During the VTT Bioeconomy Forum in Helsinki, Erkki KM Leppävuori opened a discussion on bioeconomy strategy and establishing partnership networks.”We must react to the sudden structural changes taking place in the Finnish IT sector and in the traditional forest industry. New business and service ecosystems must be developed. Bioeconomy has the prerequisites for becoming a successful example for Finnish business life. This will, however, require a functioning collaboration network and our own bioeconomy strategy,” Leppävuori said.According to expert assessment, by 2020 new technological solutions and diversification could, for example, raise Finland’s current forest industry production by six billion Euros (equal to an increase of 22 percent compared to 2010 level).Bioeconomy has all the prerequisites for creating a radical increase in the value of exports and for developing into a new pillar of support for wellbeing in Finland. This will require the making of choices, the taking of risks, and the development and marketing of bioeconomy-based technologies, according to Erkki KM Leppävuori.”Fossil energy and material resources are shrinking, environmental problems are getting worse, and global population growth continues. On a global scale, adjusting to these developments requires radical changes to production methods, to the use of raw materials, and to living habits in general. Bioeconomy provides an answer to many of these challenges, and creates new business,” Leppävuori said.”The forest industry, for example, can expand its current operations into the production of composites, biofuels and biochemicals, and into service businesses. This would also bring about a corresponding growth in sector profitability.”