Fungal Breakthroughs: Inside VTT’s Network

We spoke with Antti Aalto, Research Team Leader at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, about how fungi are shaping sustainable industries and helping startups bring innovations to market.

As a proud sponsor of the Future is Fungi Award, VTT emphasizes collaboration — much like a mycelium network, where connections strengthen the whole system. For over 80 years, VTT has been turning cutting-edge research into practical solutions, pioneering fungal biotechnology to transform how we produce food, materials, and sustainable chemicals.

Credit: VTT

Antti shared how VTT combines expertise, world-class facilities, and collaborative approaches to bridge science and industry. With over 2,000 professionals, more than 80 bioreactors, and a culture collection of 600+ fungal species, VTT helps innovations scale quickly. Spin-offs like Onego Bio and Enifer demonstrate how research can grow into viable commercial solutions. By supporting startups with tailored R&D projects, technology licensing, and high-throughput platforms, VTT is helping grow a global mycelium network that accelerates fungal innovation for a more sustainable future.

👇 Read the full interview with Antti Aalto to discover how VTT is turning fungal research into real-world solutions.