The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry organized a Finnish-Swedish Forest Friends Forever Conference in Hanaholmen, Espoo on 17-18 April. The purpose of the conference was to thank Sweden for the gift in honour of Finland’s 100 years of independence and to further enhance Finnish-Swedish cooperation in research and innovation and in forest policy. Espoo, 17.–18.4.2018

1. The Making of
Äänekoski Biorefinery
Niklas von Weymarn, VPResearch, Metsä Fibre
(part of Metsä Group)

2. PaperboardWood Supply and
Forest Services
Leading player in selected businesses
Business areas of Metsä Group anno 2018
We focus on products and services with promising growth prospects and in which we
have strong competence and a competitive edge.
Tissue and
Cooking Papers
Wood ProductsPulp and
Sawn timber

3. 3
Pulp production, conventional co-products & new co-
products
PULPWOOD
BARK TURPENTINE
PULP
TALL OIL
BIOELECTRICITY
STEAM
DISTRICT HEAT
Bark
gasification
Sulphuric acid
production
Sludge
valorisation BIOGAS
Pulp
valorisation
TEXTILE FIBRE
Pulp
valorisation
BIOCOMPOSITE
Bark
valorisationBARK PRODUCT
Lignin
valorisation LIGNIN PRODUCT
Yellow box = still in R&D

5. New co-products are at different stage of development
5
Biogas (by partner EcoEnergy SF Ltd.
in Äänekoski 2017)
Bark-based product gas (in Joutseno
2012 and Äänekoski 2017)
Sulphuric acid (in Äänekoski 2017)
Biocomposite (by partner Aqvacomp
Ltd. in Rauma 2017)
Lignin-based product
Bark-based product
Textile fibre
Pilot plant scale
• The product is not sold, but
application testing with potential
customers is in a big role
• Operations days or weeks at a
time
• Different parts of production can
be located at different sites
Demonstration plant
• The product can be sold normally
on the market
• The plant can be operated 24/7,
but reconstruction breaks are also
possible
• Small plant compared to markets
• Usually not a profitable investment
Full scale factory
• The product is sold normally
• Normal size factory compared to
competing companies
• Often called ”First-of-its-kind” or a
“Flagship”

6. Everything is done in partnerships and networks
6
• Innovation ecosystem
• From universities to other large companies
• Co-creation
• Business ecosystem
• Taking the business opportunities to reality together
with SMEs and large companies (even startup
cooperation)
• Industrial companies and service providers

7. OPERATOR PRODUCT
Unknown Lignin product
Unknown Bark product
Unknown Biocomposite
Unknown Textile fibre
Unknown Unknown
OPERATOR PRODUCT/SERVICE
Metsä Fibre
Product gas
Sulphuric acid
EcoEnergy SF
Biogas (biomethane)
Biofuel pellets
AGA Oxygen
Mantsinen Wood yard services
VR Transport &
M. Rauanheimo
Pulp logistics in
Finland
Metsä Wood Veneer
OPERATOR PRODUCT
Metsä Forest
Industrial and
energy wood
Metsä Fibre
Pulp grades
Tall oil
Turpentine
Bioelectricity
Steam
District heat
Bark fuel
Metsä Board Folding boxboard
Äänevoima /
Äänekosken Energia
Various forms of
bioenergy
CP Kelco
Chemical made
from pulp
(CMC)
Specialty Minerals
Pigment made
from CO2
Potential products and
partners in the future
Äänekoski industrial
ecosystem Q1/2018
7
In addition e.g. Valio, Metsä Wood (plywood
production), Kurikka Timber and Valtra have
production plants within a 5-km radius from the
ecosystem core.

9. • Efficiency and success requires working closely in both
innovation ecosystems and business ecosystems
• Should be done jointly (i.e. SWE & FI):
• Work for a predictable business environment, which
requires increasing the understanding of the Nordic
forest-based sector on a pan-European level
• Create industry standards together
• For instance, for lignin as a commodity
biomaterial
Take-home messages