Taking Finnish Cleanroom Expertise to the World

Finnish companies have special expertise in the design, construction and turnkey deliveries of cleanrooms. Now the Finnish business consortium wants to export its expertise to the world and find out how the sustainability of cleanrooms can be improved.

Internationalization and entering new markets can be challenging for individual companies. The ASC alliance (Alliance for Sustainable Cleanrooms) was established to meet the internationalization objectives of cleanroom industry participants, building on the success of previous collaborative projects.

“Clients ordering cleanroom solutions often seek turnkey deliveries. With this setup, it’s more than achievable,” says Jukka Vasara, the vice president at Granlund, who initiated the alliance.

Cleanroom clients typically have two main priorities: the project must be completed quickly and on schedule, and the quality must always be top-notch. Errors and disruptions can become incredibly costly due to production disturbances.

Jukka Vasara states that the alliance’s strength lies in decades of expertise in design, project management, and system capabilities, alongside technological excellence: for instance, Finnish ventilation technology is world-class.

High demands in cleanrooms

Cleanrooms are essential for many crucial processes. For example, laboratories and production facilities require strictly regulated environments in electronics, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, food, and semiconductor industries, as well as in hospital pharmacies, operating rooms, and the optical industry.

Cleanrooms are classified according to ISO into classes 1–9, and according GMP into classes A to D. Each class defines how clean the air must be, specifying how many particles are allowed per cubic meter of air. The standard’s requirements must be meticulously followed, and everything must be thoroughly documented. In pharmaceutical cleanrooms, microbiological contamination must also be measured and controlled.

In practice, clean air is achieved through effective ventilation. Consequently, cleanrooms are highly energy-intensive spaces. To enhance their energy efficiency, the sizing and regulation of their ventilation systems need to be demand-oriented. Modern solutions can also reduce the use of chemicals in cleanrooms, providing a more environmentally sustainable option.

Info: ASC – Alliance for Sustainable Cleanrooms

The ASC combines the specialized expertise of its member companies in cleanroom technology, enabling them to provide comprehensive solutions for customers in international markets. With Group Explorer funding from Business Finland, the alliance can explore new global opportunities, expanding market access and building a stronger international presence.

Members and sectors of the alliance:

– Granlund, cleanroom design
– Halton, ventilation solutions
– Vaisala, monitoring and measurement solutions
– Cleamix, decontamination solutions
– LED Tailor, blue light solutions
– Hermetel, cleanroom elements
– Zeus Tech, validation, measurement, and testing solutions
– Kavika HealthCare, furniture solutions