VTT is the leading multi-technological applied research organisation in Northern Europe. VTT provides high-end technology solutions and innovation services both to private and public sectors. Our main target is to develop innovations for industrial ecosystems to support the utilization of natural resources. Industrial biotechnology is one of our core research areas. We develop efficient and sustainable microbial, fungal and plant cell factories for biotech, pharma, enzyme, energy, chemical and cosmetic industries.
We have 74 years’ experience supporting our national and international clients' growth with top-level research and science based results. VTT is a state-owned non-profit limited liability company and operates under the mandate of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy. In 2015, VTT’s net turnover was 158 M€ and other operational incomes were 93 M€, with personnel of 2192. VTT is organised in three large business areas. Solutions for natural resources and environment business area aims to be one of the global key players in the fields of bioeconomy and cleantech through networking with the best international partners.
Plant biotechnology team at VTT is one of the globally leading actors in the field of plant biotechnology, including production of recombinant protein in plant cell cultures, bioactive natural compounds and their biosynthesis, cell culture technology and production systems up to pilot scale, metabolic engineering of plants and cell cultures, metabolite profiling and functional genomics. The team was recently included in evaluation of Plant Science inFinland organized by the Academy of Finland, and received very positive evaluation and recommendations by the international review panel. Research infrastructures in Plant Biotechnology Team consist of unit’s facilities and collections of hydrophobin fusion tags and protein expression vectors, chemicals and unique biological samples as well as cryopreserved plant cell cultures. VTT has a vast experience of various EU projects. In 2015, VTT was involved in 359 EU-funded research projects. Ranked among the leading European RTOs, VTT is committed to responsible collaboration for achieving the Europe 2020 goals by networking with Finnish and European actors in the global context.
Anneli Ritala, PhD (Pharm), Adjunct professor, Principal Scientist at VTT Industrial Biotechnology and Food Solutions research area. Her background is in pharmaceutical biology and plant biotechnology. She is an IPMA C-level certified Project Manager. She has over 20 years of expertise on plant cell and tissue culture, use of plantsand plant cells as host for recombinant protein production, plant secondary metabolites and their pharmacological activities, metabolic engineering of plant biosynthetic pathways. Partner in several EU FP7 projects, management committee member of two COST Actions and member of the Finnish Advisory Board on Biotechnology. She has supervised several master and PhD students.