Forest Joensuu – International Collaboration and New Opportunities at DEMO International in Ottawa

Finland and Canada have a long history of collaboration in the field of forestry. For both countries, forests are economically and culturally significant natural resources, drawing attention now as solutions are being sought for issues such as climate change and sustainable development.

In September, representatives from Business Joensuu, the City of Joensuu, LUKE (Natural Resources Institute Finland), and local companies attended the DEMO International conference and exhibition in Ottawa, Canada. DEMO International is North America's most significant forestry event, held every four years. The delegation's goal was to showcase Finnish forestry expertise, increase awareness of Forest Joensuu, and explore new business opportunities, strengthening cooperation between the two countries in research, business, and education. 

The two-day conference preceding the DEMO forest exhibition focused on the theme "Adapting to New Forestry: Unlocking Innovative Solutions." Expert presentations emphasized forest fire prevention and management, changing  forests in the midst of climate change, innovations, low carbon practices, digital forestry, the importance of data in forest information gathering and management, and the need to improve the efficiency and profitability of forestry. The conference also attracted decision-makers and business representatives, making the audience ideal for Joensuu.

Joensuu took the stage already on the first day of the conference. Leading researcher Lauri Sikanen from LUKE presented Finnish forest management based on thinning and selective cuttings, as well as the role of various stakeholders, such as forest owners and indigenous people in forestry decision-making.

• Canada, which has recently suffered from massive forest fires, could benefit from the Finnish forest management model, which focuses on developing road networks in forest areas, and conducting selective and small patch cutting near populated areas. On the other hand, Finland could learn from Canada's management of large fires, Sikanen noted during his presentation.

Lauri Sikanen participated actively in the discussion during the conference.

For the Finnish delegation, Wednesday was the main event, with the afternoon program led by Forest Joensuu. The event opened with Jaakko Autere, Commercial Specialist at the Finnish Embassy in Ottawa, who highlighted the long-standing collaboration between Finland and Canada, which serves as a solid foundation for future cooperation in areas such as the green transition, digitalization, forestry, and education. As electrification takes time, forests will continue to play a significant role in the energy sector for a long time.

Seppo Tossavainen, Head of Economic and International Affairs at the City of Joensuu, introduced Joensuu as the Forest Capital of Europe and presented the region's unique forestry cluster. Lauri Sikanen followed with a presentation on sustainable forestry as a driver of economic growth:

• Canada has many scattered villages and communities that still rely heavily on oil and propane for heating, despite being surrounded by forests. Adopting the Finnish model of heat entrepreneurship would be a climate action and boost the vitality of these regions through entrepreneurship.

Seppo Tossavainen was waiting to take the stage at the DEMO International conference.

Dominik Röser, Dean at the University of British Columbia, who himself has previously worked in Joensuu for over a decade, spoke about the importance of Finnish-Canadian cooperation in innovation activities. Röser identified educational and student collaboration as a key success factor. He also summarized the findings from the British Columbia forestry delegation’s visit to Joensuu a year earlier and discussed developments and partnerships that have emerged since the visit.

Lauri Sikanen, Dominik Röser and Juha Hyvärinen, Biocoal Development Director from Taaleri Oyj took part in the panel discussion.

Pasi Pinta, Finland's Honorary Consul and CEO of NordBEST Inc., a company that brings Finnish bioeconomy and technology solutions to the Canadian market, spoke about how Finnish expertise can help address challenges faced by First Nations in Canada. A Finnish expertise center is planned for the Thunder Bay area of Canada, with NordBEST and the Finnish community in Thunder Bay playing a key role.

Pasi Pinta (left) together with his business partner Ari Elo discussed with Lauri Sikanen and Vesa Leppäsen during a coffee break.

• Finland is advanced in forestry technology development, and Finnish companies have opportunities across the entire value chain in Canada, from forest inventories to end consumers. The clean transition is particularly pressuring large companies to seek solutions, Pinta noted.

