Suominen, a globally leading nonwovens company, has announced it is taking a concrete step in its Changemaker strategy and introducing Suominen Intelligent Nonwovens concept to the market.
Described as the ‘first of its kind’ in the world of nonwovens, the concept makes it possible to embed digital features into Suominen nonwovens. For example, with Suominen Intelligent Nonwovens, product traceability and product safety can be taken to a new level. It also provides brands with a new sophisticated marketing tool. These are only some examples of opportunities the concept offers, the company says.
Pekka Ojanpää has been announced as the new president and CEO of Suominen,
starting on 3 February 2019
The concept stems from Suominen’s research and development projects that have already led to the launch of High Definition Design Series, a revolutionary pattern selection for nonwovens. Suominen Intelligent Nonwovens concept reportedly adds a unique technical capability into the mix and combines artificial intelligence with extremely high-definition patterning. With Suominen Intelligent Nonwovens, all kinds of digital features can be embedded into the substrate without deteriorating other functionalities or the aesthetic appearance of nonwovens.
Discussing the concrete end-use examples, Markku Koivisto, chief technology officer of Suominen, says: “For instance, if a consumer would want to know the origin of the raw materials of the wipe he just purchased, he could retrieve the data by just scanning the wipe with his smartphone. If a wet wipes manufacturer notices a flaw in a wipe and wants to track the origin of the nonwoven, that could be done again quickly with a smartphone. It is up to us and our customers to imagine what can be achieved with this technology. It can be applied to virtually any application.”
He adds: “We have already learned that Suominen Intelligent Nonwovens is something our customers have never seen before and I am very proud of the cross-functional team behind the unique concept. This is a leap forward in our Changemaker strategy and it shows that we are able to create nonwovens that others cannot.”
Suominen Intelligent Nonwovens made the finals of this year’s RISE Innovation Award, which recognises innovation that creatively uses advanced science and engineering principles to solve challenges within the nonwovens and engineered fabrics industry.
New president
This recent development follows the news that Suominen has appointed a new president. Pekka Ojanpää, the current president and CEO of Lassila & Tikanoja, will replace Nina Kopola on 3 February 2019. Tapio Engström, CFO, has been appointed as Suominen’s interim president and CEO as of 3 August 2018.
“Suominen has taken the right measures in recent years and the company has a strong market position, says Ojanpää. “The ambitious growth targets, as well as its global reach, provide me with an exciting challenge.”
