Metsä Board bets on Milan for packaging studio expansion

ITALY – Metsä Board has announced plans to open a new Packaging Design Studio in Milan, Italy, with operations scheduled to begin in mid-2026, as the company strengthens collaboration with European brand owners and converters.

The Milan facility is designed to serve as a hub for joint development projects, bringing together packaging design, product development and technical expertise under one roof.

According to the company, the studio will support workshops, innovation sprints and co-creation sessions focused on sustainability targets, regulatory compliance and evolving performance requirements.

Equipped with the latest digital tools, including AI-based design and simulation systems, the site aims to accelerate concept testing and improve efficiency in early-stage packaging development.

The technology will enable rapid prototyping and data-driven assessment of material choices, structural performance and environmental impact, areas of growing importance as brands respond to circular economy objectives and tightening EU packaging regulations.

“Located in one of Europe’s leading design capitals, the Milan studio gives us a perfect setting to work even more closely with our customers,” said Erja Hyrsky, SVP Commercial Operations at Metsä Board.

“The studio makes it easy to connect, test ideas and move towards solutions that keep pace with the fast-evolving packaging landscape.”

The new site expands Metsä Board’s global innovation footprint, complementing its Excellence Centre in Äänekoski, Finland, which focuses on material research and packaging testing, and its Packaging Design Studio in Norwalk, US, serving North American customers.

Together, the network is intended to provide integrated support across material science, structural design and end-use performance.

Metsä Board specializes in lightweight folding boxboards, foodservice boards and white kraftliners, positioning itself in premium, fibre-based packaging segments where material efficiency and recyclability are central value drivers.

In 2025, the company reported sales of €1.8 billion (US$2.1 billion) and employed approximately 1,900 people.

It operates as part of Metsä Group, which is owned by around 90,000 Finnish forest owners through its parent, Metsäliitto Cooperative. Metsä Group recorded total sales of €5.8 billion in 2025.

The Milan investment reflects broader industry momentum toward regional innovation hubs that bring brands and material suppliers closer together, particularly as sustainability-driven packaging redesign accelerates across Europe.

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