New member Greenlux Finland Oy joined the association

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Finnish Greenlux Finland Oy has recently joined FLCC. It  is a Finnish company founded in 2007. Greenlux designs and manufactures durable, smart, high quality and energy efficient general LED lighting solutions. Their  lighting products are suitable for industry, retail and office. Greenlux has its own production facility in Espoo, Finland. Local production in Finland offers the potential to reduce the carbon footprint and provides a faster and more environmentally friendly way to serve the customers. Greenlux also has a subsidiary in India that produces lighting solutions for fast- growing local markets and also manufactures export production for delivery worldwide when needed.

New member Solutionlab Productions joined the association

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SOLUTIONLAB PRODUCTION, UAB has core competencies in applications and systems Development, Support, Maintenance, Administration, Setup and has a high reputation in the Scandinavian and Baltic markets, where highly skilled and Microsoft certified professionals with practical experience deliver the best solutions to the clients.  The company helps  customers be better equipped to meet current and future challenges by giving them insight into and control over their platform through their consultants’ expertise and the company’s  unique, innovative and flexible services. SOLUTIONLAB strives to deliver quality IT solutions that deliver value to the customers’ organization. IT helps Startups to accelerate their technology solutions and has proven knowledge and experience in helping Startups move their prototypes or MVPs to scalable world class solutions. SOLUTIONLAB is a certified Microsoft and Umbraco partner.

Paulig gives its coffee waste a new life

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Paulig gives its coffee waste a new life: Paulig venture arm PINC leads EUR 1.1 million seed round in Kaffe Bueno

As a sustainability frontrunner, Paulig is actively seeking new business models that promote circularity and reduce climate impacts. Paulig Incubator, PINC, invests in a Danish start-up, Kaffe Bueno, that upcycles coffee waste from Paulig’s Vuosaari roastery into high-value ingredients for cosmetics, nutraceuticals and functional foods. 

PINC invests in early stage start-ups in and around the future of food. The Kaffe Bueno and PINC collaboration started about a year ago with testing of the upcycling of ground coffee waste from the Paulig’s Vuosaari roastery. The by-product of coffee production is now used as raw material for cosmetics, nutraceuticals and functional foods.

“Being involved in this pioneer project, where we give coffee waste a new life, has been very interesting and rewarding. We have been evaluating different ways to recycle coffee waste for years and I am pleased to see it turned into something good”, says Timo Tuukkanen, the Facility and Security Manager of Paulig Vuosaari roastery.

Paulig has ambitious sustainability targets and achieving them requires innovations and collaboration. Testing the coffee waste upcycling led to a business deal where Paulig is now an investor in the Kaffe Bueno business.

“Kaffe Bueno is a perfect fit for PINC and Paulig. We aim to support start-ups with a strategic, financial and societal impact and Kaffe Bueno scores high on all of those”, says Marika King, Head of PINC.

In recent years, there has been a growing number of products related to coffee, from functional beverages to cosmetics and nutraceuticals and there is still a lot to be explored.

“The power of coffee is amazing; it is much more than a beverage. Growing up in Colombia, we used it for everything: wounds, skincare, desserts, you name it”, says Juan Medina, CEO and one of the three founders of Kaffe Bueno. “Our goal is to play an important role in the up and coming bio-economy by unlocking the health potential of coffee. Our pure Kaffe Bueno oil is already globally available for high-end personal care products and our versatile Kafflour is being used for healthier baking. With this capital injection we can really switch gears and scale up production to meet customer demand and accelerate the development of our next wave of products”.

Globally, 10 billion kg of spent coffee is waiting to be upcycled into health-promoting ingredients.

Kaffe Bueno recently announced a commercial agreement with Givaudan’s Active Beauty division. They are based at the Alfa Laval innovation hub outside of Copenhagen and will now expand their team and continue scaling up. The other investors in the round are Danish Vaekstfonden, global Agfood venture capital firm The Yield Lab and a Danish business angel.

Interview with H.E. Ms Arja Makkonen Ambassador of Finland to Lithuania

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Searching for new markets? How about getting acquainted with Lithuania?

After starting as Ambassador of Finland to Lithuania at the beginning of September, the autumn was full of enthusiasm and positive buzz. However, towards the end of October we already saw the fast increasing numbers of Covid19 cases. Since mid-December, we have experienced a strict lockdown to get the numbers down, and we seem to be on a right track. Although the corona virus is continuing to affect our daily lives, it has not been able to stop us working – on the contrary!  We have achieved a real digital leap with all the virtual ways of working.

