Alihankinta 2025 brings together professionals in contract manufacturing and product design. One of Innokas exhibitors is Solution Architect Antti Virtanen, who represents the technical expertise at Innokas, and also plays a key role in advancing sustainability initiatives within the company. “Sustainably competitive” is the theme of this year’s fair.

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Finding the best practices

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Antti’s involvement in sustainability began during leadership training in 2022–2023, where the topic first emerged as a central theme. “The training highlighted the importance of taking responsibility for the environment and society when designing technological solutions. Since then, I’ve been part of working groups where the main goal has been pushing the topic forward in practical ways,” Antti explains.

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Innokas is working towards integrating sustainability into the foundation of all its daily activities. Antti has contributed to the development of a sustainability playbook that directs the efforts to implement sustainability principles into product development. “A key part of our vision is to empower our customers with insights into how choices such as reducing material use, minimizing maintenance costs, and saving time can positively influence their future.”

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Sustainability as an investment in the company’s future

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A recent milestone in Innokas’ sustainability journey is achieving the Ecovadis Bronze rating under newly tightened criteria. “It shows we’re heading in the right direction. The criteria have clearly become stricter, and still we succeeded. This proves our actions stand up to scrutiny,” Antti says.

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Antti notes that demand for sustainable product development is increasing, especially due to regulatory changes. “We stand ready to engage with customers early in the project lifecycle. That way, we can help them with those initial critical decisions and present concrete improvement ideas”

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Ambitions for Alihankinta

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From the Alihankinta event, Antti hopes to gain insights into how other companies are implementing sustainability in practice. “I’d like to hear how others have embedded sustainability into their everyday operations; what actions they’ve taken, what impact they’ve seen, and how they’ve overcome challenges. That kind of exchange helps us all move forward.”

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Promoting sustainability is an ongoing journey. “The goal is to make sustainability principles part of everyday decision-making. When circular economy solutions are linked to tangible savings and benefits, they naturally become part of the business. I’m looking forward to conversations that help us all progress toward a more sustainable industry.”