The company

SFTec Oy is a company founded in Finland in 2013 as a spin-off from the University of Oulu. The founders of the company are industry-educated experts from the fields process engineering, circular economy and technology development. Their main product, ModHeat®, is a patented drying technology. ModHeat® enables cost-efficient drying of industrial by-products, wastes and biomaterials. SFTec Oy specializes in handling of demanding materials and together with their partner network they can deliver complete solutions to handle most material handling needs. The company wants to help their customers to achieve savings through material efficiency and to create new circular economy based business. SFTec combines strong expertise to overcome the most difficult challenges of circular economy and sustainable energy production.

As a partner of the Baltic Blue Biotechnology Alliance we want to provide, develop and test our unique enabling technology for the bio blue needs. Through the ALLIANCE network we got in contact both with national and international players in the blue bio-economy sector."

The idea

Bio-based energy production and circular economies involving different kind of material flows have a common need to achieve optimal dryness of materials used. SFTec Oy has developed an innovative solution, ModHeat® (Modular Heating) drying technology that serves this need. The patented technology ensures optimal dryness of all materials, and advanced usability enabled by the user-friendly construction. The modular construction of the dryer allows drying capacity addition based on the actual needs. The automated, energy-efficient, remote controlled system with a modular structure and scalability provides an attractive solution for every need at the lowest investments.

The key advantages of ModHeat® technology:

• Modular construction
• Mobile usage
• Scalability
• Versatile material handling

SFTec Oy is able to offer to their clients a full testing service with thorough analysis and recommendations to support material efficiency and investment decision making process.

The allies

Being a partner of the ALLIANCE since 2016, SFTec could contact and test the opportunities offered by the drying technology in the blue bio-economy sector. Through the ALLIANCE network and with the support of their mentors, the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) and the University of Gothenburg, they got in contact with both national and international players in the sector. This allowed gaining of extended knowledge about the customer needs, as well as offered familiarization with potential customers and applications.

Also, ALLIANCE mentors BioCon Valley and Tartu Biotechnology Park (TBP) have supported SFTec through their contact networks to find the fitting application objects to their technology. The fitting application objects are for instance drying of different kinds of biomass with the proper amount and location of the processed material.  

In the course of the ALLIANCE mentorship programme,  SFTec Oy will evaluate the technology by pilot testing. They already got the first promising results from drying macroalgae (seaweed) and over 2018 they will continue the trials.

Their main goal for 2018 is to find new potential partners and piloting customers in the blue bioeconomy sector through the ALLIANCE network.