%0 Research article
%T Commercialisation and international market potential of Finnish silvicultural machines
%A Hallongren, Heidi
%A Rantala, Juho
%D 2012
%J Silva Fennica
%V 46
%N 4
%R doi:10.14214/sf.912
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/912
%X Recently, the need to mechanise silvicultural operations has increased  in the Nordic countries. While several new machine concepts have been  developed, the manufacture of silvicultural devices remains at the  market introduction stage. Information is required in support of  existing and forthcoming Finnish small-scale producers of silvicultural  devices, who wish to commercialise and further market their innovations  in domestic and export markets. The aim of this study was to identify  the opportunities, challenges and market potential of business  activities that develop in connection with device or machine production.  Small-scale Finnish manufacturers of silvicultural devices, Finnish  large-scale harvester manufacturers and international silvicultural  experts participated in the study. The results show that participant  groups have varying opinions of cooperation methods and export  activities, as well as of the export markets with the best potential.  According to international silvicultural experts, mechanised planting  and pre-commercial thinning have the greatest potential worldwide.  However, demand for mechanised pre-commercial thinning and planting has  been mainly confined to the Nordic countries. For a foreign firm  marketing a new silvicultural machine concept, the most important  customers and cooperation partners are locally operating forest firms,  machine contractors and research organisations. The results of the study  provide a useful overview of the current state of silvicultural device  manufacturing in Finland.