Business Finland 4/2010 by Perhemediat Oy

4/2010

Expertise

4/2010

www.business-finland.eu

Finland in Shanghai World Expo 2010 Special Report

leaves its mark.

When high technology combines with world-class competence, the printing product can be nothing short of immaculate. Business Finland explored what’s inside the Finnish pavilion, Kirnu – from the music you hear (Sibelius Academy) to the air you breathe (Halton).

Introducing three Finnish cities

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Art-Print Oy www.artprint.fi Helsinki Haukilahdenkatu 4 PO Box 45, FI-00551 Helsinki tel +358 20 750 4500 fax +358 20 750 4555

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18.10.2006 16:34:19

Step in! 7.6.2010 16.35

4 / 2010

Who said that stamps can't be fashionable? See page 14 for more on Finnish postal services, Itella, also present at Shanghai Expo. Don't miss the stamp depicting, among others, Julia Lundsten's stylish signature wooden heels that have gotten even the king of shoe designers, Manolo Blahnik, on his knees...

Editor-in-Chief Jorma Leppäniemi Editors Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Katja Kangasniemi Sini Pennanen Klaus Susiluoto Language editor Nordic International Ltd

Design and layout Aivo Blum Saara Kuoppala Heidi Kiviaho Marketing Jorma Leppäniemi Tel. +358 9 42821012 Publisher Kustannusosakeyhtiö Perhemediat Oy Purpuripolku 6, 00420 Helsinki Tel. +358 9 42821000 Fax. +358 9 42821030 Printed in Finland by Art-Print Oy, Helsinki

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EDITORIAL Technologically Advanced Countries of Finland and China Finland and the People’s Republic of China have had good relations from the very beginning. Finland recognized China already in January 1950, and the two countries established diplomatic relations in October of the same year. At the beginning of the 1950s, almost no one could imagine that after 60 years both Finland and China are among the most technologically advanced countries in the world. Being a vast country, China possesses richer natural resources. But Finns have shown surprisingly innovative capacity in many branches, as you can see from the pages of our Business Finland publication. In China Finland is mainly known for Nokia, elevator manufacturer Kone and some other high-tech companies. In Asia, Finns have done better than anybody could expect 20-30 years ago. I believe we can do even better with our Asian partners. Finns are good not only in technology, but also in design and architecture, as one can see when visiting the Finnish pavilion Kirnu (“Giant’s Kettle”) in Shanghai World Expo 2010. The Kirnu has been one of the most popular pavilions in the whole Expo area. It is worth visiting Finland. Although we do not have large cities with skyscrapers, we have many smaller ones with scenery on the seaside and/or rivers, such as Helsinki, Oulu, and Turku introduced in this publication. All these cities have vivid events, beautiful surroundings, fresh air, clean water and feeling of wilderness just ten miles from the city centre. Clean environment has not come for free even in Finland. Much research and new technologies were needed to achieve the results. In this publication we introduce many companies in the field of “Cleantech”, technologies for cleaner environment, as well as costeffective energy solutions.

Jorma Leppäniemi Editor-in-Chief

芬兰与中华人民共和国的友谊渊远流长，1950年1 月芬兰已承认中华人民共和国, 同年的10月，两国建立了外交关系。 60年后芬兰与中国都成为拥有高新科技的国家。中国有丰富的自然资源，芬兰的创新能力一直居高不下。在中国，芬兰的名声主要来自于诺基亚，Kone 及其他。二三十年前谁也想不到芬兰的企业会在中国欣欣向荣。但是我相信，我们和中国的合作会更上一层楼。芬兰不仅在科技上领先，在设计与建筑上也都享有盛誉。参观过2010年上海世博会芬兰馆的人都会有此印象。Kirnu馆已成为世博会中最受欢迎的展馆之一。我们希望我们的这期杂志以及对芬兰馆的参观能增进两国人民之间的交流。越来越多的人来访问芬兰。芬兰的首都赫尔辛基是飞往欧洲的关口。芬兰值得一来。尽管我们没有摩天大楼林立的大都市，我们有美丽婉约的海滨小城。这期杂志介绍了这样的城市如赫尔辛基，奥陆，土尔库等。洁净，清新，生动，自然是它们的共同特征。即使在芬兰，新鲜的空气也不是大自然免费就拱手相让的。需要不断努力研发新科技，芬兰人也一直在这么做着。在这期杂志里，我们也介绍很多“清洁科技”领域内的公司，它们致力于研发保护与改善环境，以及提高能源使用效率的高科技。

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Photo: iStockphoto

innish pa Inside Kirnu Business Finland explored whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inside the Finnish pavilion, Kirnu: the furniture, the objects and stamps on sale â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as well as the music you hear and air you breathe. Step in, on the following pages.

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Laminated Veneer Lumber Taken To International Exhibition Pavillions

Punkalive, boldly pronounced as it is written in Finnish, is the company that delivers the Finnish Pavilion cafeteria furniture, namely 70 white Avanto stools of six different sizes. The choice was made by the architects as the Avanto stools echo the asymmetric shape of “Kirnu”, and normal chairs would not have been adequate as the stools – seating at least two people, are located in a café where 8,000 daily guests are expected to quickly pass through. We met Jukka Rissanen, who has previously been engaged in the internationalisation of other Finnish companies, and learned the story of laminated veneer lumber, which is at the heart of the innovative Punkalive furniture.

Business Finland 4/2010

Text: Katja Kangasniemi Photos: Sini Pennanen / Punkalive

Corporate Development Director Jukka Rissanen

Business Finland 4/2010

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unkalive is born out of three elements. First, Puutaito, a Punkaharju, Finland-based company formed 20 years ago, second Finnforest that started a laminated veneer lumber – branded “Kerto” – factory at Punkaharju 10 years ago. And thirdly, there are a couple of masterminds from the fields of business development and furniture design. “Puutaito has the most advanced laminated veneer lumber production equipment in the whole country, and while we were involved in another project at Punkaharju, the company representa-

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tives that had already carried out tests on laminated veneer lumber under the supervision of Production manager Tero Tirronen demonstrated the equipment to us. Mr Tirronen had produced a series of prototypes and, among other things, a boat for himself. We discussed the possibilities offered by the material and eventually decided to start refining the material jointly. I personally prepared an initial plan around 18 months ago. Roughly a year ago the actual production started with tests on the first products. Laminated veneer lumber is made of spruce that grows branches all the way

down to the ground. And unlike birch and pine, it is not suitable for making classic, smooth and high-quality veneer. “We sought out the limits, we evaluated the use of different glues and colourings. We also employed freelance designers, such as Raimo Räsänen, an experienced designer previously employed in the product development of the Finnish furniture company, Isku. The architect, Jukka Lommi, on the other hand, has been developing a manufacturing and construction system for the pavilions and other building elements besides designing furniture pieces,” says

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Rissanen. “The role of Finnforest is also key. While they usually do things on a larger scale, we have now rendered their raw material sophisticated enough to be brought to the living room.”

Flexible Punkalive production According to Rissanen the production of laminated veneer lumber products is based on computer designs, that is, the furniture is produced without the use of moulds. Normally plywood and plastic furniture, for example, are a result of moulding, pressing and a series of surface

treatments. Rissanen points out that the absence of moulds renders the process of laminated veneer lumber rather flexible: “We are able to utilise the natural form and shape of wood. We can produce both straight and curved lines, and the surface of the finished veneer is rough with small holes that are filled in. The surface is thus never monotonous, and varies according to the material it has been cut out of, depending on whether the fibres are horizontal or vertical. The rough surface is coated with transparent varnish containing a coloured paste that does not cover it the same way a paint would do.

As a result, the surface is as unique as the structure. In a word, the production is large-scale, yet the products conserve individual qualities.” Puutaito / Punkalive produces components that are assembled into products. The material is ideally suited for the production of furniture as it allows structurally strong free forms. The Avanto stools are also quite versatile as they can be used as tables, as chairs and as storage spaces. “Up to now the production has mainly been based on laminated veneer lumber that has recently been coupled with cushions. At the moment we focus on

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at the finnish pavillion turquoise, grey, white and natural wood-coloured padded models. We can in addition tailor the products to individual needs, as has been the case in Shanghai.”

Sustainable development: On the use of recycled material versus renewable material The raw material needed in the production process is collected within a distance of 100 km around the Finnforest Punkaharju factory. The process initially involves the production of boards that requires the use of vapour. The vapour is then used to provide heating in the Punkaharju municipality as a joint effort between Finnforest and the municipality. In the following phase the raw material is transported to the Puutaito / Punkalive premises for further refinement. As a result, wood chips are generated. The chips are sold to the plywood industry or made up into pellets for heating the production facilities. If again bigger pieces are left over, an

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external producer refines them into striped laminated veneer lumber boards. This easily assembled, lightweight material sees many uses in pavilions and elsewhere, last year in Milan, earlier this year in Cologne. The idea is that one man alone can lift one element. “The material we use nevertheless binds quite a lot of CO2, and as we are facing competition from recycled products based directly on waste material, a question surfaces on our raison d’être. Our product is not recycled, but instead forms part of the basic production. What is great about recycling is that it lessens setting up production that is harmful to the environment. Yet wooden material will always be present in the forests, and in Finland the felling of trees never exceeds the annual growth. In addition Punkalive uses water-soluble varnishes, which signifies that laminated veneer lumber can be burnt – which is of course not beneficial to the environment, but we expect you would not burn the products right away…”

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Milan â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the top story Today the company has two patents pending for laminated veneer lumber products, one for furniture, the other for structural building elements of a flexible scale and form. Punkalive is jointly owned by Puutaito (which in turn is owned by Janne and Tero Tirronen), Virtuosi (headed by Jukka Rissanen) and JukkaJukka Ark, a joint venture between Jukkas Lommi and Rissanen. For the moment agents sell Punkalive products in Germany and other European countries, and the company attracts attention in other countries too. As already mentioned, before Shanghai Punkalive was present at the Milan

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furniture fair in 2010. Punkalive made its debut at the Milan fair in 2009, when the economic downturn raised its head and several furniture providers backed out from fairs in general. “The demand for exhibition space is usually fierce, especially at the Tortona zone, but we were able to enter as we expressed our interest. We were contacted again last summer, this time by the major local events organiser, Superstudio Più. As they eventually found out that we also realise exhibition pavilions we were promptly commissioned to carry out a free form wooden reception centre, a ‘Welcome House’, for them.” The pavilion, designed by Lommi, from Kerto® laminated veneer lumber elements manufactured by Punkalive, was then delivered to Milan and assembled on site. “They nevertheless did not find us a spot to host our own stand in the main exhibition hall, so we agreed to split the “Welcome House” into two. Our brand was exhibited in our own pavilion – a top story, concludes Rissanen.

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In Milan the visitors were invited to sit on turquoise Avanto stools – the Spring must-have colour. They were green last year. An additional new feature is that the Avantos will have a “loop” instead of the normal hole on top. The holes were already abandoned in the model proposed for Shanghai – to avoid the potential risk of 8,000 people a day accidentally dropping things through them! www.punkalive.fi

The pavilion, designed by Lommi, from Kerto® laminated veneer lumber elements manufactured by Punkalive, was then delivered to Milan and assembled on site.” Business Finland 4/2010

Itella

Text: Katja Kangasniemi Photos: Sini Pennanen / Itella

The Fashionable Stamp Company Itella, the company providing daily mail services in Finland, is an international service provider. Its core competence lies in information and product flow management for its customers. Itella is also present at the Finnish Pavilion with a stamp representing the Pavilion itself. The expo goers will be given an opportunity to purchase among others the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kirnuâ&#x20AC;? miniature sheet designed by Jenni Erkintalo that contain two first class no-value indicator stamps.

Business Finland 4/2010

Business Director of the Philatelic Centre of Itella, Markku Penttinen

In Finland the Moomin are so much in demand that if Moomin stamps are missing on the post office counters for some reason or another, people will complain. Business Finland 4/2010

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efore the opening of the Expo I talked to the Business Director of the Philatelic Centre of Itella, Markku Penttinen. He is not a philatelist himself but someone who has found an interesting job with stamps. Yet today he has been turned somewhat into a collector as he receives samples from colleagues all over the world! It is possible that he has also transmitted the love for stamps to his 16-year-old daughter, as she has to date received up to 300 cards – depicting cats, according to her wish – from the Postcrossing.com service (for more information see page 19). Mr Penttinen tells me that his offspring is careful to select the right card for each occasion, and send Moomin cards to Japan, for example.

Moomin, the Finnish flag – and flowers New Moomin stamps hit the Finnish post office counters every second year, as Itella has obtained the worldwide stamp rights directly from the niece of the artist, Tove Jansson. The artist herself hoped for the continuation of the series that now also includes cards from the stamp designs. "In Finland the Moomin are so much in demand that if Moomin stamps are missing on the post office counters for some reason or another, people will complain. And 50,000 Finns – new Moomin fans – are born every year," says Mr Penttinen. "Also flower – rose – stamps are much requested. Again, if flower stamps

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Itella expect to sell tens of thousands of merchandise items. Mr Penttinen knows that stamps are a well-liked gift in the country. At Shanghai, customer tests preceded the selection of products. The tests actually revealed that, in contrast to Japan, Santa Claus is more famous in China than Moomin, and they are only now gaining a foothold. A Christmas-style stamp folder will go on sale at the Expo, and according to Mr Penttinen, the company hopes for further cooperation, also on Santa Claus' Letters in China. These letters, liked by children and adults alike, can be ordered any time of the year and will be sent to the addressee by Christmas. Santa’s Letter will be stamped with the Polar Circle postal stamp, and inside the envelope, with the receiver's name on it, he or she finds a letter signed by Santa Claus himself, as well

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cannot be found on the ’Posti’ counters, complaints are inevitable." The Moomin stamps are a bestseller, not only in Finland but also in Japan where a local reseller packages them for the Japanese Moomin enthusiasts. Itella actually participated in a recent Japan expo, and got positive feedback on its Moomin products. According to the experience gained, the reasonably priced Itella collectibles for the Shanghai expo have been specially packaged in cellophane to accommodate the Asian customers’ taste in particular. Apart from Finnish the miniature sheet also contains some Chinese characters.

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t w o - s i d e d wall calendar folded to postcard size. "We hope that this letter will also be on sale at the Expo," says Mr Penttinen. In addition, a selection of so-called first day covers, complete with a stamp, will be on offer at Shanghai. In Finland collecting first day covers is a popular hobby, and thousands of people – women in the forefront – receive them directly at home against a standing payment, based on subscription. These covers, considered as a part of Finnish culture – just like coins, also make popular gift items.

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Sauna stamps for men Itella has actually set as its goal on emerging as a leader in stamps. Today it figures within the top five in the world, not only when it comes to stamp design but technology. "The Finnish customers actually ask to be positively surprised – by technology, form, colour – year after year," says Mr Penttinen, who has been in the stamp business for 15 years. Itella offers something for everyone. A good example is the award-winning miniature stamp sheet depicting designer Minna Parikka's highly feminine

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footwear, now sold in 10 countries, with the flagship store in Helsinki. They are accompanied by beautiful shoes by Julia Lundsten, which are the subject of another stamp. According to Itella, Lundsten’s stylish signature wooden heels have won the admiration even of the king of shoe designers, Manolo Blahnik, who has called them things such as “divine” and “perfect”. The

miniature sheet also features elegant accessories in the form of the Lumi handbag designed by Sanna Kantola. These fashionable stamps were also unveiled in Shanghai. It is something new, not the typical line-up of statesmen or old buildings. Another example could be the sauna stamp sheet. The Finnish consumers chose one of the SAUNA stamps as the

most beautiful Finnish stamp in 2009, and it was also well received in Shanghai in the preliminary tests," says Mr Penttinen. "In fact is was a surprise to us initially that the stamp was so successful, and Finns turned out to be so patriotic!" Although not necessarily a bestseller, Mr Penttinen says that it was a true male stamp, depicting among others sauna-goers on sauna benches with an extra gimmick, or microscopic scent capsules that, when softly scratched, emit a light scent of birch (betula)! I also learn that while the Finns chose a typical sauna scene as their favourite, the Swedes opted for a stamp of a Volvo 544, followed by a Volvo Amazon with a caravan. "There are cultural differences in stamps," says Mr Penttinen. "But one underlying reason could also be that the Finnish vote turned out more popular on a national scale. The votes in Finland amounted to around 45,000, compared to roughly 20,000 in Sweden." Other popular Finnish stamp novelties have been a series of stamps commemorating the 200-year-independence of Finland, in which the statesmen's uniforms were lightly gilded. Other old-time favourites are flowers, nature in general,

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art and Moomin, as already mentioned. "Fashion is now generating a lot of goodwill, and last year the drop-shaped Valentine's stamps guaranteed the young designer a prize. There is much talk about everything going electronic, but this does not seem to affect personal commemoration and family festivities," concludes Mr Penttinen. "Stamps are important. Just think of the stamp you're going to put on your job application: the Finnish flag surely evokes more respect than a Moomin stamp." According to Mr Penttinen, Finnish stamp sales grew during the first three months of 2010.

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www.itella.fi

SUOMI FINLAND 2010

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Business Finland 4/2010

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The music technology department – altogether 68 students – of the Sibelius Academy, or SIBA, has realised the acoustic installation at Kirnu. The result of a six-month-project, and carefully set guidelines between the school representatives and Finpro, it differentiates itself from the traditional catwalk muzak. Instead the music heard at Kirnu exudes tones of the Finnish nature – and brings a calming note to the surrounding hustle and bustle.

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Sibelius is such a fantastic brand! You do not have to explain anything: everybody knows that it is in Finland, and it is about music. We could not hope for more.â&#x20AC;?

Rector of the Sibelius Academy, Gustav DjupsjĂśbacka

Business Finland 4/2010

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ccording to Gustav Djupsjöbacka, the Rector of the Sibelius Academy since 2004 and himself a classical pianist who graduated from the school, the Shanghai exercise indeed turned out to be interesting for all parties involved. He tells us that this upbeat school is, like many other schools – and companies for that matter – undergoing constant change. At present there are mainly two things that keep SIBA busy: the recent changes in Finnish legislation concerning universities and the fact that the school will be moving to the Helsingin Musiikkitalo, the Helsinki Music Centre. It is being constructed close to the interview venue. In the midst of all the changes the university is nevertheless doing well: the

State of Finland continues to fund the arts universities, and in the case of SIBA, the state funding amounts to 90 per cent of the university budget of just over EUR 30 million. That still does not mean that there are no dangers in sight, as Mr Djupsjöbacka explains: "Not always is there the necessary room for artistic maturing in today's hectic society, and the modern call for efficiency does not come without problems. One cannot programme a person to become a remarkable artist, and naturally we cannot predict how a person's career will turn out. You should actually have time to travel, move around and be inspired by different cultures. These processes cannot be foreseen. Educating performers of arts equates to taking risks."

Helsinki Music Centre by night.

Helsinki Music Centre: The Hall.

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Helsinki Music Centre: The Organ Hall.

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Today also the Finnish music education within schools is generating a lot of interest. Many ask how have all these international results been obtained from a population of only five million?”

Helsinki Music Centre: The Park.

