Forest bioeconomy
Metsäbiotalous pääkuva
Metsäbiotalouden uudet ratkaisut
New solutions for the forest bioeconomy
The forest bioeconomy represents the strongest sector for research and expertise in our region. Several experts work in the region’s bioeconomy sector employed by companies, national and international actors and educational organisations – from vocational education schools to doctoral degree programmes and research institutes. The European Forest Institute, EFI, Natural Resources Institute Finland and the University of Eastern Finland form an International Bioeconomy Knowledge Hub – BioHub – in Europe’s forestry capital Joensuu.
Otsikko
Our areas of expertise:
- Forestry machinery manufacturing, utilisation of logging methods and technologies
- The world’s leading business cluster for the manufacturing of forest sector machinery
- Wood procurement management, decision-making, and guidance related to the production of forest energy and wood products
- Development of working methods, tools, and machines for silviculture and harvesting
- Forest machine work research and development (e.g. occupational health of harvester drivers, and how they cope at work)
- Economic and social sustainability of forest use
- Utilisation of photonics in forest machinery and remote sensing as a part of damage detection
Our areas of expertise:
- Biobased, high added value products, materials and production technology
- Development of replacement raw materials for e.g. plastic and peat
- Increasing the degree of peat processing (abandonment of energy use)
- New uses for wood and its various parts
- New products (food, medicines, clothing, cosmetics, well-being), developing necessary technologies and making them economically viable
- International business and so-called Born Global companies
- Developing business models based on value chains
Our areas of expertise:
- Raw material chains for biorefining, utilisation of side streams, increasing value chains, and refining technologies
- Impact of the structure and properties of timber assortment on the raw material and energy wood raw material chains of production plants
- Developing better technical solutions
- Biodiesel, biogas and their development from by-products and waste
- Political and administrative conditions for decentralised energy production
Our areas of expertise:
- Refining of the material and immaterial value of forests and matching of their different forms of use
- Nature tourism, recreation, use of forests to promote public health and prevent exclusion
- Non-wood products, new non-wood business
- Impacts of forestry on the multipurpose uses of forests
- Protected areas and multipurpose use
- Ecosystem services and their safeguarding
- Valuing different environmental services in forests as a part of the total economic value of forests
- Cost-effective protection of endangered forest species
Our areas of expertise:
- Service activities based on electronic forest information and other wide-ranging utilisation of databanks
- Open forest information and its possibilities
- Photonics and its possibilities in remote sensing of forest damage, for example
- Development of remote sensing methods (cost/accuracy)
- Involving citizens' knowledge and civic science (e.g. recording citizens' observations in electronic geospatial data)
Our areas of expertise:
- Distributed energy production and hybrid solutions that are based on renewable energy sources
- Biodiesel and biogas production
- Potential for decentralised energy generation: Raw materials, technology, cost-effectiveness
- Cleaning of sapling stands and young forest management – raw material for whole tree chips – value chains and business connections, the impact of wood material quality on energy
- Carbon neutrality and climate resilience in energy production and construction
- Knowledge environments and demonstration targets for wood construction
- Carbon balance in wood construction: Impact of raw material on carbon sinks and storage, emissions during construction
- The health of buildings and its impact on human health and well-being
- Climate impacts during the life cycle of a building and the utilisation of demolition waste
Tavallinen sisältö
Metsäbiotalous kuvalaatikot

Our forest bioeconomy sector is strongly collaborative in nature. In addition to the companies, there are national and international actors of forest bioeconomy in North Karelia.
Natural Resources Institute Finland Finnish Forest Centre Finnish Environment Institute European Forest Institute
In North Karelia, forestry education and research are carried out at all levels of education.
University of Eastern Finland Karelia University of Applied Sciences Riveria – vocational education and training
We have several research and testing environments for co-developing new products and services. These environments are utilized by RDI organisations, companies and students.
BioPartners – R&D services in the forest bioeconomy sector Sirkkala Energy Park – R&D services in the renewable energy sector Open forest information services (in Finnish)
Our high-tech bio-industrial sites bring together actors that utilize and process renewable natural resources and the related technology industry.
GreenPark Business Park– with John Deere Forestry Uimaharju area in Eno
– with Stora Enso pulp mill and sawmill Kevätniemi area in Lieksa
– biorefinery and bio terminal operations Area of Green Industry in Nurmes
– focuses on bio and circular economy Puhos area in Kitee
– wood processing, food and natural products

Important international partnership networks for our region are the so-called smart specialisation platforms and the European Network of Forested Regions, among others.
S3 Bioenergy S3 Sustainable Buildings European Network of Forested Regions BIC bioeconomy platform Bioregions FacilityVideoiden otsikko metsäbiotalous
Have a look at our expertise
John Deere video
Did you know that the world's biggest manufacturer of forest equipment operates in Joensuu?
Puukerrostalo video
Did you know that Finland´s tallest wooden building is located in Joensuu?
Koivunmahla video
Did you know that North Karelia exports millions of liters of pure birch sap annually?
Yhteystiedot
Contact information
