Highly exposed to energy costs, today’s unpredictable global trade politics and the crisis in the Middle East are impacting the pulp and paper industry in many ways. These developments will certainly be reflected at Pulp & Beyond 2026, the leading forest-based bioeconomy event in Northern Europe, taking place on 15–16 April 2026 at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre in Helsinki, Finland. However, the main theme of this year’s event—focusing on the role of artificial intelligence in process industries, innovation within the forest sector, and the future of the bioeconomy—was defined before the Middle East war broke out, along with the subsequent oil and gas crisis, turbulence in global stock markets, and the growing risk of an unprecedented global recession. Pulp & Beyond 2026 will be held April 14-17 in Finland at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre.