The forest-based sector in Finland
Forestry and the forest industry are crucial to Finland’s economy. In 2021, the forest industry directly employed approximately 38 400 people in Finland, and when indirect effects are considered, the total employment impact was 82 800 people. The forest sector also provided employment in rural areas, and its regional economic significance is substantial, particularly in Eastern and Northern Finland.
In 2023, the export value of forest industry products was 12 billion euros, accounting for 16 % of Finland’s total good exports. The most significant export products were board (27 % of export value), paper and pulp (each over 20 %), and sawn timber (15 %).
Finland has top-level RDI activities in the forest sector, both in the private and public sectors, and the Finnish forest industry companies are global leaders in developing innovations based in renewable material technology, resulting in new business areas such as renewable textiles, fossil-free packaging, and bio-based chemicals.
Would you be interested in hearing about current topics in forest sector RDI activities, both in Finland and at the EU level? The Finnish national Support Group (NSG) consists of approximately 40 participants, about one-third from industry, one-third from research organizations (universities, research institutes), and the rest from ministries, associations, and research funders. The NSG meets a couple of times a year via Teams to share information on current themes in the forest sector and updates on FTP’s activities in Brussels. If you would wish to join the network, please contact the secretariat of the National Support Group of Finland.
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