The Excellence and Circular Economy Awards are based on the international EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) model, which Metsä Group uses widely in its long-term development. The feedback from internal assessments and from Excellence Award competitions provides valuable development ideas, which will be taken into account in development in the next few years.

In summing up its decision, the jury highlighted Metsä Board’s “near textbook” clarity and systematicity in defining its direction and implementing its strategy. According to Excellence Finland, this indicates outstanding performance and good business results.

“We have made sustainability part of our strategy, success factors and measurable goals. Taking part in this assessment offered us the opportunity to further develop our operations as well as receive confirmation that we’re heading in the right direction,” says Mika Joukio, CEO of Metsä Board.

In the Quality Innovation Award competition, Metsä Spring’s Kuura textile fibre was nominated the innovation with the greatest potential. Among other things, the assessment emphasised the product’s novelty, usability and customer-orientation.

“In the competition, we underlined, in particular, the long-term nature of our innovation activity as well as the importance of a wide cooperation network. Although Metsä Group’s own textile fibre research began in 2012, without our numerous R&D partners, it would’ve been impossible to develop the Kuura fibre this far this quickly,” says Niklas von Weymarn, CEO of Metsä Spring.

Excellence Finland announced the winners on 11 November 2021.

Tens of thousands of organisations around the world use the EFQM model to assess and develop their operations. The goal of the EFQM competition is to identify front-running organisations that can demonstrate solid results of their strategy implementation and continuous improvement of operations. Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, won the Finnish Excellence Award in 2012.