Sibelius, a fantastic international brand As an individual music university the Sibelius Academy is one of the largest in Europe, even the world. It is rather telling that when the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 2007 celebrated its 80th anniversary and the staff invited the directors of different music schools around the world to participate in a conference, SIBA represented Europe alongside the Franz Liszt Academy of Music from Budapest, Hungary, plus top academies

in London and Paris. Also present were directors from Sydney (Australia), Tokyo and Shanghai, naturally, from Asia. Also present were the Juilliard School, USC and Yale from the Americas. Without doubt this was only a subjective selection, says Mr Djupsjöbacka, but the Sibelius Academy is a truly international and recognised school. Of the Master of Music (MMus) Degree students, foreign students make up around 10 per cent overall, and roughly 20 per cent of the postgraduate students. Especially the

shorter, two-year-programmes are favoured by the foreigners that amount to almost half of the applicants. The Finns on the other hand outnumber foreign students in more language-bound topics such as church music and music education. "The international exchange programmes are very lively, and roughly the same amount of students go abroad and come to Finland – this is not the case in all the schools," says Mr Djupsjöbacka. "Sibelius is such a fantastic brand! You do

Business Finland 4/2010

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not have to explain anything: everybody knows that it is in Finland, and it is about music. We could not hope for more." Djupsjöbacka even mentions that, when considering the copyright income per performance abroad, the Sibelius violin concerto still figures as the most played Finnish piece of music abroad – in 2007 resisting competition from the likes of Rasmus (In the Shadows). It is a true evergreen. But how did the school become the namesake of Sibelius? "It happened during the Winter War. First the school was called the Helsinki Music Institute, later Conservatory. In 1939 Sibelius allowed his name to be connected to the school, as he had studied in the school and also taught there for a period. The Sibelius Academy became a state university in 1980." Mr Djupsjöbacka goes on to tell us that the biggest department at the school is the Department of Orchestral Instruments in the Degree Programme in Music Performance, covering all the classical instruments in the symphony orchestra – from the cello and contrabass to percussion instruments. "Sibelius is a key composer in all our programmes. Especially in the symphonic repertoire the performers willingly perform Sibelius, but the pianists and singers alike also practise on Sibelius." In 2011 there will be the Fifth International Jean Sibelius Conference in Oxford. The last time around it was hosted in Texas, after three conferences in Finland.

Music – education and exports SIBA is also very well known for its Degree Programme in Orchestral and Choral Conducting, and not surprisingly, people from all over the world apply. We learn that it is very difficult to enter the jazz department – and it is actually thought that today jazz is going stronger in Europe than in the US where it was born. According to Mr Djupsjöbacka, on the classical side there are also highly ca-

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pable piano teachers, and opera singing is popular as well. "Not to mention our successful folk music department that fuses the Finnish folklore with ingredients from, for example, the Balkan countries and Africa. In 2008 the department – that also collaborates with the Theatre Academy Helsinki in the field of dance – even won the international WOMEX award for the versatile folk music education. Today the Finnish music education within schools is also generating a lot of interest. Many ask how all these international results have been obtained in a population of only five million." As a pianist, Djupsjöbacka himself has worked, recorded and even performed abroad – especially with singers. He has

also taught at the school before embarking on his career as the university rector. In Mr Djupsjöbacka's opinion we have to be grateful for the consistent musical education throughout the Finnish comprehensive school network that was started in the 1960s. He finds that present-day Finns are more culturally active than ever. "The young are willing to go to the theatre, cinema and art exhibitions. I don't think most people even comprehend what an important role culture plays in the lives of people, both young and old. But the question remains what is the correct way to go about the education in the long term, as quality is an absolute criteria. Then again, how do you measure quality? That is another question completely!"

The school does not offer pop or rock programmes, only band education geared toward future school teachers. It is, however, known also in the sphere of heavy metal, the world-famous Apocalyptica cellists are all classical graduates from the Sibelius Academy. "Their curiosity, courage and business sense have just taken them in a completely different direction. I appreciate this liberality." Mr Djupsjöbacka himself is fond of classical music – Mozart in particular – and jazz, not forgetting Sibelius. "In the face of the vast amount of music on offer today, an amount that one could not have imagined 50 years ago, people also look for many different types of music, and cultivating this diversity is important. He or she who can approach music without prejudice is fortunate." www.siba.fi

Apocalyptica

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Halton Wellbeing Starts With The Air You Breathe Although you might not see it, the air you breathe at the Finnish Expo Pavilion, Kirnu, is conditioned by Halton, an ambitious Finnish company that is now focusing on the wellbeing business.

Text: Katja Kangasniemi Photos: Sini Pennanen / Halton

interview Mika Halttunen, the Chairman of the Board of Halton, when the erupting Icelandic volcano has just brought most of the European air traffic to its knees. Halton has also been puzzled about the nature of the ash particulates as it is naturally involved with outdoor air that is filtered and delivered inside buildings. The company employs several experts in the field. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The connection between indoor and outdoor air is evident, and of interest to Halton. There is already vast knowledge about particulates present in, for exam-

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ple, industrialised areas that directly affect human health. There are clear indications and scientific proof that especially the so-called nano-particles shorten life expectancy. Since people are nowadays mostly spending their time indoors, the quality of the indoor air is vastly important,â&#x20AC;? says Mr Halttunen. It is not viable to talk about improving the indoor environment without also managing the energy efficiency in buildings. These two factors have to be in balance. Buildings consume nearly 40 per cent of all energy in the EU, for example.

We now consider ourselves to be in the wellbeing business. Our goal is to improve the indoor environment for people to feel good inside buildings. In other words, we promote wellbeing.â&#x20AC;?

Chairman of the Board of Halton, Mika Halttunen

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Forty years and two generations In the beginning Halton delivered simple ventilation components. Mr Halttunen, who has been in the business since his teenage years, tells us: “My father founded the company in 1969 in Iitti, Finland, when I was nine years old. He was in his forties and he had had the opportunity to participate in the internationalisation of Finnish companies of that time. He thus recognised from the beginning that you have to boldly participate in international markets as the Finnish market is rather small, especially for very specialised companies. In addition, as we operate in the construction business that is notoriously cyclical we were bound to become international to avoid being too dependent on either one single market or a market segment. “We are a specialised company, a niche player. We are on the lookout for challenging niche markets or technologies in which to evolve and grow in a focused and specialised manner,” says Mr Halttunen. Today Halton has five Strategic Business Areas (SBAs). The company provides air-conditioning to offices, hotels, hospitals and public buildings and, for example, cooling systems for the Royal Danish Library in Copenhagen. Halton Marine operates in the field of shipbuilding as well as the offshore industry. They both present stricter criteria than landbased industry due both to the harsh conditions as well as the legislation. Here, the most important segment has been the

Burj Khalifa — The Tallest Building in the World 28

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at the finnish pavillion The Royal Library of Denmark

luxury cruise ships that mostly have been built Finland, France, Germany and Italy. The cyclicality of shipbuilding is nevertheless a concern, and Halton has consequently moved its focus to other types of ships, as well as to offshore installation building, such as oil rigs. The third SBA delivers clean air – by different ways of purifying air – in various types of buildings. Halton New Ventures are in charge of developing new growth platforms for the company. “In the food service SBA we are the

world’s number one today. Commercial kitchens are traditionally rather challenging working environments. With our technologies, kitchens can have a productive, comfortable indoor environment with good energy efficiency. Halton has, for example, delivered systems to Burj Khalifa Tower, the tallest building in the world in downtown Dubai, as well as to the world’s largest shopping centre, Dubai Mall. A famous reference is also the 58 Tour Eiffel Restaurant on the first level of the Eiffel tower, completely

restored in 2009,” Mr Halttunen says. Halton is growing strongly, especially in Asia. “We just opened a sales office in India and will start manufacturing there in a couple of years. In Latin America we have so far operated on a licensing basis with local partners, but might have our own manufacturing there as well in the future. The company is facing a quite lot of competition. The competitors are mostly small, local operators, though. When we move on to bigger international projects, there is less competition.”

Business Finland 4/2010

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The wellbeing business From the very beginning the company sought direct contact with customers. “Beginning from the first years we founded subsidiaries abroad to be in close contact with the customer, to directly communicate with the clients,” Mr Halttunen points out. “We have evolved from a simple component manufacturer to a system provider that has products and services available for the whole life-cycle of buildings. The solutions we consign aim at improving the end user satisfaction without wasting energy in buildings. Halton is a highly specialised company, aiming to be the world’s leading expert within its field. In order to develop our own competence we need other experts to work with. We actively need to build and manage networks,” Mr Halttunen says and continues: “I don’t know whether this surprises you, but we now consider ourselves to be in the wellbeing business. Our goal is to improve the indoor environment for people to feel good inside buildings. The user of the building is in the focus of the development of our products and services. Buildings are built for people.

Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore

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How can wellbeing be measured? According to Mr Halttunen the company has a systematic approach to ensure a good end result. In an existing building the process starts with a web-based survey that measures the perceived indoor environment. “It must be noted that people do not normally notice when the indoor environment is good, when things are OK. We notice only when something is wrong – there’s not enough lighting, it is too hot or cold, there are odours etc. Following our process we can systematically find out the problem areas. “Because of climate change the whole world has to find ways to save energy and limit greenhouse gas emissions. Halton states strongly that it is not viable or necessary to go back 20 years in time, make too many compromises on the level of indoor environmental quality and make people suffer in buildings. Forerunners of the whole construction industry are moving towards environmentally certified buildings to guarantee ideal conditions in a sustainable manner,” Mr Halttunen concludes.

Panorama Tower, Espoo, Finland

Finland UK France Germany Hungary US Canada Malesia China

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Halton is a growing company that today operates in 23 countries worldwide with production in nine countries. Yet it is still officially based in Iitti, and Finland is its home market. It has manufacturing facilities in three Finnish districts, Kausala being to date the biggest unit, employing 250 people. The group employs 1,100 people. Production is carried out in:

www.halton.com

We have evolved from a simple component supplier that is generally actively involved in the planning and construction phase to a player that covers the whole life-cycle of the buildings.â&#x20AC;?

Business Finland 4/2010

Logonet When Products, Place and Promotion Become One

Text: Katja Kangasniemi Photos: Logonet

Logonet was founded in the early 1990s, when Lauri Hulkko, at the time a student at the Helsinki School of Economics, embarked on a small-scale import business from Asia. Today we find Logonet at “Kirnu”. From promotional gifts it has emerged as a true one-stop-shop for promotion, as its subsidiary, Kulma, offers consulting services on in-store marketing. The newest addition is the subsidiary called Logonet Brands that takes Nordic design to ordinary consumers under its trademark Brands Scandinavia.

t "Kirnu" Logonet operates both a kiosk and a bigger store, altogether 80 sq m. At the time of writing, the stores had been open for a couple of weeks. "On average 25,000 people visit the Expo daily. Some days there are more, some less. This equals to the daily clientele of a good-sized Finnish shopping mall in one day, or twice the amount the Espoo or Helsinki Ikea during Christmas sales. Up to now the visitors have been mainly Chinese, with only a small share from other countries," says Mika Roini, responsible for the Logonet Expo project.

Kirnu, Finnish nature and mobile phones The items on sale vary from traditional souvenirs – key chains, medals and stamps – to Finnish ceramics, from both

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Iittala and Marimekko. The Expo pavilion itself is depicted on a couple of items, such as stamps (for more on stamps and related merchandise, see page 19) and a glass cube in which the "Kirnu" shape has been laser engraved. "The sales have been good. Especially all items related to Finnish nature and technology are popular. They can be anything from reindeer key chains to wrist computers. Stamps and glass objects also sell well," Mr Roini points out. On top of that Logonet sells two special Nokia phone models, especially designed for the expo. On offer are also jewellery and Suunto wrist computers. Suunto actually launched a new model on the Chinese market at the beginning of June, but at the Expo, the model has been on sale since May. According to Mr Roini, the Expo doubles as a great chance to test market different products. "I have learnt that the Chinese are looking forward to buying phones or

computers from us as they feel they can be sure that the items are genuine," says Mr Roini. "Naturally we will monitor the sales up to October, and some items may well be discontinued in favour of others. It is interesting that we have 25,000 daily customers, and even if we didn’t change our display daily, it would still be news to the visitors in any case."

Logonet Logonet is a leading promotional products agency offering its customers, mostly large companies, a unique outsourcing solution. This includes everything form planning and design to sourcing and distribution of promotional products and business gifts.

ogonet offers an outsourcing solution for promotional products that provides its customers with increased brand control, cost savings and improved risk management. It has developed long-term client relationships and its clients now include some of the major players in the Nordic region, including four of the top 10 Nasdaq OMX companies.

"Corporations are becoming increasingly aware that promotional products are part of their marketing communications. Instead of allowing business units or branch offices to manage the promotional product purchases on their own, the companies increasingly see that promotional products should be handled centralised as part of corporate marketing communications, says Managing Director Lauri Hulkko. Logonet currently operates in Finland, the USA, Hong Kong, China (Shanghai, Shenzhen, Fuzhou), Thailand and Bangladesh. Contract design mainly takes place in Finland while production and quality control happens in the Far East.

Logonet’s promotional product solution for large corporations provides them with several benefits: * Improved brand management. With Logonet’s business model the promotional products activity can be managed centrally as a part of the company’s overall marketing communications and sales efforts. * Direct cost savings. Outsourcing typically decreases the number of different articles used in promotions at a corporate level and provides economies of scale in sourcing. In addition, Logonet utilises low-cost sourcing channels in the Far East for the benefit of the client. * Increased efficiency. Customers benefit in terms of saved time within the planning, ordering and invoicing processes in multiple business units or divisions. Logonet’s outsourcing solution substantially decreases the customer’s overall time spent on the management of the promotional products activity, thereby freeing up time for marketing or sales-driven activities. * Risk management. Compliance with the customer’s moral and ethical policies ensures higher standards. Moreover, Logonet has extensive liability insurance to cover possible risks involved in the use of promotional items. www.logonet.com

Business Finland 4/2010

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Kulma

Kulma is s specialist in promotional campaigns as well as in planning and production of distribution channel marketing. At the heart of the service concept is an offer to clients of a comprehensive campaign solution with the aim of increasing sales.

ulma Oy, part of the Logonet Group, is a concept that has been developed since 2001, when the legislation on promotional gifts in Finland was amended. It has been operating as a separate company since

2008. Kulma offers tools for driving customer penetration, increasing buying loyalty, improving brand visibility at store level, and taking better care of different stakeholders. Kulma offers a turnkey solution that includes campaign brainstorming and design, realisation of a campaign portal, procurement of promotional gifts or prizes, design and procurement of campaign material, logistical solutions, cooperation and licensing negotiations. It also carries out monitoring after the campaign. The strategic goal of Kulma is to replicate the successful Finnish concept abroad. According to market studies there is demand for such a service, and yet little supply. The market and business prospects are indeed excellent also abroad.

Successful pilots In November 2009 Kulma opened a subsidiary in the Netherlands in order to fully profit from the current demand. The Dutch subsidiary aims at expanding its operations into the whole Benelux area, as well as acting as a pilot for further internationalisation. Denmark also saw the opening of an office in early 2010, followed by Thailand in May 2010. "The recession has forced many of the Kulma customers to better evaluate their marketing efforts. According to the Association of Finnish Advertisers (2009) investments in store promotion have been higher during the economic downturn. The same applies to digital marketing, whereas all the other forms of marketing are in sharp decline," says Juuso Heikurainen, Managing Director. "All this signifies that Kulma enjoys a strong position on the Finnish market." According to company data similar market developments have taken place in other parts of the world. In the Benelux countries, for example, in-store marketing at grocery shops grew from 10 to 16 per cent during the first quarter. The same trend can also be recognised in other parts of Europe, despite the current recession. Yet there are only a few companies that have specialised in in-store marketing (shopper marketing, retail marketing, trade

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The next steps will include expanding operations in countries such as Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the UK. Successively, in 2011-2013 the growth efforts will concentrate in Asia, or the 2-3 most central markets.”

marketing, etc) on the European market, as the majority offer only a small part of the range. "The next steps will include expanding operations in countries such as Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the UK. Successively, in 2011-2013 the growth efforts will concentrate in Asia, or the 2-3 most central markets. It is crucial for our growth efforts to find good local partners to run our local offices,” Mr Heikurainen says. The current and future clients of Kulma generally have a lot of end customers as well as a lot of contacts with them. They range from FMCG companies to fast-food companies and publishers. "To begin with, the Kulma clientele will concentrate on its current global customers. The new clientele will be made up of similar, strong, multinational or global companies," Mr Heikurainen concludes.

Kulma offers solutions for: • • • •

Driving customer penetration Increasing buying loyalty Improving brand visibility at store level Taking better care of stakeholders www.kulma.com

Business Finland 4/2010

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Logonet Brands

Logonet Brands, the latest addition to the Logonet group, launched its Brands Scandinavia brand at the Habitare 2009 Fair, held in Helsinki. It is a collection of Finnish – or rather, as the name states – Scandinavian designers. I interviewed Harri Johansson, the Managing Director.

he Brand Scandinavia products, designed exclusively for Logonet, range from household textiles to bags, ceramics and small utility articles, both for indoors and outdoors – but there are strictly no decorative objects. The key is that the products are reasonably priced so that the consumers get their share of Scandinavian design, and can enter the world of the top designers. It is envisaged that the products form small product families, and patterns embellish not only in textiles but other products as well. "There is a common feel to the products: you can sense a Scandinavian simplicity of design. The patterns are another feature, and I am especially happy about the choice of colours: it is cheerful and young," Johansson continues. The Logonet Brands distribution is planned so that it is easy to get a hold of design: "We do not opt for the design shops but rather mass distribution. The shop-in-shops at the Finnish Kodin Ykkönen stores will open in August, and the reseller network is being built both in Finland and abroad."

Replicating the Logonet formula Logonet Brands will build upon the Logonet production expertise accumulated in the Far East. "We take care of the product modelling, as well as sales, marketing and production, which differentiates Logonet Brands from several others on the market." In Finland, for example, there are several portals selling design products by various producers. Logonet is nevertheless able to offer a lower price range. The majority of the production takes place in the Far East; in Finland there is production only of smaller series. A selection of Brands Scandinavia products is available at the Shanghai Expo, at the Logonet store where products of Logonet partners are also sold. This is the first occasion that the products in question are marketed in Asia, and the Chinese customers' reactions can be monitored for six months. "Our aim is to create Brand Scandinavia into a truly Finnish export concept that represents old and new designers like. The concept also includes illustrators, photographers and graphics designers that will help create patterns and images representing a Finnish / Nordic lifestyle.

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Eero Aarnio – ceramics, trays, home textiles Päivi Jokelainen – home textiles, bags Harri Koskinen – home textiles Samuli Naamanka – a lantern collection Anne Vasko – blocks and folders for the home office Sakke Yrjölä – a neoprene product series, computer cases Heikki Ruoho – a lamp collection Teemu Järvi – an oil lamp Timo Niskanen – a silicone lamp collection

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We take care of the product modelling, as well as sales, marketing and production, which differentiates Logonet Brands from several others on the market.”

Designers of the first Brands Scandinavia Collection:

www.brandsscandinavia.com

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finnish s

Photo: iStockphoto

finnis

solutions Sweating the Summer Away

According to a recent Soprano poll over half of Finns work during their summer holidays. Of the 6,000 Finnish workers polled, 73 per cent of men and 49 per cent of women work during their holidays. The survey also found that over half of respondents read their emails at least once a week during their summer holiday. Helsinki-based Soprano offers complete business communications, content and software, for purposes ranging from sales to customer database management. www.soprano.fi

sh solutions

Text: Tuovi Similä

“T

he cluster has already helped to create over 500 new green jobs and dozens of new international business opportunities for Finnish cleantech companies,” says Dr Mari Pantsar-Kallio, Programme Director of the Finnish Cleantech Cluster. The Cluster combines high technology, innovative companies, top scientific research and four leading Centres of Expertise within the Finnish cleantech sector. This covers over 60 per cent of Finland’s cleantech business and 80 per cent of cleantech research in Finland. “At the moment, over 300 companies have participated in our activities. The figure has been rising steadily,” says Dr PantsarKallio. “In Finland, there are over a hundred cleantech companies that operate internationally. Our target is to generate new growth companies in the environmental, energy and clean technology sectors and to help the companies to internationalise. Support to SMEs is of the utmost importance, and in the Cluster they get the possibility to network with big companies and the science world,” Dr Pantsar-Kallio says. The Cluster’s internationalisation programme has been widely praised. For instance, the Finnish Cleantech Cluster was

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The Finnish Cleantech Cluster is a true success story ranked third among the world’s cleantech clusters in a comparison made by the distinguished Sustainable World Capital. Examples of efforts to boost cleantech business are FECC (Finnish Environmental Cluster for China) and Russia-programmes. “These two are countries where support from a semigovernmental organisation like ours is valuable in entering into environmental projects and opening the right doors,” Dr Pantsar-Kallio says. Several Finnish cleantech companies have already succeeded on the Chinese market and the interest towards this market is growing all the time. “Environmental consciousness in China is growing. The task of FECC is to open doors for Finnish cleantech companies to the Chinese market by creating contacts and searching out projects and co-operation partners. “In Russia our focus is on technology projects. Key areas are energy efficiency and solid waste management. The Cluster is also active in India and Poland, and we monitor the development of other potential markets like Brazil.”

