Exhibition in Brussels

EU Commissioners and Finnish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Essayah open New Wood exhibition: Europe’s resilience and competitiveness depend on bioeconomy

Renewable raw materials and bioeconomy innovations are key in strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and securing production, as was emphasized Finland’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sari Essayah, Commissioner Jessika Roswall, and Commissioner Christophe Hansen at the opening of the New Wood exhibition in Brussels.

The New Wood exhibition features over 30 innovative wood-based products from Finland, showcasing how forest-based solutions can contribute to the goals of the green transition in Europe.

‘We want to take the global lead with a European bioeconomy, which is a key component of our resilience. We have to scale up biosolutions to boost competitiveness and innovation and ensure the responsible use of our natural resources. Together, we can shape a circular bioeconomy that delivers for people, the planet, and our economy,’ said exhibition patron, Commissioner Jessika Roswall, whose mandate covers the environment, water resilience and competitive circular economy.

A public consultation is currently underway on updating the EU’s Bioeconomy Strategy, which places circularity and sustainability at its core.

Wood is one of the renewable natural resources that enable the efficient use of materials and help reduce the carbon footprint of products throughout their life cycle. Renewable raw materials also play a crucial role in enhancing Europe’s competitiveness and in promoting a circular economy.

‘Finland believes that the key objective of the bioeconomy strategy should be to ensure the EU’s competitiveness. The objective should be to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and raw materials, promote industrial renewal, and advance the economies of rural areas in line with the EU’s rural vision,’ says Sari Essayah, Finland’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry.

‘Bio-based solutions and materials are crucial for decarbonising the EU’s economy while contributing to its competitiveness and offering new and complementary income sources, especially in rural areas. Our farmers and forest-owners provide the biomass that forms the basis of the bioeconomy value chains. It is important that these innovative bio-based materials and solutions can be scaled up and developed, to create value within a competitive European bioeconomy,’ emphasizes Commissioner Christophe Hansen, responsible for agriculture and food.

Among the innovations featured at the New Wood exhibition are wood-based textiles and packagings that can replace fossil-based plastics. One of the highlights is a bathtub made entirely from wood composite. Compared to traditional ceramics, this new material has the potential to cut the carbon footprint of bathroom fixtures by up to one half.

‘We all use wood in our daily lives, often without even realising it. The New Wood products – both for everyday use and for the future – help build understanding of the versatility of wood and of how its use as a renewable material is something essential,’ says New Wood Project Manager Virpi Korhonen.

The New Wood exhibition at the European Commission is organized by the Finnish Forest Association, the Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland. New Wood is funded by its member companies and the Finnish Forest Foundation.

The exhibition is open daily from 26 May to 6 June 2025, to all accredited visitors to the European Commission’s Berlaymont building. A guide will be available on weekdays from 12:00 to 15:00.

Further information

Anna Kauppi, Communications Manager, Finnish Forest Association, +358 400 702102, anna.kauppi@smy.fi

Virpi Korhonen, Project Manager, New Wood, +358 40 069 7973, virpi.korhonen@uusipuu.fi

Learn more about the innovations featured in the exhibition