On Wednesday, Vesa Leppänen, Chief Technology Officer at Arbonaut Oy, also gave a presentation about Arbonaut's solutions for managing forest fires and fuel treatment planning. Arbonaut was one of the Finnish companies attending DEMO. Havel Oy and Sitowise Oy also participated, aiming to network, meet customers, and seek new business opportunities.

Vesa Leppänen was presenting Arbonaut's solutions for LiDAR mapping in wildfire management and fuel treatment planning.

The day culminated in a reception at the Ambassador's residence, where about 60 invited guests gathered to discuss international cooperation. Business cards were exchanged frequently among company representatives.

Jaakko Autere and Chair of the Board at City of Joensuu Jere Nuutinen welcomed the guests at the ambassador's residence.

• After a long conference day, the relaxed atmosphere of the evening event encouraged lively discussions. The Joensuu region clearly became more familiar over the past couple of days, thanks to strong visibility and professional presentations. Our competence cluster generated interest, and we expect to see many follow-up discussions and arrangements for future visits, said Ville Kortelainen, Development Manager of Forest Bioeconomy at Business Joensuu.

Global Growth Manager Nina Jalo from Sitowise Oy (left) had come to Ottawa to make new contacts.

International Career Paths in Forestry through Collaboration

Finland also stood out as a leading country at the DEMO forest exhibition held in Gatineau, Quebec, about an hour's drive north of downtown Ottawa. All major Finnish forest harvesting technology providers were present with their own booths or represented by local partners. Companies such as Ponsse Oyj and Kesla Oyj conducted demonstrations with their machines for thousands of visitors over three days.

First guests started to arrive at the Ponsse pavilion in the morning and soon the tent was filled with interested visitors.

Kesla organized demonstrations at DEMO International.

Finnish forestry education is highly regarded in Canada. For instance, Irwing Woodlands, which employs over 1,500 people in Canada, is constantly seeking forestry professionals, from machine operators to truck drivers. The reputation of Finnish workers is excellent, and during the latest recruitment round, the company hired over thirty workers from Finland.

At the exhibition, Sikanen and Tossavainen discussed with Barry McAllister, Development Director of Irwing Woodlands, how collaboration could enable international career paths in forestry without draining critical expertise from Finland.

• We have already agreed on follow-up actions that will involve representatives from our educational institutions. Our expertise in education has the potential for exporting our education model and offering consultancy services. Existing student exchange programs, such as those of the University of Eastern Finland and Riveria’s education exports, provide a solid foundation for further development, said Tossavainen.

Not all Canadian forest machines have been suitable for the Finnish market, knows Lauri Sikanen.

The Forest Joensuu delegation aimed to convince the Canadian audience that Finnish expertise has the potential to help Canada’s struggling forestry sector, as well as to attract visitors to experience the Forest Joensuu ecosystem. Finnish forest planning, technology, and harvesting expertise, along with collaboration opportunities with indigenous people, sparked great discussions, and many expressed interest in visiting Joensuu.

This year, two more delegations from North America are expected to visit the region. In May next year, Business Finland will organize a delegation visit from the USA and Canada, and Canadian and American visitors are also expected at the international Formec / Forest Joensuu 2025 event in June. A dedicated Forest Joensuu event, focused on practical forest technologies, is being planned in conjunction with Formec, where visitors will tour forests, company facilities, and research institutions to explore concrete solutions and practices. Joensuu is the only place in the world where this can be done within a small area and with short and efficient transfers.

• We are constantly seeking new ways to turn this strong Joensuu-North America collaboration into sustainable business. Companies from our region have already found promising new markets in North America, replacing the Eastern trade. We will accelerate this development with the resources of the Forest Joensuu ecosystem. Healthy and resilient forests must be a priority, and Joensuu is in a key position to lead forestry into a new era, Tossavainen concluded.

Lauri Sikanen (left), Seppo Tossavainen, Anne-Maria Kankaisto, Jere Nuutinen and Ville Kortelainen were at DEMO International to increase the awareness of Forest Joensuu.

Text and photos: Anne-Maria Kankaisto, Business Joensuu Oy