Metsä Group is expanding its use of artificial intelligence through a new partnership with Finnish AI and quantum technology company Qutwo, aimed at embedding next-generation AI into core forest industry processes.
The collaboration will provide Metsä with access to Qutwo's AI platform with quantum capabilities, Qutwo OS, enabling the development of advanced optimization tools capable of handling a broader range of variables across complex industrial systems. The initiative is designed to increase the value derived from wood raw materials while strengthening the company's international competitiveness.
Unlike traditional AI applications, next-generation AI can simultaneously process multiple interdependent factors, making it particularly well suited to optimizing the forest value chain from raw material sourcing to finished products.
Initial projects will focus on two key areas: wood procurement and tissue converting operations. In wood supply, AI will be used to evaluate multiple variables in parallel, enabling more efficient allocation of raw materials between forest and mill while reducing variable costs.
At Metsä's tissue mills, the collaboration targets productivity improvements in converting lines, where parent rolls are transformed into finished tissue products. AI-driven optimization is expected to enhance process efficiency and increase production capacity.
"Metsä has been leveraging AI for a long time in its production facilities and wood supply operations. Our partnership with Qutwo takes this to the next level," said Anni Rasinen, Director, Business AI at Metsä. "Together we can address increasingly complex challenges and develop new intelligence to support our business."
According to Juha Jumppanen, Executive Vice President, Wood Supply and Forest Services, the objective is to significantly increase the value obtained from wood while reducing variable costs across the supply chain.
The partnership builds on Metsä's existing use of AI in areas such as forest damage prediction, timber pricing, silviculture services and biodiversity assessment, extending these capabilities into more integrated, system-wide applications.
For Qutwo, the collaboration highlights the growing role of advanced AI and quantum technologies in addressing complex industrial challenges. As European manufacturers seek to improve efficiency and sustainability, these technologies are increasingly viewed as key enablers of competitiveness across the forest-based sector.
Metsä Group is owned by approximately 90,000 Finnish forest owners through its parent company, Metsäliitto Cooperative. The company operates across pulp, paperboard, tissue, greaseproof papers, wood products, and wood supply and forest services. In 2025, Metsä Group reported sales of €5.8 billion and employed approximately 8,800 people.