Gateway to Finnish know-how The Finnish Cleantech Cluster is not only about export promotion:

“For foreign companies the Cluster represents a gateway for finding research and business partners in Finland,” Dr Pantsar-Kallio explains. “Finnish cleantech competence is regarded as very reliable in the world. For example, the US-based global technology giant Lockheed Martin was mapping out potential Finnish partners in the field of cleantech just this spring. “In the United States we are also interested in creating a contact network of capital investors. We have been cooperating with the US Embassy on this. Also, the Global cluster programme coordinated by Oulu has been most successful in finding investors from the USA for Finnish companies. “Last year we arranged Cleantech Venture Day’09 in co-operation with Cleantech Scandinavia and Cleantech Invest, and the event gathered international investors and Nordic cleantech growth companies. This year the event is focusing on forestry, material efficiency and electrification of transport.” The cleantech business is estimated to grow at a rate of 5-15 per cent per year worldwide. “The growth is accelerated by people’s increasing worry over their own living environment and the growing demand for the sustainable use of natural resources.”

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The cluster has already helped to create over 500 new green jobs and dozens of new international business opportunities for Finnish cleantech companies.” Focusing on Finnish strongholds in Cleantech The Finnish Cleantech Cluster is made up of the four Centres of Expertise within the cleantech sector: Kuopio, Lahti, Oulu, and Helsinki and the surrounding areas (see the stories following this introduction). “The four Centres of Expertise each focus on different cleantech competence and know-how. Thanks to the cooperation with companies and the scientific community, the Cleantech Cluster forms a strong expert network for generating new innovative solutions for today’s environmental challenges,” Dr Pantsar-Kallio concludes. www.cleantechcluster.fi Mari Pantsar-Kallio, PhD, Programme Director of the Finnish Cleantech Cluster.

Centres of Expertise of the Finnish Cleantech Cluster: Kuopio:

Oulu:

The most important national initiative of cleantech in Kuopio is a network of organisations and companies that study and create products and services for improving air quality and to promote better health. They also have expertise in the energy efficiency of houses and clean indoor air.

Oulu strives to become the world’s leading hub of research and providing materials for water purification. In addition to water technology expertise, enterprises in the Oulu region specialise in air purification technology and material efficiency.

Lahti: In the Lahti region many enterprises specialise in waste management and recycling in particular, as well as in water and soil-related business. Lahti is also known for cleantech venture capital networks and expertise.

Uusimaa

(the Greater Helsinki Region) Uusimaa focuses on combining ICT with environmental monitoring and clean energy, with a special focus on energy efficiency in the urban environment.

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Innovative energy concepts Remarkable work is being done in the Lahti region on the development of a new type of low-energy construction. Text: Klaus Susiluoto

ow-energy solutions by the construction company RKL Reponen Ltd are the most energy-efficient choices for apartment buildings. The company has developed the MeraReponen concept, which is based on 10 years of R&D with partners such as the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). “We can have up to 70 per cent savings in thermal energy compared to a traditional Finnish block of flats, which fulfils all building regulations,” says CEO, Mika Airaksela. The first pilot building was constructed in 2005 in Leppävaara, Espoo, but the first “official” low-energy apartment building is in Heinola, not far from Lahti. The building was classified as a passive house (low-energy passive building, fulfilling strict environmental norms) and it was finished in April 2009. The building has no traditional heating system, but instead heat is recovered from the heat produced by people and equipment and from heat recovery ventilation. This is very exceptional in a country where winter temperatures reach minus 20-25 degrees, even in the southern parts of the country, and average temperatures in the

Business Finland 4/2010

A low-energy apartment building in Heinola by RKL Reponen.

coldest months vary from minus 5 to minus 10. The energy consumption of this MERA house has been monitored right from the construction phase. According to Airaksela, saving energy is not only a matter of receiving a cheaper energy bill: “People may forget that 40 per cent of the world energy consumption is caused by housing when the full life cycle from material production to construction and logistics are calculated. Most of this energy is, however, consumed when people live in the houses. So energy efficiency is a smart way to reduce both the energy bill and the carbon footprint. “The low-energy buildings now form 75 per cent of all our projects,” Airaksela says. “Finland could bring energy efficiency expertise to other countries,

too. In northern China there are houses with no insulation at all, even though the temperature can be minus 30 degrees. I do not think it would be reasonable for us to do contracting outside Finland, but we could play a consultative role. Actually, we have a letter-of-intent to consult on a Russian building project in Irkutsk. China is one option, and we participate in FECC, the Finnish Environmental Cluster for China. In addition to good insulation, the right control of ventilation automation can bring savings in electricity consumption.”

Oilon paves the way to clean energy Oilon is one of the most innovative energy companies in the Lahti region and

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has been involved in Cleantech Finland operations from the outset. Eero Pekkola, Managing Director of Oilon, says that the success of the company arises from the fact that the company has taken the energy-saving challenge in earnest: “With our products one can burn liquid and gaseous fuels in a very environmentally friendly way. In addition to industrial and power plant burners, Oilon manufactures and markets heat pumps, burners and solar heat collectors for heating houses.” Oilon’s combustion technology is also used in dozens of biogas, process gas and waste combustion projects in nearly all Asian countries. Countries like Malaysia and Korea have also utilised Oilon’s technology, even in hazardous waste combustion plants. “Almost a third of our revenue has come from Asia in recent years. China is the biggest market, but Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and India are important markets as well,” says Pekkola. The Beijing Olympics gave a big boost to Oilon’s business in China. The city naturally wanted to have cleaner air for people participating in the Games. “Beijing is increasingly using natural gas for heating and generating electricity instead of coal. Our burners have played an important role in cleaning the air in China’s capital city. We have operated around the whole Chinese territory, delivering a total of 24,000 MW of gasburning technology to China. To give an indication of scale, we have delivered burners with energy producing capacity that equals 24 normal size nuclear power plants.” Designing and building burners is the core business for Oilon, but the company is more and more involved in the business of renewable energy. “We participated actively in building frameworks for energy research in the Lahti region. Oilon was one of the companies that delivered equipment and other support to the renewable energy research centre Energon, and Oilon is now the main operator for this new laboratory.” Energon is located next to Oilon, and

Managing Director of Oilon, Eero Pekkola

Oilon Low NOx natural gas burners have been utilized in coal to gas conversion projects in the power plants in Beijing.

premises and equipment can be rented out to those interested in renewable energy issues.

Still much to do In spite of this great success, much remains to be done in China. “For example, energy efficiency is not at a good level. We have our own energy-efficiency seminar in Finland’s pavilion of the Shanghai Expo on 5 June. We expect some 150 guests. “Most visitors come from CIBB, the

Chinese Industrial Burner and Boiler association. For example, in China there are not as many CHP – combined heat and power – plants as we have in Finland. I believe that they will also build more these kinds of plants in the future,” says Pekkola. “There is a strong need for thousands of smaller burners which are used in industry, district heating and steam production. I would estimate that we could sell some 500 to 1,000 industrial-scale burners a year.”

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Renewable energy and energy efficiency

region. The 85 per cent ethanol produced at Lahti is dehydrated in company’s plant at Hamina, where the end product of 99.8 per cent ethanol is ready to be mixed with gasoline. Furthermore, Lahti Aqua produces district heat out of biogas in its two waste water treatment plants. This type of waste to energy utilisation is also increasing. Some 400-500 family houses get their district heating through Lahti Aqua’s solution. “Various hybrid solutions will be more and more popular in heating. For example, ground heat pumps, solar energy, pellets and bio oil will be combined increasingly in the future”, Ekholm believes.

ahti has been a pioneer in deby Metso Power and includes the waste veloping waste utilisation techgasification process, gas boiler and flue nologies. gas cleaning system with auxiliary equipThe waste-to-energy conment and automation system for the cept in the Lahti region is by no means whole power plant. a new idea: “Since 1998 we have had a “The technology used in Lahti Energasification power plant run by Lahti gia’s gasification plant is innovative and Energia Oy, which uses solid waste from could possibly be exported to other counhouseholds, schools, supermarkets, restries,” believes Esa Ekholm. Most of the taurants, industrial plants etc,” says Esa waste-to-energy plants in the world curEkholm, Business Director of Lahti Scirently apply grate technology. In Finland Energon - top research and test ence and Business Park Ltd. separated combustible waste has been unit The plant’s technology is based on utilised as ancillary fuel in many fluidised a circulating fluidised bed (CFB) gasibed boiler plants but in the new plant in Esa Ekholm points out that around fier, which utilises renewable fuels 10 per cent of Finnish cleantech and reduces fuel costs and gaseous business is based in the Lahti reimpurities at the plant. The comgion, with the focus on optimising bustible waste fuel used includes material efficiency and energy efpaper, cardboard, wood and other ficiency. renewable fractions. Even the use “Renewable energy and energy of plastics has been improved. The efficiency research gained momencombustible waste is separated at tum several months ago, when the source, at the level of individual Energon Clean Energy Centre behouseholds. Photo: Loma Graphics Oy gan operations. Energon is set to Before gasification, magnetic develop equipment for processing metal is separated from the waste Clean Energy Centre Energon in Lahti. bio gases, bio oils, solar energy, solid with a magnet and the waste is renewable fuels and hybrid solutions.” Lahti it will be the main fuel. shredded into a suitable form by 2-stage Energon hires the facilities and equipThe two gasification lines in the new processing. In addition to waste, Lahti ment for research institutes and compapower plant will together produce 50 Energia also uses wood chips and other nies. MW of electricity and 90 MW of district wood-based material as fuel for the gasi“Energon is just one example of Lahti’s heat. Start-up is scheduled for 2012. fier. The share of waste has been steadily expertise in energy and environment. increasing and is now some 40 per cent of ST1 Active There are dozens of companies and sevthe total fuel amount. Lahti Energia’s approach is just one exeral research units in the Lahti Science “With the CFB-solution some 600,000 ample of innovative waste to energy soluand Business Park Campus and elsetonnes of coal has been replaced in 10 tions in the Lahti region. where in Lahti.” years,” remarks Ekholm. Due to the good “The energy company St1 makes The Lahti SBP will be extended, movexperiences and results, Lahti Energia bioethanol from by-products of Hartwall ing into new premises in 2012. The new will invest EUR 160 million to build a new brewery, based in Lahti. The Lahti plant Lahti SBP cleantech campus will form the bigger gasification plant. It will help to reof St1 gets its feedstock from the biodelargest environmental technology centre duce CO2 emissions further. The City of Lahti has set a target of halving emissions gradable by-products of the Hartwall in the Nordic area. There will be some by 2025. brewery, Fazer and other bakeries and 700 environmental experts working in The main equipment will be supplied mills operating in the Päijänne Tavastia the same area. www.lahtisbp.fi

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Energy efficiency and electric vehicles Green Net Finland is a cleantech business network that brings together the expertise and resources of Finnish Cleantech companies, scientific and educational institutions and public authorities to develop new business and commercialise cleantech innovations.

Text: Klaus Susiluoto

anaging Director of Green Net Finland, Dr. Lauri Hietaniemi, explains that currently major focus areas are environmental monitoring and clean energy, with a special emphasis on energy efficiency in the urban environment. “We have, for example, a pan-European project called Save Energy, which is aimed at reducing energy consumption in public buildings. The goal is to transform the energy consumption behaviour of public building users – focusing on public servants and citizens – by applying existing ICT-based solutions, specifically real-time information from building management systems and various sensors implemented during the project combined with serious games in an innova-

tive, user-driven perspective.” The project brings together 15 partners - including public authorities, public agencies, universities, research institutes, SMEs and corporations – to implement five pilots in different countries. These pilots test, benchmark, validate and stimulate new strategies and actions to encourage the wider uptake of energy-efficient behaviours. The building pilots are located in Helsinki, Leiden, Lisbon, Luleå and Manchester, with Helsinki piloting two school buildings. “Provision of real-time energy use information, combined with social media and even serious games to change consumer behaviour are considered and tested as means for saving energy. Earlier research has found that it is possible to save up to 20 per cent with correct us-

age and control practices. By integrating intelligent energy solutions into building technology, another 5 per cent reduction in energy use can be achieved” says Hietaniemi. Provision of real-time, reliable and easily processed energy consumption data, in an easily understandable format, can be an effective way to change user behaviour. “According to studies, real-time feedback from energy usage has a strong effect in generating energy savings. It is also important to be able to motivate operating personnel to save energy. This includes not only old-style savings such as reducing temperature or lighting, but also more profound knowledge of building technology, heat recovery and ventilation.”

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Electric vehicle infrastructure in the Helsinki area Green Net Finland also prepared the start of the research project SYÖKSY (a Finnish acronym for electric vehicle integration into the Ring Rail Line feeder system), which started in April this year. “In this project novel traffic solutions, based on electric vehicles, are developed and studied in the Helsinki-Vantaa airport area and new residential areas built next to the Ring Rail Line, which will link these areas to Helsinki city centre and several suburbs. The aim of the project is to create new forms of business and new user-driven transportation options based on electric vehicles, thereby reducing private motoring in the area. The new concept supports traditional public transportation services in rail line feeder traffic services and other station area traffic. Small scale piloting is done during the project, but the aim is to use the results as the base for larger scale piloting” says Hietaniemi. “Many commercial companies like Finavia’s Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, the shopping centre Jumbo, Ensto Finland, European Batteries, Vantaa Energy and many others are involved in the project, as is the city of Vantaa. The research will be done by Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Aalto University and Tampere University of Technology. “In short-term view, SYÖKSY will map out opportunities that can be implemented with existing technology. Longterm planning foresees future solutions for the years 2030-2040.” “The results from SYÖKSY will be used as pilot projects to generate new business, improve expertise in electric vehicle concepts and better understand future traffic needs. This in turn will influence zoning and other planning activities. The infrastructure for electric-cars, such as recharging points for vehicles, will also be developed.” Ensto Finland Ltd, an electrical accessories and systems manufacturer, joined SYÖKSY to develop their electric vehicle charging pole concept. Technology Director of Ensto, Matti Rae, says that the

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decision to enter the recharging business was easy: “We made some studies, mainly following the development through the international press and noticed that there is a major change happening in automotive technology. We noted that electrification of road traffic also requires a functional recharging network.” “The charging network ideally consists of safe, easy-to-use, standardised, and good looking charging stations in all major parking facilities, enabling people to use electric vehicles in everyday traffic. The infrastructure should consist of slow charging outlets that could be upgraded to a higher power output as cars develop. Fast charging stations will also be needed in selected locations, perhaps in current liquid fuel filling stations,” says Rae. Creating an effective and safe recharging system is not easy, although some threats have been exaggerated: “The threat of vandalism has often been mentioned, but so far no problems from vandalism have arisen, even though we have fleet of poles installed in exposed places. This is perhaps a reflection of the general public’s positive attitude towards recharging poles and the whole idea of electric vehicles.” The SYÖKSY project will be innovative, promises Rae. “Electric vehicle feeder traffic plays a key role in developing low emission city traffic solutions. Similar projects are on-going in Portugal and the UK, and electric vehicle connectors are being standardised internationally by IEC. Opportunities of bigger business also exist. The potential lies in renovating existing installations and providing parking places with new standard compatible charging poles.”

Creating a real-time environmental monitoring ecosystem Environmental monitoring is one of Finland’s cleantech strongholds. The Helsinki area is home to several large-scale initiatives to develop, pilot and create new business through applications of environmental monitoring. Examples include Helsinki testbed (http://testbed.

Source: TUT/APMG

fmi.fi/), which provides real-time mesoscale meteorological information from a dense sensor network in the Helsinki area, and Envitori, an applied research project aimed at bringing together different data sources in an “environmental data marketplace”. In 2010, these initiatives are being expanded and brought closer together through the launch of an industry-led Measurement, Monitoring and Environmental Assessment (MMEA) research programme. The programme is run by the Cluster for Energy and Environment (CLEEN) and aims to develop new technologies, methods, tools and services in order to strengthen and create new environmental business opportunities. “The MMEA programme is one of a new generation of industry-led research programmes, through which industry has

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The SYÖKSY-project creates new user-driven transportation options based on electric vehicles.

Source: TUT/APMG

a strong role in undertaking and directing research. Green Net Finland was instrumental in ensuring that SMEs are well represented in the MMEA programme consortium.” tells Hietaniemi. “The MMEA programme is a significant undertaking in the development of environmental monitoring, with a programme consortium including 31 companies, 12 research institutes and 3 other organisations, and a programme volume of 50M€ over 5 years. We are also searching for international partners in our MMEA activities. China in particular represents an interesting market for Finnish environmental monitoring technology, where many benefits could be achieved through the creation of a similar environmental monitoring ecosystem.” www.greennetfinland.fi

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finnish solutions Text: Klaus Susiluoto

“W

e act as an intermediary between academia and business. The focus of operation is in the fields of Cleantech, Health and Wellbeing,” says Anneli Tuomainen, Development Director of Kuopio Innovation Ltd. In the Cleantech sector, services and products are used in monitoring emissions and air quality of industrial processes, following the purity and quality of water, optimising recycling processes and many other things. “Measuring noise levels and the modelling of bioprocesses are also within the field of expertise of companies and research organisations in the Kuopio region,” says Tuomainen. “One focus of Kuopio Innovation Ltd is on the development and strengthening of Cleantech expertise and related technologies in the Kuopio Science Park, with a further emphasis on encouraging new types of cooperation between commercial companies and research institutes. “The ultimate objective is to create new successful innovations and business ideas and to assist existing business activity in the Kuopio region. Kuopio Innovation is also intended to help companies in their marketing activities.” The Cleantech sector ventures often

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Business meets research on cleantech and health

Kuopio Innovation Ltd helps technology enterprises to develop their domestic and international business.

have the scope of transferring cuttingedge environment and energy-related knowledge to local companies’ product development and commercialisation. “The ventures are often connected with climate, quality of air and healthrelated knowledge, and the new business opportunities emerging from them. They also work on the direct utilisation of environmental information and sensor technology in both environment and health sector applications, as well as business development in Kuopio,” says Tuomainen.

“I believe that globally there is a growing interest in measuring emissions and air quality in more detailed and varied ways, and also to develop models in which monitored data can be combined from several sources.” These kinds of services and products are offered by, for example, Symo Ltd, Kuava Ltd, Numcore Ltd, Neocodex Ltd and APL Systems Ltd. The Kuopio Campus of the University of Eastern Finland can offer top research in evaluating the health effects of pollutants.

Recent water epidemics have brought out water systems and emphasised water quality. Many quality disturbances are uncovered only after people become sick. Water quality should be controlled in real-time from raw water to tap water. In drinking water, the weakest link is the raw water source. A three-year Polaris project in controlling the water treatment supply chain is coordinated by the National Institute of Health and Welfare, Kuopio. “The project applies network-based risk assessment, on-line measurement technology as well as modelling and process optimisation. This project is excellent evidence of the strength of the Kuopio Science Park in conducting interdisciplinary research and R&D activity which benefits enterprises and end-users,” says Tuomainen.

