Creating nonwovens that
others cannot
Markku Koivisto, Chief Technology Officer
10 May 2017
Our purpose is to make life better.
Agenda
• Introduction
• Recent developments & the Technology function today
• Technology as competitive edge
• Summary
5/10/2017 2
Our purpose is to make life better.
Part of Suominen team as of 27 March 2017
• Joined Suominen as
Senior Vice President, Chief
Technology Officer and a member of
the Corporate Executive Team in March
5/10/2017
• Industrial and technological experience combined with proven
track record in commercializing innovations
• Previous key positions:
- Head of Global Business Development, UPM Raflatac
- Vice President, UPM Biocomposites Business Unit
3
Our purpose is to make life better.
Recent developments in Suominen’s
Product Development
4
Enhancing capabilities
• Innovation process,
“Suominen Innovation
Machine”
- Front End Innovation
- Creating a prioritized
project portfolio
- Introduction of formal
gate process for running
projects.
Enhancing capacity
• Creating critical mass
- R&D expenditure
increased to 1% of net
sales (0.8% in 2015)
- Several new resources
hired
- Resources centralized to
ensure critical mass.
5/10/2017
Our purpose is to make life better.
Suominen’s new Technology function
• Team of 20 professionals, from which 6 PhDs
• Very heterogenic and international
• Spanish, Italian, US, Finnish and Indian backgrounds
• Mix of operative and academic talent
• Equal amount of men and women
• Healthy age structure
• Centralized to Nakkila, Finland and Windsor Locks, CT, US.
• Responsible for project portfolio management of both
business areas, technology development, IPR and growth
investments.
5/10/2017 5
Our purpose is to make life better.
Suominen’s innovation dimensions
6
Business
applications
Strategic
capabilities
Technology &
Raw materials
Tencel
Home
Workplace Baby
Personal care
Hygiene
Medical
Viscose
Pulp
Fluid
management
Texture & Patterning
Differentiation &
Customization
Disinfecting and sanitization
Skin wellness
Performance
superiority
Cost innovation
Embossing
Carding
Spunlace
IPR
Project management
Sensors
Indicators
Dispersibility
PET fiber
PP fiber
Spunbond
Cotton
5/10/2017
Our purpose is to make life better.
Technology as
competitive
edge
5/10/2017 7
Our purpose is to make life better.
What we aim to accomplish:
Suominen Changemaker strategy for 2017-2021
We change the way people think about nonwovens.
We make life better.
Best in
business
Creating
nonwovens
that others
cannot
Purpose
Vision
Cornerstones Community of
changemakers
5/10/2017 8
Our purpose is to make life better.
How we are going to create nonwovens that
others cannot?
5/10/2017 9
From delivering white rolls… to offering engineered solutions
• We have a powerful innovation machine
• Our product development is quick to fulfill changing
end-user needs
• Our nonwovens’ smart functionalities are best in class
and engineered for the job
• We are experts in personalization & customization
• Our nonwovens are proven to be better than our
competitors’ products
Our purpose is to make life better.
Strategic capabilities needed to create nonwovens
others cannot
5/10/2017 10
Fluid Management
Texture & Patterning
Differentiation & Customization
Disinfecting and sanitization
Dispersibility / Flushability
Skin wellness
Performance superiority
Cost innovation
Our purpose is to make life better.
Strategic capabilities – focus areas in reaching
product leadership
5/10/2017 11
Fluid Management
Texture & Patterning
Differentiation & Customization
Disinfecting and sanitization
Dispersibility / Flushability
Skin wellness
Performance superiority
Cost innovation
Our purpose is to make life better.
Fluid management – Hygiene & Workplace
Challenges: Fluid management require a
very deep and holistic understanding of
nonwoven. The end result is a
combination of fiber, production process
and patterning process.
Suominen´s technology group is able to
tailor the fluid management properties
according to the end use needs and
specifications.
5/10/2017
Fem hygiene products
that feel dry against the
skin
Workplace disinfecting
wipes that release the
chosen chemical very
stable and controlled
way
We make life better.
12
Our purpose is to make life better.
Texture and Patterns - Household
5/10/2017
Challenges: Textures and patterns require
a very deep and holistic understanding of
nonwoven. The end result is a
combination of fiber, production process
and patterning process.
Designer Series - Suominen introduced
something unique to the market,
something that the market had never
seen before: insanely good looking
wipes.
Insanely good
looking wipes
for a
affordable
price
We make life better.
13
Our purpose is to make life better.
Dispersibility / Flushability – Personal care
5/10/2017
Challenges: Wet wipes have to keep their
technical properties and dimensional
stability in the consumer pack, but break
up very fast when disposed into the
toilet. Very regulated end use.
Suominen is the clear market and
knowhow leader in flushable wipes. We
continue to build on our technology
leadership and advantage, Bethune
investment being a concrete example.
Wipes can be
disposed easily
and without
environmental
or technical
concerns
through the
toilet
We make life better.
14
Our purpose is to make life better.
Summary
5/10/2017 15
Our purpose is to make life better.
Summary / key take-aways
• We have a unique capability to mix different product features to
match each customer’s specific needs and provide higher customer
value
• Strategy becomes action
- Suominen Innovation Machine
- Strengthening of the team
- Moving from several sites to central locations
- Focus and prioritization
- Take ownership for own innovation
- Entrepreneurship and enhanced business thinking
• Technology will be one of the competitive edges of Suominen
• Suominen will be the world leader in the chosen business segments
and strategic capabilities
5/10/2017 16
Through creating
insanely great products …
5/10/2017 17
…we change the way
people think
about nonwovens.
