SRC adds four consortia to strategic research programme Keys to Sustainable Growth

The Strategic Research Council (SRC) established within the Academy of Finland has decided to add four new research consortia to the SRC programme Keys to Sustainable Growth. The decision concerns the programme’s supplementary call that was open 3–25 April 2018. Fifteen applications (of 62) proceeded to the second stage of the call.

The supplementary call sought research that deals with facilitating sustainable growth from the perspective of economic activity. The goal is to support and enable the renewal of services and products of Finnish organisations and companies in ways that support sustainable development.

Per Mickwitz, Chair of the SRC, said: “Together with the consortia selected previously, these four consortia provide an extensive coverage of the programme’s objectives and create a knowledge base that will support both public- and private-sector solutions to promote sustainable growth.”

The SRC also utilised interviews to support its decisions. “SRC funding decisions are made based on the review reports and the applications submitted. The interviews helped us estimate the significance of the weaknesses and strengths identified by the panels,” Mickwitz said. “All of the selected consortia did very well in the review in terms of both research quality, relevance and impact.”

The funding period is five years. The funding is granted in two parts: the first three-year funding period is followed by a midterm evaluation that determines the funding for the remaining two years.

The four consortia selected for funding are:

• Circular Economy Catalysts: From Innovation to Business Ecosystems, headed by Associate Professor Leena Aarikka-Stenroos, Tampere University of Technology
  
  The consortium aims to accelerate Finland’s strategic objective to become the globally leading circular economy by 2025. Another objective is to facilitate the transition from circular economy innovation ecosystems to circular economy business ecosystems.
  
  
• New Packaging Solutions for People, Planet and Business, headed by Research Professor Ali Harlin, VTT Technical Research Centre Ltd
  
  The consortium will search for packaging service solutions, simultaneously addressing two global challenges: food protection and plastic packaging waste.
  
  
• Sustainable Drug Discovery and Development with End-of-Life Yield, headed by Professor Jari Yli-Kauhaluoma, University of Helsinki
  
  The consortium aims to tackle environmental hazards and sustainability challenges related to drug manufacturing, consumption and end-of-life. Among other things, the consortium wants to reduce the environmental risks of drug development and introduce circular economy models to pharmaceutical packaging materials.
  
  
• Healthy Lifestyles to Boost Sustainable Growth, headed by Professor Petri Tapio, University of Turku
  
  The consortium will explore how to boost sustainable economic growth by enhancing everyday physical activity. With interventions in four cities, the consortium’s researchers will try to increase the proportion of daily bicycling, walking and other modes of active transport and thereby create new business opportunities.