In this interview, we meet Marie Morin, Head of Board & Converting Technology in Stora Enso’s Group Innovation and R&D, who leads technology development in paperboard, mineral coating, barriers and converting. With her background in operations, Marie connects research with industrial application. Combining technical expertise, strategic direction, and cross-functional collaboration, she enables novel ideas to become real technologies and products that can be scaled in real production environments.
1. One of Stora Enso’s objectives is to accelerate the transition to a circular bioeconomy. How do you define circular bioeconomy, and how does board & converting technology or innovation contribute?
Circular bioeconomy means using renewable resources and designing products to stay in use at their highest value as long as possible. In renewable, fiber-based solutions, innovations in barriers and coatings are crucial for recyclability, keeping fibers in circulation, and increasing performance in comparison to non-renewable alternatives. We continuously optimise material efficiency, using less while maintaining strength and functionality.
2. What do we talk about when we talk about packaging innovation? How can packaging be innovative?
Packaging innovation goes beyond design: it’s also about creating new value through materials, structure, functionality, and cost-efficiency. True innovation solves real problems better than before – whether that’s reducing plastic and simplifying recyclability, improving efficiency, extending shelf life, or lowering environmental impact. The greatest advances come from integrating board, coatings, and barrier technologies into fiber-based solutions.
3. How does your operational background benefit innovation? How are board & converting technology and innovation connected?
Production and innovation are closely connected, because new ideas must perform reliably in practice, not just in theory. Background in operations gives me practical understanding of how materials behave in production and which innovations are truly scalable and robust. This is essential, as advances in convertibility ensure board can be easily converted into finished packaging.
4. What does good customer co-creation look like? How can we create value with functional, sustainable, and cost-efficient products?
Customers are looking for packaging solutions that combine high performance, reliability, and sustainability without adding complexity or cost. They expect efficient production, consistent quality, and strong product protection, with growing demand for fiber-based, recyclable solutions. We collaborate end-to-end with customers, from concept and material selection to production, combining deep expertise in board, coatings, and barrier technologies to create tailored solutions to specific needs.
5. What are key expectations from quality, high-performance packaging?
We put more demands on a package that we might realise: protection, integrity throughout the supply chain, withstanding rough handling, as well as efficiency and consistent quality in production. It should be designed for recyclability, resource efficiency, and minimal environmental impact, while also offering consumers functionality, an appealing look, and ease of use.
A quality product is also competitive and provides value for money. This means reliable performance at a lower total cost. By improving runability and material consistency, we reduce waste, downtime, and inefficiencies. It is also about smarter design: lighter weight without losing strength. Our board is engineered to deliver reliable functionality under demanding conditions. Ultimately, it means customers can trust the material to protect the product, run efficiently, and offer value.
6. What are the biggest sustainability and circularity challenges you’re solving right now?
Circular innovation means designing materials, structures, and processes that enable circular material flow without compromising performance. Recyclability is key but, at the same time, also a big challenge both on system and material levels. The biggest impact can be achieved already in the design phase: moving toward mono-material solutions that are easier to repulp and recycle.
Barrier development drives focus on mono-material solutions, reducing complexity and improving fit with recycling systems. Innovating barrier solutions or uncoated boards is an area where we can benefit the environment with renewable, recyclable materials. We also need a functioning ecosystem to collect and sort materials. While we support it through material design and recycling operations in some countries, lasting impact requires close cooperation with legislators and local communities.
7. From your perspective, what does it mean to be the renewable materials company?
It is about replacing fossil based materials with renewable ones, designing for recyclability and reuse, and reducing climate impact - while creating value for customers with scalable, cost-efficient solutions.
Our focus on sustainability and circularity helps customers transition toward fiber-based, recyclable packaging without compromising performance. We really offer a unique combination of being a forerunner in sustainability, broad material knowledge and application insight.
8. What advancements do you foresee in the future of packaging innovation and board converting?
Growing demand for circular materials is driving packaging innovation toward renewable, fiber-based options that reduce fossil dependence. In board materials, innovation focuses on lighter, stronger structures with optimized converting performance. Material innovation needs to fulfil increasing sustainability and regulatory demands. We will see advancements in barrier and coating technologies, going toward fully fiber-based, recyclable solutions that replace today’s multi-material structures.Overall, innovation will be guided by the need to balance performance, scalability, and circularity across the entire value chain – supported by data and analytics for optimisation and faster development cycles.
