Collaboration and partnerships

We actively develop new solutions to speed up the circular transition and promote the sustainable use of renewable materials. But we cannot do it all on our own. We are continuously looking for partners to co-create circular innovations and find new ways of utilising non-core patents and the industrial internet.

Partnerships add value and flexibility

We are a shareholder of CLIC Innovation, a Finnish open innovation cluster focusing on bioeconomy, circular economy and energy systems, and thus, supporting UPM's internal R&D.

We are among the founding members of the European Joint Undertaking on Bio-based Industries (BBI JU). This Public Private Partnership (PPP) aims to spur investment and create a competitive market for bio-based products and materials that are sourced locally. 

We are also a member of 4evergreen, a cross-industry alliance which fosters synergies among brand owners and industry’s leading companies to promote low-carbon and circular fiber-based packaging. The alliance brings together the entire value chain enabling collaboration and best practice sharing among member companies. Its goal is to increase the recycling rate of fibre-based packaging to 90% by 2030. 4evergreen operates under the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI). Read more here: Paper packaging going fully circular.

Some examples of collaboration projects

Together with Pohjolan Voima we are participating in UUMA5 program that aims to enhance the utilisation of secondary raw materials in earth construction applications in Finland.

Baltic Sea Action Group (BSAG)

As a supporter of the Baltic Sea Action Group, UPM has pledged to use only recycled nutrients at our biological wastewater treatment plants by 2030.  By recycling nutrients we contribute to preserving and improving the condition of both the Baltic Sea and other bodies of water.

Our target is to source recycled nutrients locally. This helps to reduce local eutrophication while also promoting the circular economy. To achieve our target, we collaborate with agricultural and industrial biogas plant operators and municipal wastewater treatment plants. So far, we have made good progress: in 2023, already 33 per cent of all nutrients used by UPM were recycled.

Our mill sites are full of great circular economy stories which benefit the society at a larger scale