Green transition calls for a joint effort

I have worked in the forest industry for some 20 years, mostly in the research and development field. In this time, I have had an opportunity to work to solve the various challenges the industry is facing. Solution-orientation is the thing I like in research and development – and it’s now needed more than ever.

Together, we can find solutions for complex and challenging problems.

Due to resource scarcity/overconsumption and the impact of fossil materials on the climate, the key challenge of today is to limit consumption within the carrying capacity of our planet while keeping the wheels of the economy turning. We need a shift toward economically sustainable growth and an economy that is not based on fossil fuels and the overconsumption of natural resources – the green transition. This requires collective efforts from individuals, businesses, and governments.

The green transition calls for massive changes but also offers new opportunities for companies and industries. It will also impact our daily lives, and we must question our individual consumer habits and ways of thinking. For example, in my own life, I’ve increased recycling and lowered the room temperature at home.

In Valmet, R&D has traditionally been high on the agenda, but last year we took a further step by launching the Beyond Circularity program. Through this ambitious program, we will enhance our readiness to support the green transition in customer industries based on Valmet’s technology vision 2030. This is a significant contribution – Valmet plans to invest EUR 40 million, and it’s co-funded by Business Finland.

Innovations rarely happen in isolation. We welcome a wide range of partners to renew the industry with us. Our target is to have more than 100 partners in 2025. We believe that together we can find solutions for complex and challenging problems and create value and growing business for participants, expand competences to new areas, create new jobs, and contribute to impactful solutions for a sustainable future.

I’m very excited about this program – all the new opportunities it will bring to us in Valmet, our ecosystem partners, our customers and the entire globe by making the green transition happen!