After the November parliamentary elections, the new government started at full speed in December with the budget, new corona measures and reviewing the contents for the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility.  Ambassadors have already had many online-meetings with new ministers. In addition, many Finnish ministers have exchanged views with their new Lithuanian counterparts on current matters through virtual means.

The good news is that Lithuania has suffered less than predicted and less than many other countries from the pandemic. Last spring Lithuania and other Baltic countries managed the corona outbreak really well and could already in May create the so-called “Baltic Bubble”.  Perhaps this very solid management contributed to business confidence and gave optimism to consumers as well. The structure of the economy partly explains the resilience, but Lithuania also entered the pandemic from a strong economic position, with a fiscal surplus and low debt, strong private sector, and households in good shape. Lithuania is expected to be among the EU’s earliest recoveries.

Last year the economy shrank 1.7 % and the recovery should be starting late summer – of course, a lot depends on the corona situation. The drop in exports of goods was 4.6 % and about 30% of foreign direct investments were postponed or canceled.  However, the year 2020 was still a good year in investments – 42 projects and 4200 jobs created.  Like elsewhere, there have been differences how various sectors have been affected during the past year. So far, the companies in trouble have been paid €439m. The second lockdown measures contain €150m for subsidies and €30m for direct loans.  Another EUR180M is meant for compensations by Ministry of Social Security.

Business environment in Lithuania is good – I hear no complaints from the companies. Companies appreciate a safe and stable country near to essential big European markets. Lithuania is considered an interesting place to run a business because of skilled labour force with good language skills.  The costs are still reasonable although last year the wages went up by 9.3 %.  What I have already noticed even not having had the possibility of visiting companies in person, is that there is a good drive, flexibility and readiness to quick changes to respond the needs of private sector, if needed.

According to a recent report by Swedish Chamber of Commerce, Swedish direct investments last year were €3.3 bn making Sweden the biggest investor in Lithuania with 17.6% of total foreign direct investments.  Sweden is followed by Estonia (14.7%) and Netherlands (13.5%).  Finnish investments account for 3.3 %, Norwegian 3.2% and Danish 4.4%.  Swedish companies employ already around 22000 employees in Lithuania.  There are around 200 Finnish companies in Lithuania.  The Nordic working culture is definitely an attraction, when competing the skilled Lithuanian work force.

Ministry of Economy aims at business-oriented regulation in order to diminish red tape and establish more flexible company registration policy.  The government strives also for a fairer and growth friendly taxation that is predictable. Tax incentives will be revised, which streamlines the system.  Ministry of Economy would also like to have 0- income tax for reinvested income.  On the other hand, the tax base will probably be broadened by putting more emphasis on environmental taxation. There are already seven Free Economic Zones in Lithuania that offer significant incentives for foreign companies.

We could assume that also for Finland the neighboring countries or countries close by appear quite attractive as market area or as places to invest in the aftermath of the pandemic. We have seen how fragile the value chains are in a crisis.  Now the EU member states are busy preparing their national recovery packages to get them ready before the final deadline in April. After the packages have been approved, there will be a huge number of projects with the purpose of making structural reforms. According to preliminary plans in Lithuania, this means about 42 % of the funds to be allocated to green transformation and climate-related projects, 20 % to digital transition and the rest to reforms in education, health sector and research and development, as well as improving the business environment.

What kind of opportunities will there be for Finnish companies?  For Finnish cleantech sector there will be business opportunities, for example, in waste management or wastewater treatment. Lithuania is also going to put efforts into renovation of buildings and energy efficiency.  Huge projects like Rail Baltica, Via Baltica and enlargement of the port of Klaipeda could also find solutions in Finnish high-value add products like smart logistics.

FinTech sector in Lithuania is well developed; in 2020 over 230 FinTech companies were present here.  According to Global Fintech Index Lithuania is ranked No 4 worldwide and No 1 in the EU for Fintech friendly regulation.  Further digitalization will take place with recovery package.

Life-sciences sector in Lithuania has grown fast. Over 90 % of healthcare and pharmaceuticals are exported. I recommend taking part in Life Sciences Baltics Fair22-23.9.2021. In addition, Baltic MilTech presenting defence industry equipment will coming up later this year.

