website.)
- Apply metrics and regulation to scale up circular solutions(Link to another website.)
- Sustainability and Circularity in the Textile Value Chain – A Global Roadmap(Link to another website.)
During the week, Team Finland Türkiye hosted a delegation from Turkish textile, mining, and renewable energy sectors, providing the opportunity to explore deeper circular economy collaboration between Finnish and Turkish industries. In addition to the two-day main program of the forum, Robert’s Coffee hosted 60 guests for a networking reception at their flagship Robert’s Coffee Jugend in the heart of Helsinki.
Commercial Counsellor Joona Selin from the Embassy of Finland in Ankara welcomed the guests, and Business Finland Head of Zero Carbon Future mission Helena Saren outlined Finland’s sustainability journey towards zero carbon. Finland’s commitment is to be carbon-neutral and the first fossil-free welfare society by 2035.
Robert’s Coffee CEO Harri Koivula and İzzet Günaydın from Robert’s Coffee Türkiye shared the history of the ‘Most Appreciated Coffee Shop Brand in Finland’. Guests also learned about the importance of coffee culture in everyday life in Finland, which makes Finland the number one coffee consumer per capita in the world.
The visit had a special focus on circular solutions and sustainability in the textile industry. Fifteen delegates from the Turkish textile industry joined a two-day program of meetings and site visits on June 1 and 2. The program started at VTT Bioruukki with Ali Harlin, Research Professor and Taina Kamppuri, Senior Scientist at Technical Research Centre of Finland VTT presenting their work on innovating sustainable fabrics and better ways of recycling fibres. VTT Bioruukki is one of Europe’s largest open access pilot facilities, with a unique combination of pilot-scale process development units and R&D services.
The visitors had the chance to see the pilot facility of Infinited Fiber Company, whose patented and award-winning textile fiber product Infinna™ takes piles of trashed textiles that would otherwise be landfilled or burned and transforms them into brand-new premium-quality fibers for the textile industry. Hosting our guests at the Infinited Fiber Company headquarters in Otaniemi were CCO Liisa Haavanlammi and CMO Tanja Karila.
The tour continued with Aalto University spinoff Nordic Bioproducts Group who collaborates with the most forward-thinking scientists, companies, industrial leaders, and innovators to unleash the potential of smart biosystems and biomaterials. Nordic Bioproducts Group director Olli Kähkönen presented their patented Aaltocell technology and Norratex fiber innovation at their BIG center for R&D, testing, prototyping, analyzing, and piloting.
Ioncell CEO Antti Rönkkö introduced the company’s innovative technology that turns used textiles, pulp or even old newspapers into new textile fibers sustainably and without harmful chemicals. The Ioncell® process uses a novel solvent called ionic liquid, which is an environmentally friendly solvent that can be recycled and is not flammable like many others. Ioncell is currently looking for collaborators and funding for its piloting phase and for the further upscaling and commercialization activities.
Spinnova Chief Sustainability Officer Shahriare Mahmood presented Spinnova’s climate-positive textile fiber, which is a new and sustainable material made of wood or waste. Spinnova and the world's largest pulp producer Suzano recently opened their first commercial-scale facility producing wood-based SPINNOVA® fibre. The plant will produce 1,000 tonnes of sustainable, recyclable and fully biodegradable textile fibre from responsibly grown wood each year.
Textile recycling is a key element supporting the Finnish aim of becoming a carbon neutral circular society by 2035. The separate collection of textiles will start in the EU by 2025, but Finland started the separate collection of textiles already in 2023. Two Finnish companies have invested in refinement plants for recycling end-of-life textiles in Finland: Rester Ltd and Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto (LSJH). Rester Circular Sales Manager Johanna Lindholm-Järvinen and R&D Manager Kirsi Jaakkola toured our group at their post-industrial textile refinement plant in Paimio. On his part, LSJH Senior Project Manager Aki Honkanen hosted us at the post-consumer textile sorting facility in Turku.
Team Finland Türkiye will continue its activities in the second half of the year with well as partnerships in connection to the Circular Economy Week of Türkiye and Sustainability Talks in October and November. For further information, you may contact:
Nilüfer Alapınar, Senior Advisor, Business Finland: nilufer.alapinar(a)businessfinland.fi
Joona Selin, Commercial Counsellor, Embassy of Finland in Ankara: joona.selin(a)gov.fi