“We aim to inspire students and researchers to explore biomaterials together, and to create new concepts for the future use of cellulose.” – Pirjo Kääriäinen
The CHEMARTS collaboration started in 2011 as an Aalto University initiative looking at the many possible ways to integrate design and material research. The core of the project has been formed by student projects, which have generated several new ideas and different concepts, such as textiles with varying functional properties, luxury brands within Finnish cellulose and using recyclable clothes as material for 3D-printed new products.
In 2013 the CHEMARTS collaboration expanded into a large strategic research opening funded by Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation. Titled ‘Design Driven Value Chains in the World of Cellulose’ (DWoC), the project is between Aalto University, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, and Tampere University of Technology.
CHEMARTS collaboration was nominated The Aalto Act of the Year Award 2014, directed at professors Pirjo Kääriäinen from the School of Arts, Design and Architecture and Tapani Vuorinen from the School of Chemical Technology in recognition of their interdisciplinary work.