Coniferous forests, the evergreen treasures of the North, symbolise sisu, perseverance and strength for Finns. For centuries, our people have found peace and contact with nature in the shelter of the forests. The quiet beauty has inspired poets, artists, and building professionals.
The popularity of spruce and pine as building materials lies in their lightness, uniformity and ease of processing. The dense heartwood of pine and the light structure of spruce make them ideal choices for a wide range of building projects. Their natural durability and ability to age gracefully make them a popular choice for both traditional construction and modern architecture.
The story of Fiberwood has roots in the coniferous forest, too. In the by-products of the forest industry, to be precise. What if side streams were not burned for energy? Could we use wood chips to insulate homes and protect transported materials more sustainably? The founders of Fiberwood said yes and took up the challenge.
The development of wood and natural fibre-based, fossil-free insulation and packaging material has now progressed to the point where joint product development projects with our customers are underway.
Steps forward and sometimes backwards, but in the right direction
In a start-up, the world will not be ready this Christmas or the next. But let us take a mid-term look.
For us, the past year has been significant in many ways. For example, in the spring, we received vital funding to recruit key people and plan a continuous pilot line to ensure the technological solutions for a production-scale line. We have established important customer relationships and launched product development projects that will define our future. Our team has grown with experienced experts understanding market practices and customer requirements. This year has also exposed us to the many different product types our technology can be applied to.
Everything needs to be aligned: the team, the materials technology, the production technology, the financing, the know-how and the potential customers. We have succeeded in many things, but there are just as many things that still need to be improved.
In engineering terms, we succeeded in solving the product development and production parameters, and achieved our MVP target for this year in several product areas. Along the way, we have encountered question marks and outright problems, such as material composition, but these have only boosted our propeller heads.
I am pleased to report that, thanks to persistent work, several of our wood fibre-based insulation materials now meet basic market requirements, although there is still some way to go.
2023 has been a very challenging time for all economic actors. Start-ups are often more flexible and able to adapt quickly to changing circumstances than larger companies. This flexibility could be an asset for companies like ours when the economy hopefully turns around next spring.
Fiberwood for different structures in 2024
Over the next year, we aim to get a new pilot line up and running in Kerava. This means we can supply customers with commercially viable product pilot batches. We expect finished products to flow into the commercial market in about 1.5-2 years.
Forests are a vital part of the Finnish landscape, and we are proud to play our part in promoting the use of softwood and other natural fibres and reducing CO2 emissions. We are committed to continuing our persistent development towards fossil-free construction as well as plastic-free and decomposable packaging. We are grateful for your support and trust!
Onwards and upwards, as the New Year awaits,
Best wishes,
– Tage