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Infrastructure of water system

APL Systems – Expert in noise measuring APL Systems is a high-tech company in Kuopio that operates in Finland and abroad. The company sells and leases Aures measurement devices. Aures is a device specifically designed for multipoint environmental noise measurements. The chief advantages of the Aures product family are the long-term automated wireless measurements and the ability to conduct multiple measurements simultaneously and cost efficiency. “Our products have a rugged design, so they can withstand rough outdoor conditions,” says Roy Hjort, APL systems’ Communications Manager. “Environmental noise measurements are a typical application, where several Aures devices are situated around the measurement area. Continuous measurements are conducted over several weeks. This method provides a comprehensive set of data about the noise levels in the area. Up to now this has not been possible.” Multi-point measuring will become more and more common, believes Hjort. “APL Systems Aures is an extraordinary product developed for environmental noise measurements using wireless technology. Aures offers continuous noise measurements for example to civil engineering and energy and traffic applications. There is interest in our concept. For example, we cooperate with a large acoustic engineering company in Spain.” APL Systems also provides services for dealing with a wide range of acoustic data produced by Aures. These services may be anything from basic data handling to a complete turnkey solution. The client will receive a full measurement report specifically suited to his needs. “Aures products are manufactured in small series. In most cases clients hire the device. Noise data analysis is included in the service. The client can also hire the equipment and do analysis himself. We also sell the device if needed.” Currently APL Systems is developing software for sound analysis, reporting

Aures offers continuous wireless noise measurements to civil engineering and energy and traffic applications. www.apl.fi

and managing measurement projects. The software is called Aures Analyzer. “We believe our clients will be delighted with the capabilities of Aures Analyzer. The intelligent trigger mechanisms we are introducing will no doubt find many uses in, for instance, industrial applications,” Hjort explains. “Our strength lies in the expertise accumulated in the Kuopio area. We cooperate with Kuopio Science Park and Kuopio Innovation Ltd in our product development. We also collaborate with other Finnish cleantech companies.”

Environmental Informatics – State-of-the-art tools and services for decision-making Environmental informatics applies ICT technology to solve environmental issues. The University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio campus, represents an internationally recognised centre of expertise in Environmental Informatics in Finland. http://envi.uku.fi/en

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Typically the use of environmental informatics is based on multidimensional time series measured from the environment. Geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, dynamic-simulation modelling and statistics are utilised in various scientific and professional endeavours, ranging from forestry, landscape watershed ecology and housing, to landscape mapping. The data gathered is handled with modern computational methods such as neural networks. In addition, software technologies are utilised to “wrap” data processing into applications to be used on the Internet. “Internationally we are pioneers in the branch of environmental informatics. In Kuopio we have also applied the methods in housing solutions. At the Kuopio 2010 Housing Fair, we are demonstrating a monitoring system for studying the relationship between healthy living and energy efficiency,” according to Prof Mikko Kolehmainen. “It seems that these two can be combined in a very cost-effective way, but in the long run it requires integration of monitoring and control systems. This means, among other things, that ventilation control should take into account the living habits of residents and the weather forecasts. For example, the system should limit the ventilation in situations when nobody is on the premises. “Now we have monitoring and measuring equipments in 11 houses in Kuopio, but to study these things properly and develop solutions accordingly, we would possibly need hundreds of pilot sites. However, this is a good start. “Usually, we need a minimum time of one year to make proper conclusions of the collected data. So far, we have measured information only for a couple of months. However, we have already found out that some outdoor and indoor fine air particles correlate to each other. Measuring a pilot site for three years also enables us to model the effect of different kinds of years. We need indoor air monitoring in apartments too,” says Kolehmainen.

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“For example, humidity and the amount of carbon dioxide should be followed regularly, and the systems should be integrated into proper ICT solutions to give a warning to the residents. You cannot expect people to follow different equipment all the time. This is why we

have computers to do it for you. “Kuopio Innovation has had an important role in developing our research. Networking and preparation of projects have been essential for us. In the future, it is necessary to transfer our research knowledge into business activities.” www.kuopioinnovation.fi

The health effects of pollutants are evaluated in Kuopio.

Text: Klaus Susiluoto

ulu’s particular strengths include all-round expertise in water and air purification technologies. Research and business development of these technologies are supported by SkyPro Oulu and the CEWIC centres. Cluster-based air research and business is not very common, although air protection technology and companies related to it raise more and more interest. Sky Pro Oulu has had good visibility in its operations, tells Prof Riitta Keiski, Department of Process and Environmental Engineering, Oulu University. “For example, if you do a Google search for ‘clean air cluster’, Sky Pro Oulu is at the top of the listings,” the professor says. “We naturally want to preserve our good position. Air purification-related research started back in the 1970s with catalyst preparation and testing in the newly founded University of Oulu. So, we actually have experience going back many decades. “The credit not only goes to the university. The Oulu region has a significant process industry. Companies in these fields understood the sensitivity of northern nature, and created methods to prevent pollution. “Later, when Oulu was in a position to attract a strong ICT industry, we were able to combine water and air pollution

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Clean air and water solutions CleantechOulu is a centre of environmental business in the Oulu region. Its main task is to support enterprises and to strengthen their competitiveness in the global market. control research with modern electronics etc. For example, wireless measuring technology requires sophisticated ICT,” says Keiski. “Catalytic air pollution abatement, clean water research and material efficiency are our spearhead expertise. Sky Pro Oulu is part of Cleantech Oulu, where environmental excellence is created on the basis of centres of competence. In Finland, there is also the Finnish Energy and Environment Competence Cluster called Cleen Ltd, which helps networking and industrial-academic collaboration. Oulu Innovation is a forum in which we have done a large amount of innovative work.”

Volatile organic compounds “At this moment in our SkyPro programmes industrial partners include Ecocat, Ehovoc, Proventia and APL Systems. Of these, Ehovoc Ltd is an international environmental technology provider focusing on VOC-Volatile Organic Compounds’ abatement. “For example, Ehovoc’s catalytic abatement unit is used to reduce operational and maintenance costs by lowering the reaction temperature by even 500°C compared to conventional thermal incinerators, resulting in better air quality to breathe. VOC emissions are one reason

Business Finland 4/2010

finnish solutions The SkyPro Oulu team – Program Coordinator Jukka Teräs, Professor Riitta Keiski and Research Coordinator Satu Pitkäaho.

for smog, which in many cities is a problem, for example, in Asia,” says Keiski. Ecocat and Proventia design and manufacture catalytic after-treatment systems for vehicles and industry to have cleaner air. APL Systems is expert in wireless device design and development for clean technology applications. “The closer co-operation between research and companies benefit all. Companies find new solutions that are not easy to copy. They get scientific trustworthiness and can create new service and product concepts based on scientific results. This definitely helps them to merge into international markets and to keep their position in tough competition. “We naturally want to get new ideas from abroad, and are looking for worldknown partners, some of whom could possibly come to work in Oulu.” Riitta Keiski points out that catalysts are not only developed for air quality

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control. Applications exist in other fields of process and environmental catalysis and are widening to new sectors too. “For example, one cannot put into effect bio refineries without developing new catalysts. Nano materials are in focus when new types of catalysts are developed.” Controlling VOC and CVOV emissions and odorous compounds are among the core research areas of SkyPro Oulu. The work will be expanded to eg other greenhouse gases, indoor air quality, water-air, water-soil-air concepts. Climate change and, on the other hand, comfort factors (ie indoor air) are also the driving forces.

Ecocat participates in Skypro cluster With environmental regulations tightening practically all the time for cars and

fixed equipment, there is a strong demand for managing gaseous emissions and fine particles. “We at Ecocat Group have a comprehensive view on solutions for air purity that are enhancing technologies in different countries around the world,” says Toni Kinnunen, Chief Technology Officer of Ecocat Ltd. “When it comes to cars, the strongest growth will be seen in Asia. However, the market is also growing in Europe and North America, since more complex combinations of exhaust gas catalyst technologies with higher technical needs will be applied as legislation tightens further.” In developing countries, engines will be run more and more using natural gas, biodiesel or some other alternative fuel, so we will have to develop our catalytic technology accordingly. In addition to the automotive indus-

risks managed. So far, there have not been enough systems based on real-time water measuring and monitoring. This is one sector where Finns can share their expertise globally. “In our opinion CEWIC has been able to work as a channel and catalyst, through which the companies have found partners from research, financing and networking companies.” Companies participating in the CEWIC network include multinational companies such as Kemira and Metso Automation as well as smaller innovative companies like Envitop and Ecolator. Many CEWIC companies like Kemira have contacts with Chinese companies, even representatives in China. The University of Oulu actively cooperates in many environmental research projects with the Chinese.

EHP-Tekniikka Ltd An example of an innovative water monitoring company is EHP-Tekniikka Ltd. It has developed a range of continuous water quality and quantity measurement solutions for challenging field conditions, such as those encountered in mining, waste water treatment, agriculture and forestry. EHP-Tekniikka deals with environmental technologies that offer developed monitoring stations: facilities and services for automatic monitoring of water discharge and quality. Monitoring systems are designed for automatic monitoring of water quality, water level and water flow. Meteorological and soil monitoring are also options. www.cleantechoulu.fi www.ecocat.fi www.ehp-tekniikka.fi

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try, power plants and process industry will have to lower their emissions with technical solutions. Catalytic installation for the new units and retrofit of the existing ones are the most cost-effective and technically most suitable solutions. New emissions regulations also affect off-road vehicles such as work machines and agricultural vehicles. “Strongly developing countries such as China, India or Russia are also tightening their norms, and we have taken this into account. In India we work on local basis, with production facilities and our own organisation. We are planning to do significant production investment in China, where we cooperate with local car manufacturers. In Russia we have installed catalysts in passenger cars and heavy vehicles. In India our product portfolio in vehicles is really broad, from three-wheeled mopeds to passenger cars and heavy vehicles.”

Water as global business Oulu is the home of the world-class Centre of Expertise in the Water Industry Cluster (CEWIC), which acts as an interface between high-tech companies and water-related academic research. Environmental monitoring is a particular CEWIC strength. Project leader of CEWIC, Mr Eero Huttunen of Technopolis, says that water is a vast global business: “The most successful companies are multinationals that can deliver whole systems. The public sector water and waste water treatment market has been growing at a slower pace than in industry. The public sector market, however, is also opening up. One reason for this is a fast growing city population. People gather in areas where drinking water is a scarce resource. “In our view Finns can do well on the global market, but one has to find suitable partners and develop cost-effective solutions for customers. “An important part of any water project is risk analysis. Based on this, a proper water plan can be tailored and CTO Toni Kinnunen from Ecocat Ltd. holds a catalyst of passenger car.

Business Finland 4/2010

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The Finnish Cleantech Cluster promotes internationalisation: FECC opens doors to Chinese markets FECC – the Finnish Environmental Cluster for China is a national programme to promote commercial and technological cooperation between China and Finland. FECC provides assistance to both conglomerates and individual cleantech companies. FECC offers help starting from the identification of projects, clients and co-operation partners, right up to the end of the whole marketing process. FECC also helps companies establish their presence in China. FECC is the major tool in implementing several cleantech-related Memorandums of Understanding between Finland and China. FECC connects the policy level discussions to the interface between Finnish suppliers and Chinese clients and partners. FECC acts as a bridge and platform for cooperation by providing the network and facilitation for the supply and demand to meet. FECC’s network includes companies, research institutes and universities, financiers, ministries and other public sector operators. The bottom line for FECC is to make concrete projects happen.

Huge market and concrete cooperation projects in China China’s environmental markets are huge. Several studies indicate that the total annual volume of the environmental sector is worth EUR 500 - 1,000 billion and that the market will grow at an annual rate of 10- 15 per cent in the years to come. It is expected that the next 5-year plan will put a special emphasis on climate change and other environmental related issues. FECC together with its partners have currently more than 30 concrete projects under development or implementation such as: Congqing DigiEcoCity project in Jiang Xi Province (investment value 3 billion euros); bio energy projects in Heilongjiang and Yunnan Provinces; CDM, bioethanol and waste projects in several provinces; lake restoration in Anhui and Yunnan Provinces. FECC is an important partner in negotiating all these projects.

Additional information on FECC: ari.makkonen@lahtisbp.fi 54

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Russia programme In addition to FECC, Lahti Science and Business Park also coordinates the Russia programme. The programme comprises of three miniclusters: • The EE50-Energy Efficiency Cluster fronted by Onninen Oy, a company specialised in energy efficiency, heating plants and energy infrastructure • The Environmental Maintenance Cluster fronted by L&T, the largest waste management company in Finland • Lahti-Russia Cluster, a cluster of eight companies Lahti Science and Business Park Ltd acts as the coordinator for the clusters and offers support for the clusters in finding partners and negotiating concrete projects. The main target areas include Moscow district, Saint Petersburg, Arkhangelsk, Carelia, Murmansk, Tatarstan, Krasnodar (Sochi), Irkutsk, Yekaterinburg, Hantimansisk and Urengoi. A project for cooperation of the neighbouring areas is under way - A Pilot Project for Energy Efficiency in Saint Petersburg.

Additional information: salem.banafa@lahtisbp.fi

Nordic Cleantech Alliance – programme Green Net Finland is coordinating Finland’s involvement in the Nordic Cleantech Alliance, whose aim is to create an umbrella organisation for Nordic cleantech organisations and promote Nordic Cleantech on the global stage. The programme includes implementing Nordic cleantech pilot projects initially in Poland and the USA, and exploring possibilities for Nordic cleantech in other markets such as China.

Additional information: lauri.hietaniemi@greennetfinland.fi

Emerging markets in India – Opportunities for Cleantech! Finnish Cleantech Cluster has a strategic partner in India to facilitate and promote the business opportunities of Finnish cleantech companies in the Indian markets. Yes Bank is a “full service” commercial bank with sustainable values and is in cooperation with the Finnish Cleantech Cluster helping Finnish companies who are interested in the Indian markets. The huge growth in the Indian market is increasing the need for environmentally and cleantech solutions and technologies. We help the Finnish companies to find market data, interesting projects or partners to ease the way to the Indian markets.

Additional information : nina.harjula@lahtisbp.fi

Global clusters – program • Coaching companies for global markets (internationalisation strategies, business plans, financing). • Provides cost effective access to world’s best high-tech business development expertise and methodologies. • Companies participating in program have been able to expand their business networks and resources globally, successfully open their presence in the US markets, meet potential investors and raise significant amount of venture capital. Additional information: pasi.keinanen@ouluinnovation.com

Cleantech Venture Day in Lahti, Finland Thursday 4 November 2010 For five consecutive years Lahti has been the Scandinavian meeting place for the cleantech venture community, and follow suit in 2010 by: • Presenting the best Nordic cleantech pitches from the fastest growing segments, including Nordic strongholds like forestry, material efficiency and electrification of transport. • Bringing together companies, investors and industry movers and shakers from Europe, US and Asia to discuss the future of cleantech. • Offering unparalleled deal-making opportunities with leading venture capitalists, corporate venture funds and industry leaders. • Hosting an exclusive pre-event (invitation only), in cooperation with The American Chamber of Commerce in Helsinki on Wednesday evening, November 3. Organisers Lahti Science and Business Park Ltd - coordinator of the Finnish Cleantech Cluster Programme Cleantech Scandinavia – leading Nordic network of cleantech investors In co-operation with Cleantech Invest and The American Chamber of Commerce in Finland. Further information Mika Sulkinoja Lahti Science and Business Park Ltd Tel. +358 50 357 1723 mika.sulkinoja@lahtisbp.fi Svetlana Gross Cleantech Scandinavia Tel. +46 73 940 2081 svetlana@cleantechscandinavia.com

FINNISH CLEANTECH CLUSTER -Gateway to Finnish Cleantech

Coordinator: Lahti Science and Business Park Ltd Program Director, Mari Pantsar-Kallio mari.pantsar-kallio@lahtisbp.fi

Regional Competence Centres: Kuopio Innovation Ltd -Climate, air quality, health and Environmental informatics Development Director, Anneli Tuomainen anneli.tuomainen@kuopioinnovation.fi Lahti Science and Business Park Ltd -Developing cleantech business and Material efficiency Development Manager, Johanna Kilpi-Koski johanna.kilpi-koski@lahtisbp.fi Oulu Innovation Ltd -Clean water and Catalytic air purification Program Director, Pasi Keinänen pasi.keinanen@ouluinnovation.com Green Net Finland association -Environmental monitoring and Urban energy efficiency Managing Director, Lauri Hietaniemi lauri.hietaniemi@greennetfinland.fi www.cleantechcluster.fi

Business Finland 4/2010

Text: Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Photos: Sini Pennanen

Ecological Luxury - Anttolanhovi's Art & Design Villas

Saimaa is the largest lake in Finland and the fourth largest in Europe. It is located in southeastern Finland. Right by the lake, close to the town of Mikkeli, travellers can find one of the most exclusive holiday spots in the country, Anttolanhoviâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art & Design Villas. Here, service is a key word for the entire experience. Most of the villas are right by the water with their own private beach area. Some of the villas are located higher up on the hill where the view from the lakeside windows is spectacular. Almost half of the guests come from countries such as Russia and Spain.

One of the exciting outdoor experiences can be picking wild berries and mushrooms. The forests surrounding the lake are known to be plentiful.â&#x20AC;?

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he Pulmonary Association (HELI) is the main owner of the villas. The association purchased the estate by Saimaa in 1972 from the city of Anttola. The main building on the estate is still the Anttola Manor that has a history reaching as far back as the beginning of 1600. Now the associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main business is running the luxury villas and rehabilitation services.

Art & Design A young Finnish designer, Emma Johansson, was only a 21-year-old student when she won the design competition for villas. She has designed the Lakeside Villas and the renowned designer Timo LeiviskĂ¤ designed the Hillside Villas. Both of the designs are nature-oriented with their minimally processed and recycled materials to allow the villas to leave as small an ecological footprint as possi-

ble. They are built completely out of only natural materials. The floors are made of natural stone and all the indoor textiles use completely natural materials such as linen, cotton and wool. Each villa has its own named artist who has done the interior design and added his or her own part to the uniqueness of the environment. The heart for the design was to integrate art with everyday household items, but still remembering the functionality and comfort.

Services for guests

The services include everything that is available in luxury hotels with the full privacy of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own villa and much more. Meals can be ordered in to the villa, or a guest can order a private chef to prepare an entire meal in their fully equipped and modern kitchen. Also the services of a masseur/masseuse and beautician can be ordered to the villas as well.

The best leisure facilities are the ones that come free with nature. Whether summer or winter, the morning can start with a dip in the lake. Also canoeing, rowing and long church boats are available for guests. The church boats are part of Finnish history where the entire family had to travel across the lake to the church every Sunday. The peace and quiet of the nature can be also admired by bicycle or mountain bike. The Anttolanhovi estate has two tennis courts that are all-inclusive. One pleasurable outdoor experience can be the picking of wild berries and mushrooms. The forests surrounding the lake are known to be plentiful. Fishing trips on the lake are also very popular, and it is said that lake fish are the purest and healthiest when compared to fish from the ocean. A professional fishing guide is available to take groups of guests on trolling trips to the best salmon grounds in

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Finland – to lake Yövesi (Night water) that is one of the most fish-filled and cleanest waters in the Saimaa Lake district. The catch is usually freshwater trout, but there are also brown trout, pike perch (zander), pike and perch in the area. During the trip it is possible to encounter

one of the world’s most endan gered mammals, the Saimaa ringed seal.The best way to end the relaxing day is to take a sauna. In Anttolanhovi there are three different kinds of sauna available; a tradi tional Finnish sauna, a Turkish sauna, and a sauna made of logs and situated

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The entire stay in Anttolanhovi Villas is designed to have a serene and wellbeing effect on the guests.”

on the shore of Lake Saimaa. All saunas have access to swimming, either in a pool or straight to the lake. The entire stay in Anttolanhovi Villas is planned to have a serene and wellbeing effect on the guests. Even the mini bar inside the villa is filled with wellness in mind.

