Partnership story: Space x UPM Plywood

UPM Plywood develops and manufactures WISA® plywood and veneer products for construction and various industrial applications.

"The cooperation with Heureka gives us a good opportunity to share science-based information about wood as a renewable natural resource and its responsible use as a material in future innovative uses. Different types of wood products can be used to replace several non-renewable materials currently in use. Heureka is a natural partner for us, with whom we can promote the science education of children and young people, and also inspire them to work in the modern wood industry. Our cooperation started with the SuperPUU effectiveness program, and along the way, the joint work has expanded to a surprising theme - space and satellites."

"The stratospheric flight of the world's first wooden satellite, the WISA Woodsat prototype, was organized in June 2021 in front of Heureka. Heureka's audience was able to watch a successful test flight and at the same time get to know Heureka's exhibits. The wooden satellite's stratospheric flight tested the satellite's measurement systems and camera equipment. The satellite itself is connected to a larger research project that studies the behavior of plywood in space conditions," says UPM Plywood's Stakeholder Relations Director Ari Voutilainen .

The SuperPUU exhibition was part of Heureka's effectiveness program. The SuperPUU exhibition tells about the various properties of wood and the versatile possibilities of use. The exhibition also highlights the importance of forests and long-lived wood products in mitigating climate change