Forest-Industry Metsä Group Of Finland Aims For A Resource-Wise Bioeconomy As It Launches Kuura® Its New Textile Fibre

Image Courtesy of Metsa Group

Kuura®, the new textile fibre brand of Metsä Group’s innovation company Metsä Spring was launched recently when it was presented to the general public during Japan Fashion Week.

Made from the pulp of the Finnish Äänekoski bioproduct mill, Kuura fibre is launched at the top fashion event this week in cooperation with Japanese trading house ITOCHU Corporation and the clothing brand THE RERACS.

The Kuura textile fibre is produced in Äänekoski, Finland, at Metsä Spring and Itochu’s jointly-owned demo plant.

The joint demo phase project, which is built around the Äänekoski demo plant, aims to demonstrate the feasibility of a novel production process and textile fibre product, from both a technical and economic standpoint.

This advanced direct dissolution method saw its beginnings in a collaboration with universities and research institutions over a decade ago.

The demo phase began in late 2020 and it is estimated to last approximately two years.

Metsa, a forerunner in sustainable bio-economy, focuses on wood supply and forest services, wood products, pulp, fresh fibre paperboards and tissue and greaseproof papers.

Metsä Group will be renewing its ERP solution in 2021–2025.

The large-scale EUR 150 million project aims to harmonise the Group’s current ERP solutions with a unified modern solution.

It supports management of the Group as a one company with unified processes.

Metsä Group manufactures products from renewable wood from the northern forests that replace the use of fossil raw materials.

They manage and grow our forests sustainably and by caring of the nature values.

They use raw materials, water and energy resource-wisely and produce renewable energy from our production side streams.

This is sustainable and resource efficient bioeconomy, where Metsä Group is a forerunner.

In bioeconomy, renewable resources are processed into products that replace the use of fossil raw materials.

In circular economy, the renewable products are kept in circulation for as long as possible – and by reusing and re-utilising maintaining the value of the raw material.

In circular economy, the manufacturing and consumption of products also generate as little loss and waste as possible, making production resource-efficient.

The importance of resource efficiency will become more pronounced in the future as population grow and competition from natural resources, energy and water becomes more intense. In circular economy, the resource-efficient manufacture and use of bioproducts reduces the amount of waste and allows the recycling of materials and holds their value.

A resource-wise bioeconomy in the circular economy is possible when we use every tree to the full to maximise the added value of the products.

In Metsä Group, every production side stream is valuable and nothing goes to waste.

“The change is significant both for the system and for the way we operate. The renewal will increase efficiency across all business areas and improve management of the Group as a unified company. One harmonized ERP solution and common data make Metsä Group's processes more efficient and support us in serving our customers better”, says Tapio Nuutinen, SVP, CIO of Metsä Group. 

Infosys has been selected as the ERP solution supplier in the first phase. The principal technology provider is SAP.

About  Metsä Group

Metsä Group leads the way in the bioeconomy.

We invest in growth, developing bioproducts and a fossil free future.

The raw material for our products is renewable wood from sustainably managed northern forests.

We focus on the growth sectors of the forest industry: wood supply and forest services, wood products, pulp, fresh fibre paperboards, and tissue and greaseproof papers.

Metsä Group’s annual sales is approximately EUR 5.5 billion, and we have around 9,200 employees in 30 countries.

Our international Group has its roots in the Finnish forest: our parent company is Metsäliitto Cooperative owned by 100,000 forest owners.