Today, on the 21st of March, the Finnish Forest Industries Federation is delighted to celebrate the United Nations’ International Day of Forests, with this year’s theme being ‘Forests and Innovation’. In addition, we commend the European Union’s recent communication on biotechnology and innovation, as outlined in Brussels on the 20th of March, 2024 (COM(2024) 137 final).
“I was very happy to read that the forest industry was also included in the European Commission’s Biotech and Biomanufacturing communication. The document recognises the potential of forest-based novel, innovative products such as batteries, biochemicals, textile fibres and biomedical and healthcare applications. We are here to substitute fossil-based materials and products with forest-based bioeconomy”, stated Kaisu Karvala, Permanent representative of the Finnish Forest Industries Federation in Brussels.
“Forest industry is an integral part of European biotechnology and biomanufacturing industry. Likewise, biotechnological applications bear strong potential for forest breeding, which strengthens the growth and the resilience of forests. In order to further promote forest industry’s essential role in addressing environmental challenges as well as EU’s goals for industrial competitiveness and strategic autonomy, an encouraging regulatory framework that highlights the availability of sustainable feedstock and climate benefits of wood-based products as integral parts of biotech and biomanufacturing, is needed”, Karvala concluded.
