Programs

CO2-IMPACT Programs

CO2-IMPACT builds a value-chain-driven architecture integrating 5 research and two impact programs (P&IP). P1 and P2 establish complementary CO2 fixation platforms. P3 integrates these routes into production concepts, while P4 and P5 provide the backbone for optimization, scale-up, and validation. IP1 and IP2 ensure competence development and ecosystem building with industry and society.

Research

  • Research Program 1 (P1): Microbial CO2 conversion. Responsible PI: Kallio (UTU) /Kokko (TAU). P1 develops next-generation microbial systems across photosynthetic microbes, HOB and microbial co-cultures in MES using synthetic biology and high-throughput engineering and ALE.
  • Research Program 2 (P2): Chemical CO2 capture, storage, and transformation. Responsible PI: H. Grenman (ÅAU). P2 develops integrated catalytic and chemical routes for CCUS, combining materials, catalysis, and process engineering with multi-scale approaches, co-developed and continuously optimized.
  • Research Program 3 (P3): Hybrid systems and product upgrading. Responsible PI C. Xu (ÅAU). P3 develops hybrid chemical-biological approaches to transform CO2-derived building blocks and bio-based intermediates generated in P1 & P2 into multi-carbon products.
  • Research Program 4 (P4): Process development. Responsible PIs: J. Lehtonen and Y. Nygård (VTT). P4 advances scalable CCU technologies from P1, P2, and P3 through pilot-scale validation and process engineering.
  • Research Program 5 (P5): Modeling & AI (enabler). Responsable PIs: Todorovic M (UTU), Bart D (VTT). P5 develops data-driven predictive models to support AI-guided experimentation, digital twins, and streamlined research across P1–P4.

Impact

Impact Program 1

Stakeholder partnership. Responsible PI: D. Murzin (ÅAU). Transitioning to a circular carbon economy requires cross-sector coordination ecosystem, where CO2 emission from one industry become feedstock for another. Industries (e.g. forest, (bio)energy, steel, cement) provide steady CO2 streams that can be converted into products. CO2-IMPACT connects industrial emitters (CO2 sources), conversion industries, energy providers, academia (innovators) and policy makers to advance CCU technologies and increase TRL progression.

Impact Program 2

Education & Communication. Responsible PI: T. Tyystjärvi (UTU). IP2 ensures effective dissemination, interdisciplinary education and stakeholder engagement to accelerate knowledge transfer, workforce development and societal impact.

  • Theme 1. Education and talent development.
  • Theme 2. Communication and Dissemination