Master's Thesis Project: Converting Machinery: Safety, Technology & Ergonomics

Packaging Solutions is one of Stora Enso’s seven business areas (BA), focusing on sustainable, fiber-based packaging. We deliver premium packaging to leading brands in retail, e-commerce, and industrial markets, while providing design and automation services that improve material use, streamline logistics, and reduce CO₂.

Within Stora Enso’s Packaging Solutions BA, we are continuously working to improve safety, ergonomics and operational performance across our production sites. As part of this work, we are offering a master thesis opportunity focused on Converting Machinery: Safety, Technology & Ergonomics.

This project explores how different converting machine solutions support safe, reliable and user-friendly operations. The focus is on identifying good practices, evaluating different machinery concepts and developing practical recommendations that can support future machinery development and operational improvements.

Your mission

• Compare safety, technological, ergonomic, automation and maintainability solutions used across selected converting machine lines
• Identify good practices, design opportunities and areas for improvement
• Assess how different solutions may influence safety, usability, reliability, maintainability and operational effectiveness
• Define machinery requirements and preferred design features for future equipment
• Develop a practical and weighted decision-making framework for machinery evaluation
• Provide recommendations to support machinery development, supplier evaluation and operational improvements

How the project will be executed

You will work closely with Stora Enso’s Operations, Engineering, Maintenance and Safety teams, as well as your supervisors.

The work may include site visits to selected production facilities, observations of converting machine lines in operation, and reviews of technical documentation, maintenance information and operational practices.

The project execution may also include interviews with operators, maintenance employees, engineers, production leaders, safety professionals and other relevant stakeholders. You will evaluate solutions supporting production, cleaning, changeovers, troubleshooting and maintenance, compare different operational approaches and validate the proposed framework together with internal subject-matter experts.

For this position, you can plan your time and work flexibly from home or one of our offices, with possible visits to our production sites as part of the project. After agreement with your university supervisor, the project scope and design will be tailored to suit your academic requirements, your interests and Stora Enso’s goals. The project will be executed during the spring semester 2027, from January to June, and consists of 30 HP (Swedish university credits).

What we offer

By writing your master thesis with Stora Enso, you will gain industry insights, valuable contacts for future working life and hands-on experience in a leading global company. You will contribute to improving safety, ergonomics and operational performance in industrial environments while gaining practical experience in machinery assessment, engineering evaluation and operational development.

After finishing your master thesis work with us, we encourage you to apply for the scholarship offered by Ljungbergsfonden. They offer scholarships to Swedish university or college students for forestry-related projects carried out in collaboration with Stora Enso. By joining Stora Enso for your master thesis project, you will also contribute towards a more sustainable world, as we believe that anything made from fossil-based materials today can be made from a tree tomorrow.

Who are we looking for?

We believe you are in the final year of your master’s studies at a Swedish university, with an interest in industrial machinery, safety, ergonomics and operational improvement.

Preferred study backgrounds include Industrial Engineering, Automation, Production Technology, Machinery Safety, Ergonomics, Mechanical Engineering or a related field.

You are analytical, proactive and curious about how technology, safety and usability can be combined to improve industrial operations. You are fluent in English and enjoy collaborating in an international environment.

How can you apply for this master thesis project?

To apply, submit your application through our recruitment tool. Include your CV and a cover letter. If applying as a thesis pair, send one joint application under one name. Attach both CVs and a shared cover letter. We review applications continuously, so apply as soon as possible and no later than October 21st.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Talent Acquisition and Employer Branding Partner Veera Kaislasalo, [email protected]. She is more than happy to answer your questions.

Welcome to the renewable materials company!

Stora Enso is a global leader in renewable materials with a strong focus on packaging. Our purpose is to replace non-renewable materials with renewable solutions. Together with our customers, we design and deliver competitive, high-quality packaging materials and solutions, made from fresh and recycled fibers, accelerating the transition to a circular bioeconomy.

We believe that diversity strengthens our competitiveness and leads to better decision-making. Diverse teams with different backgrounds help us explore new perspectives and challenge our ways of thinking. We actively work to increase diversity in the workplace and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. Stora Enso is an equal opportunity employer that follows non-discriminatory practices.