Finnos creates (again) the future

With a twinkle in their eye, Finnos developed and brought to market measurement systems, initially for log sorting, for which they developed the Fusion log scanner utilizing sensor fusion. The benefits of the technology-rich Fusion proved to be remarkable and undeniable, and market demand grew in tandem with the spread of information. Production capacity was increased to meet demand, which also accelerated the development and commercialization of new products. 

The coronavirus hit like a sledgehammer and massively accelerated corporate digitalization globally. Digitalization enhanced and sped up communication, and almost instantaneously, everyone was a click away. Developers were freed up with significant resources, and at the same time, the number of projects plummeted in the coronavirus year as installations and decisions were postponed, thus freeing up even more time. We focused on development, brimming with key ideas. Simultaneously, the opportunity arose to look around and calmly study how technology had developed alongside Finnos, where it was headed, and what that direction meant within Finnos's vision framework. At the hot center of development in the coronavirus year were Optimizer, Setup Control, Fingerprint, and AI Planner. The utilization of neural networks raised its super-brained head, with particularly promising developments occurring in GAN network research. The idea for a system emerged, which is at the core of the vision and would tie everything together. It was an intriguing, but distant idea, much like an itch on your back a kilometer away. However, conceptualizing the system added details to the vision and gave product development a clearer strategic direction. 

Unexpectedly, the corona pandemic caused a huge surge in demand for sawn timber, which in turn drove up prices, leading to the busiest and most profitable years in history for sawmills. Driven by the market, Finnos's revenue multiplied as sawmills finally had the opportunity to pay off accumulated investment debt and modernize their production. Bold decisions were made in the market: one after another, the world's most modern sawmills were built, and investments were made fearlessly (even foolishly) into the future. It was easy to grab onto Finnos's vision, like a delicious baklava – piece by piece. Each piece was a profitable investment in itself and significantly increased future potential. Revenue growth provided the financial resources for development, and the company's staff grew rapidly. Over a dozen products were developed, and Finnos spread its lucrative tentacles, conquering markets. The in-house board meter was a huge undertaking, but also an incredible success. As it gained market share at an accelerating pace, the vision rapidly approached. In strategy workshops, discussions arose about what kind of vision it is that has already been partially achieved. 

Finnos's continuous innovations are also taking rapid strides forward OptiForValueyes WoodCircle-projects examining the future of the industry in light of EU-level legislation and connecting sawmill data to the increment core's growth coordinate. Through these projects, Finnos is preparing to deliver traceability solutions to the market as required by legislation. The company is moving strongly forward (and backward in timber traceability), leveraging technological advancements and creating solutions that will help the entire sawmill industry adapt to new challenges and opportunities. 

Finnos has now reached a stage where the necessary components for developing the core system of its vision are ready and have been sufficiently distributed in the market. The system has been granted a strong method patent. Finnos has decided to invest significant resources in developing the system under the protection of the patent by establishing a non-operational strategy team under the board. The team's main task, in addition to strategic headings, is to plan and launch a development project named ”Neuro CT”. The strategic team is comprised of the company's founding members Jere Heikkinen and Juha Alatalo, who will be transferring their operational responsibilities to their elected successors Jyri Smagi and Tapio Leppälampi on November 1, 2024. 

Jyri Smagin He holds a Master of Science degree in Wood Processing Technology from Otaniemi and has nearly 15 years of experience with machine vision systems in the sawmill industry. Jyri's experience includes customer interface work, starting with training and later encompassing more commercial and management roles. Jyri moved to Finnos in 2020 from his role as CEO of the then FinScan Oy to lead Finnos's commercial operations as Sales Director. “Filling big shoes in the CEO position is a big step, but I am confident that with the support of a skilled and committed organization, Finnos will be propelled on an even more successful journey!”. 

