Finnish Senfit submitted their solution to Veolia`s call for innovation

Finnish Senfit submitted their solution to Veolia’s call for
innovation and is starting a pilot with the leading global cleantech
company
Posted by Emmi Kaipio on March 18, 2015 10:15 AM
Category: Nordic Innovation Accelerator
Nordic Innovation Accelerator (NIA) is a tool to help companies streamline the introduction of their innovative
products, services and processes on the market. It has offered dozens of Nordic cleantech companies
opportunities to showcase their expertise in environmental technology to global industry leaders.
Veolia, an international cleantech company promoting a global circular economy, as well as water, waste and
energy management with a turnover of over EUR 24,4 billion, is partner of the NIA and launched last year 2
worldwide calls for innovation. The NIA helped to relay these calls for innovation specifically in the Nordic
region.
Recently, Veolia expressed its interest in the Finnish company Senfit who provides measuring and control
solutions that are based on high performance microwave technology.
As a result of the call for solutions for moisture measurement of organic materials Senfit was selected from 16
proposals to start collaboration with Veolia. A pilot project is now planned to implement the Senfit technology
on an operational plant, in North of France. For Senfit this is an excellent opportunity to get reference and gain
access to large corporate client.
"We proposed our solution to the innovation call since Veolia is a significant global market leader and we
wanted to see where this could lead. For us NIA process opened valuable communication channel with
potential corporate client and of the pilot project our expectations are high. We believe to come into
commercial agreement later this year after successful pilot." Markku Korhonen, the CEO of Senfit describes the
benefits.
Lahti Region Development LADEC launched the NIA platform tailored to the Nordic market just over a year ago
in cooperation with Veolia. Veolia specializes in effective water, energy and material use and it uses the
platform to distribute predefined challenges, for which cleantech companies of various sizes and at various
stages can submit their solutions. During the first year of operation of the tool Veolia was looking for solutions
in two calls for innovation.
"We experimented with success this partnership with LADEC, through the NIA, in 2014, and we are keen to go
on for 2015. The NIA is a great opportunity to detect some innovative solutions in this fruitful Nordic area, and
the results of the 2 last calls for innovation perfectly illustrate the efficiency of the tool", tells the open
innovation manager Laurence Duyck from Veolia Research & Innovation.
Nordic cleantech companies at the forefront
The eagerness and technological expertise of Nordic cleantech companies were highlighted in Veolia's latest
two calls for innovations, with which Veolia was looking for solutions for measuring the moisture content of
organic materials and streamlining industrial waste logistics management.
Altogether 30 per cent of the applicants who submitted their proposal for the global waste management
challenge were from the Nordic countries thanks to the NIA platform. A total of nine of these proposals came
from the Finnish companies.
From Nordic countries altogether 8 companies, of which 6 were Finnish, presented solutions for performing
moisture measurements faster and more accurately.
Agility and innovations for traditional industries
Through the platform, growing cleantech innovative companies have the chance to receive valuable guidance
from the international experts at Veolia, who employ some 180,000 workers. The company operates several
pilot facilities where new products and equipment are tested in actual conditions.
The Nordic Innovation Accelerator platform is not only for Veolia's use but it's open for any large companies as
a flexible channel for seeking ideas, know-how and networking opportunities for upgrading and renewal of
their processes.
Finnish companies and public entities who have utilized the innovation tool include the City of Lahti, Lahti
University of Applied Sciences, Renor and Lahti Aqua, who used the platform last year to organize jointly a
competition to find new storm water management solutions.
Also large Finnish companies Fortum, Kuusakoski and the S -Group, used the platform to look for new ideas to
develop their business operations. The organizations took promising start-ups under their wings with the
promise of mentoring them for six months as part of the Corporate Venture program coordinated by LADEC
(www.corporateprogram.fi)
"We see NIA as a tool which makes the sourcing and evaluation process efficient but the key for the success
lies in the corporate development team. They need to be open and committed to work with the start-ups.
Sometimes the common language and balance is difficult to find but in the end the work is worth its while for
both parties! The best thing is that the start-ups evidently have entrepreneurial enthusiasm and it is
contagious", tells the program coordinator Nina Harjula from LADEC.