partner/story

Ponsse

INDUSTRY: FOREST MACHINE MANUFACTURER

LOCATION: GLOBAL

FOUNDED: 1970

EMPLOYEES: ~2000

“Partnership is not just beneficial – it is a necessary investment for the future.”

Ponsse’s Challenge

It is difficult to find embedded systems experts for the industry.

Ponsse’s Challenge

It is difficult to find embedded systems experts in the industry.

kood/Sisu Solution

Ability to train professionals to meet Ponsse’s needs.

kood/Sisu Solution

Ability to train professionals for Ponsse’s needs.

Ponsse, one of the world’s leading forest machine manufacturers, develops its machines in Vieremä – a place where a strong industrial tradition meets cutting-edge technology.

The company’s machines are no longer just mechanical devices, but digitally controlled, software-enhanced systems whose intelligence determines productivity and competitiveness.

“Software is at the core of everything we do. We need to develop, support, and attract talent, especially to our home region of Vieremä.”
– Sara-Lotta Moilanen, Senior Manager, Digital Services

“From the very beginning, it was clear that this is not just training. This is a way to build expertise based on the needs of the region.”

Sara-Lotta Moilanen, Senior Manager, Digital Services

Training collaboration that starts from business needs

Ponsse was involved in building Kood/Sisu from the very beginning and recognized early on that it was about more than just training – it was an opportunity to influence the region’s skills base.

The company saw needs-based training as a strategic way to secure future talent. Unlike in traditional models, Ponsse was able to influence the design of the training already at an early stage.

Watch the video about Ponsse & kood/Sisu cooperation

“Usually, training is designed first, and companies only get involved at the end. Here, we were involved from the very beginning.”

Watch the video about Ponsse & kood/Sisu cooperation

“From the very beginning, it was clear that this is not just training. This is a way to build expertise based on the needs of the region.”

Sara-Lotta Moilanen, Senior Manager, Digital Services

Experts where the machines are

For Ponsse, it is important that development work takes place close to production.

Remote work offers alternatives, but the best solutions are created when developers can understand the physical product and its operating environment. Through Kood/Sisu, training is brought concretely close to Ponsse’s operations – to Kuopio and North Savo.

Location is also at the core of the employer brand. The visibility of the training, student events, and everyday interactions have lowered the threshold for applying to Ponsse and increased interest in the company.

Results already – lessons from three recruitments

May 2025 brought clear proof of the collaboration’s effectiveness: three professionals with a Kood/Sisu background began internships at Ponsse, and their work has received excellent feedback. The experience with them has been very positive – motivated, quick-learning professionals who integrated rapidly into the work.

“This group has been really good. If resources had allowed, we would have taken more.”

Kood/Sisu carried out the initial screening of applicants, leaving Ponsse with only the final interviews and the decision on who would start. Ponsse sees the collaboration as a concrete answer to the software industry’s labor shortage – an opportunity to find professionals interested in hands-on development work with cutting-edge technology.

Three Kood/Sisu professionals (right) began internships at Ponsse in May 2025.

Collaboration that delivers value on many levels

From Ponsse’s perspective, collaboration with Kood/Sisu has been genuinely beneficial:

Facilitates recruitment processes
Enables influencing the content of training
Strengthens employer image within the student community
Produces professionals with relevant, practical skills

Ponsse views the collaboration with a long-term perspective – as part of strategic preparedness for talent needs and the development of regional competitiveness. The partnership is not just beneficial – it is a necessary investment in the future.