Tuesday, December 23, 2025
The pioneer of the global bioeconomy, Stora Enso, gave a compelling example of the “partnership with purpose” paradigm. The group has officially signed on as a Premium Partner for the 2027 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun, Sweden. This agreement marks the seventh time the Finnish-Swedish forestry giant has supported the world’s premier Nordic skiing event, reinforcing a decade-long commitment to transforming large-scale sports through sustainable innovation.
The 2027 games represent a homecoming of sorts. Stora Enso’s history is inextricably linked to Falun; the company’s earliest ancestor, the Stora Kopparberg mine, dates back to 1288 in this very region. By returning to these historic roots, the partnership bridges a 700-year legacy with the cutting-edge future of renewable materials.
Large-scale sporting events traditionally leave a heavy carbon footprint, often relying on temporary plastic structures and fossil-fueled logistics. As a Premium Partner, Stora Enso intends to flip this script. The collaboration focuses on replacing carbon-intensive materials with circular, forest-based alternatives across the event’s infrastructure.
Key contributions for the Falun 2027 games include:
The partnership is viewed by both organisations as more than a simple branding exercise. It is a strategic platform to showcase how the forestry industry can drive global climate goals.
“Nordic skiing is deeply connected to nature, and these events give us a powerful platform to demonstrate how renewable materials from sustainably managed forests can make a real difference,” says Hans Sohlström, President and CEO of Stora Enso.
FIS President Johan Eliasch echoed this sentiment, highlighting that the federation’s long-term vision for responsible growth is made possible by partners who “live and breathe” sustainability. “Their innovative use of renewable materials helps us demonstrate that major sporting events can lead the way toward a more sustainable future,” Eliasch noted.
Stora Enso’s journey with FIS has evolved through several championships, each serving as a laboratory for new bio-based solutions.
The choice of Falun for 2027 is particularly poignant for Stora Enso. The company is often cited as the oldest limited liability company in the world, with its corporate status recognised as early as 1347. This deep connection to the Swedish soil allows Stora Enso to leverage the event as a showcase for its Forest Division, which manages approximately 1.4 million hectares of forest in Sweden.
The 2027 event is expected to attract over 200,000 on-site visitors and a global television audience exceeding 550 million viewers. This massive reach provides an unparalleled stage to educate the public on the “carbon storage” benefits of wood products—a key message for an industry striving to achieve net-zero targets.
Continuing a tradition started in previous championships, the Falun 2027 event will likely see the continuation of the “Seedling Program.” Instead of traditional flower bouquets, medalists are often presented with young spruce seedlings. This symbolic gesture serves a practical purpose: for every seedling given to an athlete, Stora Enso typically commits to planting more in the local region, ensuring a long-lasting, tangible forest legacy from the games.
As the forestry and sports industries converge in Dalarna, the focus remains on pushing the boundaries of what is possible. From biocomposite waste bins to carbon-neutral transport solutions, the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun are set to become a benchmark for environmental leadership.
By integrating tech-driven forestry management with world-class athletics, Stora Enso and FIS are proving that “doing good for people and the planet” is a winning strategy both on and off the snow.
Read more news on: CLT
Get such updates through woodandpanel.us
Tags: bioeconomy, eco-friendly event infrastructure, FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2027, forestry industry news, renewable wood-based solutions, Stora Enso Premium Partner, sustainable sporting events
Comments: