Competition 2025

What wood can do

The New Wood competition, organized for the sixth time, invites companies to tackle global challenges. The 2025 competition seeks concrete products and solutions that innovatively utilise wood and promote sustainable development goals.

Registration period: 1st May – 15th June 2025. Download the registration form here.

Evaluation criteria

The entries are evaluated based on the following criteria:

Ability to respond to global challenges or needs
Promotion of sustainable development goals
Social significance
Innovative use of wood
Global market opportunities

Jury Members

Business and Research

Martta Fredrikson, Managing Director, Finnish Forest Foundation
Ville Hulkkonen, Director, Finnish Forest Industries
Markus Joutsela, Senior University Lecturer, Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture
Johanna Lahti, Senior Scientist, VTT
Mari Pantsar, For the Woods initiative, Kone Foundation

Members of Parliament

Pauli Aalto-Setälä, National Coalition Party
Petri Huru, Finns Party
Krista Mikkonen, The Greens
Piritta Rantanen, Social Democratic party
Eerikki Viljanen, Centre Party

Rules

Wood-based solutions can be existing products, methods or processes. An existing product/method/process may also refer to a solution that is commercially feasible but not necessarily yet on the market.
Concrete solutions compete in the competition, not people or companies. One solution can involve several companies, individuals or teams.
The competition seeks solutions for the following sustainable development goals: health and well-being, sustainable industry, innovation and infrastructure, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption, climate action, as well as life below water and life on land. A solution may address one or more of these goals.
The solutions may not have participated in previous New Wood competitions.
The competition does not apply to solutions concerning printing or writing paper or bioenergy.

Schedule

May: Submission of competition proposals using the registration form from 1st May to 15th June 2025.
June: The steering group of the New Wood project confirms the competition candidates.
September: All competition candidates will be presented on the New Wood social media channels, and the public can vote for their favourite on the New Wood website. The competition jury will evaluate the candidates and interview the finalists in Helsinki.
October: Announcement of the winners of the competition and public voting, along with a panel discussion by the jury at the 100th anniversary seminar of Metsäpäivät on 22nd October 2025 at the Finlandia Hall.