Sulapac selected as one of three finalists for the Metsä360 Award

Sulapac has been selected as one of three finalists for the Metsä360 Award, which this year highlights bio-based innovations that replace fossil-based materials and increase the added value of Finnish forests. We are grateful for the recognition and proud of the abundance, quality and global potential of Finnish forest-based innovations. “We may be a small country, but our impact on building a greener future for the planet can be significant,” says Miki Lahtinen, CEO of Sulapac.

Read the official Metsä360 Award press release by LUT University and the Marjatta and Eino Kolli Foundation below.

Lappeenranta, 17 June 2026

Innomost, Sulapac and Woamy have been nominated for the Metsä360 Award. The award is granted to an innovation or initiative that increases the added value of forests. The prize is worth EUR 30,000.

This year, the Metsä360 Recognition Award highlights bio-based innovations that replace fossil-based materials and increase the added value of Finnish forests. The Marjatta and Eino Kolli Foundation and LUT University are presenting the award for the seventh time, meaning the award has already brought numerous Finnish bioeconomy innovations into the spotlight. The winner will be announced in November at the Metsä360 Day.

Innomost, Sulapac and Woamy compete for the Metsä360 Award

Innomost refines raw materials from birch bark for industrial applications such as coatings, cosmetics, adhesives and packaging materials. Sulapac produces biocomposites that replace conventional plastic in applications such as packaging and single-use products. Woamy has developed a bio-based and recyclable alternative to the foam plastics used in packaging. The finalists were selected by an expert group with representatives from LUT University and the Marjatta and Eino Kolli Foundation.

“The Metsä360 finalists show that Finnish forest expertise can generate solutions to global challenges. This is not only about new products, but about entirely new ways to create wellbeing, export income and sustainable growth. Finland is a small country, but we have an exceptionally strong ability to combine research, natural resources and business into internationally competitive innovations. This year’s finalists are excellent examples of that,” says Esko Kolli, representative of the Kolli Foundation and Finnish honorary title holder of talousneuvos.

Previous finalists have shown that Finnish forest-based innovations are attracting growing international interest. Arbonaut, which won the competition in 2023, has become an internationally known developer of forest resource data and geospatial solutions. The 2024 winner, Uute Scientific, uses forest microbiota in wellbeing products.

Recognition Award and youth competition prizes to be presented at Metsä360 Day

The winner of the Recognition Award will be selected by a jury consisting of Johanna Buchert, President and CEO of the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke); Matti Karjula, Chair of the Board of PrimeR Oy; and Ville Valve, Chair of the Board of VVR Wood Oy.

“Metsä360 Day brings together industry players and provides a forum for discussion on the opportunities related to forest use. At the same time, we highlight companies whose innovations are building a fossil-free future,” says Taija Hämäläinen, Research Director at LUT University.

At the same time, the Metsä360 video competition for lower secondary school students is underway. The competition encourages young people to consider how fossil-based materials can be replaced with bio-based alternatives. The winning entry will receive EUR 3,000, the runner-up EUR 2,000 and the third-place entry EUR 1,000.

The Recognition Award and the youth competition prizes will be presented at Metsä360 Day, which will take place in Lahti on 23 November 2026.

The Marjatta and Eino Kolli Foundation and LUT University presented the Metsä360 Award for the first time in 2020. The award honours the legacy and life’s work of visionary industrial counsellor Eino Kolli (1925–2016) in the field of forests. The Recognition Award is part of the extensive collaboration between LUT University and the Kolli Foundation, which aims to increase the added value of Finnish forests and support the growth of a responsible bioeconomy.