I encourage you to have a look at Lithuanian markets – Lithuania is not far from Finland and the business culture does not differ a lot from our way of doing business.  If you need advice, let´s get together virtually – at least for the time being. There is also a very active Finnish Lithuanian Chamber of Commerce  to support the Finnish businesses in Lithuania.

For next, I am sincerely looking forward to diving into the cultural scene of Lithuania, seeing the unique Unesco-listed places and a glimpse of the beautiful Lithuanian seashore.

H.E Ms Arja Makkonen
Ambassador of Finland to Lithuania

https://kauppayhdistys.fi/interview-with-h-e-ms-arja-makkonen-ambassador-of-finland-to-lithuania/

SOL extends in Lithuania and connects the utility maintenance and cleaning service businesses

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UAB Yglė pastatų valdymas (YPV), the leading engineering systems maintenance company in Lithuania, is entering the business line of cleaning services and will continue operating under the name SOL Baltics, UAB as an independent enterprise within a Finnish group of companies after 15th February 2021.

SOL extends in Lithuania and connects the utility maintenance and cleaning service businesses

 

Bird Houses project

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In November last year FLCC community together with the Embassy of Finland and the help from Vilnius Municipality  planted 18  birch trees near the Square of Finland.

This year FLCC continues socially responsible activities for the city and will raise houses for the birds (inkilai) in the designated area in Vingis park. The houses will be raised for swifts ( čiurliai), musinukės (flycatchers), tits (zylės), treecreeper (liputis), merganser (dančiasnapis), sterling (varnenai) and owl (pelėda).

Ornitolog and the bird enthusiast Gediminas Petkus will help with the technical works and tell about the birds living in Vingis Park.  The project will be implemented early this spring!   A small picnic will follow afterwards! Anyone willing to join, please contact!

The bird link:

https://www.canva.com/design/DAEOWpf6-cU/iNno65TY8vdChsQN7yOsGQ/view?utm_content=DAEOWpf6-cU&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=sharebutton#11

Neste is the first in Finland to introduce renewable fuel oil to the market

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Neste is the first in Finland to introduce renewable fuel oil to the market ‒ in support of reducing the carbon footprint of heavy equipment and heating

Neste Corporation, Press Release, 8 December 2020 at 8 a.m. (EET)

Neste is the first in Finland to introduce fuel oil produced from 100% renewable raw materials. From the beginning of January 2021, Neste MY Non Road Diesel™, suitable for construction, forest machine contracting, agriculture and heating, will enable companies to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%* over the product life cycle compared to fossil fuel oil. Renewable fuel oil is a significant new addition to the renewable diesel known in road transport. It contributes to Finland’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2035 and helps to achieve emission reductions in the machinery and heating sector.

“We are committed to reducing our customers’ greenhouse gas emissions by 20 million tons annually by 2030. Our renewable diesel has received a positive reaction in road transport, and several hundred companies in the transport and logistics sectors have chosen to use it. We also want to support companies in other sectors to reduce their own emissions by offering them a solution that can be adopted immediately. Therefore it is great that we can respond to our customer’s needs by introducing a sustainable fuel oil alternative to the Finnish market,” says Joni Pihlström, Vice President for B2B Sales in Finland, Marketing & Services, Neste.

Neste MY Non Road Diesel is comparable to Neste MY Renewable Diesel™ used in road transport, in terms of the raw material base and emissions reduction. In addition to a smaller carbon footprint, the use of renewable fuel oil reduces local emissions produced by older machines. As such, Neste MY Non Road Diesel is suitable for existing machine fleet, and can also be used in heating.

Climate work also requires heavy equipment

Finland has also set emission reduction targets for heavy equipment. Of the current 2.5 million tons of annual greenhouse gas emissions, 20% should be cut by 2030. A little less than half of the emission reductions will be achieved through a bio mandate.

At the beginning of 2021, the bio mandate for renewable fuels will be extended to fuel oil. The aim is to promote the use of biofuel oil to replace light fuel oil in heavy equipment, stationary motors and heating. This will contribute to achieving the climate objectives set by Finland and the EU.

“It is important that legislation in Finland supports not only low-emission mobility but also lower-emissions at construction sites and heating. As a result of the bio mandate, an even larger share of the production of fuel sold in Finland, and in the future also fuel oil, will be made more from sustainable raw materials instead of fossil feedstocks. All solutions are needed to achieve climate goals, but electrification of heavy equipment, for example, is in its early phase. Therefore, renewable fuel oil offers an immediate solution. In addition, we help our customers to monitor the emission reductions achieved with Neste MY Non Road Diesel and develop reporting”, says Pihlström.

