VTT and Finnish Food Industry Unveil Profitability Blueprint for Plant-Based Ingredients
Event summary
- VTT and Finnish food companies completed a 3-year RETHINK project in August 2026, funded by Business Finland with €3 million.
- The project developed new processing techniques for plant-based ingredients, including a patented method for oat dietary fiber and a pretreatment technique for legume proteins.
- VTT spin-off Happy Plant Protein advanced its technology to commercial readiness, now operating in Latvia and the Netherlands.
- Collaboration between Viking Malt and Valio produced a germinated faba bean protein granule for plant-based meat products.
The big picture
The RETHINK project addresses a critical gap in the plant-based food sector: the need for profitable, scalable production models. As global food systems shift toward more local and distributed models, Finland's strategic position with active farmers and growing industry interest positions it as a potential leader in this space. The project's focus on complete raw material utilization and cross-industry collaboration sets a new standard for the industry.
What we're watching
- Market Expansion
- Whether Happy Plant Protein can sustain its international growth trajectory beyond Latvia and the Netherlands.
- Industry Collaboration
- The pace at which Finnish food system operators adopt the RETHINK project's collaborative models.
- Technological Adoption
- How widely VTT's patented processing techniques will be adopted by other plant-based ingredient producers.