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SMART LEARNING FROM FINLAND

Done with hotels?

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ACCOMMODATION AND MEETINGS IN HIGH-CLASS VILLAS |4

NORTHERN POWER, CLEAN AND SAFE |7

ENTERPRISE NEWS is a commercial supplement produced by Editor Helsinki. November 2018. Editor Helsinki is an independent expert in business communications.

We work in close co-operation with the leading media houses and reach the business decision makers in the Nordics. For additional information, please contact Valtteri Rantalainen, +358 40 561 7703, tuotanto@editorhelsinki.fi. Managing producer: Christian Ehrström • Art Director: Pirja Suotamo • Editors: David J. Cord, Mia Heiskanen, Kati Keturi and Maija-Liisa Saksa

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Welcome to

Ähtäri Zoo Ähtäri Zoo opened on 17 June 1973 and is the oldest natural environment zoo in Finland. The park’s first animal was a moose named Köpi. Today, the zoo is home to over 50 animal species. Ähtäri Zoo is open throughout the year, and there are 3 kilometres of easy access walking routes through the park. The most popular animals among the visitors are bears, the red panda, snow leopards and takinis.

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nd now, of course, there is the Giant Panda couple named Hua Bao and Jin Baobao. Ähtäri Zoo welcomed two giant pandas from China in January 2018.

Starting from 17 February the visitors to Ähtäri Zoo were able to admire Hua Bao and Jin Bao Bao in the Panda House, maybe playing on the swing, splashing through the stream, or testing out the climbing frames. At least the pandas are snacking on bamboo, of course!

The Panda House in Ähtäri Zoo is a modern panda habitat – a species-appropriate as well as natural-seeming home for the bears,

the likeable ambassadors of species protection.

The Zoo Farm is home for domestic animals such as goats, horses and pigs. The visitors get to feed the animals and learn about the traditional ways of living on Finnish farms back in the old days.

Since the beginning, Ähtäri Zoo has aimed to build spacious and natural living environments for the animals. Furthermore, one of the most important goals for zoos is to help people learn more about animals and nature and to distribute educational information. Ähtäri Zoo is located in the middle of Finland.

DAVID J. CORD

Karhunkierros 150 63700 Ähtäri, Finland tel. +358 30 62150 info@ahtarizoo.fi www.ahtarizoo.fi

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There are now more than 1 million serviced apartments worldwide and the number of units is up 23 per cent in the last two years. Reason for their popularity lies e.g. in the increased need for longer stay accommodation due to commercial globalization.

Done with hotels?

Over 100 000 guests per year stay at Forenom in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, in close to 7000 units altogether.

More than 4000 companies accommodate their employees at Forenom on business trips or overseas projects.

Forenom is the leading provider of serviced apartments in the Nordics.

They offer accommodation also in aparthotels and hostels.

Traditional hotels serve their purpose but if you’re looking for comfort and home-like living combined with the benefits of a hotel – serviced apartments are the way to go.

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erviced apartments are a rapidly growing trend in the travel industry. Travellers that have previously been confined to a small hotel room have now recognised the advantages of serviced apartments: more space, convenience and privacy at a lower cost.

The Finnish company Forenom is on the forefront of this trend, offering home-like accommodation all around the Nordics.

“Nowadays, many people want to live like a local when travelling and stay in an apartment.

Serviced apartments offer a modern, flexible and safe alternative, which is particularly pop-

ular when travelling on business, with family or a group of friends, or for longer-term accommodation needs,” Forenom CEO Johannes Kangas explains.

At Forenom, you can cook your own meals in your fully-equipped kitchen, go for a run in your new neighborhood and then toss your sports gear into the washing machine, and finally relax in the living room watching TV for the rest of the evening – just like at home. If you want, you can also get house-keeping and other services for the apartment. EILA LOKKA forenom.com

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Poiju Villa Interior.

The villas are fresh and modern.

Nallikari: a four-star holiday village on the shore of the Bothnian Bay What could be nicer than kicking off your shoes in the entrance of a high-class villa, sitting down on the sofa, and kicking off a brainstorming discussion, with a view of the sea just outside the window?

