We are proud to share that Innomost has been selected as one of three finalists for the prestigious 2026 Metsä360 Recognition Award, presented by the Marjatta and Eino Kolli Foundation and LUT University.
The nomination recognises pioneering bio-based innovations that replace fossil-based materials and create greater value from Finland’s forests. For Innomost, it is an important acknowledgement of our mission to transform birch bark, an underutilised side stream of the forest industry, into high-value, sustainable ingredients for applications including cosmetics, coatings, adhesives and packaging.
This recognition reinforces our belief that circular innovation and responsible use of renewable resources can help shape a more sustainable future while strengthening the competitiveness of Finnish bio-based solutions on the global stage.
Below is the official media release announcing the finalists for the 2026 Metsä360 Award:
Three Bioeconomy Pioneers Named Finalists for the Metsä360 Award
Innomost, Sulapac and Woamy have been selected as finalists for the Metsä360 Recognition Award, which honours an innovation or initiative that increases the value created from Finland’s forests. The award carries a prize of EUR 30,000.
This year’s Metsä360 Recognition Award highlights bio-based innovations that replace fossil-based materials while enhancing the value of Finnish forest resources. Presented for the seventh time by the Marjatta and Eino Kolli Foundation and LUT University, the award has already brought numerous Finnish bioeconomy innovations into the spotlight. The winner will be announced at Metsä360 Day in November.
Innomost, Sulapac and Woamy Compete for the Metsä360 Award
Innomost develops high-value ingredients from birch bark for applications in industries such as cosmetics, coatings, adhesives and packaging. Sulapac produces bio-based composite materials that replace conventional plastics in products including packaging and single-use items. Woamy has developed a recyclable, bio-based alternative to the foam plastics widely used in packaging.
The finalists were selected by an expert panel comprising representatives from LUT University and the Marjatta and Eino Kolli Foundation.
“The Metsä360 finalists demonstrate how Finnish expertise in forestry and the bioeconomy can provide solutions to global challenges. This is not only about creating new products, but about developing entirely new ways to generate wellbeing, export revenue and sustainable economic growth. Finland may be a small country, but we have an exceptional ability to combine scientific research, natural resources and entrepreneurship into innovations that compete on the international stage. This year’s finalists are excellent examples of that,” says Esko Kolli, representative of the Kolli Foundation and recipient of the honorary Finnish title talousneuvos.
Previous finalists have shown that international interest in Finnish forest-based innovations continues to grow. Arbonaut, winner of the 2023 competition, has become a globally recognised developer of forest resource data and geospatial solutions, while the 2024 winner, Uute Scientific, harnesses forest microbiota in wellbeing products.
Recognition Award and Youth Competition Winners to Be Announced at Metsä360 Day
The recipient of the 2026 Metsä360 Recognition Award will be selected by a jury comprising Johanna Buchert, President and CEO of the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke); Matti Karjula, Chair of the Board of PrimeR Oy; and Ville Valve, Chair of the Board of VVR Wood Oy.
“Metsä360 Day brings together stakeholders from across the sector and provides a platform for discussing the future opportunities created by sustainable forest use. At the same time, we shine a light on companies whose innovations are helping to build a fossil-free future,” says Taija Hämäläinen, Research Director at LUT University.
Alongside the Recognition Award, the Metsä360 video competition for lower secondary school students is currently underway. The competition encourages young people to explore how fossil-based materials can be replaced with bio-based alternatives. The winning entry will receive EUR 3,000, with prizes of EUR 2,000 and EUR 1,000 awarded to the second- and third-placed submissions respectively.
Both the Metsä360 Recognition Award and the youth competition prizes will be presented at Metsä360 Day, taking place in Lahti on 23 November 2026.
The Marjatta and Eino Kolli Foundation and LUT University first introduced the Metsä360 Award in 2020 to honour the legacy and life’s work of the visionary Finnish industrial counsellor Eino Kolli (1925–2016). The Recognition Award forms part of the long-standing collaboration between LUT University and the Kolli Foundation, which aims to increase the value created from Finland’s forests and support the growth of a responsible and sustainable bioeconomy.