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Clean countryside cousin Only the best local ingredients are used in three restaurants in Anttolanhovi estate. The ingredients are from over 30 local suppliers. The fresh meat is purchased from small local butchers, fish from the local fishermen, and seasonal vegetables and root vegetables from local farms. All berries and mushrooms are picked from the clean Saimaa countryside. The wine list includes a selection of quality wines suitable for a lake scene and they are purchased from small wine suppliers. The liquor products are also local. OllimĂ¤ki Wine Farm supplies cider and Pontikka-liqueur. A well-known and top chef in Finland, Markus Maulavirta, has acted as the chef and as a trendsetter and helped to develop the Ă la carte menu and the catering products for the Art & Design Villas. One of the specialties is the favourite breakfast basket that is delivered to the villas each morning and which consists of a selection of special local delicacies.

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Conferences and other occasions Although the villas are the perfect holiday spot for nature lovers there is still an astonishing diversity in services when it comes to organising a long- remembered conference. In Anttolanhovi there are a variety of auxiliary programmes with successful business conferences and meetings. The objective is to lay on business meetings that refresh the mind and the body. The Manor House at Anttolanhovi is also an ideal spot for weddings, anniversary parties as well as any kind of occasional celebrations. www.anttolanhovi.fi

The artists for the Art & Design Villas: Kari Cavén, Kaarina Kaikkonen, Marika Mäkelä, Teemu Saukkonen, Hanna Vahvaselkä, Rauha Mäkilä, Antti Keitilä, Johanna Ilvessalo and Jussi Tiainen. Lakeside Villas: - 25 metres from the lake - 133 sq m  villas including 3 bedrooms, lounge, kitchen and 4 bathrooms - Excellent meeting facilities for up to 12 people.

Large Hillside Villas: - 70 metres from the lake - 103 sq m villas including 3 bedrooms, lounge, kitchen and 3 bathrooms Small Hillside villas: - 77 sq m villas including 2 bedrooms, lounge, kitchen and 3 bathrooms.

Large and small hillside villas can be joined to form a 180 sq m apartment for up to 10 people.

Business Finland 4/2010

Controlled Performance with

Basware

For the past decade automation has been a key word for many businesses when talking about expanding globally. Although Finnish people are known for their slow and thoughtful steps towards new things, in technology they have, however, been pioneers in many fields.

Text: Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Photos: Sini Pennanen / Basware

asware is one of the many Finnish technology-based companies that have truly succeeded in global markets. The company has been recognised as a market leader in providing Enterprise Purchase to Pay and Financial Management Solutions. To date more than one million users are already depending on Basware software to automate businesscritical financial processes. The company has more than 1,500 customers in over 50 countries. Basware is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The company was first established in 1985 as a subsidiary of a US-based company that was providing mainframe program solutions for midand larger market companies. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The times were changing and the mainframe pro-

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grams were no longer selling. We were living through transitional times when mainframe was changing rapidly to being PC-based, and again to Windowsbased program solutions. And this was the reason why our companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategy also changed in the late 1980s,â&#x20AC;? explains company CEO and owner, Ilkka Sihvo, who has been working for Basware from its early days. He has been in his current position since 2005. The ownership of the company changed at the same time as a strategy change, and it has been Finnishowned since 1988.

Positive growth Despite the challenging market situation, over the past two years the growth of Basware has been constant. The com-

To date more than one million users are already depending on Basware software to automate business-critical financial processes.â&#x20AC;?

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Each year has seen positive growth. In 2000 we had 65 people working for the company. Ten years later we have 808 employees.”

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pany achieved its highest net sales in its history, and the company’s operating profit grew by more than 36 per cent, and this was an extraordinary performance during a recession. “In 1999 our global markets were zero and 10 years later their share of our sales is already 54 per cent,” says Sihvo. He is also keen to point out that the company’s strategy has been right. “We have the same business profile that we had 15 years ago. Each year has seen positive growth. In 2000 we had 65 people working for the company. Ten years later we have 808 employees,” Sihvo adds. The company now has eight subsidiaries in Europe and in the US. Without a surprise, globalization has not proceeded. “We

were not planning to go to the US markets as early as we did. It happened about two years earlier than we had planned but the trends in the markets forced us to take the step and eventually it was profitable,” Sihvo remembers. Earlier this year Sihvo had the honour of ringing the closing bell in New York at the NASDAQ OMX exchange at the end of trade on Wednesday 17 March. Basware has been publicly traded on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki exchange since 2000. The company was invited to participate in the closing bell ceremony because of its strong global presence and recent success in the US market.

Providing compliance and control For the past 10 years the company’s main product has been Invoice Automation. “For our clients Invoice Automation minimises time-consuming, repetitive invoice handling. It provides full transparency and control throughout the accounts payable process. The solution is also ecological as tonnes of paper are eliminated and all the necessary information is handled electronically.” It is said that the Invoice Automation solution can cut up to 60 per cent of an organisation’s invoice processing workload. “The company is also saving a lot of money when there is no more need to check, internally distribute, locate and archive paperbased invoices,” Sihvo says. This new technology for Invoice Automation is more advanced in Finland than anywhere else in the world. “This was invented in Finland,” says Sihvo. “When we were first surveying global markets for our solutions, we paid attention to how each country was using the Internet and e-mail. It gave us an impression which countries were ready for what we were providing.” In 2000 Basware provided the first eInvoicing solution and from there on the service has increased. Within the last two years the change has happened in the solutions that Basware is offering. Accord-

Electronic Invoice is often a first electrified document between organizations. In the future more orders and confirmations are going to run through the same avenue.

ing to Sihvo, a recipient can increase the amount of electronic invoices by using scanning services, as well as by sending them through email services and virtual printers.

Interoperability with Invoice Automation “We still have many electronic invoicing networks worldwide that are not accessible to others. This means, that you cannot connect solutions from other networks without changing the provider completely, especially in the US. Our company’s policy has been from the beginning to keep our solutions interoperable. The closed network represents the same problem you would have if from

one phone operator you were only able to make a call to people who use the same operator as you,” Sihvo explains. He also thinks that the current trend is already changing, and the future will be more open.

The Art of Basware Even though the company’s business has nothing to do with fine art, it can be seen everywhere in the company headquarters in Espoo, Finland. The walls are covered with interesting paintings and sculptures. “We hold an annual competition for young artists. And each year we purchase the winning work as well as a few other works from the competition,” Sihvo explains.

The winner of the 2009 competition “Spacewalking towards scenery”, by Sara Pathirane

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The tradition began back in 2000 when a Finnish company named Analyste had the inspiration of giving young artists in Finland a chance to show off their work. Back then the competition was called The Art of Analyste. In 2006 Basware bought Analyste and wanted to continue the competition under the name The Art of Basware. This year the theme of the competition is “transparency”.

Long-term targets The company’s strategy was renewed in 2009 to cover the period from 2010 to 2020. “We are aiming to maintain our position as a leading global supplier of invoice automation and procurement solutions. Our target is to reach over 50 per cent growth in services such as scan & capture, e-Invoicing and SaaS-offering. “In the future I expect that all invoices will move through automated systems. This trend will eventually save many rainforests when actual paper invoices are not in use anymore. When clients require their invoices to be sent electronically rather than through regular mail, then companies’ stance towards automation will change as well,” says Sihvo – who sees Basware succeeding even more in the future. www.basware.com

“Wait”, by Komugi Ando

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Converting wind energy into electricity -

WinWinD

CEO of Winwind Ltd Ilkka Hakala

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We have invented and developed a system that works in extreme conditions. With our integrated blade heating system the ice that accumulates on blades will melt immediately.”

In 2009 energy production with wind power met two per cent of worldwide electricity consumption. As we can see it is growing rapidly because within the past three years the amount has doubled. Wind energy as a renewable energy source has shown it will be one of the main potential sources of energy in the future.

Text: Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Photos: Sini Pennanen / WinWind

n January 2010 there were 118 wind turbines in Finland and they are mostly located in the costal areas. “The best locations for wind parks are on the coast, where the wind is more powerful and constant. We have an ongoing exploratory project that is investigating the possibilities of also locating wind turbines inland. They would be placed higher than normal,” says Ilkka Hakala, the newly appointed CEO of Winwind Ltd – one of the main global suppliers of 3 MW wind turbines, and the only one providing the entire wind parks in Finland. The WinWinD turbines are based on low speed technology. In 2010 Winwind Ltd will be celebrating its 10th anniversary. It used to be a Finnish-owned company that expanded its business globally. The main ownership is now divided in three: Siva Group

from India, Masdar from Abu Dhabi and Finnish Industry Investment Ltd. “Ever since we united with Siva Group and Masdar our global market has increased remarkably. This union gave us an ability to grow and develop,” Hakala explains. Siva Group is a multi-billion dollar group with varied interests in potential business sectors such as communications, renewable energy, agriculture, and food & wellness. In 1990 Siva Group revolutionised the mobile communications industry by being among the first to launch mobile phone services in India. The Masdar Initiative is Abu Dhabi’s multi billion-dollar investment in the development and commercialisation of innovative technologies, plus renewable and sustainable energy and design. Finnish Industry Investment Ltd is a government-owned investment company.

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Developed in the harshest environment Finland is an ideal place for product development when it comes to wind turbines. Winters can be harsh and only those wind turbines that are made for these conditions will survive and continue producing energy without trouble. “We have invented and developed a system that works in extreme conditions. With our integrated blade heating system the ice that accumulates on blades will melt immediately. If the ice stays on the blades it

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will eventually affect the turbine so that it stops working. And this is the main problem with wind turbines in northern areas,” Hakala states. WinWinD produces two types of wind turbines: 1 MW and 3 MW turbines based on advanced Multibrid technology. Wind turbines are developed to operate reliably and energy efficiently, even in low winds. “Our low rotation solution is reliable and durable. When it makes 300 rotations per minute compared to other models that do 1500 rotations per minute you can understand why it will last long-

er. It is natural that the faster rotating one will wear out earlier,” Hakala explains. The WinWinD’s blade design and pitch control together with a permanent magnet generator enables high efficiency of the wind turbine, even with low wind speed. Combining German innovation and expertise with Finnish know-how in energy production is the WWD concept. Winwind Ltd met the demands of the market for wind power by developing an innovative wind turbine with a WWD concept. The company focuses on reli-

finnish solutions In less than 10 years Winwind Ltd was acknowledged to be the fourth largest supplier globally of 3 MW wind turbines.â&#x20AC;?

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ability and efficiency, as well as ease of maintenance, resulting in the lowest production costs during the entire lifespan of the turbine. “Top professionals in the field are responsible for the development of the WWD turbine where the electricity is generated by a new integrated power unit. The innovative WWD wind turbine is based on a reliable planetary gear and a low-speed synchronous generator,” he says.

Location challenges The biggest challenges for the wind park projects seem to be the noise problems. Holiday cabin owners, who choose a location for its peace and quiet, normally inhabit the best coastal locations. “In our product development we are constantly taking that into consideration. And of course sometimes it is only a question about attitude. Some areas are not so quiet although located by the coast, as they have highways passing close by and aircraft flying overhead. After a while people will get used to the sound of wind turbines as well,” Hakala says. Although there is much talk about the noise problems associated with the wind turbines there are also models that are more silent.

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In its early days WinWinD was a small company with only a few people. In less than 10 years the company was acknowledged to be the fourth largest supplier globally of 3 MW wind turbines. “There are not many suppliers in global markets for 3 MW wind turbines. Now the latest trend is to enlarge the wind turbines so that they can become even more powerful,” Hakala states. The size, technology and the cost efficiency seem to be the trendiest words within the field. The goal and direction seem right when the need for electricity is ever rising, and sustainable production is in demand. After consolidating with Siva Group the company joined the large market that

is India. In 2009 WinWinD opened a new factory there that manufactures 1 MW wind turbines as well as the blades. “When the recession is over we will be able to see that there is a growing interest in alternative energy sources. At the moment we have a long list of ongoing projects,” Hakala says. One of the latest confirmations of cooperation was made with Aseri, Estonia, where WinWinD is delivering a 24 MW wind park. Aseri is located in eastern Estonia about 130 km east of Tallinn. The wind park will consist of eight 3 MW wind turbines, which will be delivered this year. The park is expected to start producing electricity at the beginning of 2011. www.winwind.com

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Global stage

Text: Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Photos: Sini Pennanen / ABB

Wind Power for a Clean and Sustainable Future 72

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In Finland ABB has already had wind power operations for 30 years.”

Wind power as a source of energy is not a new invention. In fact, 4,000 years ago the Babylonians and Chinese were using wind power for pumping water to irrigate crops. Later, in Europe in the Middle Ages, corn was ground using wind power. The name windmill originates from that era.

oday the wind turbine is the modern equivalent of the windmill. It uses the wind's energy to generate electricity. Wind turbines are placed on top of a high tower to capture the maximum amount of wind.

The reason why wind power has seen such a rise in popularity is easy to understand. Wind is a sustainable energy source that does not produce pollutants of any kind and its energy can be harnessed without causing any damage to the environment.

Wind power in Finland Although Finland seems to be a pioneer in wind power production there has been ongoing research and development for decades. “In Finland ABB has already had wind power operations for 30 years,” says

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Wind mills in Huhehot, China

Vice President of ABB Wind Power Generator's Automation Products Division Tero Manner. The ABB Wind Power Generator business unit manufacturers both induction and synchronous generators for wind turbines. The generators are tailored for each customer application but standard wind generators are also available. The company utilises technologies that are already tested in other motor and generator applications, including permanent magnet technology. ABB is the leader in permanent magnet technology. ABB supplies generators for all main wind turbine concepts. “Within the most important components as a provider we are known to be a market leader,” Manner explains.

Wind turbines in Kemi Ajos Finland 74

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Operating efficiency “Because of the savings in the maintenance costs, our solutions are economical. They are durable and constantly produce electricity,” says Manner. Through the company’s worldwide organisation and network of selected partners, ABB can provide systematic lifecycle management services that enable wind power operators to maximise the production, availability, reliability and performance of their equipment. The competition in the wind power solutions business has been increasing because in the last decade several new businesses have been flourishing within the market. “Our competitive edge has always been our reliability and the fact that as such a large company we are able to present ourselves globally. When a new wind park is being erected our people are always there at the location and ready to assist.” Manner also thinks that the long history of the company is a guarantee that they are not the first ones to leave the business if the economic foundation is shaky. “This is an important fact when selling a product that is meant to have a long lifetime. Replacement parts are even then still available. Our business has always been responsible,” Manner says.

ABB permanent magnet wind power generator

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The future solution Fossil fuels are still the main source of the world’s electricity. However, the generation of renewable energy from hydro, wind and solar power sources is steadily increasing. It is believed that this, combined with transmission technology developments over the past 20 years, is key to finding a solution that not only significantly reduces CO2 levels, but does it cost efficiently at the same time. A solution might be to connect renewable electric energy generated by hydro, wind, or solar power to the consumer that is using currently available technologies. ABB doubly-fed wind power generator

“Although Texas in the USA is located mainly inland, the winds are very powerful,” says Manner. “The State of Texas already has several large wind parks.” Texas produces the most wind power of any US state. As of March 2010 Texas had wind power capacity of 9,410 MW.

Wind turbines are reaching higher output levels

Wind power as a technology has had a tremendous growth within the past few decades. The turbines have been developed to produce ever greater output levels. With the ever-advancing new technology wind power is going to reach even greater heights in producing sustainable electricity. As a global advantage for everyone many countries have already realised that the alternative energy sources such as wind power are going to play a great part in future energy production. www.abb.com

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MERVENTO - Direct Reliability Text: Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Photos: Sini Pennanen / Mervento

orrect timing is a big asset for any business. It seems that Mervento Ltd recognised its momentum with perfect timing. This might be a reason why the company has succeeded so well in such a short time. According to company’s CEO, Jouko Putkonen, the global wind power business has had a constant and powerful increase, growing more than 20 per cent per year for the last several years. “Finland is in an interesting situation now that we are part of the EU. Finland is engaged with the EU climate package, needing to increase our share of renewable energy up to 38 per cent before the year 2020. Finland’s goal is to have 2000 MW coming from wind power by 2020,” Putkonen explains. He has been a company CEO since the beginning of 2009.

Wind is the fuel The Mervento wind turbines have been designed to maximize energy production and minimize life cycle costs and main-

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Mervento Ltd is one of the largest start-up companies in Finland. It was founded in December 2008. Mervento Ltd is owned by its founders Martti Ala-Vainio and Patrik Holm, as well as investors like VNT Management Ltd, Soldino Ltd, mutual pension insurance company VARMA, Ahlström Capital Ltd, EPV Energia Ltd and the company’s own staff.

tenance. They feature highly integrated components such as a medium-voltage direct drive permanent magnet generator to transform wind energy into electric power. “This means that the wind turbine rotor and the generator have the same rotational speed. Also the turbine hub and generator structure are integrated, making it possible for us to exclude the gearbox from the design.” Putkonen also says that the solution enables lower weight compared to other direct drive wind turbines, and shorter manufacturing and assembly times. Another specialty in Mervento’s solution is that only a small land area is needed to prepare for the process of putting up turbines, as the wind turbine is easy and fast to install under nearly all weather conditions and without expensive lifting cranes. Mervento’s prototype, the direct drive MERVENTO 3.6-118 wind turbine, has a low noise level, low vibration and high total efficiency. The wind turbine will be placed on the west coast of Finland and it

will be operational by June 2011. “This is a so-called coastal turbine. The tower is 125 metres high. It is much higher than traditional towers,” Putkonen says. Mervento has already sold six of the 3.6 MW wind turbines. Wind is nature’s own fuel that is free of charge and it does not need to be extracted or transported. Energy that the wind produces is generated without any waste products such as ashes or sludge.

One of a kind in the market It seems that Mervento has developed a one-of-a-kind solution that is not available anywhere else. “We did not aim to have only one component that we specialize with, but we wanted to know the entire power plant processes and solutions. Our development includes the base of the tower and tower itself, as well as the nacelle and blades.” Mervento will assemble the nacelle in the company’s own factory that is going to be up and running in mid-2012. From

Wind is natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own fuel that is free of charge and it does not need to be extracted or transported.â&#x20AC;?

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then nacelle assembly work will be done by nominated subcontractors. “Only the blades have to be ordered from abroad because there are no blade manufacturers in Finland.” Putkonen also mentions that Mervento always uses many Finnish subcontractors and materials, as there are plenty of high quality suppliers available in Finland Mervento’s turbines work on medium voltage, which enables the company to locate the electrical equipment except the generator on the ground. Putkonen mentions that within markets of the 3.6 MW wind turbines the Mervento design is best - also on a global level - in its effectiveness to produce power. “With our turbines we are aiming to extend the lifetime to 25-30 years. Normally the wind turbines are certified only up to 20 years.” The three-blade, variable-speed rotor rotates silently with a design tip velocity of 78 metres per second at the rated wind speed of 11.5 metres per second. Designing the rotor with top-class blades for a very low-rated wind speed has increased energy production. A tall tower ensures higher energy production but is traditionally prone to vibrations. With an innovative approach, the Mervento designers have found a way to increase the height of the tower, while minimizing the vibrations and at the same time reducing the manufacturing costs. “The shape of the blade and the speed both affect the noise the turbine makes. The noise is always related to the moving devices. Because in our solution we excluded the gearbox it means that there are only a few moving parts in our turbines. This, together with the hermetic and insulated nacelle cover structures, has the result that the sources for noise are also minimal,” Putkonen explains. Technical integrations enable the investment cost to stay at a low level compared to other direct drive designs. High energy production, high availability, low operating and maintenance costs and a long lifetime, along with reliable and innovative solutions, ensure a fast return on investments.

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The Mervento design is best – also on a global level - in its effectiveness to produce power.”

