in the Finnish chemical industry - Kemia-lehti

Jubilee weekcelebrates biotechThe year 2013 is the 60th Jubilee year of the discovery of DNA.During those 60 years, the development of molecular geneticsand biotechnology has been tremendous.To celebrate the anniversary, EuropaBio, the bioindustryorganisation of Europe, is organising the European BiotechWeek from September 30 through October 4, 2013. The weekcelebrates biotechnology and highlights biotech’s achievementsand opportunities through events across Europe.In Finland, the Biotech Week is coordinated by the FinnishBioindustries. It is organised in collaboration with Tekes, VTT,FIMM, the Luma Centre, and the Chemical Industry Federationof Finland, among others. During the week, several seminarsand other events will be organised, for example, in Helsinki,Turku, and Tampere.In Finland, the European BiotechWeek is celebrated through events inHelsinki, Turku, and Tampere.2013. The drug is designed for thetreatment of vulvar and vaginal atrophy(VVA) due to menopause.The drug has been licensed to theJapanese Shionogi & Company, which islaunching it to the US and global market.In addition a Helsinki based biotechnologycompany Oncos TherapeuticsLtd, focused on the development andcommercialisation of targeted oncolyticimmunotherapies for solid tumors, wasgranted an orphan drug designation forCGTG-102, a granulocyte-macrophagecolony stimulating factor-coding oncolyticadenovirus (Ad5/3-D24-GMCSF)for the treatment of soft tissue sarcomaby the FDA and European MedicinesAgency (EMA).Health care strategyIn June 2013, a working group wasappointed to prepare the growth strategyfor health sector research, developmentand innovation activities (RDI).Appointed by governmental bodies,including the Academy of Finland, theworking group aims to present a draftstrategy to the stakeholders in Octoberand to the Research and InnovationCouncil at the end of the year.The objective of the cooperation isto make strategically important choicesand coordinate the resources allocated totheir implementation.The growth strategy is based on the factthat Finland has a great opportunity to bea leading country in health technology,medical research, personalised healthpromotion, and treatment of illnessesas well as health sector service innovations.In addition, there has been a longtermdevelopment of the life scienceenvironment and industry in Finland. Thegoal is to create collaboration betweenall these sectors.Fuel from biomassThere are also future plans for the Finnishbioeconomy. A national bioeconomystrategy for Finland has been preparedsince autumn 2012 by several ministries,and the final report will be published inautumn 2013.Forest companies in Finland need tofind new areas for the use of wood asraw material due to the decreasing globaldemand for paper.UPM, for example, is investing in abiorefinery producing biofuels from crudetall oil in Lappeenranta. The industrialscale investment is globally the first ofits kind. Annually, the biorefinery willproduce approximately 100,000 tonnesof advanced second generation biodieselfor transport.With her large forests, Finland is in anexcellent position considering the globalneed and competition for biomass. Still,the concept of bioeconomy should not berestricted to only wood as raw material.Important sources of biomass are also, forexample, agriculture and municipal waste.Big Finnish chemical industrycompanies are also seeking new businessopportunities in biorefineries forproducing biofuels. Neste Oil already hasbiorefineries in Porvoo, Singapore, andRotterdam, the Netherlands. Renewablefuels recorded a comparable operatingprofit of 33 million euros already thisyear.The Rotterdam biorefinery has anannual production capacity of a billionlitres of renewable diesel fuel, making itEurope’s largest biorefinery. The biofuelis made from a variety of vegetable oils,by-products of vegetable oil refining,such as stearin, as well as waste oils andfats.Biofuels form only a small part ofthe possible products, other importantbio-based products are for examplebioplastics, biochemicals, and drugs.From chemistry to biotechIn Finland, there is a long tradition ofindustrial biotechnology, and especiallythe knowledge and development ofindustrial enzymes is world class. TheFinnish Roal Ltd, which produces enzymesfor different industrial applications,such as baking, food, technical and feedindustries, is one of the world’s largestenzyme companies exporting over 90 percent of its products worldwide.According to a prediction of McKinseyand Company, biotechnology will replace33 per cent of chemical processes by2025. In 2005, the share was only 6.7per cent.The refining of biomass, the globalneed for which will be enormous, willalso be a combination of traditionalchemical processes and a growing useof biotechnology. Biotechnology willsimilarly be important in producingbiomass, for example in growing algaeand using genetic modifications in plantbreeding.The writer is Director of FinnishBioindustries.carmela.kantor-aaltonen@chemind.fi40 KEMIA 5/2013