It’s been an interesting start to 2025 with disruption to global free trade agreements, continuing geo-political tensions and fluctuating markets. As we commented post pandemic, the new normal is - there isn’t one, so expect the unexpected.

And here we are again, looking back on another year and ahead to the future. It’s been a year of milestones here, not least because Opticom celebrated its 35th year of service to the forest products industry.

Over the decades, I’ve watched the sector evolve and innovate in response to a world in constant flux. I co-founded Opticom after being inspired by this industry’s potential all those years ago, and I continue to be impressed today by its resilience, sophistication, expertise and ability to move with the times. There has never been a better moment to work in an industry that has such a huge role to play in the green transition, while improving the everyday lives of people around the world. Its potential cannot, must not, be underestimated.

There’s little doubt that AI will prove to be one of the big disruptors in the near future. We’re always keen to embrace change at Opticom, but as Research & Sustainability Team Lead, Niklas Schulz, points out, AI is a tool to enhance human productivity, not replace it.

Let's say you would like to stop differentiating between certification systems when it comes to buying packaging, but the message from your customer's sustainability department is that they favour one system above another because they believe that's what consumers want. We conducted just such a study and found that in reality, consumers neither knew nor cared about the difference between schemes in the case we investigated and would not necessarily favour one label above another. We helped the client make better decisions based on real insight from their target group rather than presumption.

We know Södra understands the importance of communication and listening to their customers, because we’ve been working with them for some 20 years, conducting regular in-depth customer feedback studies and qualitative market research on their behalf.

In our latest Health Newsletter we're excited to bring you an exclusive interview with Johan Juhlin, CEO of Mavatar, sharing his insights on the evolving landscape of health innovation. We also feature a testimonial from Petter S. Lindqvist, CEO of Isofol, highlighting their impactful journey in oncology.

Plus, don't miss our latest updates on discussions with Life Science companies, industry organizations, and patient advocates as we prepare for Almedalsveckan 2025.

Read the full newsletter here!

Does it matter who designs your questions?

- Yes. Extracting meaning from data starts with asking the right questions. Who you choose to write and ask the questions makes all the difference.

In March the EU introduced new rules to ‘empower consumers for the green transition’. Among other aims, the Directive seeks to forbid vague environmental claims, stating that “companies will no longer be able to declare that they are ‘green’ or ‘environmentally friendly’ if they cannot demonstrate that they are”. Displaying unreliable voluntary sustainability logos will also be forbidden. EU countries are required to transpose the Directive into their national law by March 2026 and the rules are currently set to apply from September 2026. In parallel, the Green Claims Directive aims to ensure that companies substantiate any green claims or labels they use.

This past June, Opticom was excited to participate in Almedalsveckan 2024, an annual event that brings together industry leaders in Sweden to discuss key public policy, business, and technology trends. Our team's engagement in these discussions was met with enthusiasm, highlighting our commitment to leading and innovating within our industry.