Nine months on from the innovation camp – the result is new networks, project applications and interesting openings in the nutrient cycle

In April 2018, MDI was involved in the organisation of the Nutrition Recycling Innovation Camp which was part of the Programme to promote nutrient recycling, with the Natural Resources Institute Finland and the Rural Network Support Unit playing lead roles. The camp was tasked with looking for symbiotic solutions to improve nutrient recycling, as well as searching for concrete openings and positive steps to promote circular economy solutions.  Thirty-six participants, divided into four groups, innovated solutions for nutrient circulation across themes dealing with biogas, food, waste water and manure. The winner, the biogas group, was able to meet Minister Tiilikainen in June and share their ideas.

Just over six months after the camp, participants were asked about its longer-term results. They considered new contacts and networking opportunities with nutrition recycling professionals to be the most important outcomes of the exercise. The camp also provided the necessary impulse to promote new collaborative patterns between companies and research institutes. In addition, a number of project ideas were created on the basis of ideas developed at the camp, one of which was subsequently to receive project funding (Circular Nutrition).

Developed on the basis of work done by ​​the Manure Nutrition Circulation Group, the “Circulatory Nutrition – Productization and Redistribution of Nutrients in the Primary and Food Industry Mass Flows in the Seinäjoki Region” project has received funding from the Nutrient Recycling Pilot Programme administered by the South Ostrobothnia ELY Centre. The project will investigate the feasibility of a biogas plant designed for Nurmo. In addition, the flow of materials to the plant and recipients of the recycled nutrients produced by the plant are also mapped. The main implementer of the project is Heikas Oy with project partners Manupork Oy and Envitecpolis Oy. Read more about the project at https://www.facebook.com/kiertoravinne/