Sustainable cement alternative developer Betolar appoints new members to the Board

10 August 2021 -  Kannonkoski, Finland: The novel materials technology developed by Betolar allows cement and virgin aggregate materials used in concrete products to be replaced by utilizing converted industrial side streams i.e fly ash from power generation,  blast furnace slag from steel industry and concentrate sand from mining. 

Thanks to the unique materials and AI platform  technologies, the process can use locally available industrial side streams cost-effectively and sustainably. Betolar's accumulating data platform already covers the elemental and application properties of more than 400 industrial side streams worldwide.

To strengthen its international growth and commercialisation capabilities, Betolar is expanding its board with experienced technology and commercial industry professionals. The company welcomes the following people to its board:

Soile Kankaanpää (M.Sc. Econ.) is an internationally experienced customer and business leader. She has been Chief Commercial Officer of ISS Services Oy since 2018. Prior to that, she was responsible for managing customer relationships and sales for Uponor, Outotec, Konecranes and Nokia Networks. She is a member of Destia's Board of Directors.

Kalle Härkki (D.Sc. Tech.) has strong business management experience in the international mining and metals industry. From 2009 to 2020 he managed Outotec 's various business areas, while located in Finland, Germany and Dubai. Prior to that, he served as the CEO of Outokumpu's Research Center from 2005 to 2008. Härkki has also has experience in board work from various industries and organizations.

“The construction industry urgently needs new, more sustainable materials globally. The unique and scalable solution from Betolar will help the concrete industry to achieve significant emissions reductions, as well as conserve natural resources. At the same time mining and other industries will benefit from this innovation by being able to harness their side streams worldwide and create an impactful difference", says Kalle Härkki, the new member of the Betolar’s Board of Directors.

"Betolar’s innovation has the potential to significantly boost the green transition in the construction industry. On an international scale Betolar’s impact on built environments’ carbon footprint will be crucial.  This requires the company to expand internationally at a rapid pace and I am very excited to join the team”, says Soile Kankaanpää, the new member of the Betolar’s Board of Directors.

“Our goal is to be the construction industry’s solutions provider to resolve the climate crisis. Kalle and Soile’s arrivals have been highly anticipated and they will be great assets to our team. Their international experience in development, commercialisation and marketing as well as their passion for sustainable technologies, will help Betolar to become a revolutionary materials technology and platform company that is transforming the future of the construction sector," concludes Chairman of the Board of Directors Tero Ojanperä.

The composition of Betolar’s Board of Directors as of 27 July 2021 is: Tero Ojanperä (Chair) and members Juha Leppänen, Inka Mero, Kalle Härkki and Soile Kankaanpää.

Circular solution that cuts carbon and material footprint in concrete production

Cement production produces about seven percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. Manufacturing consumes a lot of energy and a significant amount of carbon dioxide is released from limestone in the heating process. Betolar's Geoprime® solution replaces cement in concrete manufacturing, which significantly reduces its carbon footprint . By using industrial side streams, companies can significantly reduce the use of limestone and virgin aggregate materials, saving non-renewable natural resources and protecting global biodiversity.