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‘Our everyday life consists mostly of routines,’ notes Vice President for Research Jyri Hämäläinen in the issue’s Openings column, but ‘changes emerge when we break these routines and stop operating on autopilot.’

Acts of change are showcased both in Aalto University’s largest exhibition of the year and in this issue of the magazine. The Designs for a Cooler Planet exhibition will be on display in the Marsio building during September and October, and many of the magazine’s articles feature themes presented in the exhibition.

The Theme article explores ways to reduce emissions from construction by binding carbon dioxide into infrastructure such as sidewalks, parking areas, and other concrete structures in our environment. Aalto University’s BEACON research project, for example, is developing a biochar-based substitute for cement, while the VTT spinout company Carbonaide’s solution is to store – or ‘push’ – carbon dioxide into the concrete itself.

In the Who column, we meet alum Maija Itkonen, who after her success with Pulled Oats is now developing egg-white powder without chickens or eggs.

The On the go story takes readers to Otaniemi’s waterfront and Siipisauna, where the pier has been built from a decommissioned wind turbine blade. A student startup envisions using recycled blades not only in breakwaters but even in floating villages.

In Meet-up, we encounter researcher Helena Aspelin, who is developing a protein-based glue inspired by the adhesive produced by mussels and barnacles. The new material could be used as a medical adhesive, for example, to repair tissue damage.

The digital issue is available at .

Selected articles are published at .

Print copies are available on campus.