Deadline: 31 March 2025
Tapojärvi, in partnership with EIT Raw Materials, is seeking talented students to develop innovations to support the circular economy in the raw materials industry.
The Tapojärvi Open Innovation Challenge 2025 seeks novel solutions for extracting valuable substances from waste or side streams in three areas of the raw materials industry: the stainless steel, mining, and forest industries.
Challenge Areas
- Mining industry side streams:
- Waste rock and tailings are the main waste products of the mining industry. Tapojärvi is exploring ways to turn these materials into valuable resources, such as low-carbon binders and construction materials. They’re looking for cost-effective, low-carbon ideas to reuse mining side streams locally. Do you have a solution?
- Stainless steel industry side streams:
- Steel production generates massive amounts of slag and dust. Tapojärvi processes these by-products, but they need new ideas to repurpose them efficiently. They’re looking for cost-effective, low-carbon solutions that can utilise large volumes of slag. Can you help them?
- Forest industry side streams:
- The pulp industry creates various by-products, some of which are tough to utilise. Tapojärvi has already made progress with some of its solutions, including producing soil cement from green liquor dregs. Now, they’re on the hunt for new ways to repurpose forest industry side streams. Do you have a low-carbon, cost-effective idea?
Funding Information
- The three top teams will receive expert coaching. The winning team can expect a €10.000 prize, while the second and third teams will receive €3000 and €2000, respectively.
Additional Benefits
- Winners get the possibility of working within the Tapojärvi group, and their solution could evolve into a product that Tapojärvi can deploy.
- Successful teams will be invited to pitch their ideas to industry experts, and the top teams will advance to the final round.
Eligibility Criteria
- This challenge is perfect for students who are passionate about making a positive environmental impact and who are studying in one of the following areas:
- Engineering
- Chemical engineering
- Metallurgy
- any discipline related to the raw material value chain and forest industry.
For more information, visit EIT RawMaterials.
