About BEST

Experts from energy and forest industries joined forces in the Sustainable Bioenergy Solutions for Tomorrow (BEST) research program. Results from the program will help improve the competitiveness of bioenergy, and the realization of new sustainable business such as large institutional investments.

The importance of bioenergy is increasing with the transition of our energy system towards renewable energy sources. At the same time, biomass is utilized in progressively more versatile ways as raw material in other applications under bioeconomy. Accordingly, the demand for biomass is growing. Therefore, the Sustainable Bioenergy Solutions for Tomorrow (BEST) research program investigated bioenergy as part of both the energy system and the bioeconomy context and set sustainable and efficient use of biomass as a starting point for the solutions to be developed.

The research program combined the research of the forest and energy sectors more closely than ever, allowing researchers to examine bioenergy concepts, markets and the logistics of biomass supply in large entities. This joint effort strengthened the competences and international competitiveness of the Finnish bioenergy sector by building the scientific basis for new bioenergy innovations. The results of the program help raise the cost and resource efficiency of bioenergy value chains to a new level, develop concepts that are viable in the future operational environment, and ensure the sustainability of bioenergy solutions. In this report, we summarize the key research done within the program and present examples of the results.

The program began in January 2013 and ended in December 2016. 25 companies and 15 research institutes participated in the program. The total value of the research was about 15 million euros, of which corporations paid 30%, public research institutes and universities 15% and Tekes (Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation) 55%.

The research program was the first joint program of two Strategic Centers for Science, Technology and Innovation (SHOK). Of these, CLEEN brought together the companies and research communities in the energy and environmental sector, while FIBIC operated in the field of bioeconomy. In autumn 2015 CLEEN and FIBIC merged into CLIC Innovation Ltd.