In 2021, Neste MY Non Road Diesel will be available only with limited amounts and in some locations. Distribution is made through direct delivery from Neste’s Porvoo terminal.

*) The methodology for calculating life cycle emissions and emissions reduction is in line with the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive (2009/28/EC).

Neste Corporation

Susanna Sieppi
Vice President, Communications

More information: Joni Pihlström, Vice President, B2B Sales, Marketing & Services, Neste. Please contact Neste’s media service, tel. +358 50 458 5076 / media@neste.com (weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (EET)).

Neste in brief

Neste (NESTE, Nasdaq Helsinki) creates solutions for combating climate change and accelerating a shift to a circular economy. We refine waste, residues and innovative raw materials into renewable fuels and sustainable feedstock for plastics and other materials. We are the world’s leading producer of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel, developing chemical recycling to combat the plastic waste challenge. We aim at helping customers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with our renewable and circular solutions by at least 20 million tons annually by 2030. As a technologically advanced refiner of high-quality oil products with a commitment to reach carbon-neutral production by 2035, we are also introducing renewable and recycled raw materials such as waste plastic as refinery raw materials. We have consistently been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices and the Global 100 list of the world’s most sustainable companies. In 2019, Neste’s revenue stood at EUR 15.8 billion, with 82% of the company’s comparable operating profit coming from renewable products. Read more: neste.com

Peikko Purchased Factory Premises of 25.000 sq.m in Kaunas, Lithuania

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Peikko Group has purchased factory premises in Kaunas, Lithuania, located very near to its existing factory premises. The purchased premises are in the “Naglio 4” area and have a manufacturing space of 25.000m², situated in a plot of more than five hectares. The transaction also included the purchase of equipment, e.g. 20 overhead cranes of various sizes. The seller of the real estate is a company UAB Betonika, part of the Consolis Group.

The new facilities give Peikko the opportunity to expand its product range manufactured by the Lithuanian operations. One of the first focus areas is to increase the manufacturing capacity of EBEA® Balcony Connectors, where Peikko Lithuania will have a role to deliver this product line particularly for the North European market. Secondly, Peikko will increase the production capacity of ATLANT® composite columns, a column system providing slimmer and more architectural structures.

“The new premises in Lithuania not only provide Peikko with a solid foundation to continue growing further in the Nordic markets, but also offering top-class solutions manufactured close to the market. We believe that investors and architects demand new, more efficient, and yet more aesthetic solutions for building structures, and Peikko is ready to meet this demand,” states Topi Paananen, CEO of Peikko Group Corporation.

Further information:
Topi Paananen, CEO, Peikko Group Corporation
Mobile +358 50 384 3001, e-mail topi.paananen@peikko.com

Paulius Bulota, Managing Director, UAB Peikko Lietuva
Mobile +370 615 40797, e-mail paulius.bulota@peikko.com

Peikko Group in brief: Peikko Group Corporation is a leading global supplier of slim floor structures, wind energy applications and connection technology for precast and cast-in-situ construction. Peikko’s innovative solutions offer a faster, safer, and more efficient way to design and build. Peikko has sales offices in over 30 countries in Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and North America, with manufacturing operations in eleven countries. Peikko generated a turnover of EUR 231 million in 2019. Peikko is a family-owned and managed company that employs over 1,800 professionals. Peikko was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Lahti, Finland. Further information: www.peikko.com.

Peikko Lithuania in brief: Since 2006, Peikko’s Lithuanian legal entity, UAB Peikko Lietuva, has been responsible for various manufacturing operations and local sales in Kaunas, Lithuania. The company has more than 300 employees in manufacturing, engineering, and sales, and in 2020, its turnover is expected to reach a level of 35 MEUR.

EBEA® Balcony Connector is a load-bearing insulated connection element for concrete structures that minimizes thermal bridges in cantilever balconies and other applications, such as walls and slabs. Preventing thermal bridges while keeping the structural integrity of cantilever balconies, walls and slabs can be a challenge. EBEA® Balcony Connector minimizes heat losses and prevents visual and structural defects in concrete structures. The EBEA® system is very versatile with many types to choose from. Peikko acquired the product rights of the EBEA® Balcony Connector, a product developed in Switzerland, in March 2019. The manufacturing of the product has taken place in Pilis, Hungary, and the manufacturing started in September 2020 also in Kaunas, Lithuania.

