Research collaboration and innovations

Unlocking Innovation through Collaboration

Collaborating on joint R&D projects with universities offers corporations a unique opportunity to drive innovation, access cutting-edge research, and tap into a highly skilled talent pool. By partnering with academic institutions, businesses can enhance their competitiveness, gain valuable insights from specialised research, and develop new products, technologies, and solutions faster than ever. These collaborations also provide access to e.g. EU funding programs, increase visibility in academic and industry circles, and ensure a more innovative, future-ready workforce. Ultimately, university-business research partnerships help corporations stay ahead of the curve.

Discover UEF’s ongoing and past forest sciences research projects in collaboration with companies.

KELMI-Sustainable Added Value from Eastern Finland’s Forest Bioeconomy

Project duration: 1 January 2026–30 June 2028

KELMI-Sustainable Added Value from Eastern Finland’s Forest Bioeconomy project develops solutions to increase the value of products and services in Eastern Finland’s forest bioeconomy. The project aims to create sustainable added value by improving the utilisation of side streams, promoting the circular economy, and supporting the development of new products.

KELMI contributes to the objectives of the New Openings in Forest Bioeconomy growth programme and brings together key research, development and innovation actors in Eastern Finland. The project involves organisations from South Savo, North Savo, North Karelia and Kainuu, as well as companies from all participating regions. This broad regional collaboration enables the sharing of expertise across regional boundaries, strengthens companies’ innovation capabilities, promotes the development of high value-added products and services in the forest bioeconomy, and lays the foundation for new business opportunities.

The project’s specific objectives are to:

enhance and develop forest biomass production and forest management practices in Eastern Finland so that they are effective and economically viable in terms of increasing forest carbon sinks, promoting biodiversity value trading, and supporting the production of innovative wood-based products;
design, test and demonstrate a new type of measurement solution for determining the moisture content of side streams from forest biomass;
produce and analyse high-quality carbon products and other potentially utilisable fractions from side streams generated in the forest bioeconomy.

KELMI is carried out in collaboration with the University of Oulu and South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences.

For more information about the project visit:

UEF Forest Sciences contact person: Associate Professor Antti Kilpeläinen

WOODBIO

Project duration: 01.01.2026 – 31.08.2028

The WOODBIO (PUUBIO in Fin) project supports competence development and sustainable growth in the wood and bioproduct industries in Lapland, North Ostrobothnia and Kainuu.

We identify the training and competence needs of companies and based on these needs, provide free, tailored training for companies. We also offer introductory training courses with no prior knowledge requirements for anyone interested in the wood and bioproduct industries.

WOODBIO brings together companies, educational institutions and other stakeholders in the sector. The project aims to strengthen continuous learning, support the employment of new professionals in the sector, and promote RDI collaboration across the project region.

The project is implemented in cooperation by the University of Oulu, University of Eastern Finland and University of Lapland.

For more information about the project visit:

UEF contact person: Prof. Henrik Heräjärvi

Tracing4Wood

Project duration 1.1.2026 31.12.2029

Efficient use of forest biomass requires accurate information about wood quality, which determines its end use. This project investigates laser scanning and imaging methods to reconstruct tree architectures throughout their lifecycle, establish links between harvested trees and the resulting sawlogs, and monitor their further processing into various timber products. It does so by combining advanced sensors and computational solutions across the value chain. Improved tree-to-board traceability provides information about wood origin and enables the linking of standing tree structures to wood quality properties, thereby supporting the sustainable use of forest resources. The project is carried out as a joint effort between the Forest-Human-Machine Interplay (UNITE) and Advanced Mathematics for Sensing, Imaging and Modelling (FAME) flagships, utilizing the unique Technologies for Measuring Forests Research Infrastructure (ScanForest) and strong industry connections.

Contact person: Prof. Mikko Vastaranta

UNITE (Forest-Human-Machine Interplay) Flagship

The UNITE Flagship (2020-2024), (2024-2028) is a cross-disciplinary community that combines the topmost competencies within the forest sciences with geospatial technologies, sensor innovations, and gamification. We will digitalise forests and their value networks which will include the various uses, their services, and their opportunities, and how these features are reconciled.

UNITE merges science and practice. We conduct scientific research, collaborative RDI, and case studies with our industry collaborators. We target revolutionary business and scientific leaps.

Our collaborators include companies from the forest sector and the games industry, Finnish domestic and international organisations, and leading scientists from different parts of the world.

