VTT will establish a new research center in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The focus will be on biorefinery technologies. Brazil is a global leader in biorefinery and especially in bioethanol research with substantial biomass reserves. Therefore, VTT’s objective is to be part of the development in optimizing the value of the biomass.“By having our new R&D center in Sao Paulo, VTT is able to contribute closely to the local business society and to share knowledge with local research institutes,” says Nilson Zaramella Boeta, CEO of VTT Brazil.VTT Brazil provides high-end technology solutions and innovation services for the South American markets. The aim is to help customers generate more competitive businesses from the biomass refining value chain in order to obtain the best possible value out of biomass. VTT Brazil is offering its research services to the pulp and paper, chemical and energy industries. In addition, VTT is keen to operate in collaboration with Brazilian-based research organizations and units.“Unlike sector-based research institutions, VTT is multidisciplinary and can therefore offer a great variety of sustainable innovations and technological concepts and services from various areas of technology’,” says VTT’s CEO, Erkki Leppävuori.VTT is opening the center in collaboration with Kemira. VTT and Kemira have a joint research program focusing on water reuse, technologies related to biomass processes, and sustainable water chemistry.