Meaningful work and studies
The forest industry offers various jobs – now and in the future. We need multifaceted professionals to build a sustainable world. Besides studying forestry or engineering, you can find your way to the forest industry through other forms of education, for example via business, natural sciences, communications, social sciences, design and human resource management studies.
Work to build a more sustainable world
The forest industry employs 38 000 people in Finland. When the entire production chain is included, this figure rises to 82 000. In addition, some 35 000 people work in Finnish forest industry companies in other countries. 1 During the next few years, more broad-minded and versatile talents will be needed to develop, produce and market sustainable products both for consumers and industries. The forest sector offers good global job opportunities.
Why should you study chemical engineering?
Multifaceted professionals in the forest bioeconomy
Expertise in sustainable forestry, wood chemistry, and mechanical and process engineering are important in the forest industry and also play an essential role in the development of new products for the future. However, commercial understanding, as well as service design, are also needed to truly identify the needs of consumers and customer companies. When developing increasingly innovative products, multi-disciplinary expertise and team work together with skills related to project planning and implementation are highlighted. Expertise for example in biotechnology, building technology and packaging design is key in the development of health technology products, wood construction and responsible packaging.
Innovative companies
The forest bioeconomy offers a number of attractive jobs in the fields of forestry, biomaterial and equipment manufacturing, technological development, chemistry, automation, business, consulting and research. Take a look at these companies!
In addition to large corporations, a number of forest industry startups have been established in recent years (please note that the list is not exhaustive):
| Start up | Innovation | Trend |
| Dolea Straws | Recyclable, biodegradable and custom printable drinking straw | Sustainable drinking straw |
| Infinited Fiber Company | Technology to produce fibres from recycled fibres and cellulose | Sustainable and cost-effective fashion |
| Innomost | Processing birch bark into high-value ingredients | Sustainable cosmetics and personal care, adhesives, coatings, and paintings |
| Jospak | Recyclable cardboard tray | Sustainable food industry |
| LignoSphere | Spherical lignin nanoparticles | Sustainable adhesives, coatings, paints, and composites |
| Lumir | Wood-based products for acoustics | Better acoustics using wood fibres |
| Boreal Bioproducts | Bioactive compounds e.g. for cosmetics and food industry | Bioactive extracts with health benefits for food and pharma industry |
| Onbone | Woodcast product | Non-toxic and biodegradable medical products |
| Paptic | Plastic replacing packaging products | Sustainable alternative to plastic films |
| Repolar Pharmaceuticals | Resin based health care products | Resin-based products for human and animal care |
| Spinnova | Wood fibre spinning technology | Sustainable textile industry |
| Sulapac | Biodegradable and wood-based material without any microplastics | Sustainable material to replace plastic |
| Woodio | Waterproof wood composite products | Ecological materials for bathroom products |
Many attractive companies can also be found from the third sector:
- Finnish Forest Products Engineers’ Association
- Finnish Forest Association
- Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland
- Forest Centre
- Finnish Forest Foundation
- The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners
- Metsähallitus
- Finnish Forest Industries
Various study opportunities
Education for forest sector is widely available throughout Finland in numerous vocational institutes, universities of applied sciences and in universities. Hundreds of study places are available for forestry and wood processing education each year. In addition, there are several other types of education that can be used to end up working in the forest sector. Besides engineering, the forest industry has jobs for professionals in the fields of business, natural sciences, communications, social sciences, packaging design and human resource management, among others.
Watch why Ilkka Hämälä, CEO of Metsä Group, recommends wood processing studies!
Students can already start working during their studies
Typically, students at universities and universities of applied sciences spend their summers working in production, research, sales or communication. In the summer job, the student gains valuable experience and networks in the field. Summer jobs are suitably challenging and also pay well. Finland has thousands of summer jobs to offer in the wood processing industry and excellent opportunities to complete a training period abroad.
