Finland’s first laboratory capable of energy-efficient mechanical environmental testing is starting operations in Nivala

The University of Oulu and Nivalan Teollisuuskylä LTD have launched a new investment project aimed at strengthening the metal industry’s and machine shops’ ability to produce low-carbon and sustainable products. The Energy-Efficient Mechanical Testing Under Controlled Environments for the Needs of Future Industry ("EMOTia") project supports the expansion of fatigue research to environmental testing that considers factors such as temperature, corrosion, and the effects of hydrogen on material durability. As part of the project, a laboratory capable of active environmental fatigue testing will operate in Nivala at the ELME Studio – the first facility of its kind in Finland.
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The fatigue testing capacity for various metal materials has already been raised to over 100 specimens per week at ELME Studio by the Future Manufacturing Technologies (FMT) research group. Through the EMOTia project, investments will be made in new testing and measurement technologies as well as component-level solutions, enabling even more precise and application-oriented testing of steels under true environmental exposures.

The project aims to strengthen the innovation hub built around fatigue research at the University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute, supporting the region’s industrial renewal from the perspective of green energy and new manufacturing methods. Companies will have the opportunity to make use of the new knowledge and testing services for product design and optimization right from the earliest design stages.

New scientific insights and hydrogen-economy innovations

“The project promotes the FMT research group’s and industry’s specialization in high value-added products. The testing enables new scientific discoveries and supports the innovation needs of industry,” says Assistant Professor Antti Järvenpää of the FMT group at the University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute.

“The project positions itself at the forefront of hydrogen economy and metal hydrogen-embrittlement research and is significant even on an international scale,” adds Jari Tirkkonen, Development Manager of ELME Studio at Nivalan Teollisuuskylä Ltd.

The research has multiple target groups and application areas.

Results from high-temperature testing benefit the process industry, while hydrogen- and corrosion-related testing provides essential information for the energy sector. Human-body simulation offers valuable support for medical research, and the design and manufacture of specialized products is of particular interest to small and medium-sized enterprises.

The project implements the smart specialization strategy of Northern Ostrobothnia and of Eastern and Northern Finland, reinforcing industrial resilience in line with sustainable-development principles. It is co-funded by European Union, the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, the City of Nivala, and the Kerttu Saalasti Foundation, with a total budget of €237,838.


Contacts

University of Oulu, Kerttu Saalasti Institute, FMT Group:

Antti Järvenpää, Assistant Professor
antti.jarvenpaa@oulu.fi

Markku Kananen, Project Manager
markku.kananen@oulu.fi

Nivalan Teollisuuskylä Ltd:
Jari Tirkkonen, Development Manager, ELME Studio
jari.tirkkonen@nitek.fi

Last updated: 26.9.2025