Nordic Biomaterials

About

Our material world will change dramatically in the coming years. The overuse of existing raw materials cannot continue and global consumption must fall. But our need for materials will not disappear: materials will continue to nourish us, cover us, comfort us, delight us and keep us alive. This means that we need new ideas, cooperation across borders and hard work to replace our existing material systems and consumption habits with more sustainable ones.

Used wisely, wood and plant-based materials offer one possible route to a more sustainable material world: they come from renewable sources, can be chemically modified, and can be used to make recyclable or biodegradable products.

Nordic Biomaterials inspires students to combine design and materials science for new bio-based material concepts and ideas. This graduate-level course is suitable for students from a variety of backgrounds (design, science, engineering, business). It introduces a wide range of bio-based materials, particularly those based on wood and plants. Materials may be derived from virgin sources or by-products, recycled, or harvested directly from nature.

During the course, you will become familiar with the material-driven experimental process, experience how interdisciplinary materials research works in practice, and explore how raw materials can be turned into innovative business ideas in the context of the circular economy.

Target group

The minimum requirement for this course is a finished Bachelor's degree.

Participants must have completed a high school or vocational degree or equivalent by the time the course starts. However, they do not have to be a degree student at a university to participate in our courses.

Additionally, all summer school course students must be 18 years or older, as it is the legal age in Finland.

Course aim

- Familiarize with materials that are processed either chemically or mechanically from trees or other plants, such as cellulose fibres, fibrils (micro- or nano-structured), lignin, bark extractives and novel combinations of these
- Develop innovative ideas through hands-on prototyping and experimenting with materials
- Awareness of the main sustainability issues related to this field
- Understanding of the principles of scaling the ideas towards innovations and even commercialisation
- Experience of an interdisciplinary working environment in practice

Fee info