As a company that has just started up, although with an enormous speed, Mervento had a plan to first cover the Finnish markets. Their customers are mainly utility companies and independent energy producers such as Pohjolan Voima, Fortum, Vattenfall and EPV Energia. “We are growing globally and we are planning to move forward step by step. First we are extending our business to Sweden, Norway and the Baltic countries, the UK and Ireland. And in the long run we will be moving even further afield. Of course if an opportunity presents itself we are ready to move quicker,” Putkonen says. According to Putkonen, Mervento’s solution is truly profound. The idea for the company started when the owners realized the markets were opening in 2007-08. By then they were ready to start their own company, having now more time for the product design and development process. Mervento Ltd is aiming to be a technology leader in wind turbine direct drive technology. As a provider of wind turbine power plant solutions the company will concentrate on advanced system integration with an understanding of all the wind turbine power plant processes. www.mervento.com

We did not aim to have only one component that we specialize with, but we wanted to know the entire power plant processes and solutions. Our development includes the base of the tower and tower itself, as well as the nacelle and blades.”

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Future markets

Tammermatic The Ferrari of Car Washes

Who could have thought that the “Ferrari” of car washes originates from Tampere, Finland? Text: Katja Kangasniemi Photos: Sini Pennanen / Tammermatic

met Juha Soutolahti, the Managing Director of the company, who a decade ago led the company sales and maintenance functions for 10 years. Mr Soutolahti was nevertheless invited back to assume new responsibilities as the company expanded its operations to new market segments. Previously Tammermatic concentrated mainly on passenger car washing machines. Today, heavy transport vehicles washing machines are constructed, as the US subsidiary, InterClean, focuses on buses, trucks, trains and special vehicles. These projects involve engineering as the clients’ washing challenges are solved. Mr Soutolahti tells us he appreciates not only the professionalism of his colleagues but the company spirit too.

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Our best clients are those that purchased 10 machines from us, every three years for the past 30 years.â&#x20AC;?

Managing Director, Juho Soutolahti

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Tampere, Finland: Lucrative car wash sales Tammermatic produces different car wash machine models from single gantry machines that perform 15,000 washes a year to wash lines performing 100,000 washes a year. There are also double gantry machines which work simultaneously and thus shorten the washing time by half. They perform 30,000 washes a year. The wash lines are called RoboJet Washstreets, where several cars simultane-

ously advance on a conveyor. The whole process takes around two minutes whereas a normal wash might take up to seven minutes – on top of which you might have to wait in a queue for a considerable amount of time! The Wash-streets speed up the process considerably. Tammermatic is therefore saving the customer time and money. Mr Soutolahti says: “In the end, it is a lucrative business for chains or oil companies to invest in this machinery and

You could easily say that the more challenging a request for a tender, the more confident we are to win it! We are not willing to enter markets that involve simple solutions. We opt for those that require engineering.”

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charge approximately EUR 10-20 per wash. It is our task to make sure that the cash flows are continuous.” According to Mr Soutolahti the passenger car washing machines are replaced every three to five years. “And during those five years we have to assist the customer in ensuring that the machine functions constantly. The after-sales services also include the sale of environmentallyfriendly chemicals, and possibly water recycling, that is obligatory in Sweden. We take full responsibility of the emissions being within the norms. Our best clients are those that have purchased 10 machines from us, every three years for the past 30 years,” continues Mr Soutolahti. As the company strives to service its customers better, the latest innovations include machines that are connected to the Tammermatic “command centre” called Tammer Net via the Internet. The company has already sold dozens of these models that can be constantly monitored online by Tammermatic. “If a customer enters the machine the wrong way or there is a malfunction, the machinery sends a signal to Tampere. We can then either try to sort the problem out via computer, or contact a local technician. Through remote diagnostics we can assume complete responsibility for the machine’s lifecycle. This is important as our clients’ personnel, such as shopping centre chains that are open 24 hours a day, are not trained to deal with technical difficulties. In the past the petrol station owners could take care of these things themselves, but this is not the case anymore and it would be more costly to send a technician on site. As mentioned above, the company also manufactures its own chemicals at Tampere. Mr Soutolahti explains that the detergents have to be certified as environmentally-friendly, and washing machines have to be fitted with water purification and recycling systems. “Today it is clearly safer to wash one’s car in an automated car wash than in one’s back yard, where it is not allowed in a lot of countries!”

Ann Arbor, Michigan: Challenging engineering projects The company’s US subsidiary services clients that need to wash their heavy transport vehicles either for image reasons or in order to perform maintenance operations. Other possible targets include trucks that get dirty while moving around on a building site, and have to be washed with high pressure water in order to reenter the normal road system. “Also trains have to be washed regularly. A train washing machine can be up to 200 metres long, amounting to a true engineering feat. Other challenging projects include concrete mixers or gar-

bage trucks that are complicated structures to wash. However, passenger cars come out shiny and waxed after a wash – a good washing result. With these bulkier vehicles removing the dirt will suffice and heavy transport vehicles are not dried generally,” Mr Soutolahti elaborates. A recent company project, worth a couple of million dollars, is located in Canada where oil is refined from oil sands (also known as tar sands, a type of bitumen deposit). Here, the 400-tonne dumpers with tyres that are five metres in diameter have to be regularly washed for maintenance. “Coming autumn we will deliver the first innovative machine to wash the

dumpers. During one wash tonnes of oil and sand come out and had to be collected on a conveyor belt. The washing involves 16 laser water guns that conform to the shape of the cars. You could easily say that the more demanding a tender request, the more confident we are to win it! We are not willing to enter markets that involve simple solutions. We opt for those that require engineering,” says Mr Soutolahti. This is a clear division in the company businesses, but the products and markets complement each other. Being located on two contents also has its benefits.

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Going international Tammermatic was founded in 1966, and it went international from the beginning. The founder of the company, Kalle Lamminen, was in the business of importing Ford cars to Finland. “And the cars had to washed as well,” Mr Soutolahti says jokingly. “Suitable machines did not exist and Mr Lamminen started developing them. The company moved to the present facilities in 1968, and the same year exports started.” To date Tammermatic washing machines have been sold to around 60 countries and you can find them in every continent.” The machinery is transported disassembled. In Finland and Sweden the company employs its own teams to set up the customer operations. In the US there

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are four to five men that travel around the world servicing clients. According to Mr Soutolahti the minimum travel requirements for a supervisor are 200 days a year. The whole group employs roughly 150 people, 90 of whom are located at Tampere, 50 at Ann Arbor. The Swedish sales and maintenance organisation has 13–14 employees. In St Petersburg, a company sales representative adds to the resellers network. The Russian market is indeed seen to offer a huge future potential. In other parts of the world Tammermatic operates though a distributor network, apart from the US sales that are carried out through agents and company personnel. Around 80 per cent of the Tampere production is exported, with slight variations every year. The main markets are

in the Nordic area, central Europe – Italy, Holland, Switzerland, the UK – and Russia. Also the former CIS countries also have potential. In the US over half of the turnover is generated within the country, the main export markets being Canada, South America, Australia and New Zealand. In addition both companies sporadically deliver on other markets, the latest examples being South Africa, Egypt and Singapore. Mr Soutolahti nevertheless says the market is competitive. There are competitors in Italy and Spain, and Germany has a stock-listed competitor. In the Nordic area Tammermatic has no real competitors. Tammermatic beats the competition here, where weather and road conditions are harsh. Salt and sand are spread on the roads in the winter, making cleaning a necessity. The company slogan is “the best washing results”, and according to the clients, Tammermatic lives up to it. They also shorten washing time, and provide ease of access – which is important to women, along with lower noise levels and a softer washing action. You don’t see a Tammermatic washing machine in any old petrol station. These are considered the “Ferrari” of car washes. www.tammermatic.com

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In our company ‘custom made’ is not just a slogan. Since the majority of the delivered systems are tailor-made, the quality of the products we manufacture is high.”

Kent Björklund pictured with Lamor Miniskimmer, a decade-old company bestseller, a patented model of the company’s pioneering brush skimmers. It can collect up to 12,000 litres of oil an hour, notwithstanding its small size. The brushes pass the layer of oil that sticks to them, unlike water. An underlying comb then cleans the brushes and oil is collected and pumped to a separate temporary container or a vessel’s tank.

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Lamor The Name In Oil Spill Recovery At the outskirts of Porvoo, Finland – not far from the sea – there is a curious company in many senses. Lamor Corporation Ab, as the company’s name stands (deriving from LArsen Marin Oil Recovery, not l’amour…), has, in a relatively brief period of time, become a leading provider of innovative oil spill response solutions.

Text: Katja Kangasniemi Photos: Sini Pennanen / Lamor

t the time of writing the world’s eyes are on the Gulf Coast as a result of recent hazardous deepwater spills, and Lamor is operating on a 24/7 basis in the area. Its logistics department has already delivered large amounts of equipment – hundreds of skimmer systems, dozens of kilometres of oil containment booms and temporary storage, as well as pumping equipment. KBV001

In the case of an oil spill When an oil spill occurs, the first thing to do is to surround the oil with oil booms, and it is subsequently collected with an oil skimmer that separates the oil floating on the water. After that the skimmed oil is deposited and taken away. The Lamor product range covers the whole scale of oil spill recovery equipment as well as various related environmental technologies, and is often tailormade to meet local legal requirements

and environmental goals. “In high-risk oil spill areas we usually consult our clients on the most efficient and cost-effective oil spill response measures. The booms in the end make up only a small part of the company turnover. It is mostly generated from offshore solutions. That is, equipping vessels such as liners, tankers and coast guard vessels with integrated Lamor systems. This sig-

nifies close cooperation with shipbuilders, marine architects as well as the end users. This is a multi-faceted process. Our client base is unbelievably vast and versatile,” says Kent Björklund, the company Managing Director for the last six months. “Actually,” Mr Björklund points out, “when a vessel is shipwrecked, it seldom generates sales to Lamor, although there

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have been a couple of cases when Lamor products were deployed at the crisis site. The sales are rather a result of legal and regulatory pressures that again stem from market drivers such as public opinion, or the oil companies taking care of their image.” In other words, off-the-shelf sales account for a minor share. The company rather offers solutions, ranging from personal gear, such as wellington boots and shovels, radios and quads, to booms, skimmers and light vessels up to 20 metres in length to allow for (sea) transport. “In our company ‘custom made’ is not just a slogan. Since the majority of the delivered systems are tailor-made, the quality of the products we manufacture is high. We are not only complying with the industry standards – Lamor equipment is performance certified by Bureau Veritas and our production has received the ISO 9001:2000 certification for its Quality Management System. In order to meet customer needs, we invest a lot of resources in research and development. We generate most of our sales in areas in which we are the market leaders by far. We are true to enduring Finnish quality. We focus on engineering and knowledge,” Mr Björklund says.

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Balex Delta 2007 EMSA vessel

The LFF 100 – Lamor Offshore Skimmer

Lamor Offshore Skimmer LFF 100

EMSA Drill Offshore skimmer & boom

Lamor was originally founded in 1982 in Lovisa, Finland. Like many success stories, it is a result of many fortunate coincidences – in addition to a great deal of effort and determination, as we will see further on. Porvoo, the present location of the company, is on the coast, and the sea has always been an integral part of life in eastern Uusimaa. Oil has traditionally been transported in the Gulf of Finland, and Neste, the oil company, is located in the vicinity. A suitable environment was thus created, and the company operations began with dockyard maintenance operations as a joint effort between two brothers, Bent and Fred Larsen, and their father, Böge Larsen. The company has for the last 10 years concentrated on building its markets. Today it has emerged as the market leader – as a result of determination, courage, creativity, business sense, insight… Mr Björklund’s list of adjectives to describe this successful family business that is now in its second and third generation is endless. “Major company growth took place in 1995–96 when it was recognised that the shipyard maintenance operations had no future. Up to that point, most of the maintenance work had been carried out on Russian vessels, the flow of which stopped as the Russian clearing business collapsed. The final impetus was that Lamor had already collaborated with Finland’s environmental administration to provide the vessels operating in the Gulf of Finland with oil spill recovery equipment. In those days environmental awareness was only raising its head, and the market was rather small and scattered. There were booms and some mechanical solutions to separate, or skim, the spilt oil,” says Mr Björklund. The Lamor technology nevertheless turned out far superior to that of the competitors, and that carried the company a long way. The company has invested a lot in product development, and the Baltic as such is a special operating environment since there is a lot of oil transportation

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In rough waters

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The transportation and exploration of oil is to a growing extent carried out at sea rather than in deserts or the like. It is more cost-efficient to collect oil spills at sea, if possible – weather permitting etc – than to wait for the oil to reach the shores. Thus the vessels have to be equipped with oil spill recovery equipment. In this image the oil is not surrounded by a boom but rather the vessel cruises through it and collects the oil in skimmers located on both sides of the vessel.

LCS delivered to Nanuq Alaska in 2007

and a lot of clients with a great deal of different needs. “Finland is an important market for us, as well as Russia, where the oil spill recovery equipment sold to Siberia has been in use year after year. The Lamor products are in use, among other places, at Lukoil Varendey’s oil terminals on the Barents Sea. Also the coast guard of Sweden is an important and sparring R&D partner for us.”

The first choice: Lamor On top of the high-class products, the company capabilities cover cutting edge logistics and sales. “We understand our clients’ needs and we have the planning, the brand and the product portfolio. The equipment is nevertheless commissioned from different strategically-based manufacturers. This is necessary in order to maintain a competitive edge, whereas we generate our turnover from the backbone of Finnish engineering know-how. In our business there is no alternative to knowledge, capability and quality. I am happy to lead such a company. Over the years we have accumulated a strong team with an emphasis on exports.” Lamor today employs around 100 people, roughly half of whom are based in Finland. If you also take into account the

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KBV001 with Lamor sweep & skimmer

joint ventures – including among others environmental centres (where Lamor is a minority partner) located in China, Russia and Oman – there are around 400 employees. On top of that, its network of subcontractors continually employs over 300 people. Lamor today views China as a strong growth market, and the company has a rather strong presence in the country with 13 employees. In 2004–05, Lamor also started manufacturing operations in the country on a subcontractor basis. To-

day the environmental issues are of interest in China as well. “The market is very interesting from our point of view and we will strongly concentrate on the market. We have already formed a joint venture with a local service provider in Shanghai that offers harbour and environmental maintenance services,” Mr Björklund says. The Lamor sales organisation covers the world, and five regional managers are based in Porvoo. On top of that, the company has a vast, global network of agents.

Finland is an important market for us, as well as Russia, where the oil spill recovery equipment sold to Siberia has been in use year after year.”

During our visit we learn that there are two types of spills: on one hand there are the big ones that are taken care of by big oil spill recovery centres, and on the other hand there is the continuous oil spill recovery. For example, in China new legislation has just been passed stipulating that vessels that enter the harbour area will have to be surrounded by booms. Lamor’s reference cases include a vessel named Prestige that broke in half off the Spanish coast in 2002. “They were not prepared, had no equipment and a lot of oil was spread in the sea. In a couple of days, in collaboration with Finland’s Environmental Administration, we were able to send over 4–5 truckloads of oil booms of an overall length of several kilometres. It took only one day to mobilise it all. Also, skimmers were delivered. We took the coordination responsibility, as no-one in Europe was able to mobilise such an amount of equipment as we did.” Lamor has also entered into an agreement with the European Maritime safety Association, operating under the European Commission, to carry out the emergency oil spill response in the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic off Portugal. “We are on 24/7 standby and response readiness,” concludes Mr Björklund. www.lamor.fi

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In action

On the other hand the bigger deals are usually signed with a couple of oil companies, the biggest harbours and refineries. “In that sense the market is rather restricted, and everyone knows the name Lamor, and the name Lamor promptly comes to mind when considering acquiring oil spill recovery equipment, thanks to the marketing that has been carried out thus far. We have based our current growth on this basis, spreading the message that if you have the money, you buy Lamor. If you don’t, you have to buy something cheaper,” Mr Björklund says.

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L&T Biowatti Clean Energy From Finnish Wood In this insightful interview with Tomi Salo, the Managing Director of L&T Biowatti – implying both bio-based materials and electricity, but not deliberately limited to either bioenergy or wood fuels – we explore the present Finnish situation for these alternative sources of energy. Today, about 5.5 million solid cu m of forest chips are used in industrial energy production, and within 10 years the target is treble that amount. Yet there is potential for much more, says Mr Salo. He is also the Finnish Bioenergy Association vice chairman. He calls for joint action on the part of all the industry players to reach the future goals, and to eventually grow the exports for the benefit of all. Text: Katja Kangasniemi Photos: Sini Pennanen / L&T Biowatti

assila & Tikanoja (L&T) is a long-term Finnish provider of environmental management and property and plant support services. It is a leading supplier of woodbased bio fuels, recovered fuels and recycled raw materials. The company is constantly on the lookout for new business areas and has identified considerable potential in renewable energy. In line with this the company has from the beginning of 2010 reorganised itself into three different business branches. One of them is L&T Renewable energy sources, today

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L&T Biowatti. Its mission is to provide clean energy from wood, coupled with other services linked with wood. “If you think of our key business, we are an interesting operator in the sense that we do not have energy production of our own nor do we produce fuels for transportation – we are clearly a service provider that services both energy producers' and forest industry's raw material procurement needs. We are a true sales organisation for both wood-based fuels and the recycled fuels generated within the group,” says Mr Salo. “In the sphere

If need be, we have the necessary operating model and the organisation to ship wood-based fuels abroad just as easily as we transport them to an energy producer in Finland.â&#x20AC;?

Managing Director of L&T Biowatti, Tomi Salo

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finnish solutions The refining process of wood-based fuels already starts in the woods as treetops, branches and stumps are cut on specially engineered vehicles.

of the wood fuels we act as a service provider for forest owners, energy producers and the forest industry. When it comes to recovered energy fuels (REF) and recycled wood, the L&T Environmental services produce them and L&T Biowatti sells them to energy producers in Finland.

From Finnish forests … According to Mr Salo, L&T is traditionally strong in logistics, that is, managing the transport of wood fuels in different formats (such as chips) to their final destination – mainly energy plants located in Finnish growth centres – on heavy duty vehicles. "We have consistently worked towards streamlining the delivery of wood-based material. We are the only Finnish company with an extensive network of wood warehousing or refining facilities that allow us to keep functioning, even during bad weather conditions or other different situations. This is a strategic investment as the flow of raw mate-

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rial cannot be interrupted. In addition we own a heavy duty fleet, and we collaborate with a number of Finnish companies (Scania, Heinolan Sahakone for chippers and Kesla for lifts). This has not only provided us with a way of strengthening the logistics chain further, but it has proved an interesting R&D environment too," he adds. Mr Salo says that in the future there are mainly three sources to meet the growing needs for renewable wood fuels: "First, we can produce them from tree tops and branches, secondly, from stumps, and thirdly, from energy thinnings where young trees – more than 12 cm in diameter are being harvested. There is an abundance of the latter, due to the lack of silvicultural operations in the past, their small size and costly harvesting." Tree tops and branches or small wood from energy thinnings are stored at the roadside for some months after harvesting. Once they have dried up enough, tree

tops and branches or small wood is then chipped and delivered to the customer. In addition, the forest industry by-products, such as bark and saw dust, can be utilised in energy production. By-products are nevertheless diminishing as the forest industry is cutting back on, rather than expanding, its operations.

"In addition to this, 9 million solid cu m of excess fibre wood grow in our forests every year. From the nation's perspective it is a good thing for meeting renewable energy needs. But what should we do with the extra wood? There are three possibilities: increase the traditional forest industry, produce heat and electricity, or create new wood-based products, such as biodiesel. When you consider that one biodiesel plant requires a million solid cu m of raw materials every year, there is room for altogether nine such plants in Finland â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and that presents yet another opportunity for us," Mr Salo points out. The L&T Biowatti business is strongly focused in Finland, but the company does employ an international business manager, at present mostly employed on imports of energy. Today the wood imported to Finland mainly originates from Russia or the Baltic states.

