At the YITHackathon held in Jyväskylä on May 8, 2025, BioBoosters by Jamk and YIT Road Oy were in search of new, more ecological alternatives to traditional road salt. The harmful effects of road salt, such as groundwater contamination, corrosion issues, and irritation to animals’ paws, are common problems resulting from heavy salting of roads. Kemion has been working to address these challenges for some time.
Winning with a plant-based solution
The winning innovation of the YITHackathon was Kemion’s plant-based and biodegradable solution, which can be used on its own or in combination with traditional road salt. This solution significantly reduces the release of environmentally harmful chlorides into nature, minimizes corrosion of road infrastructure and vehicles, and still ensures safe and effective de-icing.
A cost-effective and compatible option
Kemion’s solution allows for more environmentally friendly road maintenance without the need for major investments in new equipment, as it can be integrated with existing salting systems. This makes it a cost-effective and realistic alternative for municipalities and road maintenance operators.
Co-operation begins
The Hackathon jury saw great potential in Kemion’s innovation, and we are excited to move into the next phase of product development and commercialization in collaboration with YIT through pilot and field testing.
Read more about the competition and winning solution from Jamk’s website here.
