When a 700‑year‑old industrial company wants to move faster than the market in the middle of geopolitical uncertainty and economic volatility, “more pilots” is not the answer.

Stora Enso embarked on a journey to leverage data and AI not as isolated initiatives, but as strategic enablers of business transformation across the value chain – from mills and supply chain operations to commercial activities. While significant progress had already been made through technology investments and innovation initiatives, the opportunity was to scale impact more consistently across the enterprise.

Together, Stora Enso, Combient, and Accenture developed a transformation approach that connects the company's long-term 2030 ambitions to tangible near-term value delivery. Rather than pursuing a broad portfolio of disconnected initiatives, the project team identified a focused set of "big bets" aligned with Stora Enso's four strategic priorities, concentrating investments and resources on the areas with the greatest potential to drive business impact and accelerate value creation.

By combining Stora Enso's deep business expertise with external perspectives, benchmarks, and industry insights, the collaboration established a clear roadmap for scaling data, AI, and digital capabilities across the organization. At the same time, it helped clarify which capabilities should be built and strengthened internally and where external partnerships can best accelerate progress.

A crucial part of the work has been leadership. AI is not treated as a hygiene technology that you “plug into” existing processes. Stora Enso’s CEO, CIO, and leadership team are actively engaged in understanding how AI reshapes operating models, processes, roles, and culture – and in making the tough choices that come with going all‑in on a few bets while saying no to many other good ideas.

This collaboration has been successful because three ingredients came together:

• A business‑led agenda and bold ambition from Stora Enso
• Deep Data & AI expertise and global assets from Accenture
• Combient’s role as ecosystem enabler, connecting peers, challenging thinking, and keeping the focus on business outcomes rather than just technology

The video below captures this journey in the words of Hannele Palje‑Rossi (CIO, Stora Enso), Rickard Wieselfors (Managing Director Data & AI, Accenture Nordics), and Lucy Huo (Digital Strategy Director, Combient). They explain why this kind of reinvention is needed now, how to move from proofs of concept to advantage, and what it takes for leaders and teams to make it real.

Watch the video to see what we did together – and how a similar approach could help other companies in the Combient network turn AI into a true competitive edge.

If you’d like to explore this for your own business, contact your Combient Relationship Manager or Lucy Huo, Digital Strategy Director, Combient, to discuss what it would take.