Science, technology and Food for the Future: Introducing Research and development at Valio
Valio’s research and development (R&D) began in 1917 in Helsinki, when Valio established its first laboratory to promote cheese-making expertise, and to support butter exports as well as the growing domestic market demand for dairy products.
“Only a country whose entire economic life is based on science can achieve and maintain first place in the economic struggle between nations.”
Valio’s Board of Directors when deciding to establish a research and development laboratory, 1916
From 1921, the laboratory was led for almost five decades by Nobel Prize-winning chemist Artturi Ilmari “A. I.” Virtanen. His life and legacy still live on in Valio’s R&D, which focuses on promoting the well-being of citizens.
R&D Core: Products, Research, Expertise and Collaboration
Valio’s R&D relies above all on solid expertise. Its staff comprises more than 130 highly qualified specialists. Valio R&D is led by SVP Harri Kallioinen, Director of Research and Development, who has held the position since 2019.
Valio R&D has four main tasks.
1 The development of new products, as well as the maintenance and updating of existing ones, ensure Valio’s ability to renew itself and competitiveness in the global food market.
”Valio has nearly 1,000 consumer products on store shelves and a whole range of industrial products. We launch about 100 new products on the market every year. Product development is the part of our work that is visible in people’s everyday lives,” Harri Kallioinen says.
Various international crises and weather phenomena sometimes affect the availability and prices of raw materials very quickly. This requires a prompt response in problem-solving and testing of alternative raw materials. Process changes are also sometimes necessary, for which R&D is looking for sustainable solutions.
2 Tracking development leaps and innovations around the world includes, for example, staying on the cutting edge of technological development, as well as monitoring nutrition and raw material development and new trends. Learning and knowledge from the world is utilised in our own development work, on the basis of which Valio’s R&D creates new knowledge. At its best, combining open and open-minded information leads to technological leaps and strengthens the position as a forerunner.
3 R&D experts help in various activities, such as investigating challenging consumer and customer feedback and acting as an expert in supporting the sale of industrial products while teaching the customer to use Valio products in their own production.
“Our experts help to enable the utilisation of Valio’s raw materials in the customer’s factories. In addition, they carry out patent investigations, that is, ensure that Valio has the freedom to operate in a certain market or, for example, in connection with an investment project when planning a new production process,” Kallioinen specifies.
4 Leading Valio’s research cooperation includes the management of an extensive cooperation network, which includes, among other things, numerous universities and research institutes. This cooperation is the lifeblood of the operation, and its importance has been highlighted with the Food 2.0 project.
“Of course, we can’t do everything on our own, so we need partners and we receive a commendable number of cooperation requests. The best results are often achieved together, especially in cases where we take the initiative for cooperation ourselves,” Kallioinen says.
Annual inventions and patents
On an annual basis, Valio R&D makes about 5–10 invention notifications, some of which lead to patenting. Valio has a total of more than 60 patent families – among the newest inventions related to dairy products and plant-based products, for example. The patent family means that several international patent applications are filed for the same invention, which may contain country-specific differences and clarifications.
“One of our strengths is that we work closely with business and production. In many companies, R&D may operate in a decentralized manner or in a different location than the business, but we are, so to speak, on the same plot, which increases efficiency. For example, new products are created in close cooperation with us,” says Kallioinen.
Food 2.0 RDI Project
Food 2.0 is extensive research, development and innovation project, aiming to create a Finnish nature-smart food system in which growth, profitability and added value are built on the basis of sustainable production. The Food 2.0 project has been granted EUR 10 million funding in Business Finland’s challenge competition for leading companies. Valio is the first food company that Business Finland has chosen as a leading company.
