A new laboratory analyst degree programme will be launched in South Karelia to meet the growing demand for bioeconomy expertise in industry..
The bioeconomy, new materials, and the green transition are rapidly transforming industry. The need for professionals who understand both analytics and industrial processes is increasing fast. In South Karelia, this demand is being addressed by building a strong bioeconomy innovation and development environment, where research, business collaboration, and education support one another.
A key part of this effort is the Laboratory Analyst (Bachelor of Engineering) programme at LAB University of Applied Sciences, which will begin in autumn 2026 in Lahti and Lappeenranta as a flexible, multi-format programme. The education is specifically aimed at developing expertise in industrial analytics.
A Competence Hub at the Interface of Research, Piloting, and Education
The laboratory analyst programme is part of a broader bioeconomy innovation and development environment being built by LAB University of Applied Sciences. In Lappeenranta, research, piloting, and education are combined in the LAB Biofine environment, which focuses on refining bio-based materials and side streams as well as developing new material solutions.
LAB Biofine serves as an innovation platform where companies, research organisations, and students can collaboratively develop bioeconomy solutions. In the future, the environment will also offer piloting opportunities for new technologies and processes before scaling them up to industrial production.
“When research infrastructure, piloting environments, and education operate within the same ecosystem, a setting is created where ideas can progress from research to practical applications and new business opportunities,” says Mikko Ojapelto, Project Director of LAB Biofine.
Experts in Industrial Analytics for the New Industry
A laboratory analyst is an expert needed by industry, combining strong chemistry expertise, mastery of analytical instruments, and an understanding of industrial processes.
The programme is driven by a clearly identified need from companies. Bio-based raw materials, circular economy solutions, and new material streams are increasing the importance of new expertise and analytics in industry. As fossil raw materials are replaced by biomass and side streams, processes become more complex, and the role of analytical methods grows even further.
“In the bioeconomy, research, piloting, and industrial production all require strong analytical expertise. This new laboratory analyst programme is built directly at this interface—where new bio-based materials and processes are developed in practice,” says Mikko Nikunen, Project Manager at LAB University of Applied Sciences.
A laboratory analyst’s expertise sits between that of a laboratory technician and a researcher: a specialist who operates analytical instruments, contributes to method development, and is able to interpret analytical results from the perspective of industrial operations.
Business Collaboration and Practical Development Work
The programme is strongly based on collaboration with companies. Students work in laboratories, piloting environments, and company-driven projects, where they develop new analytical methods and test material properties.
This provides companies with opportunities to utilise the research infrastructure of higher education institutions and the expertise of students in development work. At the same time, students gain hands-on experience with real industrial challenges already during their studies.
“Companies need experts who can operate analytical instruments but also understand industrial processes and material behaviour. Through this programme, we can train exactly these kinds of specialists,” Nikunen says.
Collaboration also extends to the region’s strong research and piloting environments, such as the LAB Biofine ecosystem, where bio-based material processing, utilisation of side streams, and new bio-based solutions are developed together with companies.
Greenreality Network Strengthens Bioeconomy Collaboration
The development of the regional bioeconomy will also be accelerated by a new bioeconomy working group established within the Greenreality network. Its goal is to strengthen cooperation between regional companies and identify new business opportunities in the rapidly evolving bioeconomy sector. The working group brings together companies, research and educational institutions, and regional development actors, serving as a practical collaboration platform for bioeconomy initiatives.
The group will also explore how the region’s strong research and piloting environments—such as LUT Universities’ expertise in biomaterials and the LAB Biofine environment—can be utilised to create new business opportunities. At the same time, it aims to identify opportunities for building new value chains around the bioeconomy involving regional companies, research organisations, and international actors.
“The goal is to bring together a group of representatives from companies and different organisations to help identify new business opportunities for both local companies and those coming from outside the region—in collaboration with the bioeconomy competence cluster,” says Noora Hakkarainen.
The bioeconomy working group operates as part of the Greenreality network, which brings together companies and organisations in the Lappeenranta region to promote cooperation and business related to the green transition. Through this new group, the bioeconomy will play an even stronger role in the network’s activities and will be closely linked to the emerging cluster of expertise in bio-based materials and the bioeconomy in the region.
South Karelia as a Platform for Bioeconomy Development
South Karelia has long been a strong region in forest and materials industries. Now, this expertise is expanding into new bio-based materials, chemicals, and the circular economy as a whole.
When research, piloting, and education operate within the same ecosystem, an environment is created where companies can efficiently develop new products and technologies. At the same time, it ensures that the growing bioeconomy has access to the expertise it needs.
The laboratory analyst programme is a key part of this whole. It strengthens South Karelia’s position as a bioeconomy competence cluster—a place where research, industry, and education come together to build the next generation of sustainable industry.
Read more:
Laboratorioanalyytikko | LAB.fi
biofine.fi
Further information:
Mikko Ojapelto
Project Director, LAB Biofine
LAB University of Applied Sciences
mikko.ojapelto@lab.fi
Mikko Nikunen
Projektipäällikkö
LAB Ammattikorkeakoulu
mikko.nikunen@lab.fi
Noora Hakkarainen
Kehityspäällikkö
Lappeenrannan kaupunki
noora.hakkarainen@lappeenranta.fi