While carbon neutrality addresses all carbon dioxide emissions, net-zero encompasses all greenhouse gas emissions (including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide). In other words, it represents a more ambitious approach to achieving climate goals.
Net-zero technology is a growing field, and the EU aims to ensure its leadership through the upcoming Net Zero Industry Regulation. One of the regulation’s ambitious targets is that net-zero technology manufacturing capacity in the EU should meet at least 40% of annual demand by 2030 or be close to this level. The EU’s strategies to achieve net-zero goals include funding strategic net-zero projects, simplifying bureaucracy, developing innovative testing environments, and establishing net-zero industry academies. These academies enhance expertise and contribute to the creation of jobs based on net-zero technologies (European Commission, 2023).
Jamk University of Applied Sciences (Jamk) also wants to contribute to goal attainment, initially through the National Development Fund (AKKE). With this funding, Jamk launched a “Net Zero Industry Academy” project on February 1st, 2024. The project aims to identify net-zero technology-related competence and development needs in Finland by the end of November 2024. Additionally, it aims to create a training model tailored to their requirements, which will be piloted in the future. Ultimately, Jamk aims to establish a net-zero industry academy aligned with the EU’s net-zero regulations and industry demands. Current net-zero technologies include solar electricity and heating, electrolysis devices, fuel cells, wind power, sustainable biogas/methane, battery technology, and carbon capture and utilization (European Commission, 2023).
Additionally, one of the main goals of the project is to engage a wide range of companies and other stakeholders with whom the net-zero approach can be further developed in Central Finland and Finland. The unique testing, development, and training environment at Saarijärvi Bioeconomy campus provides an excellent foundation for the operation of the Net Zero Industry Academy, leveraging expertise across different educational levels. With the green transition, net-zero technologies offer tremendous business growth potential for Central Finland and Finland!
