Membrane technology for recovering nutrients, reactor physics code that has conquered the world and top team from Oulu win new technology awards

The winners of the new ITU Technology Awards of the Academic Engineers and Architects in Finland TEK and Tekniska Föreningen i Finland TFiF are NPHarvest, the research team developing the Serpent code at VTT and the Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) research unit at the University of Oulu. The awards are presented on 10th April in Helsinki.

Fertilizer raw materials from wastewater

The Breakthrough Award is given to an innovation that has brought something new to the field of technology. Breakthrough Award winner NPHarvest has developed a new membrane technology for capturing nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater and recycling them into raw materials, for example for fertilizers.

“The team has been working on this for a long time and has produced new, ground-breaking research. In particular, the fact that the solution can capture up to 90% of the nutrients in wastewater demonstrates its effectiveness. The high recovery rate and low energy consumption make this innovation a highly potential large-scale solution,” says Elina Hiltunen, Chair of the Breakthrough Award jury.

One of the world’s best known nuclear codes

The Cornerstone Award is given to authors of scientifically and commercially meritorious research. VTT’s Serpent code is a new-generation calculation code for modelling neutron and photon transport and interactions. It is one of the most widely used and internationally best known tools for computational modelling of nuclear reactors. The award is given to the research team currently developing the code.

“Serpent’s user community consists of more than 200 universities and research organisations, including MIT and Cambridge. Its commercial version is used by dozens of companies, which shows its significance and reliability in the field,” said Outi Krause, Chair of the Cornerstone Award jury.

Academic teamwork at its best

The winner of the Forerunners Award is a team that has engaged in versatile and productive teamwork: the Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) research unit at the University of Oulu.

The research unit has succeeded in creating a diverse work community that delivers high-quality results. Developing the well-being of the unit’s work and study community is particularly commendable, given that resources have been decreasing in the academic world for a long time, says the award jury.

“The long-term development of activities has produced tangible results, such as low stress levels and high job satisfaction among staff. In addition, the unit is making a clear and concrete effort to promote the inclusion and integration of students and international talent, among others,” says Katja Toropainen, Chair of the Forerunners Award jury.

TEK and TFiF want to reward competence in Finland and make it visible through the ITU Awards. There was an open call for applications for the awards. The next application period will open in November 2025. More information: www.tek.fi/itu-awards