World-class forest machines and wood products
The Kuopio region and Eastern Finland as a whole are known for their research and education in bioeconomy. The region combines an excellent supply of raw materials in forest economy and world-class research knowledge in the biosciences at the Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences and the School of Forest Sciences at the University of Eastern Finland and the Savonia University of Applied Sciences.
High-quality expertise in forest sciences and bioeconomy and trained labour enable the product development and commercialization of bio-based technologies. The main bio-based products produced in the Kuopio region are packaging board, bioenergy, biogas and chemicals. The wood product industry in the region makes up 11 percent of the total national production, and the share of exports has increased to 12 percent of the national exports in the industry.
The Kuopio region offers unique opportunities to both Finnish and international investors in the chemical pulp and forest industry. The available expertise, raw materials and location have enabled operations for major companies in the industry, such as Mondi Powerflute and Finnharvest. The forest machine manufacturer Ponsse is based in Vieremä, Upper Savo.
