The possibilities of future wood-based products are almost limitless.
On the 31st of January the Finnish Forest Products Engineers’ (PI) annual student event was organised for the 22nd time, this time virtually. The FBI (Forest Based Industries) day gathered almost 300 students and company representatives to connect, find and offer summer jobs and learn what role forest-based industry plays in tackling global challenges, what new products can be made of wood in the future, and what kind of talents are needed.
“Future products are something that don’t have any limits. That will make your life very interesting”, said Antti Lindqvist, the managing director of PI to students in his introduction.
Making new products from wood-based materials requires new skills, and Lindqvist quoted innovator Perttu Pölönen’s list of future competencies.
“You should find your passion and you should love and like what you do. Think of the sustainability of your choices and actions, and how your actions will be judged by your grandchildren”, Lindqvist said.
Turning challenges into sustainable growth
Antti Vasara, president and CEO of VTT, talked about the key trends and the forest industry’s role in the future of global and Finnish economies from a research point of view. He pointed out that even though the global challenges are huge, VTT exists for solving those problems. Its role is to bring science and business together.
“We can do something about the global challenges and turn them into sustainable growth”, he said.
The forest industry plays a key role in solving systemic and technological challenges, and the value of the Finnish forest sector could double by the 2050’s.
There are myriad opportunities for new kinds of wood-based products. Vasara mentioned for example textiles that can be produced from cellulose in sustainable ways, or cellulose films that can catch microplastics out of water.
Best research teams in VTT are diverse, with very different competencies. Vasara gave advice to students on how to identify relevant competencies:
“Pick an area that you really like and go deep. Be expert in one thing and curious about everything.”
Nothing is wasted
Emilia Moisio, director of new fiber businesses from UPM, gave an overview of new products UPM has started to produce or will soon.
“Almost everything is possible”, she said.
The idea is that nothing of the wood is wasted, and innovations are created from residues and side streams as well as from wood fibres and molecules. All the wood components – cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and extractives – are used as starting points for new products.
UPM’s industrial scale biorefinery in Leuna, Germany is scheduled to start up by the end of 2023. It will give alternatives to fossil materials in various consumer-driven end uses.
“We are for example collaborating with Coca-Cola to commercialize the second-generation biomass to plant-based bottles. Technical textiles are another interesting end use of biochemicals.”
UPM is also planning a next generation biofuels biorefinery in Rotterdam.
After Moisio, we met Anna Nuotio from consultancy company Vision Hunters. Before dividing into breakout rooms, psychologist Mari Laari from Heltti Oy gave tips on how to support well-being in studies and work.
See the recording of the event on member pages