The Finnish Forest Sector in Times of Crises
Stengel, Simon (2024)
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024052214291
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024052214291
Tiivistelmä
The forest sector is vital for the Finnish economy. However, due to crises in the past years, the sector has faced an increasing number of challenges. In response, there is a dire need for innovative strategies to uphold competitiveness. This study delves into the impacts of the current crises on both the Finnish forest and energy sector. It highlights the raw material bottleneck caused by the war between Russia and Ukraine and the challenges raised by the increasing prices of energy. Additionally, it explores the impact of climate change on the industry, presenting challenges on the one hand but also providing new potential revenue streams on the other hand within the industry.
The study primarily relies on secondary data research sourced from comprehensive studies and recent papers of the forest sector, and the (renewable) energy industry. The secondary data approach allows the author to analyse large amounts of data and get a broad and unbiased perspective of the topic. Due to the significance of price dynamics, a mixed-method research approach is used. While quantitative methods are used to analyse the development of prices or inflation rates, a qualitative approach is used for theoretical groundwork.
Nevertheless, the findings of this study emphasize Finland’s advantageous position. With its abundant raw material resources, Finland enjoys a competitive advantage in raw material prices and availability. Additionally, the country’s advanced position in the energy transition translates to lower energy costs. Considering climate change, renewable energy resources and sustainable products from the wood industry are becoming increasingly important. The study examines two solutions in detail: the wood pellet industry for energy generation and wood construction as a sustainable construction solution. Despite the challenges, this study suggests a promising outlook for the Finnish forest sector.
The study primarily relies on secondary data research sourced from comprehensive studies and recent papers of the forest sector, and the (renewable) energy industry. The secondary data approach allows the author to analyse large amounts of data and get a broad and unbiased perspective of the topic. Due to the significance of price dynamics, a mixed-method research approach is used. While quantitative methods are used to analyse the development of prices or inflation rates, a qualitative approach is used for theoretical groundwork.
Nevertheless, the findings of this study emphasize Finland’s advantageous position. With its abundant raw material resources, Finland enjoys a competitive advantage in raw material prices and availability. Additionally, the country’s advanced position in the energy transition translates to lower energy costs. Considering climate change, renewable energy resources and sustainable products from the wood industry are becoming increasingly important. The study examines two solutions in detail: the wood pellet industry for energy generation and wood construction as a sustainable construction solution. Despite the challenges, this study suggests a promising outlook for the Finnish forest sector.