The Finnish Chemical Society awarded Betolar the 2024 Circular Economy Innovation Award. The award was presented at the ChemBio Finland 2024 event at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre.
The award given to Betolar is the society’s recognition of an innovative circular economy chemistry business idea that generates both environmental and economic benefits.
With Betolar's method, industrial waste and side streams can be converted into low-carbon building materials for the needs of mining and construction. This geopolymer-based building material can reduce the carbon footprint by using standardized industrial side streams, such as fly ash and blast furnace slag.
Product development is constantly looking for new side streams to achieve sufficiently large production volumes. Betolar's products have succeeded in reducing carbon dioxide emissions from raw materials by up to 80% compared to traditional concrete.
"Betolar's solution is an excellent example of a business that relies on scientific research and aims to respond to globally significant sustainability challenges," the Finnish Chemical Society's award statement reads.
According to the Society, chemistry expertise and research are important in Betolar's circular economy innovation. The utilisation of side streams requires knowledge of the properties and quality of the raw materials used and the new products manufactured from them, as well as analysis methods suitable for their research.
"It is important for us to receive recognition from the scientific community. In our research and development activities, we have invested especially in scientific research data. In recent years, we have recruited top professionals with significant academic track record. One in three of our employees has a doctoral degree," says Riku Kytömäki, CEO of Betolar.
