Center of Expertise for Circular Economy (CECE)

Center of Expertise for Circular Economy (CECE)

The Center of Expertise for Circular Economy (CECE) is a network of research organizations and companies coordinated by the Department of Chemistry at the Ģ��ֱ��. The CECE combines high-level research and challenges related to product development in companies.

In addition to the Ģ��ֱ��, four research and development organizations are involved in the CECE, the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), the Jamk University of Applied Sciences (JAMK) and the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd (VTT). Among the companies involved are Alva Group - Alva-yhtiöt Oy, Neova Group and Weeefiner Oy.

The networks's activities include collaborative research and development projects, events and visits, publications and communication.

The management team of the CECE met for the first time on November 8, 2022. Vice-rector Pasi Raiskinmäki is the chairman of the management team. All members of the CECE are represented on the management team. In addition to the management team, the network has a steering group with representatives from the West Finland European Office, Regional Council of Central Finland, the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres), the Chemical Industry Federation of Finland, the Startup Factory, Motiva and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland.

The thematic areas of research and development:

The European Commission has published a list of raw materials that are critical for industrial activity. To ensure the availability of raw materials, raw material cycles must be made more efficient and new innovative recycling and recovery methods are needed. In the thematic group, we will focus on the development of metal and nutrient recovery technologies and their scaling up to industrial scale. Currently, research activities are particularly active in the recovery of precious metals, copper and rare earths from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and permanent magnets.

The Thematic Group of Biomass will focus on the integrated use of different bio-based products and waste streams. Valuable organic compounds will be sought and extracted from bio-based materials, and residues will be sought for applications such as use in growing media and as litter. There are uses for the recovered valuable organic compounds in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and chemical industries.

Finland is known as the land of a thousand lakes and clean water. However, access to clean water is a privilege for a diminishing number of people. The Thematic Group of Clean Water is developing the technology needed to purify water so that the elements and compounds removed can be further processed or used as valuable raw materials. This is made possible by capture technology, where chemistry can be used on a case-by-case basis to design capture molecules that remove, for example, harmful arsenic from water, or gold or palladium from precious metals.

Contact information

Ari Väisänen

Professor

Anni Taponen

Business Services Manager

Research groups and projects

Critical Raw Materials for Data, Recovery and Recycling (KRIIT)

The aim of this project is to develop worldwide unique knowhow to Middle Finland...

From Waste to Next-Generation Molecular Materials

More efficient use of bioresources as energy storage and enablers of the green transition -BitKein

BitKein finds large-scale solutions for regulating the electricity system and storing energy.

New Cultivated Plants on peatlands and biobased side-streams: Production Chains, Valuables and Circular economy (TURBITS)

Urban Circular economy in practice by managing the recovery of critical metals in micro-e-MOBILITY (UC-Mobility)

Urban Circular economy in practice by managing the recovery of critical metals in micro-e-MOBILITY

Analytical Chemistry and Circular Economy

Analytical Chemistry and Circular Economy research at Ģ��ֱ�� combines inorganic and organic analytics with chemistry related to recovery, reuse, and up-cycling of valuable raw materials.

Organic Analytics for Circular Economy

Organic Chemistry for Circular Economy

Group Helttunen – molecular level applications for bio and circular economy using supramolecular chemistry, organocatalysts, anion receptors and micelle mediated extraction.

Rare Earth Chemistry

Rare Earth Chemistry research group at the Ģ��ֱ�� focuses on rare earth chemistry, encompassing the magnetic and photonic properties of synthesized compounds as well as the recovery of rare earth elements from secondary sources.

Current news at the Center of Expertise for Circular Economy

Analyyttisen kemian työt -laboratoriokurssi

The Ģ��ֱ��’s new international master’s degree programme educates chemistry experts for significant changes in society

The new international master’s degree programme of the Ģ��ֱ��, Chemistry and Analytics for Circular Economy (CACE), educates future experts who can significantly contribute to the solving of societal problems.

The Ģ��ֱ�� are participating in Yle’s Miljoona roskapussia “Million Trash Bags” campaign. Join the campaign!

The Ģ��ֱ�� is involved in an extensive cooperation project to promote the circular economy of plastics. Everyone can participate in the A million trash bags campaign.

Ģ��ֱ�� and VTT to establish a hydrogen production and storage test facility in Central Finland

HyPER is a consortium project coordinated by VTT. The Ģ��ֱ��'s sub-project will develop materials suitable for hydrogen storage, contributing to the goal of moving towards safe and cost-effective hydrogen storage.

Wide-ranging cooperation with industry and research institutes

Research in the circular economy helps to ensure the sustainable use of natural resources by improving the efficiency of the use of organic and inorganic raw materials. We work in close cooperation with industry and research institutes. We focus on the identification and isolation of valuable materials from various industrial waste streams and seek the highest possible added value for the recovered raw materials. Green and low-carbon technologies and securing access to the raw materials they require are the common themes of our research projects. Our research can therefore be summed up briefly as "From waste to high value-added products".

A unique hydrometallurgical process equipment “Circular Economy Research Platform” provides a more realistic assessment of the functionality of chemical recovery processes compared to the laboratory scale.

Master’s Degree Programme in Chemistry and Analytics for Circular Economy (CACE)

New international Master’s Degree Programme in Chemistry and Analytics for Circular Economy educates experts with fundamental knowledge of circular economy and how to transition into a no-waste future by intelligent design, reducing, recycling, and reusing. The programme has a unique curriculum which combines chemistry of circular economy with recovery and upcycling of both metals and bio-based materials, with a strong focus on analytical chemistry.

The graduates of the programme respond to the pressing needs of many growing fields, such as circular economy, forest and chemical industries for new experts.