New Wood Exhibitions
London March 9 to 27, 2026
His Majesty King Charles III and Finland’s President Alexander Stubb explore Finnish bioeconomy innovations in London
The King and Finland’s President Alexander Stubb explored Finnish wood‑based innovations during a visit to the New Wood exhibition at The Garrison Chapel in London on Tuesday, 17 March.
The New Wood: Building a Bio-Based Future exhibition showcases Finnish wood-based innovations that offer alternatives to fossil-based materials across packaging, textiles, chemicals, and even designer bathtubs.
Organised by the Finnish Forest Association, the New Wood exhibition was invited to London by the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA), whose goal is to accelerate the global transition to a climate-neutral bioeconomy based on the circular economy. The CBA was founded by The King, a long-time advocate of the environment and sustainable development.
Marc Palahí, CEO of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, stated that bioeconomy solutions need visibility and concrete examples.
“We need to see that it is possible to build a better economic model that reconnects us with nature. When we see companies working toward this, it also inspires others to act for the benefit of nature,” said Palahí, who attended the opening of the New Wood exhibition.
By 2040, a bioeconomy based on the circular economy could account for up to half of the European economy, Palahí estimates.
“It would significantly help reduce pollution and climate change, strengthen the security of supply chains, and create jobs in both rural areas and industry.”
Photos: Barry Scowen
The special event of the New Wood exhibition on Tuesday was also attended by the First Lady of Finland, Suzanne Innes-Stubb, Finland’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Sari Essayah, Finland’s Ambassador to the UK, Teemu Turunen, the UK’s Ambassador to Finland, Laura Davies, as well as leading figures in the forestry sector and corporate representatives.
Kirsi Joensuu, Executive Director of the Finnish Forest Association, credits the exhibition’s success to extensive collaboration.
“We thank the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance and The King’s Foundation for their cooperation in making this exhibition possible. We are also grateful to our member organisations and the Finnish Forest Foundation for their support. New Wood shows in a very concrete way how wood-based innovations can help build a more sustainable future,” said Joensuu, who attended the event in London.
New Wood is one of the most visible projects through which the Finnish Forest Association, founded in 1877, promotes the responsible use of forests and strengthens society’s understanding of their importance. The New Wood project is funded by its 20 member companies and organisations, as well as the Finnish Forest Foundation, which has been involved in the project from the very beginning.
The New Wood exhibition is organised at the invitation of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance in collaboration with The King’s Foundation, founded by The King. The exhibition will be on display at The Garrison Chapel in Chelsea, London, from March 9–27, 2026.
Contact and more information
Virpi Korhonen, Project Manager, New Wood, +358 40 069 7973, virpi.korhonen@uusipuu.fi
The New Wood: Building a bio-based future exhibition will open in London on March 9, 2026.
From sustainable fashion to designer bathtubs – the New Wood exhibition in London reveals how wood is steadily replacing fossil-derived raw materials
Opening on Monday 9 March, The New Wood: Building a bio-based future exhibition showcases how cutting-edge wood-based materials are transforming everyday products from textiles and packaging to cosmetics, chemicals, and even car tyres.
The exhibition brings together renewable materials, circular use of forest biomass and design to show how the transition from a fossil-based economy to a bio-based one is already underway.
The exhibition demonstrates that bio-based alternatives already are market-ready and scalable. Highlights of the exhibition include designer sanitaryware made from a unique wood composite with a carbon footprint up to 80% lower than comparable ceramic products.
Visitors at The Garrison Chapel, The King’s Foundation’s exhibition space in London, can also learn how forest resources are sustainably transformed into cosmetics. In an industry worth £400 billion, cellulose-based hydrogel allows products to be made with up to 80% fewer chemicals and lower energy use. Waterless, biodegradable, and renewable, the wood-derived hydrogel on display is designed to replace multiple fossil-based ingredients in everyday beauty products.
Also on display are works from The King’s Foundation’s Snowdon School of Furniture’s Create Programme which is based at Highgrove Gardens, Gloucestershire. The pieces exhibited are rooted in circular practices, demonstrating how innovative, responsibly sourced wood supports sustainable design.
“It is wonderful to the see the work of our King’s Foundation furniture students exhibited alongside these innovative products. All our work at The King’s Foundation is centered on His Majesty’s Philosophy of Harmony, and looking to nature for our solutions, therefore it feels fitting to host this exhibition at our fantastic London exhibition space, The Garrison Chapel”, says Dr Simon Sadinsky, Executive Director of Education at The King’s Foundation.
“Today’s bioeconomy is no longer a distant vision”
Launched in 2014, New Wood is a groundbreaking project that demonstrates how innovation is driving the bioeconomy forward. It was created to increase public understanding of the full potential of wood, today and in the future. The project brings together 20 Finnish organisations from across the forest industry and is funded by its members and the Finnish Forest Foundation, which has served as the principal funder of New Wood since its inception.
The London exhibition is a collaboration between the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, The King’s Foundation and the Finnish Forest Association – a national platform promoting dialogue, knowledge exchange, and responsible forest use in Finland since 1877.
“Today’s bioeconomy is no longer a distant vision but a practical, scalable way to replace fossil‑based products. The New Wood exhibition shows that wood‑based solutions are not future concepts; they are real, market‑ready alternatives already in use”, says Kirsi Joensuu, Executive Director of the Finnish Forest Association, said.
According to Marc Palahí, CEO of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, the circular bioeconomy is one of the greatest business opportunities of the 21st century.
“Innovative bio-based solutions like those in the New Wood exhibition show the power of nature to help us transition to a more sustainable future. Building a circular bioeconomy that replaces the existing extractive fossil-based economy gives us the opportunity to invest in our renewable natural capital to holistically transform our land, food, health and industrial systems so they prosper in harmony with nature”, Palahí says.
The exhibition is open from Monday 9 March until Friday 27 March 2026. More information on opening hours can be found on The King’s Foundation website.
Learn more about the innovations featured in the exhibition
Brussels 26 May to 6 June, 2025
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.
Learn more about the innovations featured in the exhibition
