Valmet and Metsä Group’s 3D fiber demo plant awarded in the international Quality Innovation Award competition

The Quality Innovation Award competition is an international, prestigious innovation competition, which recognizes the best innovations of the year. The demo plant previously won the Finnish Quality Innovation Award competition organized by Excellent Finland, after which the innovation was able to participate in the international competition.

The joint development project competed in the category of potential innovations. The evaluation criteria were novelty value, usability, learning, customer orientation and effectiveness. The official award ceremony took place in Kazakhstan on February 24, 2023.

The demo plant was inaugurated in August 2022 with the goal to develop a competitive and recyclable fiber-based package to replace plastics. The products called Muoto® are manufactured ready-to-use for different end uses. Valmet 3D Fiber technology combines the production process of both the packaging material and the packaging into the same production line resource-efficiently. After the currently ongoing demo phase is completed, market testing of the products with pilot customers will follow.

“The core objectives of our project have been high quality, safety and sustainability from the outset. We have succeeded in creating a wood fibre-based product that meets these objectives. We can continue to develop the Muoto product for the packaging industry for various purposes. International recognition confirms the value of our innovation and encourages the team and partner network in the development work", says Jarkko Tuominen, Project Director, Metsä Group.

"This award is a recognition for Valmet’s forward-looking innovation mindset as well as for the hard work and dedication of the development team of Valmet, Metsä Group and our co-operation partners. The award serves as a testament to our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible and driving technology forward in our field," says Sampo Immonen, R&D Director, Board and Paper Mills, Valmet.