The remarkable expertise in forest bioeconomy in Joensuu received recognition at the end of 2024, when the Forest Joensuu community was awarded the internationalization award of the president of the republic of Finland. Forest Joensuu brings together forest bioeconomy companies, researchers, educators, and business developers from Joensuu and its surrounding areas into a community where different participants are close to each other in a small area.
Although the name Forest Joensuu was introduced in 2023, the story of international co-operation in forest bioeconomy has been written in Joensuu and North Karelia for decades. Key people driving Forest Joensuu’s future gathered to celebrate the award at the beginning of February.
Forest Joensuu brings together forest bioeconomy companies, researchers, educators, and business developers from Joensuu and its surrounding areas into a community
Community spirit influences and convinces
What concrete actions have Forest Joensuu and its stakeholders taken to deserve the internationalization award?
– The selection committee pays particular attention to competitiveness, business internationalization, and profitability. The evaluation also highlights responsibility and the impact on Finnish expertise and employment. Additionally, attention is given to investments in Finland and the promotion of Finland’s innovation environment, explains Jyrki Nissilä, Senior Advisor at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ Trade Promotion Unit.
Forest Joensuu connects forest bioeconomy stakeholders in Joensuu and North Karelia to develop solutions to control and combat forest fires, biodiversity loss, and climate change. These solutions are developed through diverse business activities, new technologies, research and education. A diverse team of around 6,000 experts will ensure practical implementation.
– Solutions developed in Joensuu are exported to areas such as the Americas and Asia, and delegations visiting the region have admired Forest Joensuu’s strong sense of community. We particularly value the day-to-day collaboration, which involves helping businesses and finding pathways for them to follow, Nissilä summarizes.
Internationalization requires constant effort
Lauri Sikanen, Group Manager in Natural Resources Institute Finland, and Jouni Pykäläinen, Professor of Forest Economics and Forest Policy at the University of Eastern Finland, have witnessed the evolution of Forest Joensuu and its previous forest bioeconomy collaborations over decades.
Forest Joensuu’s practical actions include delegation visits from Joensuu to the world and vice versa
– Forest Joensuu is a new name and brand, but the operational approach and values have been established long ago. The roots of Joensuu’s excellence in forest bioeconomy reach back to the early 1980s, when the Faculty of Forestry at the University in Joensuu and the Joensuu research station of the Finnish Forest Research Institute were established, Sikanen notes.
– In Joensuu, forest sciences have since the beginning combined academic excellence with new technologies, internationality and business expertise, Pykäläinen says.
Forest Joensuu’s practical actions include delegation visits from Joensuu to the world and vice versa. Over the past two years, Forest Joensuu has received visitors not only from several European countries but also from Canada, the United States, Chile, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Visits from North Karelia to destinations such as Brazil, Canada, the United States, and Japan have also been organized. Businesses from Joensuu and surrounding areas play a significant role in these visits, actively seeking new international markets.
Forests play a key role in addressing global challenges
The co-operation has included research on product groups, market areas and investments, as well as anticipating international market trends for example in Europe, Japan, China and Canada. New ideas have been actively sought from international networks, including forestry students.
– Forests play a key role in addressing global challenges. Joensuu is home to many international forest bioeconomy experts who could be utilized far more extensively in companies and in internationalization, Pykäläinen emphasizes.
Forests as a strategic choice
The Chairman of the Joensuu City Council, Jere Nuutinen, stated in his speech during the event, that a unique concentration of forest expertise has been developed in Joensuu through long-term efforts. This expertise is increasingly being marketed and exported globally through collaboration.
According to Nuutinen, the strategic goal of the City of Joensuu is to promote forest education, research, business, and international visibility. Tools for achieving this include the Forest Capital Joensuu program and the Forest Joensuu community and its brand.
It is particularly important to create solutions that address global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss
– Forest Joensuu’s primary goal is to increase the turnover of forest-related activities, which currently exceeds 2 billion euros annually in the Joensuu area. In practice, turnover growth will be achieved through the development of new innovations and activities, Nuutinen explains.
– It is particularly important to create solutions that address global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss. With the research expertise in Joensuu and its practical applications, we are well-equipped to make a significant contribution to addressing these challenges, says Nuutinen
Nuutinen’s idea of solving global challenges is shared by forestry experts. Lauri Sikanen mentions the example of forest fires, which have increased dramatically in recent years and cause huge greenhouse gas emissions.
– Finnish forest management methods are an effective way to protect residential areas and forests from fires, thereby indirectly reducing emissions. Forest management practices and solutions for collecting and analyzing forest and environmental data are key exports of Forest Joensuu, Sikanen explains.
One of the important areas for development in the forest sector in Finland and globally is to increase the added value of wood and to create new bio-based solutions.
– By raising the added value of wood and developing new forest-based products, we accelerate the green transition, enabling a better future both locally and globally. Finding solutions that improve the state of Earth is one of Forest Joensuu’s core values, driving our success also internationally, Sikanen concludes.
Artificial intelligence has been used in the translation of the article.
This material was produced as part of the activities of the City of Joensuu Innovation Ecosystem Agreement (ERDF), co-funded by the European Union and the city of Joensuu.
