On Thursday 14 September 2023, Kiilto launched the SUPER Healthy Buildings Ecosystem, which brings together innovators, researchers, start-ups, decision-makers, organisations and companies in the built environment. It aims to revolutionise the sustainability of the built environment.
The need for a turnaround in the sustainability of the built environment is obvious:
- The built environment is responsible for around 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions
- Only half of construction waste is recycled
- Sick building syndrome (SBS) causes 3.8 million deaths globally every year
- It is estimated that two thirds of the building material that exists today will still exist in 2040, still emitting greenhouse gases
Kiilto believes that solving these four problems is possible, but it will take the whole industry. "There are a lot of challenges, but also a lot of business opportunities," says Ville Solja, Chief Business Development Officer at Kiilto. "To change the whole industry, we need the whole industry to be involved." That's why the SUPER Healthy Buildings Ecosystem is an invitation to domestic and international partners to create and commercialise innovations for sustainability, productivity, ecology and reusability. "Kiilto is a family-owned company with more than 100 years of experience, with the potential and motivation to revolutionise sustainability in the building sector. Even in the midst of a crisis in the construction sector, we must invest in the future. Our goal is to still be here in 2080," Solja continues.
The launch of the SUPER Healthy Buildings Ecosystem brought together around 160 building industry players, from start-ups to organisations, around a common mission. Why did Kiilto want to bring them together? "We are already the glue that binds the industry together. We are a key company in the Baltic Sea region with a good knowledge of construction, and a market leader in Finland," says Kiilto's Chief Ecosystem Officer Raija Polvinen.
The speakers, panelists, and start-up presenters at the launch event agreed: change is needed. It requires unprecedented collaboration and new innovations.
One such innovation is the Debonding on Demand solution presented by Kiilto at the event. It enables the separation of material surfaces bonded together using heat or microwaves, for example. When the surfaces no longer need to be broken, the material resulting from the dismantling becomes recyclable and reusable.
A recording of the launch of the SUPER Healthy Buildings Ecosystem can be viewed here.
A panel discussion on sustainable and recyclable materials at the event prompted reflection on how to rethink the whole building value chain. " Now might be the time to look inside and look far away and make the future strategies," summarised Eerik Paasikivi, founding partner of Kvanted Ventures. Mari Granström, founder and CEO of Origin by Ocean, believes the industry needs a crisis: “If you look at conventional businesses, they don’t change if they don’t have to, unfortunately. When the crisis hits the fan you realise it’s time to do something."
For more information on the SUPER Healthy Buildings ecosystem and how to join, click here.
Kiilto is a family-owned company based in Finland with over a hundred years of history and a vision looking ahead to 2080. Kiilto develops, produces, and markets chemical industry solutions in the fields of construction, industrial adhesives and fireproofing, professional hygiene, and consumer goods. The key principles underlying Kiilto’s operations are environmental leadership, closeness, and commitment to the future. Kiilto’s operations span 9 countries, and it employs around 800 people. In 2022, the group's net sales amounted to 260 M€. www.kiilto.com