Read more about – UNITE Flagship

VaKe -Towards Strong Sustainability Forest Services

The Towards Strong Sustainability Forest Services (VaKe) project (2024-2027) aims to develop a new, research-based business model for forest services built on strong sustainability principles. This includes the creation of forest service products, exploring the educational needs required for the sustainability transition, and enhancing forestry education to address these needs. The project is funded by the Kone Foundation through its “For the Woods“ initiative and is being carried out in collaboration with the School of Forest Sciences and the Business School at the University of Eastern Finland, Häme University of Applied Sciences, and Lapland University of Applied Sciences.

The strong sustainability forest planning process developed in the project will be tested in real-world forest planning service encounter with forest owners, in collaboration with the forest service providers participating in the project: MHY Kaakko, MHY Päijät-Häme, Lapin Metsäpalvelut Oy, LUSTO Metsävarainhoito, and Metsäpalvelu Arvometsä. After the research project, the forest service providers will have the opportunity to continue offering strong sustainability forest services using the business model developed and tested during the project.

Read more about -VaKe (in Finnish)

PUMASKA – End-of-life wood material in circle

Project duration: 01.03.2024 – 31.12.2026

PUMASKA- End-of-life wood material in circle project develops solutions to increase the recycling rate of end-of-life wood materials and extend their service life. The project focuses on the use of construction wood waste and sawmill residues in growing media, soil improvement products and other fibre-based products, while also assessing the climate and material impacts of wood recycling. At the same time, the project develops the value chain from waste wood materials to beneficial use and promotes the circular economy of wood in collaboration with companies and other stakeholders.

The project is carried out in collaboration with Häme University of Applied Sciences, the University of Eastern Finland and Aalto University.

For more information visit:

UEF contact person: Associate Professor Antti Kilpeläinen

WaterLANDS -Water-based solutions for carbon storage, people and wilderness

Project duration: 1 December 2021–30 November 2026

WaterLANDS is a five-year project funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Green Deal programme. Coordinated by University College Dublin (UCD) in Ireland, the project brings together 32 additional organisations from 14 European countries, including research organisations, companies, public authorities and non-profit organisations.

WaterLANDS restores wetland and peatland ecosystems across Europe that have been degraded by human activity, develops best practices for wetland restoration, and supports ecosystem protection that can be scaled up across wider areas. The project works closely with local communities and stakeholders to ensure that wetland restoration delivers not only environmental benefits, but also social and economic benefits for local communities.

Further information: WaterLANDS-project website
UEF contact person: Professor Eeva-Stiina Tuittila

TurvaHiili

TurvaHiili (2022-2024) is a forestry project under Finland’s Sustainable Growth Program (RRF), aimed at training current and future professionals in the restoration of drained peatlands. The goal was to equip them with the skills to select appropriate sites for restoration and successfully implement restoration measures.

Company and Forestry Organisation collaboration within the TurvaHiili Project

TurvaHiili project involved close collaboration with companies and forestry organisations. For example, the project partner Tornator Plc provided one of its peatland restoration sites as a research and demonstration area. The project team held a restoration demonstration at the site, showcasing the planning and practical implementation of restoration activities. Researchers gathered materials for doctoral studies and created visual materials for educational videos during the demonstration.

The project also produced a series of instructional videos and podcasts, where experts from companies and forestry organisations shared their insights and expertise. The series explores the restoration of drained peat lands, the selection of suitable sites for restoration, and key considerations for planning and implementing restoration measures.

The target audience for the series includes peatland restoration planners, machine operators, and students in environmental, forestry, and forestry machinery fields at various educational levels. It also provides valuable information for landowners interested in restoration and the public.

Smallwood

The SMALLWOOD project (2019-2022) aimed to develop and evaluate new technologies and new business and operational models that can support a sustainable management and utilisation of different types of small diameter wood.

Team conducted field studies in Finland, Sweden, Slovenia, and Spain, using the Bracke C16c accumulating felling head developed by the project’s industry partner, Bracke Forest AB.

Researchers studied three different types of technologies:

Multi-tree harvesting technique combined with the working method “Boom corridor Thinning.”
Combined harvesting and chipping technique
Combined harvesting and bundling technique

The project also included a multi-criteria assessment of the economic, social, and ecological sustainability and value creation dimensions of small tree thinning, along with an environmental assessment of small-diameter tree thinning operations.