Evaluation Report Publications of the Academy of Finland 1/11

Research profile
Process chemistry research covers the whole value chain from raw material 
characterisation, fractionation of target raw materials and further processing to 
applications. It covers the following set of technological competencies: polymer and 
chemical products, chemical processes and models, natural materials and their 
processing, and biomass fractionation, which also includes agricultural raw materials. In 
2009, some 30 per cent of the research was contract research for different customers, 
while joint projects funded mainly by Tekes and the EU but also by the Academy of 
Finland accounted for 55 per cent. Of the projects, 15 per cent are self-financed when 
jointly funded projects are included, whereas only a minor fraction of the projects are 
totally self-financed (using VTT budget funding). The amount of basic research 
conducted by the unit has increased, especially the number of applications to the 
Academy of Finland. Also, the VTT Graduate School, started in 2009, will enhance 
the scientific – and in that sense the more basic – research portfolio.