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his is possible all year round at Nallikari Holiday Village, which offers a breathtaking setting for meetings next to the open Bothnian Bay just a stone’s throw from the center of Oulu.

ACCOMMODATION AND MEETINGS IN HIGH-CLASS VILLAS At the Nallikari Holiday Village, you can find many good options for business meetings or accommodation all year round. And what’s more, the accommodation is situated only walking distance from the seashore.

The newest addition to the complex is the Poiju Villa area, completed two years ago and comprising 24 high-quality villas. “The look and level of equipment in the villas is modern and fresh, and in practice they are like small family houses,” says CEO Sirpa Walter. Every villa has a kitchen, dining area, sauna, two bedrooms, a spacious kitchen-living room, open fireplace and a terrace. Some of the villas are semi-detached, and two of them can be combined to accommodate up to 8 + 4 persons.

The biggest of the villas, Villa Kippari, is, according to Walter, also perfectly suited for meetings and parties. “We also let out Villa Kippari for meetings for a day rate without accommodation. In between, you can drop in for lunch or dinner at the beach restaurant or for a cup of coffee at the Holiday Village restaurant.”

NATURE IS PRESENT IN EVERY SEASON Poiju Villas are modern, archipelago-style buildings with large windows that bring nature directly inside. In the summer, the sun caresses; when autumn arrives, the fall colors enthrall, and in winter visitors can marvel at the blue moments and the freezing sea. The surrounding nature offers an inspiring environment in which to meet guests in any season.

SHALL WE GO SKIING OR SNOWSHOEING? In Nallikari, the great outdoors begin on your doorstep. “Our location, close to nature, allows a variety of activities all year round. Guests can rent bikes, cross-country skis, snowshoes and kick sledges from the reception. We also work with activity organizers to put together tailormade programs and activity packages.”

The Bothnian Bay and the archipelago are elements that enchant foreign visitors in particular. Even in spring, skiers and wind sport enthusiasts can enjoy themselves on the ice. With the onset of fall, nature trails, birdwatching towers and campfires become keen sources of interest.

Nallikari’s location is, in a word, unique. Nallikari is an island situated just three kilometers from the Central Marketplace in Oulu, along scenic routes through the islands off the coast of the city. MIA HEISKANEN Addition information and bookings www.nallikari.fi

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PHOTOS: AKI RASK

In the autumn, we published Professor Kirsi Lonka’s book Phenomenal Learning from Finland. The book has aroused a lot of interest all around the world, reports Päivi Hietanen.

Smart Learning from Finland One link in the creation of the highly praised Finnish level of education has been Edita Publishing Ltd, a 160 year-old pioneer of publishing and information services. Now, Edita is revolutionizing how people learn at all ages by combining its strong know-how in a variety of fields of education, with digitalization. The result is smart learning that helps us all to cope, even with the working life of tomorrow.

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n smart learning, the core idea is that every student – whether still at school or already at work – gets the information most relevant to them. The information that is most suitable for his or her own starting point, in which the student’s needs and background are taken into consideration.

“By means of digitalization, information can be rationed out in suitable pieces in order to maximize the impact of learning. It has been proven that the greater part of learning takes place outside of formal learning, e.g. at work and from colleagues. We also support social learning and problem-solving experiences,” Managing Director Päivi Hietanen clarifies.

“We reduce skill shortfalls, especially in education, legal matters, and various organizations.

In the educational field we participate in making a culture change, where modern pedagogy enables deep learning with efficiently managed education.

The knowledge company in Smart learning and legal.

In legal matters, we offer personalized information services for experts in order to enable them to create additional value with their skills,” Hietanen continues.

The company has provided digital training, e.g. in competition law, for an international organization with 1 200 employees. In October, Edita was rewarded with a BELMA award for its publication ‘Business Bites’, which is a digital learning resource for students in international business and administration. Edita cooperates internationally with New Pedagogies for Deep Learning. MAIJA-LIISA SAKSA

EDITA PUBLISHING LTD • • • • •

A 160 year-old content curator, and a partner in smart learning The leading provider of legal information services in Finland Part of the Nordic Morning Group Approximately 90 employees Net revenue of EUR 15 million, with half coming from digital solutions www.editapublishing.fi

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ENTERPRISE NEWS “We are very happy that so many of these successful businesses are partnering with Puume to open stores and showrooms throughout Scandinavia,” says Henrik Lemmetyinen, business director at Puume.

