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Valkuaisosaamiskeskuksesta ratkaisut Hämeen valkuaisomavaraisuuteen

Valkuaisfoorumi pääprojekti

This project creates a Protein Knowledge Centre (“Valkuaisfoorumi”) , which relies on the strong expertise within natural resources in Häme region. Protein Knowledge Centre gathers the best expertise of professional education, research, advisory services, local entrepreneurs and industrial and commercial actors, enables information exchange into all directions, links Häme region into international networks and makes the value of cooperation fully visible. Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK), Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) and other relevant actors form a network, which utilizes the unique opportunities of the open education and research farm of HAMK Mustiala to provide concrete and virtual means to improve protein self-sufficiency. Mustiala farm acts as the showcase of the farm-scale solutions, and provides open access to the public aided by a mobile application produced by the project, and in open days organized by the project.

During the project, Protein Knowledge Centre is developed into a strong actor, which continues its operations after the project as a national key point related to protein supply and self-sufficiency. The Protein Knowledge Centre covers the whole food chain including primary production, processing industries and retail trading. On top of familiar but underutilized crops (forage legumes, grain legumes, rapeseed), novel protein sources such as biotechnological fractioning of forages, single cell proteins (algae, microbes) and insects are considered. The economic and environmental sustainability of the whole food chain from the point of view of protein supply is evaluated.

The project includes 8 action points, which form the Protein Knowledge Centre. A portal makes the Protein Knowledge Centre visible to the public, and shares information produced in the project (www.hamk.fi/valkuaisfoorumi). The “Expert dates” is a web based open interactive meeting point around important topics. In the Field days, the growth and cultivation of protein crops are observed. In innovation workshops, the expert network elaborates new innovations to develop the national food chain. The HAMK Mustiala farm and Lukes strong research background are utilized in conducting applied empirical research in protein crop production and utilization.