â&#x20AC;Świth a destination abroad? There are different forms of renewable energy as well as bioenergy, and global fuel flows already are a reality. "Actually it is not a new phenomenon at all," says Mr Salo, "it has come about through the drivers to moderate climate change. Globally abundant wood, for example, can be refined in many ways to help control

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climate change. You can, among other things, substitute coal or nuclear energy with renewable energy, or substitute fossil fuels for transportation with bio fuels. The import of a million solid cubic metre of Liberian rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensi) for energy production might be considered as a new opening, but in the end it is the client that decides, be it on the basis of the price or the origin of the raw material. In one word, the possibilities are huge, and in general terms, this opens up the possibilities for a global business." As mentioned above, in the future there is more wood in Finland than the traditional forest industry is capable of refining, and more wood than the obligations on renewable energy call for. Mr Salo says it is thus perfectly possible to export wood for energy from Finland. "It is downright probable as the other EU countries will soon start to carry out their respective renewable energy commitments. If need be, we have the necessary operating model and the organisation to ship wood-based fuels abroad just as easily as we transport them to an energy producer in Finland." Mr Salo's long-term vision is to export a ready concept from Finland elsewhere in Europe or other parts of the world, a concept that would include not only the electricity or heat plant and the infrastructure to guarantee the raw material input, but exporting veritable knowhow and solutions. "Here in Finland we have the companies to deliver plants of big dimensions, we possess the knowledge for chipper production, among other things, as well as the schools to carry out planning of all sorts around the world. Then there are companies like L&T Biowatti with the necessary knowledge. It is clear that our company, for example, has more expertise than hardware. We are not interested in starting operations in Shanghai ourselves but could collaborate in increasing the utilisation of renewable energy," Mr Salo concludes. www.biowatti.fi

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When you consider that one biodiesel plant requires a million solid cu m of raw materials every year, there is room for altogether nine such plants in Finland â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and that presents yet another opportunity for us.â&#x20AC;?

Business Finland 4/2010

Practically all our products are shipped by air and one monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production could be put in one big suitcase.â&#x20AC;?

CEO of VTI Technologies, Markku Hirvonen

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VTI

VTI Technologies Oy is expanding to incorporate consumer electronics like game consoles, mobile devices and cameras with its excellent sensor products. “This is the fastestgrowing business segment in our industry, offering extremely interesting applications to develop new high performance sensor products,” elaborates Markku Hirvonen, CEO of VTI Technologies.

Sensors Make Sense Text: Klaus Susiluoto Photos: Sini Pennanen

irvonen has been leading VTI for three years. His earlier career includes almost eight years in senior management positions with Nokia, including the global giant’s Customer Service Support business. “Nokia’s businesses were extremely interesting, but so is the world of sensors. VTI is the biggest dedicated MEMS – micro electro-mechanical systems – company in the world. Years ago, VTI set a target of becoming the market leader in low-g acceleration sensors for automotive and medical markets and we clearly are the market leading sensor supplier in these markets” One very important application is ESC, Electronic Stability Control system, which is fitted to almost half of the cars produced today. “In Europe and in the USA, ESC will be compulsory in all new passenger vehicles as of 2012, so the market is still expanding,” says Hirvonen.

Reliability and quality The ESC system is one of VTI’s core application areas. ESC compares a car’s trajectory data acquired from motion sensors with steering wheel angle and accelerator pedal position, enabling instant reaction to deviations. “ESC corrects for under- and over-steering and helps keep the car on the road. It is not only about safety, it’s about providing a more pleasant and ecological drive,” says Hirvonen. In ESC technology, yaw rate and lateral acceleration measured by an angular rate sensor and accelerometer are compared to those calculated from the wheel speed information and the steering wheel angle. Reliability and quality are emphasised in active safety solutions. In addition to ESC, there are several applications in the modern car which require sensor technology. “VTI’s one strength is that we design and build sensors that are extremely reliable. For example, vibration robustness has been one of the cornerstones of our 3D MEMS technology. Sensors in the moving vehicles need to be well protected against vibrations and shocks.”

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finnish solutions

Good sensors must also be immune to wide and rapid temperature changes. “The market for our automotive sensors seems to be recovering. More and more, our solutions will also be used in electric vehicles. There is no major difference, if the car is run by fuel or by electricity; sensor technology is needed either way.”

Sensors for portable devices and game consoles

VTI – A truly Finnish high-tech company VTI Technologies was established as a stand-alone company in 1991. The company today has about 500 employees, and more than 90 per cent of them work in Finland. Over 100 people work in R&D to ensure technical leadership in selected markets.

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Markku Hirvonen says that he is lucky to lead the company on the threshold of the big breakthrough of sensors to the consumer market: “So far, VTI has offered sensors mainly to transportation and medical industries. We have kept a low profile in communications since our products form only one part of complex devices manufactured by our customers. Fame is not important to us. What is important is that we can provide first-class sensors to our clients.” What are these applications Hirvonen is so enthusiastic about? “Modern MEMS sensor technology has made it possible to integrate inertial sensors into a number of applications, especially in consumer products such as mobile phones, game consoles and cameras. Even GPS navigators have motion sensors which can be used for navigation in the case of a satellite signal dropping out while driving through a tunnel.” “In console games the players can make moves with arms, legs or the whole body, and thanks to sensors, the game reacts accordingly. In mobile phones there is a simple application where you turn your device, and the image follows suit by turning to the right position. “The breakthrough in consumer electronics started in the latter part of 2008. It has been estimated that growth on the consumer side will increase by 20 per cent annually, for years to come,” says Hirvonen.

Billion-dollar market

During the interview Mr Hirvonen takes a business card case from his pocket, and I assume he is going to hand over his business card. Instead he opens the case and shows some of the sensors. In a small case there are almost 10 small sensors made of silicon. “Our products are so small that the logistics needed is very light. Practically all our products are shipped by air and one month’s production could be put in one big suitcase,” says Hirvonen. “Naturally we do not deliver our products in suitcases, but the shipping costs of these items are not high.” “Our customers are literally all over the globe. Large car manufacturers, electronics companies, medical equipment companies, even heavy industry use our sensors. One example of VTI’s highly advanced technology is a cardiac pacemaker, the sensor of which measures body movement and a person’s position.” There are new medical and wellness applications like the sensor-operated “gastric band” which prevents one from eating too much. VTI Technologies supplies sensors to world-famous medical equipment manufacturers. “These projects are based on confidential cooperation and any medical instrument manufacturer that believes in the benefit of sensor technology, can contact us.”

About 98 per cent of VTI sales go abroad. The production and R&D is based in Finland, but the sales organisation is located in several countries and is supported by a global distributor network. “The sales offices have typically 2-5 people and it is continuing to expand,” according to Mr Hirvonen. The market for MEMS in 2009 was worth of approximately USD 6 billion, and is rapidly on the rise . “Applications are many and customised products in most cases are developed in close collaboration with our

finnish solutions

Little big business

customers. Sensors can even be used in trying to find oil, as the fluid reacts differently from solid ground in the seabed. Robotics offers good opportunities, as do heavy off-road vehicles, with regards to using brakes and driving control. They can also be used to stabilise cockpits,” says Hirvonen. Like in all electronics, price erosion is inevitable in sensors too. “ Naturally in these kinds of products unit prices will drop, but we also produce more sensors - tens of millions each year, and more new are applications emerging. Price, however, is not the only determining factor. Reliability, small size, energysaving capabilities and performance are important. Reliability is emphasised especially in vehicle and medical equipment solutions.” www.vti.fi

MEMS Technology In less than 20 years, MEMS (micro electro-mechanical systems) technology has gone from an interesting academic exercise to an integral part of many commonplace products. Modern sensors include the ones with the capability to sense both dynamic acceleration (ie shock or vibration) and static acceleration (ie inclination or gravity). Accelerometers are the basic products of the MEMS world, with hundreds of millions bought each year by the automotive industry. VTI Technologies has expertise in so-called 3D MEMS, which is an innovative combination of technologies for shaping silicon into three-dimensional structures, encapsulation, and contacting for easy mounting and assembly. This offers excellent sensor accuracy, small unit size, and low power consumption. An advanced sensor can be manufactured from a tiny piece of silicon, capable of measuring acceleration in three orthogonal directions.

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Nokia Siemens Networks has manufacturing operations in Finland, Germany, China and India. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s R&D network extends to all major technology hotspots around the world.

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Nokia Siemens Networks Global Leadership in 3G

Text: NSN / Katja Kangasniemi Photos: Nokia Siemens Networks

Nokia Siemens Networks has built telecommunication networks in 150 countries around the world. Every day more than 2 billion people connect via these networks. We asked the company representatives about the union of innovation and sustainability, the word on everybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lips today.

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okia Siemens Networks enables telecommunication services by building telecommunications infrastructure, such as mobile and fixed broadband networks, by providing related services and by developing software to operate and manage the networks.

operating and capital expenses and energy consumption throughout the network. Building on the company’s Flexi Base Station platform, the software definable Flexi Multiradio expands its supported technologies to cover GSM/EDGE, WCDMA/HSPA/HSPA+ and LTE - all running concurrently in a single unit, eliminating

the need for deploying all new equipment with each network evolution. “When 80 to 90 percent of a mobile operator’s energy is used by their network, we have to take drastic measures to decrease the energy consumption as much as possible,” said Anne Larilahti Head of Global Policy Initiatives, Nokia

Global leadership in 3G – and beyond The next step in mobile technology evolution, LTE or Long Term Evolution will bring true broadband to mobile screens without the wait. LTE promises to be one of the most important new mobile technology rollouts since the original GSM. Nokia Siemens networks has more than 10 commercial LTE deals and conducts trials worldwide. Having shipped LTE-ready Flexi Multiradio Base Stations since September 2008, the company is driving the commercialization of this next generation technology. The Flexi Multiradio Base Station takes green to the extreme and makes the evolution path from 2G to 3G all the way to LTE more cost-effective than ever, helping operators significantly reduce

Siemens Networks. “Nokia Siemens Networks continues to change the game with our award-winning Flexi platform and we are pleased that we are receiving this validation all around the world.” In April this year, Nokia Siemens Networks inaugurated a TD-LTE Open Lab at its Hangzhou R&D facility in China. The lab will provide practical know-how that will help telecom operators and TD-LTE device manufacturers across the globe deploy commercial TD-LTE quicker. Major TD-LTE smartphone and terminal manufacturers can use the lab to test the interoperability and functionality of their devices across TD-LTE networks. Also In April, Nokia Siemens Networks announced that it will begin pro-

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ducing 3G infrastructure in India. India is one of the fastest growing telecommunications markets in the world, and in the process of granting 3G licences and building the networks.

Focus on innovation and sustainability Within Nokia Siemens Networks, sustainability translates into environmental

and social sustainability, as well as business ethics. “Our approach to the environment is to develop, run and enable environmentally sustainable business, which minimises our own environmental footprint and helps our customers to minimise their environmental footprint,” says Anne Larilahti. “Environmentally sustainable business combines environmental and business benefits for our customers

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Our approach to the environment is to develop, run and enable environmentally sustainable business, which minimizes our own environmental footprint and helps our customers to minimize their environmental footprint.”

through managing the entire product lifecycle to support sustainability. This is done by designing products that have lower power requirements, reducing the size and weight of products, enabling more efficient transport and installation of the products, using renewable power sources and creating sophisticated takeback and recycling services for used equipment.” www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com

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SALCOMP

A global leader in mobile phone adapters and chargers Text: Katja Kangasniemi Photos: Salcomp

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Salcompâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission is to provide the best and most competitive environmentally-friendly charging solutions, and in general, the company vision is to become global Number One in all power range adapters and chargers. We talked to Markku HangasjĂ¤rvi, the head of Salcomp.

Our aim is to develop chargers with even greater energy-efficiency and lower stand-by power. We also pay particular attention to the size of chargers, as reducing size also reduces transportation costs and the amount of raw materials needed in the manufacturing process.”

alcomp aims to achieve its vision by strengthening its global leadership in mobile phone charging solutions. This will also be by establishing a strong position in other selected low-to-medium power range charging solutions and by achieving add-on growth from accessory charger markets. “Changes in the market development indicate that stabilising growth in the mobile phone market and, at the same time, significant variations in market shares of different mobile phone manufacturers make it increasingly more essential for us to broaden the customer base and product range,” says Mr Hangasjärvi. “We are going to focus on all top 15 mobile phone manufacturers as there are several promising operators among these

manufacturers who are not yet our customers but who have good growth prospects and the prerequisites to utilise the technology, high quality, operational flexibility and world-class distribution model which Salcomp can offer,” he says. In addition, Hangasjärvi believes that the ongoing standardisation of the charger technologies creates good possibilities for the company to boost the accessory charger sales targeted for mobile phones in alternative distribution channels. “The accessory charger market is a significant untapped area for Salcomp, especially in the industrialised countries.” Moreover, Salcomp’s core competence and long-term experience in the power adapter technology and production processes support the broadening to higher power range products. Salcomp is inter-

ested in modems and routers, point-ofsales devices, navigators, digital photo frames and cameras, as well as video cameras, among others. Modems, routers and point-of-sales devices will especially experience strong growth. Environmental friendliness has in the last few years become an increasingly prominent factor in the development and manufacture of chargers. “Our aim is to develop chargers with even greater energy-efficiency and lower stand-by power. We also pay particular attention to the size of chargers, as reducing size also reduces transportation costs and the amount of raw materials needed in the manufacturing process,” Mr Hangasjärvi says as he crystallises the company vision.

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The world's smallest USB charger Salcomp introduced a new USB charger platform in autumn 2009. A charger produced according to the Stratos product platform is an extremely small USB charger. It allows users to charge mobile phones, Bluetooth headsets, media players and other electronic devices. The charger has no fixed charging cable, but the cable can be delivered or bought separately. As USB charging is becoming more and more popular, there is need for a very small USB charger, which would also be suitable for travelling purposes. In addition, Stratos is a very energy-efficient charger. The stand-by power in the USB charger produced according to the Stratos product platform is under 0.15 watts, which means that its energy rating is four stars. Five stars is the best rating. In addition, the energy-efficiency of the Stratos charger fulfils the highest V level of the Energy Star requirements. Manufacturing and transporting very small chargers also consume less material and energy. Stratos is one of Salcomp's six charger solutions based on the company's own platforms. The other platforms are Cosmo, Eagle, Mini and Multiplug and Nova. All of these platforms feature technologically flexible, safetyapproved chargers that can be sold as such or further tailored to the customer's specific needs.

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Salcomp is a global leader in mobile phone adapters and chargers. With a market share of some 21 per cent in mobile phone chargers in 2009, it supplied around 243 million chargers. In addition to the mobile phone charger market, Salcomp has a strong position in the combined market of all various chargers. In this market, Salcomp is among the five largest operators. In 2009, the company’s net sales were EUR 239.5 million and operating profit was EUR 10.2 million.

finnish solutions

"The 3 Ps of Salcomp"

People Salcomp employs some 9,000 people, of which 62 per cent are in China, 24 per cent in India, some 13 per cent in Brazil and one per cent in Finland, Taiwan, Japan and the USA.

Place Salcomp operates worldwide and the company’s production plants are located in Shenzhen in China, in Manaus in Brazil and in Chennai in India. In addition to these locations, Salcomp has operations in Salo in Finland, in Leesburg and Chicago in the USA, in São Paolo in Brazil and in Taipei in Taiwan, as well as in Tokyo in Japan.

Product Most of the products manufactured by Salcomp are mobile phone chargers. In addition, Salcomp manufactures chargers for other electronic devices, such as cordless fixed-line telephones, Bluetooth headsets and satellite navigation systems. Salcomp is also active in power adapters in the 6–150 watt power range. These include power adapters for modems and routers, point-of-sales devices, digital cameras, as well as video cameras. www.salcomp.com

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Polymer solutions by

TEKNIKUM For the past decade automation has been a key word for many businesses when talking about expanding globally. Although Finnish people are known for their slow and thoughtful steps towards new things, in technology they have, however, been pioneers in many fields.

Text: Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Photos: Sini Pennanen / Teknikum

s one of the leading Nordic companies specialising in polymer technology Teknikum Group traces its roots as far back as 1898. The original parent company was called Suomen Gummitehdas Ltd. The company’s first products were rubber boots and technical rubber production. Over the decades the company name changed several times but production remained with rubber. Later plastic was added to the production line as well. In 1967 the company merged with Nokia Ltd until 1989, when three families founded the Teknikum Group Ltd. In the following year Teknikum Group purchased the research and development unit from Nokia Ltd, transferring the unit to Vammala, where it is located to this day.

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In addition to Vammala factory, Teknikum Group Ltd has two other production units in Finland, one in Kiikka and the other one in Kerava. The Russian subsidiary is located in Vyborg and it produces polyurethane hoses according to Finnish technology. These hoses are used for transferring dusty, pulverous and granular materials, for example in the chemical industry, agriculture or wood processing industry. The company also has a growing factory with full operations and 50 persons in Suzhou, China. In Germany Teknikum has a marketing and sales subsidiary, Toy-Tek GmbH in Mühlheim an der Ruhr. The entire Teknikum Group employs approximately 420 people and its turnover in 2009 was about EUR 40 million.

Vast production line Teknikum Group’s product range is vast and includes industrial hoses, moulded products, rubber lining, -coating, polyurethane- and liquid silicone products, rubber compounds and sheets as well as mats. Teknikum has its own R&D department and it develops rubber compounds, rubber and LPU hoses, vibration and noise dampening elements, mill-linings, and several kinds of custom-designed OEM products. Typical application areas for Teknikum’s products and services can be found in automotive, chemical, electronics, energy, environmental, food processing, machine and ship building, and other industries. Fluid handling is one of the major businesses for Teknikum. “We develop and manufacture a large variety of

Rubber and plastic are needed everywhere. People normally just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know or realize that.â&#x20AC;?

CEO of Teknikum Ltd., Vesa Vihavainen

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products under the Teknikum brand such as industrial hoses for the chemical, food, material handling, and other processing industries,” explains Vesa Vihavainen, CEO of Teknikum Ltd. He also states that the hoses are mainly used to move liquids from one place to another. Vesa Vihavainen has been the CEO of Teknikum Ltd since 2006 and in 2009 he became a CEO of Teknikum Group as well. Earlier he spent 18 years living abroad in the Czech Republic, Germany and the USA.

Development for the future The rubber materials used in the production of technical rubber products are mostly compounds that are made of several different components. The composition used in the production of rubber products is determined by the operational demands that are set for each product. “Rubber and plastic are needed everywhere. People normally just don’t know or realize that,” Vihavainen says. The usual use for rubber is either to seal, insulate,

or protect from wear and corrosion. “Although we are known for our rubber solutions, our product line is much more than that. We are a high technology company having a strong research and development line as well as manufacturing. We already work with plastic and metal, and are researching the use of new kinds of fibres as well,” Vihavainen states. Teknikum Polymer Solutions offers polymer-based products and solutions for many demanding needs. “Our operation and product development is based on intensive co-operation with our customers. We offer high-technology material development, product and tool designing and meld and product manufacturing. We use the modern design tools in our development work.” Some of the main uses for the company’s polymer solutions are injection and compression moulding, plastic injection

We are attempting to apply new materials. At the moment we are researching the alternative resources such as recycled material and natural fibre.”

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melding and extrusion, hose manufacturing with mandrels and polyurethanecasting, and RIM- and liquid silicone spraying. Teknikum’s solution for Vibration & Noise Damping offers polymer-based products and solutions for different types of vibration and noise-damping needs, constructions and fastening. “Infrastructure such as railways and bridges can benefit from our solutions. Our solutions are also in use on construction sites and in shipbuilding,” Vihavainen adds. These solutions aim to keep the environmental noise levels down and within the recommended decibel limits. Teknikum´s Wear & Corrosion Protection can also offer polymer-based products and solutions including mining, processing, energy-, chemical-, wood industry and offshore technology. All these have in common that they handle abrasive and corrosive components, solid materials and liquids.

