The forest cluster, a diverse network of companies and expertise, is active around the Finnish forest industry. It comprises forestry actors, energy suppliers, chemicals manufacturers, machine and equipment suppliers as well as the graphic and packaging industries and the wood-using segment of the building industry. Research institutes, universities and consultants associated with the industry are also part of the cluster. The entire forest cluster provides employment and a living to almost 200,000 Finns.
Forest industry employs 50,000
The forest sector has a significant impact on regional economies and employment in Finland’s rural areas because its activities are dispersed around the country.
More than half of the 50,000 jobs in the forest industry involve the manufacturing of pulp, paper or board. The rest are employed by wood products manufacturers.
The amount of forest industry jobs has decreased as a result of production automation and consolidation in the production. The aggregate output of production facilities has increased, however.
Major indirect employer
Forest industry is a major indirect employer: most of the goods and services needed in production are procured in Finland. A large proportion of products from the metal and chemical industries, for example, are used by the forest industry.
Wood procurement by the forest industry employs thousands of forestry professionals in the networking companies.