Tapio Leppälampi He holds a Master of Science in Technology in Applied Mathematics from LUT University. Around the time of his graduation, he moved to Bintec as a development engineer, working on calculation algorithms and the calculation of various indicators from X-ray images, as well as hardware interfaces and installations. In other words, he was hands-on with a bit of everything. After moving to Tampere, Tapio worked as a developer of product development and training simulators at Creanex Oy. From there, he gained experience in EU projects, customer interface work, and, of course, knowledge in simulator development for everything from forest machines to combine harvesters and trams, and everything in between. Tapio ”returned” to Finnoch in 2021 and has been leading AI development ever since. ”I've now been looking at X-ray images of logs for three different decades. The development of calculation methods has been tremendous in recent years. It has been truly interesting to be involved in developing calculations with new spices and to see the great potential it brings to the sawmill industry. And to continue this development for current products, thereby supporting Neuro CT's breakthrough into the market. Jussi's mantle is heavy, and carrying it is a great sign of trust. With our skilled and professional teams, we will turn it into sails as Finnoch continues its journey at the forefront of the latest technology.” 

Juha Alatalo He is an applied mathematician and computer scientist who has spent fifteen years working on problems in the sawmill industry; his experience ranges from measuring trees to lumber packages. Alatalo has led customer-focused development teams at Bintec and Finnos, a company he helped co-found. His tireless work was recognized at the CTO of the Year Awards 2021, where he placed in the top three. “Thousands and thousands of logs and planks have been seen, and solutions have been considered, developed, tested, and maintained. Incredible steps taken together with great teams. The absolutely right people will continue the work, and I feel confident in leaving my own tasks in the hands of top experts. Tapio and Jani are diamonds. Neuro CT is the next big step for sawmills. With it, solutions will be more efficient, but also more visual. With these decisions, from these logs, in this sawmill, you get these lumber products. Challenging, but very interesting!” 

Jere Heikkinen He is a mathematician with a long history in the sawmill industry. In a total of over 17 years, he has been concretely involved in all phases of the design, development, delivery, and commercialization of measurement systems at Bintec and Finnos, which he co-founded and has led for the past 8.5 years. In 2019, Heikkinen was recognized as the Young Entrepreneur Researcher of the Year and has won numerous awards for Finnos globally. “I am truly excited to be able to focus on strategic topics and especially to be involved in bringing the long-dreamed-of Neuro CT to market. I am very proud to hand over operational responsibility to the highly experienced Jyrki and the diamond-like management team, who have the solid support of the entire organization.” 

Jani Alatalo He is a Master of Theology who has been preaching the gospel of data-driven leadership for over 20 years. Jani has improved productivity, data quality, and its utilization in grocery retail, banking, the paper industry, the municipal sector, with teleoperators, and in the forestry sector. Jani has worked as a management consultant at Deloitte and as a director of data services business and product development at CGI. In projects and initiatives, Jani has always sought concrete results and smooth cooperation with clients. Jani joined Finnos in the spring of 2023, having followed the company's development from its inception. ”It's great to see in data how the saw sings, the chips fly, and logs turn into boards. Always better. In Finnos Neuro CT, my love for wood and computers find each other wonderfully.” 

Neuro CT This is an innovative and new approach that utilizes neural networks in computed tomography (CT). Traditional CT imaging is based on images taken from multiple different angles, which are then combined to reconstruct a three-dimensional image of the scanned object. Neuro CT differs from this method by using neural networks to supplement and replace certain steps of traditional CT. 

From the very beginning, Finnos's log scaling systems have adhered to interchangeability, meaning all systems supplied by Finnos are identical in their measurement geometry. In the future, Neuro CT can be implemented both backward and forward compatibly with all FUSION and OPTIMIZER x-ray log scaling systems through a straightforward software update. 

The systems supplied by Finnos generate data on over 100 million logs each year, with an annual growth rate of approximately 15–20 %. Neuro CT is trained using tens of millions of logs selected based on specific criteria. Neuro CT can be tailored to the raw material in the sawmill’s own procurement area by investing more broadly in Finnos’s product ecosystem, where each investment is highly profitable for its specific intended purpose. At the same time, these investments will enable a future turbocharged version of Neuro CT. Finnos plans to bring the solution to market in phases between 2025 and 2028.