OBS advances the commercialisation of an innovative sweetener

A protein-based, calorie-free sweetener called Sweeprot, developed at the University of Oulu, responds to consumer demand for healthier and more sustainable sweetening alternatives. Preparations for the commercialisation of the sweetener are now underway, with a focus on identifying partners within the food industry.

Sweeprot is a Business Finland-funded Research-to-Business project. The project team includes members from the Oulu Business School, the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, and the Innovation Centre at the University of Oulu. The project is led by Professor Vesa Puhakka from OBS.

The project focuses on preparing the commercialisation of a sweetener developed by the research group of Professor Lloyd Ruddock. What makes this new sweetener unique is that its sweetness comes from protein. According to Sakari Sipola, University Lecturer at OBS, sweet proteins will become one of the key categories of sweeteners in the future.

Preparing the next steps in the commercialisation path and building new partnerships

International business development is Sipola’s area of expertise, which he researches and teaches at the business school. In the project, his role involves comprehensive business development and preparation, carried out in close collaboration with Project Manager Petri Leukkunen.

“We are assessing whether licensing or establishing a start-up company would be the most viable route for commercialising the technology,” Sipola explains. “To support this work, we have been in contact with more than 150 potential customers in the food and beverage industry, as well as various stakeholders, including food safety authorities and venture capitalist in Europe and the United States.”

The aim is to build partnerships that support the use of the product in early-stage product innovation, application testing, actual product development, and ultimately large-scale deployment.

Preparations for commercialisation have been underway in the Sweeprot project for the past two years. Deep tech solutions such as Sweeprot require a long development trajectory before reaching the market. For example, obtaining novel food approval in Europe alone can take close to three years from the date of application submission, Sipola notes.

“We now have a strong understanding of this market and its specific characteristics.”

Kolme miestä seisoo pihamaalla ja katsoo hymyillen kameraan.

Postdoctoral Researcher Antti Moilanen (left), Petri Leukkunen, and Sakari Sipola.

Created 19.12.2025 | Updated 19.12.2025