Fazer Partners with ITI Group for €400 Million Advanced Manufacturing Facility in Lahti

Fazer, Finland’s leading confectionery and food manufacturer, has selected ITI Group for the design and implementation of its new Manufacturing Execution System (MES) at a €400 million factory in Lahti. This facility represents the largest investment in food manufacturing in northern Europe in over 70 years.

ITI Group, an international systems integrator known for its progressive approach, has been consulting with Fazer for the past two years. During this period, ITI Group developed initial concepts, defined business strategies, and outlined technical specifications for the project. Following a competitive four-way pitch, ITI Group has now been awarded the contract to develop, build, and implement this significant project.

The MES will utilise Parsec Automation’s TrakSYSTM software to automate all aspects of the factory’s operations. Key features of the system will include:

• Recipe and Material Handling: This will provide comprehensive oversight of ingredients across all product lines, ensuring quality and consistency while managing the supplier chain through integration with the SAP invoicing system.
• Performance Monitoring: Real-time monitoring of assets will ensure that newly commissioned production equipment operates as intended, safeguarding the investment in legacy systems and facilitating ongoing factory optimisation.
• Quality Management: The system will offer complete track and trace capabilities, enhancing compliance auditing by measuring every minute, every machine, and all materials to prevent production delays caused by batch quality deviations.

Oliver Stone, Digital Solutions Director at ITI Group, expressed his enthusiasm about the project, stating, “Working on the consultation element of the initial phase of the project right through to being awarded the contract for the MES design and implementation has been extremely rewarding for ITI Group. This deal highlights the heritage and deep domain expertise ITI Group has in the manufacturing sector, and we are delighted to have been selected for this flagship European food manufacturing MES implementation. It is testament to the capability of the team that ITI Group has been entrusted to deliver on one of the largest food manufacturing investments in decades.”

Construction of the new 33,300 square metre factory commenced in summer 2025, with expectations for it to become fully operational by 2027 and reach capacity by 2028. The facility will feature high levels of automation and incorporate comprehensive energy recycling systems, making it emissions-free.

Harri Ahlroth, Head of Business ICT at Fazer Confectionery, remarked, “ITI Group was chosen as our partner on MES implementation in the largest investment in the company’s history. The team at ITI Group was able to prove their expertise and customer-focused approach in the predesign and prototyping phases. With these experiences, it was natural to select ITI Group as the MES supplier.”

Fazer is a dominant player in Finland’s chocolate and confectionery market, accounting for 15% of the country’s food exports. The company produces a variety of confectionery and chocolate products primarily for the Nordic and Baltic regions and exports to over 40 countries. It is also rapidly expanding its presence in global travel retail, offering popular brands such as Karl Fazer milk chocolate, Dumle, Geisha, and Fazermint. This new factory investment aligns with Fazer’s plans for international expansion.