Wood from Finland, a national promotion program for Finnish sawn timber managed by Business Finland and the Finnish Sawmills Association gave an opportunity to 13 Finnish companies to be a part of India Wood 2018 in order to provide them with a platform to open relations and start cooperation with Indian wood working industry. In Finland, the production of soft wood sawn timber for 2017 was around 12 million m3, from which the amount exported was around 9.3 million m3. This makes Finland fourth largest sawn softwood exporter in the world.
Traditionally European countries have been the main market area for Finnish sawn softwood. Due to rising investments the awareness on the benefits of Finnish wood, China rose as number one export country in 2017. But now it is India’s turn - this year Finnish sawmills and Wood from Finland program are focusing on India and its growing markets.
“Finnish sawmills have recognized the potential of Indian wood industry and we are eager to cooperate with Indian companies and associations. We consider that Finnish high-quality wood would be an excellent material forversatile end-uses in Indian markets” says Kai Merivuori, Managing Director, Finnish Sawmills Association.
Finland is one of the best areas in the world for tree growth. It belongs to the cold climatic belt in which subzero winters alternate with warm summers. The summer season lasts only 100 days, during which the trees grow. The short growing season means slow growth and highquality timber. The Finnish wood is first-class material for many purposes.
The Wood from Finland pavilion F620 was inaugurated by H.E Nina Vaskunlahti, Finnish Ambassador to India in presence of ReimaSutinen, Ministerial Advisor, Ministry of Economic Affairs of Finland, Kai Merivuori, Managing Director, Finnish Sawmills Association and JuhaPeltomäki, Program Director, Wood from Finland. “Finland and India have excellent bilateral relationship and I’m certain that Finnish sawmills and Indian companies can establish strong cooperation that benefits mutually both counterparts”, said the Guest of Honor at India Wood 2018, HE Nina Vaskunlahti, Finnish Ambassador to India.