Finnish sawmills and wood products manufacturers could gain more domestic business under a proposal to increase timber\u2019s share of public construction to 35%. The industry wants schools and other publicly funded buildings to provide a steadier source of orders.<\/p>\n
MTK, which represents farmers and forest owners, and the Finnish Sawmilling Industry Association, Sahateollisuus, presented the proposal on October 27. They want the next government to adopt an annual target, tighten limits on building emissions and improve the way public authorities assess timber options in tenders. No government commitment has yet been made.<\/p>\n
Schools provide an opening<\/strong><\/p>\n Recent construction figures give the proposal some support. Timber-framed public building starts increased by 102% in volume in the first half of 2026, according to Forecon data published by the Finnish Wood Products Industries Association. Total public building starts rose 14%.<\/p>\n The comparison benefits from a low base: timber-framed public construction had fallen 36% in 2025. Even so, wood secured about one-fifth of public construction starts by building volume in early 2026. Its share reached 36% in educational buildings commissioned by public developers and 29% in public service buildings.<\/p>\n For suppliers, more such projects could mean additional orders for structural timber, engineered wood and prefabricated building components. A regular flow of contracts would also make it easier to plan production than occasional large projects.<\/p>\n Finland has missed a higher target before<\/strong><\/p>\n The government\u2019s previous wood construction programme aimed for a 45% share of public new construction by 2025. MTK and Sahateollisuus say the share of public timber buildings started has generally remained below 20% in recent years.<\/p>\n The organisations now propose a lower target, backed by annual monitoring and action when results fall short. Sahateollisuus chief executive Tino Aalto said successive governments had discussed timber construction without following through.<\/p>\n Their proposal does not require wood in every public building. It asks authorities to give timber a fair opportunity where it suits the project, supported by better procurement expertise. MTK forestry director Marko M\u00e4ki-Hakola said public orders could strengthen demand for long-lasting wood products and encourage investment in manufacturing and skills.<\/p>\n Procurement decisions will determine how much of that demand reaches producers. Structural materials and construction methods are often settled early, before suppliers have an opportunity to offer alternatives. The Wood Products Industries Association wants timber designs considered from the start of planning and purchasing.<\/p>\n The 35% target alone does not establish how much extra wood would be needed. That depends on public construction spending, the types of buildings commissioned and their timber content. But the share already achieved in education projects gives the industry a practical example to take to other public buyers. More contracts of that kind would do more for manufacturers than another government programme without funded projects.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Finnish sawmills and wood products manufacturers could gain more domestic business under a proposal to increase timber\u2019s share of public construction to 35%.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":100447,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5204],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n