Research Center WANDER – more than 15 years of developing the competitiveness of Finnish companies and society
Research and services at the Research Center WANDER cover water, materials in contact with water and solutions improving hygiene in the indoor environment. With the pandemic, the importance of antimicrobial solutions has become much more important.
– WANDER was originally created to fill the national knowledge vacuum, and the central idea behind its operations is still to anticipate the direction in which research and know-how and their development should be directed in order to benefit the surrounding society and business activities as much as possible, says Martti Latva, Research Manager at WANDER.
Living Lab research environments in Rauma and Pori and a pilot-scale water test network in Rauma play a key role in WANDER’s research.
From institute to research center
The Research Center WANDER started operating under the name of Water Institute in 2005 and focused initially on water and materials in contact with water. Studies have been carried out at WANDER to investigate, for example, the pit corrosion of copper pipes and zinc losses of brass parts. Similarly, the ageing of plastic pipes, factors affecting the ageing and organic compounds soluble from plastic pipes and their amounts have also been studied.
The reform of the Drinking Water Directive and the European approval procedures for products and materials in contact with drinking water, as well as the related standardisation, are themes in which WANDER has been a key Finnish player in promoting the interests of Finnish companies and operators.
Since 2011, in addition to water and water systems, WANDER has been researching and developing a comprehensive solution to design and build healthier indoor environments. The Research Center WANDER is using new antimicrobial technologies to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. In practice, the interiors of buildings should be designed and constructed using new solutions for contact surfaces, indoor air and water systems, which kill bacteria and viruses or prevent their reproduction.
The focus of research in the near future is to verify the impact of technological hygiene solutions on morbidity, in practice, the reduction in sick leaves. The research requires statistically adequate research data and cooperation with international research organisations. WANDER is involved in two research consortiums applying for EU research funding under the Horizon Europe programme.
Further information:
Martti Latva, Research Manager
Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Research Center WANDER
martti.latva@samk.fi
tel. 044 710 3060 Check out the Research Center WANDER 
Research Center WANDER is a leading expert in Finland in interaction of water with different materials. We manage high quality scientific research, which is invariably based on interdisciplinary know-how, management of the latest scientific research data as well as excellent knowledge on the research area. We research household water supply, industrial process water, for instance in food industry, wastewater, and natural water sources. Our knowledge includes interaction phenomena, microbiology, quality of water, risk management, product standardization and acceptance procedures. Sustainable development and environmental responsibility are parts of our know-how.
Research Center WANDER works in cooperation with companies, either in EU funded or nationally funded projects, or directly with a company mandate.
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