ATLANT® composite column is Peikko’s proprietary, solid core composite column, which is slimmer than traditional, Eurocode-based standard composite column. Peikko acquired the product rights of the ATLANT® composite columns, a product developed in Switzerland, in January 2020, and has since made deliveries to tens of various projects in Europe.

YIT to develop REHAU’s production facility at Klaipeda FEZ

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YIT Lietuva was selected as an investor and construction partner for the microduct systems production unit by the German polymer company REHAU in Klaipeda Free Economic Zone (FEZ). The construction permit for the plant was obtained at the end of October. Consequently, REHAU will start to operate in the facility from January 2022.

“REHAU was considering a number of locations for its new facility across the CEE region before settling on Klaipeda. Klaipeda FEZ is an attractive location and the strong pool of qualified talent and their professional attitude and work ethic was a major factor in REHAU’s decision, as was the strong cost to quality ratio. In key fields, Lithuania remains highly cost competitive for manufacturers, yet it also boasts some of the most streamlined and business-friendly conditions in the EU,” says Dr. Roger Schönborn, Head of Division Building Solutions.

So early this year, REHAU and Klaipeda FEZ announced an intention to develop a production facility that opened doors to international tender to select an experienced company that would finance, build and rent the production unit to the German polymer company. Such setup was agreed and chosen by REHAU and the FEZ management company to both minimize risks and speed up the launch processes.

Now, after having received more than 10 offers from and beyond Lithuania, both companies selected YIT, a Finnish real estate developer with a strong presence in Lithuania, as the investor in REHAU’s project. Consequently, YIT will both finance and use its Lithuanian construction arm to build the facility that will be rented by REHAU following a contract signed this week. Also, as the Klaipeda FEZ management company has been working on various construction preparation processes over the course of the year, the actual construction will start in the matter of several weeks.

Eimantas Kiudulas, the CEO of Klaipeda FEZ, says that this unique cooperation model has already proven of major value to all parties involved.

“We have always celebrated the speed of launch as our major differentiator. REHAU chose us quoting our promise to deliver on tight deadlines among core reasons and we are happy that our novel and flexible approach helps us achieve the desired results. We started to develop the technical project on our own once we announced this initiative, thus shaving off several previous quarters from the due date. We also admire that the trust in REHAU’s brand, coupled with our own solid presence in Lithuania, resulted in major international interest in the tender in spite of the Covid restrictions,” E. Kiudulas said.

Even though REHAU will eventually be a YIT’s tenant, the company will still benefit from the official FEZ investor status, as well as from the unparalleled infrastructure, location and ecosystem at the Klaipeda free zone.

“The arrival of an international investor such as REHAU not only proves the growth potential of the Klaipėda region, but is also an evaluation of the local specialists. YIT Lietuva applies the Build-to-Suit model for the implementation of this project: the client is given the opportunity to rent premises that are specially designed, built and adapted to his individual needs. In this way, the client avoids the adaptation of standard premises and the related additional costs. This model of real estate project development is becoming more and more popular, especially among the companies engaged in the specific activities for which standardised premises are not suitable.  In these cases, Build-to-Suit projects are the only rational solution. We appreciate the trust and the opportunity to implement a modern project that meets the requirements of REHAU,” says Kęstutis Vanagas, YIT Lietuva CEO.

The new production unit in Klaipeda will be part of REHAU’s Building Solutions division, which manufactures a range of polymer products including piping, fittings and polymer solutions for telecommunications. The output from REHAU’s Klaipeda unit will mainly be going to wholesalers, telecommunications companies, and municipalities in countries across Europe. REHAU will be looking for a wide range of specialists for its Klaipeda operations, including managers, engineers and technicians, mechanics and electricians, administrative staff, machine operatives and warehouse staff.

TietoEVRY creates digital advantage

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TietoEVRY creates digital advantage for businesses and society.  It is a leading digital services and software company with local presence and global capabilities. The  Nordic values and heritage steer company’s success.

Headquartered in Finland, TietoEVRY employs around 24 000 experts globally. The company serves thousands of enterprise and public sector customers in more than 90 countries. TietoEVRY’s annual turnover is approximately EUR 3 billion and its shares are listed on the NASDAQ in Helsinki and Stockholm as well as on the Oslo Børs.