NordicEdu develops a mobile game for UPM and the Guides and Scouts of Finland

(UPM, Helsinki, 22 January 2016, 15:30 EET)  -  In October 2015, UPM started cooperation with the Guides and Scouts of Finland to create a forest mobile game for scouts. The game will be created by the Finnish application development company NordicEdu.

"The challenge we posed in Slush in November attracted interest from a large number of developers, some of them experienced game industry veterans", says Paula Savonen, UPM's Manager, Marketing & CRM, Wood Sourcing & Forestry. "However, it was the small company from Turku, NordicEdu, that stood out from the crowd. Despite the fact that NordicEdu is a relatively new company, it has extensive experience in developing educational games for young people. The developers are also scouts, so they can grasp the purpose of the game more easily."

"The mobile game will be used in preparation for the international Roihu Finnjamboree next summer. Roihu will have several themed 'activity valleys', and the game aims to activate the participants in to the forest valley challenges", says Jaakko Nippala, the Forest Coordinator at Guides and Scouts of Finland. "We hope to have the game ready during the spring. It will become a great tool for us to teach scouts about the forest."

"We started the game development in December by outlining the basic elements in close co-operation with the Guides and Scouts of Finland and UPM", says Tomi Kokkonen, CEO of NordicEdu. "Over the years, we have created interactive education materials for various organisations. We always try to develop inspiring, innovative and visually memorable products, and this is what we want to offer the scouts as well."

The purpose of the game is to encourage children and young people to learn about forests and the different species that live there, as well as the variety of ways that wood can be used. Mobile applications are a familiar tool for children and young people, and they can be used efficiently to facilitate learning. In addition, mobile applications work anywhere-on the street, at home and in the forest.

"Outlining the game framework was an eye-opening process for the whole project team", says Paula Savonen. "NordicEdu's young professionals challenged us UPMers to simplify our industry jargon, the scouts learned that forest-based products come in more shapes and forms than they could imagine, and NordicEdu learned to see the forest from a new perspective. We hope that the game will have the same effect on its players."

The skills learned within the game and the possibilities offered by forests can be seen in reality next summer, in the international Roihu Finnjamboree organised by the Guides and Scouts of Finland in the Evo campsite on 20-28 July. Up to 15,000 participants from Finland and abroad are expected to attend the jamboree. Registration for Roihu is open until 24 April 2016 at www.roihu2016.fi. Register now!

For more information, please contact:
Paula Savonen, Manager, Marketing & CRM, Wood Sourcing & Forestry, UPM, tel. +358 (0)400 343 851
Jaakko Nippala, Forest Coordinator, Guides and Scouts of Finland, tel. +358 (0)40 451 9131
Tomi Kokkonen, Managing Director, NordicEdu, tel. +358 (0)50 430 0178

Press release 5 November 2015: UPM and the Guides and Scouts of Finland start cooperation - a mobile game about forests to be designed

UPM, Media Relations
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UPM leads the way in reforming bio and forest industries. We are building a sustainable future in six business areas: UPM Biorefining, UPM Energy, UPM Raflatac, UPM Paper Asia, UPM Paper Europe and North America and UPM Plywood. Our products are made of renewable raw materials and are recyclable. We serve a global base of customers. We employ approximately 20,000 people, and our annual sales are approximately EUR 10 billion. UPM's shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. UPM - The Biofore Company - www.upm.fi

Scouting is all about friendship, laughter and unforgettable experiences. Scouting is a great hobby and is open to anyone; it fosters a sense of responsibility, develops members' leadership skills and encourages members to care about the environment and other people.

Every year, our volunteers offer more than three million hours of their time so that children and young people can experience the joys of scouting. That figure corresponds to a work input of more than 1800 youth workers.

With 65,000 members annually, the Guides and Scouts of Finland is Finland's largest youth organisation. There are around 45 million scouts in more than 200 countries around the world. Scouts are part of a global community that enables them to make the world a better place. Come and join the adventure at www.partio.fi/en

NordicEdu develops engaging, high-quality educational and serious games for the future. Since 2011, we have concentrated on developing games for mobile platforms to facilitate learning in a more inspiring and efficient fashion. NordicEdu consists of four young, passionate professionals who have created ambitious world-class products with uncompromising usability both in Finland and abroad by combining gaming aspects with the needs of traditional industries in a fresh and exciting way. - www.nordicedu.fi