Betolar scoops Finnish innovation award

Betolar has won the Finnish Chemical Society’s Circular Economy Innovation Award in recognition of its chemistry business idea that offers both environmental and economic benefits. Betolar's method, industrial waste and side streams can be converted into low-carbon building materials for the needs of mining and construction. This geopolymer-based building material can reduce the carbon footprint by using standardised industrial side streams, such as fly ash and blastfurnace slag.

Product development is constantly looking for new side streams to achieve sufficiently large production volumes. Betolar's products have succeeded in reducing CO₂ emissions from raw materials by up to 80 per cent compared to traditional concrete.

“Betolar's solution is an excellent example of a business that relies on scientific research and aims to respond to globally significant sustainability challenges,” according to the Finnish Chemical Society. The utilisation of side streams requires knowledge of the properties and quality of the raw materials used and the new products manufactured from them, as well as analysis methods suitable for their research.

“It is important for us to receive recognition from the scientific community. In our research and development activities, we have invested especially in scientific research data. In recent years, we have recruited top professionals with significant academic track record. One in three of our employees has a doctoral degree,” says Riku Kytömäki, CEO of Betolar.

The award was presented at the ChemBio Finland 2024 event at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre.