HAMK’s Smart & Bio education and research environment strengthened with two significant fundings
The new investment of the Häme University of Applied Sciences HAMK, the Smart & Bio education and research environment, has received nearly EUR 700,000 for equipment investments and approximately EUR 0.5 million for research focusing on safeguarding sustainable food production.
The Smart Systems & Biotechnology (Smart & Bio) building, which will be built for the Hämeenlinna University Centre, will have modern laboratory and research facilities that will develop multidisciplinary smart solutions and applications to promote the green transition. As part of Smart & Bio’s activities, the Smart Food Security research project focusing on safeguarding food production will begin. The Ministry of Education and Culture (in Finnish) has granted EUR 497,000 in funding for it.
The two-year study to be launched in January 2023 combines HAMK’s strong expertise in primary production and bioprocessing with modern cell cultivation technologies and synthetic biology. Digitalised measurement and analysis of collected measurement data on processes related to sustainable food production is one of the key themes of the research.
Research focusing on safeguarding food production examines the following three areas: 1) safeguarding crop through soil fertility and carbon farming, 2) securing the availability of raw materials and studying the raw materials of food and nutritional products, and 3) ensuring future bio-manufacturing skills to enable sustainable food production.
Several academic and industrial partners are needed in the project. The construction of the networks is already advanced, as HAMK, a member of the RUN European University, leads the RUN-EU Innovation Hub of bioeconomy, which strengthens regional expertise and European networking in the fields of food, biotechnology and smart agriculture. In addition, the Häme region has authorised HAMK to co-ordinate the development of the food system.
Financing for equipment investments from Business Finland
New laboratory facilities in the Smart & Bio training and research environment will include bioreactors and equipment for research and cultivation of synthetic organisms. Business Finland has granted EUR 692,975 in funding for the equipment investments. The overall cost estimate of the Smart & Bio investment during the planning phase is more than EUR 5 million.
Smart & Bio is a significant investment by HAMK in research into smart bioeconomy. The research environment serves the RDI needs of business life by improving the course offering of research services offered directly to companies in the fields of biogas process testing and analytics, bioreactor technology and fermentation, and synthetic and molecular biology.
‘We expect the Smart & Bio research environment to grow into an interesting partner for public research funding in Europe and around the world. In addition, it ensures the degree programme and competence level of future experts regarding application development that utilises both digital solutions and industrial side streams and biomasses,’ says Annukka Pakarinen, Research Director at HAMK.
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