Thank you!
5/10/2017 18

Markku Koivisto: Technology overview. Suominen CMD 2017.

  • 1.
    Creating nonwovens that otherscannot Markku Koivisto, Chief Technology Officer 10 May 2017
  • 2.
    Our purpose isto make life better. Agenda • Introduction • Recent developments & the Technology function today • Technology as competitive edge • Summary 5/10/2017 2
  • 3.
    Our purpose isto make life better. Part of Suominen team as of 27 March 2017 • Joined Suominen as Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer and a member of the Corporate Executive Team in March 5/10/2017 • Industrial and technological experience combined with proven track record in commercializing innovations • Previous key positions: - Head of Global Business Development, UPM Raflatac - Vice President, UPM Biocomposites Business Unit 3
  • 4.
    Our purpose isto make life better. Recent developments in Suominen’s Product Development 4 Enhancing capabilities • Innovation process, “Suominen Innovation Machine” - Front End Innovation - Creating a prioritized project portfolio - Introduction of formal gate process for running projects. Enhancing capacity • Creating critical mass - R&D expenditure increased to 1% of net sales (0.8% in 2015) - Several new resources hired - Resources centralized to ensure critical mass. 5/10/2017
  • 5.
    Our purpose isto make life better. Suominen’s new Technology function • Team of 20 professionals, from which 6 PhDs • Very heterogenic and international • Spanish, Italian, US, Finnish and Indian backgrounds • Mix of operative and academic talent • Equal amount of men and women • Healthy age structure • Centralized to Nakkila, Finland and Windsor Locks, CT, US. • Responsible for project portfolio management of both business areas, technology development, IPR and growth investments. 5/10/2017 5
  • 6.
    Our purpose isto make life better. Suominen’s innovation dimensions 6 Business applications Strategic capabilities Technology & Raw materials Tencel Home Workplace Baby Personal care Hygiene Medical Viscose Pulp Fluid management Texture & Patterning Differentiation & Customization Disinfecting and sanitization Skin wellness Performance superiority Cost innovation Embossing Carding Spunlace IPR Project management Sensors Indicators Dispersibility PET fiber PP fiber Spunbond Cotton 5/10/2017
  • 7.
    Our purpose isto make life better. Technology as competitive edge 5/10/2017 7
  • 8.
    Our purpose isto make life better. What we aim to accomplish: Suominen Changemaker strategy for 2017-2021 We change the way people think about nonwovens. We make life better. Best in business Creating nonwovens that others cannot Purpose Vision Cornerstones Community of changemakers 5/10/2017 8
  • 9.
    Our purpose isto make life better. How we are going to create nonwovens that others cannot? 5/10/2017 9 From delivering white rolls… to offering engineered solutions • We have a powerful innovation machine • Our product development is quick to fulfill changing end-user needs • Our nonwovens’ smart functionalities are best in class and engineered for the job • We are experts in personalization & customization • Our nonwovens are proven to be better than our competitors’ products
  • 10.
    Our purpose isto make life better. Strategic capabilities needed to create nonwovens others cannot 5/10/2017 10 Fluid Management Texture & Patterning Differentiation & Customization Disinfecting and sanitization Dispersibility / Flushability Skin wellness Performance superiority Cost innovation
  • 11.
    Our purpose isto make life better. Strategic capabilities – focus areas in reaching product leadership 5/10/2017 11 Fluid Management Texture & Patterning Differentiation & Customization Disinfecting and sanitization Dispersibility / Flushability Skin wellness Performance superiority Cost innovation
  • 12.
    Our purpose isto make life better. Fluid management – Hygiene & Workplace Challenges: Fluid management require a very deep and holistic understanding of nonwoven. The end result is a combination of fiber, production process and patterning process. Suominen´s technology group is able to tailor the fluid management properties according to the end use needs and specifications. 5/10/2017 Fem hygiene products that feel dry against the skin Workplace disinfecting wipes that release the chosen chemical very stable and controlled way We make life better. 12
  • 13.
    Our purpose isto make life better. Texture and Patterns - Household 5/10/2017 Challenges: Textures and patterns require a very deep and holistic understanding of nonwoven. The end result is a combination of fiber, production process and patterning process. Designer Series - Suominen introduced something unique to the market, something that the market had never seen before: insanely good looking wipes. Insanely good looking wipes for a affordable price We make life better. 13
  • 14.
    Our purpose isto make life better. Dispersibility / Flushability – Personal care 5/10/2017 Challenges: Wet wipes have to keep their technical properties and dimensional stability in the consumer pack, but break up very fast when disposed into the toilet. Very regulated end use. Suominen is the clear market and knowhow leader in flushable wipes. We continue to build on our technology leadership and advantage, Bethune investment being a concrete example. Wipes can be disposed easily and without environmental or technical concerns through the toilet We make life better. 14
  • 15.
    Our purpose isto make life better. Summary 5/10/2017 15
  • 16.
    Our purpose isto make life better. Summary / key take-aways • We have a unique capability to mix different product features to match each customer’s specific needs and provide higher customer value • Strategy becomes action - Suominen Innovation Machine - Strengthening of the team - Moving from several sites to central locations - Focus and prioritization - Take ownership for own innovation - Entrepreneurship and enhanced business thinking • Technology will be one of the competitive edges of Suominen • Suominen will be the world leader in the chosen business segments and strategic capabilities 5/10/2017 16
  • 17.
    Through creating insanely greatproducts … 5/10/2017 17
  • 18.
    …we change theway people think about nonwovens. Thank you! 5/10/2017 18