SeAMK Food Labs

Based at the Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences campus, SEAMK Food Labs operates as a multidisciplinary development environment for the entire food chain - from primary production and raw material analysis to pilot-scale manufacturing, sensory evaluation, and consumer testing. The facilities combine education, research, and real-world experimentation, creating an ecosystem where companies, researchers, students, and public actors can collaborate on practical innovation challenges. 

What makes SEAMK Food Labs particularly valuable as a Living Lab is its ability to bridge the gap between laboratory research and industrial production. Its pilot plant environments allow companies to test manufacturing technologies and optimise processes before investing in full-scale production. The infrastructure supports work with plant-based products, beverages, bakery applications, meat processing, food safety, packaging, shelf-life testing, and side-stream valorisation.

The Living Lab also demonstrates how sustainability can be integrated throughout the innovation process. Beyond food processing technologies, the SEAMK ecosystem includes services related to carbon neutrality, renewable energy mapping, life-cycle assessments, cultivation trials, soil monitoring, and circular economy approaches for the food sector. This whole-chain perspective aligns strongly with SIXFOLD’s ambition to support systemic transformation in agriculture and food innovation.

SEAMK Food Labs works closely with businesses of all sizes, from startups to established manufacturers. Their case examples highlight the practical impact of this collaboration model. In one project, startup Aircohol Oy worked with the lab to test spray drying and extrusion technologies for algae-based side streams, accelerating development of new food ingredients without requiring major upfront investments in industrial equipment. In another collaboration, the company behind the Pritz beverage concept partnered with SEAMK experts to move from an early-stage idea to a technically functional recipe and manufacturing process.

A key strength of the SEAMK approach is its hands-on methodology. Companies participate directly in piloting, testing, and process development alongside researchers and students. This creates not only technical validation, but also valuable knowledge transfer that helps innovators continue development independently after the collaboration phase. 

The facilities themselves reflect this integrated approach. Alongside process laboratories and advanced analytical equipment, the environment includes microbiology and chemistry laboratories, automation and robotics facilities, and the educational restaurant Prikka, where sensory testing and consumer-oriented evaluations can take place in authentic settings.