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Spinverse collaborates with Ponsse and Epec in FORWARD’27 ecosystem for creating sustainable work machinery

October 10, 2023

Ponsse, a leading manufacturer of forest machinery, and its technology company Epec, have together launched the FORWARD´27 project which aims to significantly reduce the emissions and environmental impact of mobile work machinery used in forestry and other heavy industries. The 10M€ funding granted by Business Finland challenge for leading companies will help the FORWARD’27 ecosystem develop solutions for intelligent, zero-emission vehicles for off-road and commercial use. Spinverse supported Ponsse and Epec in the project preparation phase and is now contributing to the management and coordination of the FORWARD’27 project, which had its launch event in September 2023.

Tackling the challenge of emissions in heavy industries

Forestry, agriculture, mining, and construction are critical resources to our society. The newly launched FORWARD´27 project aims to reduce the emissions and environmental impact of mobile work machinery used in forestry and other heavy industries. The project is set to find solutions for this challenge by developing novel technologies focusing on autonomous solutions, sustainable power, digitalisation, sustainable materials, and supply chain.

According to CEO Juho Nummela from Ponsse, the company aims to be a technological pioneer in cut-to-length logging (CTL) forest machines, and intends to produce carbon neutral, sustainable and increasingly competitive solutions. With funding granted by Business Finland to leading companies, Ponsse is able to accelerate their development of sustainable and digital solutions for mobile work machines. 

Active collaboration between Ponsse, Epec and Spinverse secured the grant from Business Finland

Spinverse funding experts worked together with Ponsse and Epec in the second phase of project proposal process for Business Finland funding, helping the project team in crystallising the FORWARD’27 mission and objectives. Upon a positive funding decision from Business Finland, Spinverse now supports FORWARD’27 in setting up the project by means of project management, ecosystem leadership and communications.

FORWARD’27 Programme Manager Jukka Laitinen from Ponsse says: “Spinverse has provided us with valuable support for planning and setting up different practicalities in this project. In addition, it was great to have someone outside the organisation to offer different viewpoints and ideas.”

Senior Project Manager Pekka Torvinen from Spinverse has supported the project from the beginning. He concludes: “It is very rewarding to be in this project which aims to be a game-changer in the mobile work machines. In the next phase, we will focus on the strategic ecosystem planning and activating FORWARD’27 to its full potential in solving the technology and commercial challenges of off-road vehicles.”

FORWARD’27 ecosystem welcomes companies to join the R&D collaboration

Ponsse and Epec are building a wide partner ecosystem to drive the project’s research and development activities, and the first partners have already joined. In addition to funding FORWARD’27 with 10M€, Business Finland will grant 20M€ to partners joining the ecosystem.

The FORWARD’27 project was officially kicked off at a launch event in Tampere on the 19th of September 2023. Visit the programme’s website to learn more about joining the ecosystem for a more sustainable future for heavy industries.

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