Leading expert Susanna Perko from Sitra considers the bioproduct factory planned by Metsä Group for Äänekoski to be a breath of fresh air in the bioeconomy area.
Industrial symbioses form development platforms and ecosystems for the circular economy. The industrial internet provides the tools to manage them.
Leading expert Susanna Perko Sitrasta outlines industrial symbiosis as an entity formed by several companies, in which complementary companies produce added value by efficiently utilizing waste, raw materials, technology, services and energy.
In symbiosis, manufacturing companies, service providers and technology providers enable the utilization of raw materials as materials and energy.
“Raw materials circulate efficiently, processes are cost-effective, and business models enable the reuse of products,” says Perko.
Industrial symbioses involve actors of many types and sizes.
"Companies of all sizes are starting from a need, creating a solution to the need and an industrial symbiosis around it into a network that produces the solution. This creates business opportunities for companies of all sizes in different sectors."
The industrial internet is essentially related to the development of industrial symbioses, as an increasingly extensive production entity requires an increasingly better operating and management system foundation.
“The industrial internet and its next step, the 'internet of things', will be a huge transformation. However, we have only seen the beginning,” Perko points out.
In the original context, the internet has changed people's behavior and activities.
“As the Internet connects devices, factories, and supply chains, we can control the operating environment on a new level. The industrial Internet enables a new way to optimize the whole, the ecosystem created through industrial symbiosis. It radically increases productivity and the performance of companies.”
Perko does not believe that the forest industry will have any difficulties in understanding a new operating environment.
“Forest companies are traditionally strong regional ecosystems, which is why they are called forest integrators.”
However, the spectrum of business transactions is expanding precisely through industrial symbioses.
“Many forest companies already see new potential in cross-industry collaboration and are investing in product development.”
Forest industry and the Internet of Things
According to Perkko, the benefits of new internet applications for forest industry and bioeconomy processes are currently mainly remote control – maximizing the use of equipment with analytics, extending their lifespan, and managing usage, such as avoiding disruptions. However, the picture will change quite soon.
“With its relatively rapid spread, the Internet of Things will improve the management of industrial production and the ecosystem created around it by enabling a kind of systematic overall intelligence,” Perko points out.
Production in the bioeconomy is built on complex dependencies that cannot be optimally managed using traditional methods.
According to Perkko, the challenge of a new kind of systematic approach is the lack of multidisciplinary expertise in all industrial symbioses.
"Maximum utilization of the industrial internet requires the ability to understand different overall systems and infrastructure. This in turn requires diverse expertise and the ability of companies to recruit the right types. Another significant challenge is the revenue models. They still need to be developed."
For example, Perko considers Metsä Group's announcement welcoming those interested in building a bioproduct factory in Äänekoski a breath of fresh air.
"For now, Äänekoski is a pulp mill, despite its bold branding, but there is a desire to expand the ecosystem through symbiosis. An interesting joint effort by various parties is underway. The public authorities have already agreed to consider Äänekoski a laboratory for smooth permit procedures and minimal bureaucracy."
Text: Jaakko Liikanen
Photo: Sitra
