Metso Corporation is outsourcing its development project related to intelligent packaging and printing to a new joint venture established with Hansaprint, a Finnish printing house, and Nokia Corporation. The new company, Avantone Oy, will develop and commercialize technologies and solutions for packaging and printing and marketing communications. The company has been approved by the EU Commission. Metso and Nokia own an equal share of the company, and together they own the majority of Avantone's shares. Avantone Oy will be headed by Ilkka Kesola from Metso.
Avantone's target is to develop solutions for consumer packaging and printed media, providing more information and visual appeal to printed products and combining digital content and additional services to packaging.
The new company will start its operations after the necessary set up procedures and other approvals have been completed.
Metso Corporation is a global supplier of process industry machinery and systems, as well as know-how and aftermarket services. The Corporation's core businesses are fiber and paper technology (Metso Paper), rock and mineral processing (Metso Minerals) and automation and control technology (Metso Automation). In 2003, the net sales of Metso Corporation were EUR 4.3 billion. Metso has approximately 26,000 employees in 50 countries. Metso Corporation is listed on the Helsinki and New York Stock Exchanges.
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