Ecommerce embraces showrooms Once upon a time, back in the early days of the dotcom boom, a popular belief was that ecommerce would spell the end of brick and mortar shops. The mistake was thinking that online and physical stores were mutually exclusive; today retailers know they actually complement each other.

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ne of the most exciting developments in retail today is how ecommerce concepts are opening their own showrooms,” explains Henrik Lemmetyinen, business director at Puume. “We are very happy that so many of these successful businesses are partnering with Puume to open stores and showrooms throughout Scandinavia.”

Puume have been retailing experts since 1991.

They have offices in Finland, Sweden and Estonia and in 2018 have a turnover of about 20 million euros. Puume have helped a variety of local and global brands with their retail spaces, ranging from clothing to hardware stores, coffee shops to grocery stores. Now they are increasingly working with ecommerce businesses who realise they need a physical presence.

TURNING A SALE INTO AN EXPERIENCE The main reason ecommerce businesses are increasingly turning to showrooms is to better engage with their customers. Besides showing off products, showrooms often highlight experiences, such as a

“SHOWROOMS OFTEN HIGHLIGHT EXPERIENCES, SUCH AS A -25 COLD ROOM TO TRY OUT WINTER COATS.” -25 cold room to try out winter coats or a coffee bar to make customers feel at home. A consumer might come into the showroom to try on clothes with the help of a stylist and then make purchases through the online shop to be delivered to her door.

Even companies synonymous with ecommerce, like Amazon, are now opening physical spaces to get closer to their customers.

“This is where we come in,” Lemmetyinen continues. “We can provide a full solution which begins when a showroom is just a dream all the way to when the doors open.”

BETTER RELATIONSHIPS MEAN BETTER SALES Using customer behaviour surveys Puume gains precise and reliable information about how consumers really behave in a physical retail store.

This can be used in the design phase to create a real-world space which matches the brand image, boosts sales and improves profits.

Puume also helps with the creation of the physical showroom, including construction, electrical and telecommunication contracting, logistics and shopfitting.

“We understand retail,” says Lemmetyinen.

“Not only are ecommerce businesses opening showrooms, traditional retailers want their spaces to be more like showrooms. They want high quality experiences for their customers to build long-lasting relationships.” DAVID J. CORD

Read more: www.puume.fi

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Northern Power, Clean and Safe Energy is just as important for companies as oxygen is for human beings, therefore the how, from where, and at what price they acquire energy is especially important. A responsibly operating company uses as environmentallyfriendly produced energy as possible.

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“Oulun Energia’s smart energy services also include the building and maintenance of electricity networks, street lighting, traffic lights, heating systems, CCTV systems, and telecommunications networks,” says Tuomas Savola.

ulun Energia strives to offer its customers cost-efficient electricity contracts and other energy services taking into account the responsibility to and safety of customers and our own employees. Our intermediate goal is for the company’s power production to be 90% carbonneutral before the year 2030.

“More and more of our customers want the electricity they use to be produced as cleanly as possible. An EU Directive guides companies to operate in a more environment-friendly way and this is also a competitive advantage,” states Tuomas Savola, Business Director at Oulun Energia.

In the case of need, we buy emission trading derivatives, so that the customer receives a certificate of the origin of the electricity used. We have also started a bio-power plant project, which is part of our strategy to achieve carbon neutrality.

COST EFFICIENCY AND RISK MANAGEMENT Aspirations towards carbon-neutral and cost-effective energy can also be seen in the solar-power plant boom. They have become profitable investments for companies as the technology has developed, and repayment terms have shortened. Oulun Energia meets the demand by guaranteeing a long lifecycle for its devices even in the harsh weather conditions of Finland.

Cost-consciousness and risk management are the trump cards of electricity contracts for businesses, which can be tailored according to the customer´s needs.

“The portfolio management service is popular, since it offers predictability and cost savings in a company’s energy costs. A fixed price time-limited contract is again popular among SMEs,” Savola states. EILA LOKKA

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