New concept praised, PI's 110-year journey celebrated alongside the event
Continuing in the footsteps of the international forestry event PulPaper, the Pulp & Beyond conference and event took place at the Helsinki Exhibition Centre from April 9-12, 2024. The event also celebrated the 110-year history of PI with a cocktail reception and hosted the PI's annual meeting. Additionally, during the same week, the Exhibition Centre held the chemical and biotechnology industry event ChemBio Finland 2024 and the Helsinki Chemicals Forum on chemical safety. The events gathered over 8,000 visitors and nearly 300 exhibitors. The next occurrence of this event is scheduled for April 15-16, 2026, at the Helsinki Exhibition Centre. Learn more about the event atmosphere.
High-Level Conference and a Toast to the 110-Year-Old PI in the Evening
The event week kicked off on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, with the Pulp & Beyond conference, featuring speeches from top experts on the role of the forestry industry in promoting a more responsible and sustainable future from various perspectives. The international conference attracted a large audience of over 300 attendees. This was the first time the conference was held on its own day before the exhibition, and participants appreciated the opportunity to focus more on the program content. The day concluded with the PI 110 Years Anniversary Cocktails in the evening, which gathered about 450 members and invited guests to celebrate the honorable history of the Finnish Forest Products Engineers’ Association. Additionally, during the cocktail event, PI awarded three distinguished industry experts: the Lampén Medal for meritorious, broad-based technical and scientific work in the association's field was presented to D.Sc. (Tech.) Ali Harlin, and the association's merit plaques for commendable work in the association's field were awarded to D.Sc. (Tech.) Ulla Häggblom and D.Sc. (Tech.) Petri Vasara.
Focusing on a New, More Responsible, and Efficient Concept
The Pulp & Beyond 2024 exhibition and event opened on Wednesday morning with festive proceedings. The renewed exhibition area and event concept emphasized sustainability and recyclability. This year's exhibition was more international than ever, attracting nearly 100 international companies. Wednesday also culminated in a Startup competition, where Aisti was announced as the winner and awarded a 10,000-euro prize by the Finnish Fair Foundation. The first event day ended in a relaxed beach atmosphere at the Tripla Biitsi for the Pulp & Beyond Beach Party.
Founder and COO of Aisti,
Antti Fredrikson. Photo: Jari Häkönen
Jyrki Ovaska Named Honorary Member of PI
The PI's annual meeting took place on Thursday morning, where the association's statutory matters, including the 2023 annual report and financial statements, personnel selections, and member matters, scholarships, and awards were discussed. M.Sc. (Tech.) Jyrki Ovaska, who has had a significant career in the forestry industry and has been actively involved in PI's activities, was elected as the new honorary member of the association. Thursday at the Pulp & Beyond exhibition was particularly aimed at students. The Employer of the Future themed day attracted a record number of students from various universities across Finland.
Week ended with new learning in Central Finland and Sweden
The event week culminated in two excursions as industry professionals headed to Central Finland and future talents to Stockholm. During the excursion to the Jyväskylä region, the professionals visited Metsä Group's Äänekoski bioproduct mill, VTT's pilot center, and the factories of Suzano, Spinnova, and Woodspin. Students, on the other hand, traveled by boat to Stockholm on Friday and visited AFRY's headquarters in Solna and Stora Enso's new biomaterials innovation center in Sickla.
PI would like to thank all members, partners, visitors, speakers, and exhibitors for a successful and memorable week! See you again in these international settings in two years on April 15-16, 2026!