On the high road to future forest sector competitiveness

Abstract

International industrial competitiveness depends on many aspects. It can be based on cost advantages over international competitors, which are realized as higher market shares and increased trade flows in global markets. Competitiveness can also be improved by creating higher value through increased product quality and by means of sustainability. This places increasing strategic importance on scarcening natural resources and on how proactively environmental responsibility is perceived in the international forest sector in the future; as an additional cost or more as an opportunity of a high road to competitiveness? The goal of this dissertation is to analyze international competitiveness and its drivers from five different perspectives at the regional, country, and firm levels, with an emphasis on the pulp and paper industry. The empirical research problems of five individual research articles are approached by combining quantitative and qualitative data analyses. The time period from 1990 to 2030 was covered in the analyses. The results highlight the importance of forests, markets, and regulation in creating competitive advantages at different levels in the sector. The traditional forest sector factors such as resource availability and traditional economic factors such price competitiveness are going to play an important role also in the future. However, sustainability will become increasingly important for the value creation opportunities of industries. It is an opportunity for companies in their global value chains if the global environmental awareness and societal demand for sustainability continue to increase. Therefore, more responsible use of global forest resources can offer solutions to global sustainability challenges, and in the transition to a bioeconomy in which the forest industry plays a key role.