The fi rst phase of the project consisted of creating a wood-sourcing network in Russian Karelia in cooperation with JSC Karellesprom in order to serve the raw material procurement of Oy Nordic Veneers Ltd. Th e applicant would refi ne the birch raw materials in Ii and market the products to export markets. In the second phase, the prerequisites for establishing a joint venture with Lestrans-Invest and expanding veneer production were to be assessed. Th e goal was to build a network across the border region, which would be able to refi ne the Karelian wood into high-class products.