24 Sept. 2026: The forest industry has been a cornerstone of the Finnish economy since the 1800th century. Now the history of industrialization, technological development and professional expertise in the forest sector is more comprehensively available and researchable in digital form, as Puunjalostusinsinöörit ry has digitized its journals, textbooks, and other publications since 1919. As a result of the digitization project, over 130,000 pages of historical material were added to the ForestBioFacts learning environment, which is searchable with artificial intelligence.

Puunjalostusinsinöörit ry (PI) is a network of forest industry professionals and companies founded in 1915. Its core tasks since the beginning have been to develop forest industry expertise, communicate current developments in the field, and increase awareness of the field. During its history, the association has published nearly 3000 magazines, over 30 textbooks, and other publications, which are now available in digital format for the first time.

"The project is exceptional both from the perspective of the forest industry and Finnish industrial history more broadly. As far as I know, such extensive historical material from the forest industry has never been digitized and opened up to artificial intelligence-based information retrieval before. The project is also significant from a cultural and historical perspective, as it helps us ensure the preservation of valuable professional and industrial history for future generations," says Puunjalostusinsinöörit ryCEO of Antti Lindqvist.

The data has been added to the already extensive data bank of the ForestBioFacts learning environment , which is one of the central and globally used digital learning environments in the forest industry. It is currently used by over 50 companies and universities and has over 7,500 registered users. At the same time, the functionality of the learning environment's AI assistant, released in April, was expanded to cover not only established knowledge in the field, but also the now added historical data.

Artificial intelligence makes over a hundred years of forest industry history easily researchable
The digital archive offers, among others, researchers and historians of the forest industry a unique opportunity to learn about the history and technological development of the industry over a period of over a hundred years. At an individual level, the material can also be used to learn about, for example, the history of one's own family, as many of those working in the forest industry are part of a multi-generational continuum.

Exploring the data and finding information is easy with the help of ForestBioFacts' AI assistant. The AI ​​assistant searches for information from the entire 130,000-plus pages of data based on questions posed by the user, compiles the findings into a single answer, and provides direct references to the original publications. For example, the user can ask the AI ​​assistant how a technology, production method, or phenomenon has developed over the decades, and receive an answer based on the original publications.

The publications include information on the history of the industry, the development of production facilities, people and influencers in the industry, and historical research. The material is particularly suitable for understanding the development and changes in technologies, processes, and industrial practices over the long term. The digitized material includes the following publications:

• The Finnish Paper and Timber Journal, 1930–1980
• Paper and Wood, 1919–2022
• Puunvuoro, 2023–
• Finnish Wood, 1926–1949
• Finnish Timber Industry, 1952–1986
• 11 textbooks in the field from 1930–1983
• Wood to Paper teaching materials, 1980–1995

The publications are also available as hard copies.

Invitation to webinar
Welcome to hear more about the new digital archive and the use of artificial intelligence to search for and utilize information. The webinar is open to everyone, but participation requires advance registration.

Aika: 15.10.2026 at 15:00-16:00
Place: webinar, link will be shared with registered participants before the event

Register by October 14.via this link.