Food export ambitions need efficient logistics – automation can help unlock the potential
Finland’s food industry has significant potential in international markets. The Finnish Government has set a target of doubling food exports by 2031. According to experts speaking at Food Industry, the ambition is achievable if the right capabilities and structures are put in place.
At Food Industry and Logistics Fair Finland in Tampere, discussions focused both on the international opportunities for Finnish food companies and on the practical solutions needed to support expansion.
– By 2031, the value of food exports should increase from the current EUR 2.4–2.5 billion to EUR 5 billion. Looking further ahead, Finland’s national Food Strategy 2040 aims to triple exports, says Jarmo Talasrinne, Managing Director of Finnish Food Export Association SUVI.
Significant potential in nearby markets
Around 60% of Finland’s food exports currently go to the Baltic Sea region, yet Finland’s market share there is only around 0.3%. This leaves considerable room for expansion. According to Csaba Jansik, Senior Scientist at the Natural Resources Institute Finland, the potential is strong, but reaching it will require a rapid pace of development.
– There are already positive signs. Companies are working together more than before, shared structures are being created to support exports, and resources are being pooled, Jansik says.
Opening new markets and strengthening cooperation between companies are only part of the equation. Higher export volumes also require the ability to manufacture, store and deliver products efficiently at greater scale. Automation and advanced logistics solutions therefore have an increasingly important role to play.
Higher ambitions put production and logistics to the test
For food manufacturers, increasing exports means that production, warehousing and supply chains must be able to scale accordingly. With fresh products, they also need to respond extremely quickly.
Fresh Servant Oy, known for its Hetki salads, is a growing company based in Pedersöre that produces more than 100,000 salad packs every day. New products can enter the production line as often as every three days. To support its expansion, the company has built one of the most modern fresh salad factories in the Nordic countries and introduced extensive automation into its intralogistics operations.
– Fast-moving products are transferred from production to storage using highly automated warehouse robotics. This allows employees to focus on picking rather than spending time moving around the warehouse. At Fresh Servant, the warehouse was redesigned specifically around business needs. The result was a set of clear, measurable processes, says Lauri Impiö from SSI Schäfer, who was involved in developing the company’s logistics solution.
According to Juha Tiitto, responsible for logistics and supply chain at Fresh Servant, the company’s intralogistics has been designed from the outset to support further expansion.
– We are still investing in additional capacity. By the end of the year, we expect to be able to double the throughput of salad boxes at our factory, Tiitto says.
Artificial intelligence is also accelerating the development of intralogistics. Consafe Logistics, which is investing heavily in AI, received the Intralogistics Innovation Award from the Finnish Association of Purchasing and Logistics, LOGY, at Logistics Fair Finland.
More Finnish food companies are needed in export markets
Marjukka Mattio, Director of Growth at Finfood – Finnish Food Information, emphasised the need for permanent structures that support food exports. Another objective is to involve a broader range of Finnish SMEs in international business.
– When export expertise, cooperation between companies and modern logistics solutions develop side by side, Finland’s food industry has a real opportunity to turn its strong international potential into tangible business results, Mattio says.
Food Industry and Logistics Fair Finland will be held at Tampere Sports & Expo on 9–10 September 2026. The events are expected to attract more than 11,000 visitors in total.
