
Themes driven by sustainable change
Systemic sustainable development requires the engagement of industrial operations through assets, processes, products, and human perspectives. From these, we’ve chosen three centric themes for SEEDForest to advance the development of sustainability:
1. Production chain optimisation
2. Adaptive asset management
3. Future operations and work
Each theme evolves dynamically in close partner cooperation led by KeKe Nyrkki, SEEDForest Sustainability Think Tank.

Themes
Production chain optimisation
We want to create capability to meet the holistic sustainability requirements of the markets, legislations, and finance sector – and go beyond – by optimising operations of the whole value chain online and offline and changing cultures and business models. This creates totally new value for the production chain players.
Adaptive asset management
We want to develop sustainable lifecycle asset management. A key is to build capability for a new kind of a collaboration between actors across the whole asset lifecycle: to be able to share data between actors, operate optimally with the data and utilise it in a new way – for the best of the assets and all actors. This requires new business and operational models. This requires new channels to build trust between partners, and consequently new tools, business and operational models to gain all the benefits to achieve all sustainability targets of the production organisation.
Future operations and work
Industrial work is changing, also with the progress of production models, which, in turn, influences on work roles and processes. At the same time, steps are taken in the path of digitalization. However, the new digital tools should exhibit good user-experience, in providing feeling of control and avoiding frustrations. The new tools should be suitable in view of the aims and challenges involved in the workers’ tasks. Some of the job assignments might totally change due to the new tools. These issues have a huge impact on the willingness to use digital tools, which is the reason why user experience aspects should be integrated into technology development. It is our mission to support the industry in developing new work assignments, tools and processes.
Ongoing projects
With a firm focus on a future of sustainable business, here are some SEEDForest projects that have already begun in 2022.

COACH Human-tech co-agency
COACH creates steps towards human-focused, technologically enabled intelligent industrial work of the future.
Theme
• Future Operations & Work
Target areas
• Future operational concepts, design processes, methods, and training approaches, tech prototypes and demos, anticipated future problems and solutions
Funding and project model
• BF co-research
Participants
• Metsä Board, Valmet Automation, Kemira, Siili Solutions, Lingsoft, VTT, JYU, Turku UAS
Contact for organisations
• Hanna Koskinen, Project Manager, VTT (hanna.koskinen@vtt.fi)

OPTIMI pre-study
The OPTIMI pre-study project identifies and analyses the maturity level and development needs of the production value chain towards sustainable operations to meet the requirements of future markets.
Theme
• Production chain optimisation
Target areas
• Forest and Chemical industries
Funding and project model
• Funded by Sitra & VTT
Participants
• VTT, Sitra, several company representatives
Contact for organisations
• Päivi Kivikytö-Reponen, Project Manager, VTT (paivi.kivikyto-reponen@vtt.fi)

REFOLUTION Biorefinery of the future

KILPAILUKYKYÄ DATASTA
Kilpailukykyä datasta (Competitiveness through data) is a project led by Sitra that works in close cooperation with SEEDForest. The project aims to identify data-based operating models as a competitive advantage for Finnish companies.
Theme
• Production chain optimisation
• Adaptive asset lifecycle management
• Future Operations & Work
Target areas
• Finnish industry
Funding and project model
• Sitra
Participants
• Finnish industry ecosystems
Contact for organisations
• Jutta Nyblom / VTT, jutta.nyblom@vtt.fi
More information: https://www.sitra.fi/aiheet/kilpailukykya-datasta/
Projects in preparation
Successful implementation of sustainable business models always requires careful planning. Here are ambitious SEEDForest projects currently in preparation.

COLIFE
COLIFE offers collaborative business and operational models for exploring solid and fair cooperation between asset owners, operators, and required service providers.
Theme
• Adaptive asset lifecycle management
Target areas
• Sawmill environment
Funding and project model
• Co-research, funded by BF
Preliminary participants
• SAP, Metsä, VTT, LUT
Contact for organisations
• Pasi Valkokari, VTT (pasi.valkokari@vtt.fi)

OPTIMI Optimisation for extended sustainability requirements
OPTIMI tackles a huge challenge to create common parametrisation for sustainability KPIs in the food packaging industry production chain, integrate sustainabity KPIs with business, production and other operation KPIs – and build capabilities to start optimize the chain online.
Theme
• Production chain optimisation
Target areas
• Food packaging industry and related value chain
Funding and project model
• Co-research or co-innovation, funded by BF
Preliminary participants
• Metsä, Ponsse, Valmet, Paptic, Solita
Contact for organisations
• Jutta Nyblom / VTT, jutta.nyblom@vtt.fi