Canatu was chosen as a Veturi (Leading Company) and received a positive funding decision of up to €10 million by Business Finland to drive the Carbon Age programme. With Carbon Age, Canatu is expanding what is possible with nano carbon, delivering higher performance and energy efficiency beyond today’s limits. By building a world-leading ecosystem, Carbon Age drives innovation, collaboration, and new business opportunities, strengthening Finland’s global competitiveness.
Legacy materials are approaching their limits
For decades, legacy materials like silicon have powered the digital revolution, driving progress from smartphones to supercomputers. Today, these materials are approaching their limits, threatening to slow the progress that industries and consumers expect. To address this, Canatu has launched the Carbon Age programme, which aims to drive the development of semiconductor technologies enabled by carbon nanotubes (CNTs).
Carbon Age is a five-year programme led by Finnish deep-tech innovator Canatu. This ambitious programme accelerates the industry’s transformation from conventional materials to advanced solutions enabled by nano carbon, specifically carbon nanotubes (CNTs). CNTs are already shaping this shift, from EUV pellicle membranes to CNT transistors on the horizon. Through this programme, Canatu is building a dedicated industry ecosystem and unlocking new possibilities that will define the next tech era.
“As legacy materials are reaching their limits, the Carbon Age programme accelerates the transition from the Silicon Age to the Carbon Age. Progress is speeding up, and the opportunity to make the most of it happens now,” says Ilkka Varjos, CTO, Canatu.
Why nano carbon is the game-changer
Carbon is the most versatile element in existence. Its unique ability to form four covalent bonds enables a wide range of stable molecular structures. When engineered at the nanoscale, carbon reveals extreme properties that redefine technologies. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a form of nano carbon—a material built from carbon atoms arranged in a cylindrical structure.
CNTs inherit exceptional electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties that outperform almost any known conventional material. These properties, combined with versatility, make them the ideal building block for higher-performing and less energy-consuming products.
Canatu’s advanced CNTs set a new benchmark among advanced materials. Canatu’s patented Dry Deposition technology surpasses conventional wet methods, setting a new standard for CNT production. Dry Deposition produces incredibly long and pristine CNTs, offering significant advantages over wet dispersion by simplifying the process, yielding longer and cleaner CNTs, and creating highly uniform CNT networks. With over 240 patents and decades of research, Canatu is driving the next leap in semiconductor innovation.
Three strategic goals
The Carbon Age is more than a programme; it is a blueprint for transformation. Supported by Business Finland’s Veturi initiative, it aims to bring together over 40 partners from industry and academia to move innovations from lab to manufacturing faster and at scale, creating entirely new device categories and functionalities. The Carbon Age roadmap is a blueprint of how advanced carbon nanomaterials enable step changes in future electronics and further deepen digitalisation in our society and daily lives.
The Carbon Age roadmap
At its core, the Carbon Age focuses on three strategic goals: developing novel CNT applications and scalable prototypes to speed commercialisation; establishing global standards for CNT structures, design, and manufacturing; and building a dynamic ecosystem that unites world-leading OEMs, technology suppliers, and research institutions. Together with its partner, Canatu aims to pilot a CNT foundry, positioning Finland as a global hub for carbon-based semiconductor technologies.
Beyond technology, Carbon Age aims to boost Finland’s innovation economy, create jobs, and strengthen global competitiveness, supporting the increase in R&D spending to 4% of GDP.
Industrial transformation powered by nano carbon
Industrial transformation is accelerating, and the Carbon Age is at the forefront. To turn vision into reality, the Carbon Age focuses on three high-impact themes: Microsystems, Electrochemical Sensing, and Emerging Frontier Technologies such as AI, IoT, and quantum computing. These areas promise transformative applications, from ultra-sensitive biosensors to components that enable energy-efficient mobility and next-generation computing. By aligning research, prototyping, and commercialisation efforts across these themes, the ecosystem accelerates technology transformation with nano carbon.
“Imagine chips that consume less power, sensors that detect disease earlier, and quantum devices that unlock new computational horizons, all powered by carbon. Carbon Age illustrates how advanced nano carbon will drive step changes in electronics and deepen digitalisation in everyday life,” explains Ilkka Varjos.
Why join the Carbon Age for first-mover advantage?
For companies, the Carbon Age is not just an opportunity. It is a strategic imperative. Joining the ecosystem means gaining first-mover advantage in technologies that will shape the next decade. By joining the ecosystem, partners gain access to Canatu’s know-how in industrial-scale CNT solutions across verticals and public funding support of up to 20 MEUR. Collaboration de-risks innovation and accelerates industry transformation.
“Carbon Age is about setting new standards and driving transformation together. By building a world-class ecosystem, we accelerate innovation, and unlock new business opportunities, strengthening the long-term competitiveness of Finland, us, and our partners,” underlines Varjos.
Shaping the future of technology together
Industry transformation never happens in isolation. The Carbon Age programme will officially launch at the Carbon Age / Chip Zero Joint Veturi Event on 4 February 2026, at Dipoli, Aalto University, Espoo.
The event will bring together leading experts, researchers, and policy makers to explore how advanced nanomaterials and next-generation chips are shaping the next tech era. Visitors will experience world-class keynotes from industry pioneers, discover insightful project presentations showcasing breakthrough innovations, and enjoy meaningful networking with top minds in the field.