New solutions The working atmosphere is a major factor when measuring the success of any business. “We are aiming more and more to work as a team within our company. Our employees are very committed and we have an absence rate of under four per cent.” Vihavainen adds that the knowledgeable employees act as the motor of the entire company. Teknikum is constantly adding new technologies and educating its staff. Innovation is a key word for Teknikum’s future production. “We are attempting to apply new materials. At the moment we are researching the alternative resources such as recycled material and natural fibre.” Teknikum has a stake in the Finnish research unit called Elastopoli Ltd that is doing research into advancing the use of alternative and local materials. In Europe Teknikum is also a known provider of respirator, rescue, and gas masks that are made of rubber and thermoplastic elastomers. “More and more

of our product line is becoming a hybrid production. We make products that are made of rubber and metal, or rubber and plastic,” Vihavainen says.

Quality with responsibility “Our philosophy is to serve our customers and to provide the best quality,” Vihavainen says. According to him rubber products are traditionally manufactured in each country. In rubber and plastic production the competition is now global. The latest trend is to produce everything at low cost in Asia, and especially in China. “So, our niche is quality as well as high class development and our impeccable service. We are able to offer our customers the best quality products from a responsible provider. We deliver the best value to our customers.”

Through Teknikum’s factory in China the company is going after the markets within the country. “China is a potential market place for us today and with a new infrastructure the need is increasing,” Vihavainen comments. The company has already obtained many new customers from China. Teknikum aims to be part of their client’s production development and manufacturing process from the very beginning. “This is the most crucial part of any new product development process. Rubber is a raw material, and it demands knowledge and experience to know how it will act. Each patch is different because rubber lives and changes all the time. When we can be a part of the customer’s production design, we can affect the outcome of the end result, and benefit all parties to the utmost.” www.teknikum.com

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Talentum - A Link Between Professionals The main strategic midpoint for Talentum, a leading Finnish publisher of legal and professional literature and media, is to know their target groups. For years the company’s core business and its success has been based on journalistically skilled and expert content production. “The target groups are our strength. When these are in order it is easy to build up more services to provide them the information and knowledge they are looking for,” says company CEO Juha Blomster.

Text: Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Photos: Sini Pennanen / Talentum

alentum’s market area is broad. The company publishes 16 professional journals in Finland and in Sweden as well as a variety of business books. It provides fresh on-line information with news on business and working life, organises professional training, events and seminars, and takes part in telemarketing with their subsidiary Mega in Finland and the Baltic countries. “Our core competence is within economy, technology, law, healthcare, advertising and marketing. We are aiming to know our target groups better so that in the long run our services can be even more customer-oriented. Although at the moment our main focus is

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to generate the cash flow back to where it was before the recession,” Blomster says.

Historical background Talentum has a long and interesting history. The company was first established in 1938. In the inaugural meeting two future presidents of Finland, Risto Ryti and J. K. Paasikivi, were present. In the meeting Paasikivi was elected as chairman of the board. The company was then named as Talouselämä Ltd (Economic Life) and the first magazine had the same name as well. Already by the mid 1940s the magazine was one of a kind and it held much sway and was controversial when criti-

cising Finnish economic policy. In 1961 an engineering magazine was first introduced to the country when Insinöörilehdet Ltd was established. Later in early 1990 these two companies merged, and that was the dawn of Talentum Group. Both companies were already listed on the Helsinki Exchange OTC market. Since the very beginnings of Talentum the company has expanded greatly. It now employs 778 people; half are with its telemarketing section, Mega. The company’s headquarters are located in Helsinki, Finland, although half of the company’s markets are in Sweden. Since 2001 Blomster has been on the board of Talentum

CEO of Talentum, Juha Blomster

We have invented and developed a system that works in extreme conditions. With our integrated blade heating system the ice that accumulates on blades will melt immediately.â&#x20AC;?

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Group, and in 2006 he was named CEO of both Talentum Finland and Sweden. He now divides his time, spending three days of the working week in Sweden and two in Finland.

Instructive experience In 2008 Talentum was at its peak, still aiming at the targeted turnover that was EUR140 million before the end of 2010. Statistics shows that the goal was reasonable and doable. But in the autumn of 2008 the dramatic downturn appeared. The following year was equally tough for everyone, but in the business that is based on advertisements and recruiting the ground was shaking notably. “This was a good experience. It showed us the fragile points in our business and made us concentrate more on where our strengths are. It is wise to stay independent within the media channels. Especially during these changing times in the media we need to be flexible. Every change needs to be controlled. Overstepping the boundaries does not serve our purpose,” Blomster adds when talking about the long history of the company that deserves to be respected. While the markets in Sweden seemed to take the hardest hit, it now can be seen that the recovery has been vast. “In the first quarter of 2010 in the Swedish market we saw bigger growth than in Finland.”

Expanding wisely

Talentum publishes magazines and books in Finnish and in Swedish, because most of its business is in Scandinavia. “We still have more possibilities to expand in Sweden. We consider the whole of Scandinavia as a homeland. When it comes to moving further and expanding outside Scandinavia and the Baltic region, we have nothing against that if the opportunity presents itself.” Blomster also thinks that the most important thing at the moment is to get the base of the business back to full strength again, and from the

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firm ground the possibilities are limitless. When the media channels are still looking for their future state companies such as Talentum have to stay on their toes constantly to see the direction it is taking and finally settling on. “The markets are changing rapidly, and they are looking for new directions, new channels. But the change is not as dramatic as we think it is. In the construction business in the 1980s there were information cards that were posted to customers. Now the information is in digital format and old printed copies are almost history. You could say the same thing happened in the catalogue business – all the information now is in digital format and through the net is how customers get their information.” Blomster knows that information is al-

ways needed. People don’t mind how they get the information they need as long as they are getting it. But there are people who are not looking to change their habits. It is utopian to imagine everyone will shift to using electronic media any time soon. For a very long time there will be people who will prefer to get their information on printed paper rather than reading it on an iPad or Kindle. “And this is why we are not making any harsh movements but rather staying put and observing for the moment ready to take the next step when the time is right. Timing is an extremely important factor to make profitable business.” In the future Talentum’s focus will be more in content production. The company aims to reach its goal to become the most profitable Scandinavian media and information company, which produces

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Timing is an extremely important factor in order to make profitable business.”

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Photo: iStockphoto

food

wellbeing The New Perfume Standard Nordic style addicts can now also surround themselves with Nordic scents as Artek and the fashion company, Comme des GarĂ§ons, have jointly created the STANDARD fragrance. Deriving its name and aesthetics from Alvar Aaltoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original idea of systems and standards in furniture design, the unisex fragrance is a blend of Finnish Labrador Tea, Twinflower Linnea Borealis, metal and rust in the base notes and fennel, ginger, lemon, musk, saffron and cedar wood in the top notes. www.artek.fi

& wellbeing

VALIO OLO – The Recipe for Wellbeing

You might have heard the name Valio in relation to food, and specifically in relation to functional food. Valio is the biggest dairy company in Finland. It makes its products from Finnish milk, which is the cleanest milk in the EU. Also, Valio is a big cheese supplier to Russia, the USA and the EU. In China, the Valio subsidiary, based in Shanghai, mainly delivers whey powders used in the production of baby food. The newest Valio venture, Valio Olo, is nevertheless a consulting service to promote overall employee wellbeing. It has already generated tremendous interest even though the company has tried to keep it under wraps.

Text: Katja Kangasniemi Photos: Sini Pennanen / Valio Olo

hile the company’s competitors might concentrate just on product development, Valio are traditionally experts in nutrition, and have carried out significant scientific research into milk. In 1945, Valio’s R&D director, AI Virtanen, was awarded a Nobel Prize, and today Valio has several worldwide patents, eg for LGG®-bacteria and lactosefree products – ZERO LACTOSE™.

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If your health and nutrition are in order, you have enough energy to carry out your daily chores and socialise after work â&#x20AC;&#x201C; rather than crashing on your couch.â&#x20AC;?

Director of Valio Olo, Risto Hietala

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food & wellbeing Valio Olo – a unique, innovative and carefully tested concept Valio has a strong brand with high standards. “Everything Valio Olo does should be based on researched facts. My understanding is that you cannot find any other wellbeing package made up of these specific elements obtained from the source,” says Risto Hietala, the Director of Valio Olo since 2008. Before that he was involved in Valio exports and domestic sales. Valio Olo was chosen from roughly 100 ideas for a Valio strategic venture. Initially distilled into 20 potential endeavours, a consulting company finally short-listed four of them. Business plans were eventually prepared for two of the services, and internal and external pilots began on Valio Olo. In September 2008, the Board of Directors of Valio took the decision to start the business. The personnel were recruited by the beginning of 2009. That same year, Valio Olo acquired the first external clients, and presently they have the first results of this venture. “Everything has worked out very well, and new clients are being signed on continuously. Today we have 15 companies on board and a total of over a 1,000 trainees,” Mr Hietala says. With Valio Olo, it all begins with an initial mapping. “We talk to the company representatives, and together we evaluate what has already been done. On that basis, we prepare a proposal and if the employees have not recently been examined, we do a thorough testing first. The testing covers blood samples, ergonometric tests, as well as a food diary. All the data is then fed into a highly-customised intranet. This allows for personal feed-

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back as only at this point, do we give suggestions on how to proceed.” Valio does not carry out the tests in-house, instead they are commissioned from an outside centre, such as Kisakallio or Vierumäki. “I am especially inspired by the fact that the food diaries are carried out by taking pictures of the food and drink consumed and downloading them on to the intranet. In a week’s time, people automatically start to change their diet – adding more veggies on their plate,” Mr Hietala points out.

Valio Olo – feeling good Valio Olo is not solely about wellbeing at work. “If your health and nutrition are in order, you have enough energy to carry out your daily chores and socialise after work – rather than crashing on your couch.” According to Mr Hietala, the average Finn can work efficiently for six hours, whereas the working day usually lasts for eight hours. “If we can manage to ex-

tend that by 20 minutes, by correcting the nutrition and exercise routine of the employees, it is a major improvement – especially when you use innovative tasks. Employees are a company’s business card, and if they can smile after several hours of work, it affects customer satisfaction.” There are also other reasons that back up a service such as Valio Olo. These include cutting absenteeism (eg key personnel in a strongly specialised IT company), and enhancing the sense of camaraderie among the employees and towards the company.

e of camaraderie among the

Valio Olo – enhancing the sens

employees and towards the

company.

“One thing you have to remember, is that we do not blame anyone. We do everything permissively. In many wellbeing programmes, we try to concentrate on more disadvantaged individuals. However, those that run the marathons for example, ask why they are left out. So, we cater to the ‘marathon runner’ and the ’couch potato’ alike,” Mr Hietala concludes. “We also promote nutrition by organising cooking courses, shopping tours, or having our nutritionist come to your home. The possibility of Valio Olo products has not been ruled out either.” Now the question is, will we see Valio Olo abroad? The company is already piloting this scheme in Sweden while France and other European countries have expressed interest. www.valio-olo.fi

food & wellbeing

“We seek to integrate the Olo programmes in the working environment by identifying people that have a special talent – for example, boxing or the ability to get people to participate. These people become Olo trainers (ambassadors) that are in charge of the programme internally, and we will offer them guidance as well as additional training,” maintains Mr Heitala.

According to Mr Hietala there are no ready recipes. What is important is the awareness of maintaining the rest of your life. “In the future, companies will have to focus on things like this, as more and more people will be on pensions. How can you maintain a capable workforce in a situation like this? – by offering a pleasant working environment rather than a good salary!” Mr Hietala provides food for thought: “I hear that people, especially in demanding positions, are so stressed (discovered through monitoring the changes in sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems) – that sometimes exercise will actually worsen things. In these kinds of situations, we recommend winding down and relaxation.

No ready recipes When an individual embarks on a Valio Olo programme, a team composed of, for example, physiotherapists and nutritional therapists, will support him or her. “These people will sit down with you to discuss your hobbies and, most importantly, the reason behind the wanted change: is it because you envisage your future in 20 years’ time strolling through the rolling hills of Lapland with your nieces and nephews, or is it purely for medical reasons. This is the basis of the programme and in a couple of weeks’ time, you will meet the Wellbeing Manager again, and they will see whether you have actually made the changes you were supposed to. Alongside the personal aspect, we try to promote team spirit, and communality that can be enhanced through these measures as well.”

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Finnish Food Development Cluster at Shanghai

Atria

The industrial action in the Finnish food sector will affect the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sales and performance in the second quarter of the year, and the market conditions are expected to remain challenging in 2010. In the face of the current situation, Atria, the sectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest company, has recently launched a new convenience food series, Atria Fresh, in environmentally friendly packaging, and is in the process of expanding and streamlining its operations abroad.

Text: Atria / Katja Kangasniemi Photos: Atria

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s a result of years of product development collaboration between Atria Finland and Stora Enso, Atria Fresh microwave meals launched in September 2009 are the first ready meals in Finland to come in recyclable packaging. The pulpbased, PET-coated, paperboard trays are an environmentally friendly packaging solution with a low carbon footprint. The trays are mainly made from wood fibre, which is a renewable resource.

First recyclable packaging for ready meals Atria Fresh microwave meal trays are designed to reduce the amount of packaging waste from households by being recyclable and by containing less material than other packaging. Fibre packaging is part of the natural cycle. Wood-based raw materials have the advantage of being able to store carbon dioxide, consequently affecting climate change positively. When paperboard packaging has done its duty, it can be recycled or used for energy production. Atria Fresh microwave meal trays can be put into cardboard recycling bins, similar to beverage cartons. Studies indicate that recyclable paperboard packaging is important for consumers when making purchasing decisions. Through their own choices, consumers can reduce the amount of packaging waste ending up in landfill. Consumers have shown much more interest in buying paperboard trays than plastic or aluminium packaging. The management of packaging material is part of the environmental objectives set for 2009-2011 by Atria Finland. Environmental impact assessment will be closely integrated with innovations and next-generation product development projects. Packaging is an important part of a product and the entire supply chain: it must protect both the product and the environment. Atria Group, quoted on Nasdaq OMX Helsinki Ltd, is a rapidly growing and internationalising company. In 2009, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s turnover was EUR 1,316 million and its staff numbered approximately 6,200. Atria is the largest company in the industry in Finland and one of the leading companies elsewhere in Scandinavia, the Baltic countries and Russia. Last year, Atria Russiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s turnover was EUR 113 million, and it employed around 2,000 people.

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food & wellbeing 126

The largest foreign company in Russia The Atria Group is the largest foreign meat-processing company in Russia. The company established itself on the Russian market in 2005 when it purchased Pit-Product, which operated mainly in the market of the St Petersburg region. The company expanded to the Moscow region in 2008 when it purchased Campomos. Pit-Product is currently the market leader in the country’s second largest city – St Petersburg – with a market share of 27 per cent. In Moscow, Campomos is ranked 18th, with only around four per cent of the market.    Atria Group has continued to make consistent investments in the Russian market. At the end of 2009 Atria Russia made a partner contract by which it obtained a 26 per cent share of the Russian, Danish-owned OOO Dan Invest company. The company owns two pig farms, which will start production in 2010. The pig farms are situated in Krasnodar and Tambov. The total amount of the investment is approximately EUR 40 million, aiming at 180,000 pigs reared for slaughter annually by 2013. Atria Russia already had a pig farm in the Moscow region before this investment. The combined production of all three pig farms is about 235,000 slaughter pigs per year, rendering Atria Russia nearly self-sufficient in its supply of pork. The company is thus able to ensure the production of high-quality domestic pork to its continually growing Russian customer base.

Business Finland 4/2010

The Food Development Cluster’s aim is that by 2013 Finland will emerge as Europe’s leading producer of healthy, health-inducing and safe food. This is to be achieved in three main ways. That is, development of healthy foodstuffs, promotion of wellbeing through services, and enhancement of risk management and safety in the whole food chain. Business Finland asked the Atria Product Development Manager, Marianne Nordblom, about the respective company actions.

food & wellbeing

Product development

“To begin with, the focus of Atria product development is to continue offering tasty meals, or side dishes, that are easy and fast to prepare in the everyday life of consumers. At the same, we pay attention to things such as the quantity and quality of fat, clear nutritional facts on the packages as well as the packaging – its quantity as well as development of new packaging materials, such as utilisation of cardboard,” says Mrs Nordblom.

The development of healthy foodstuffs According to Mrs Nordblom, Atria constantly seeks to reduce salt in the foodstuffs, especially in Sweden and Finland.

Streamlining Estonia and Scandinavia In Estonia, Atria is launching an efficiency improvement programme seeking to achieve annual savings of approximately EUR 1 million in its cost structure. In order to achieve the savings, Atria is closing the Ahja plant and centralising the production to the Valga and Vastse-Kuuste production plants. Also in Sweden, Atria focuses on its core business and streamlines its operations, as Atria Scandinavia will focus on the production of value-added products in Sweden. Atria Scandinavia will move away from the operational area of consumer packed meat and the plant in Årsta, outside of Stockholm, will be closed. On the other hand, Atria Scandinavia is to invest a total of EUR 1.6 million in the automation of the cold cuts production line at the Halmstad plant and in the automation of meat product and hamburger production at the Sköllersta plant.

“We pay attention to nutrition as a whole, although the amount of salt and the quality of fat continue to be the guiding nutritional aspects of a product. The consumer’s choice is facilitated in all product groups, among others with a heart symbol indicating a healthier choice. In general, we have tried to improve the nutritional information on packages in order to inform consumers. We also try to take all the allergy provoking ingredients into account. Almost all Atria products are lactose-free, and a great deal is also gluten-free.”

Promotion of consumers’ health through services “We continuously develop the Atria web pages to better accommodate consumers’ wishes, and in our opinion, the new and improved Atria site corresponds well with the consumer’s current needs. On the pages consumers can find comprehensive information on the structure of the whole food chain, as well as a lot of data on nutrition and the importance of nutrition in the choice of foodstuffs.

Enhancement of risk management and safety in the whole food chain Atria concentrates on the management of the chain and transparency. “We require detailed certificates on the origin and contents of the raw materials from the suppliers. We do not utilise GMO raw materials in our production, and seek to avoid certain allergy-provoking ingredients (such as nuts), in order to cut down the possibility of contamination risks,” Mrs Nordblom concludes.

www.atria.fi www.atriafresh.fi

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Finnish Food Development Cluster at Shanghai

Foodwest The Finnish food development and wellbeing clusters had a remarkable landing in China back in the summer of 2009. But what is the secret, or cornerstone, of the world-renowned Finnish food safety expertise? Text: Katja Kangasniemi Photos: Mikko Rantahakala, Annaleena Ylinen

e put the question to Antti Väliaho, Managing Director of Foodwest for 15 years, and Jukka Lahteenkorva, Programme Manager of the Seinäjoki Centre of Expertise (OSKE), and today also the national coordinator of the Food Development cluster. Mr Väliaho’s special expertise lies in milk production, as well as business development. Mr Lähteenkorva’s background is in meat technology, and he has a long history in the food business in general. This allows him to understand profoundly the needs of the sector – and efficiently direct

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the development efforts. He can in addition rely on his vast network of industry contacts. Both agree that Finnish food safety expertise is based on efficient cooperation between authorities and different operators, as well as the operating principles dictated by high quality standards. “The sector’s high quality standards and availability of an educated workforce, as well as pure nature, combined with utilisation of the expertise potential to the full has brought Finland recognition in the EU,” says Mr Väliaho. “The key aspects are research – that is,

things such as the basis for diagnostics, traceability, packaging, authority expertise by Evira as well as responsible operations in agriculture and food industry in general,” Mr Lähteenkorva adds. This has resulted in a chain in which every phase can be monitored, and in capable hands. As a result, hazardous situations, such as polluted fodder, can be efficiently limited and the raw materials and products safely channelled.” It is thus no doubt that among others the Chinese have been interested in Finnish Food safety.

Interest in China

Business Finland 4/2010

Photo: Mikko Rantahakala

Photo: Annaleena Ylinen

According to Mr Lähteenkorva, the first Chinese contact dates back to 2009, when the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration (ShFDA) wanted to start developing food safety in their own area and took pork production as an example case. ShFDA and other authorities subsequently visited Finland in the spring of 2009, and on the occasion they got a deeper look at Finnish food authority expertise as well as food chain operators. As part of the programme, the visitors were taken among others to the Atria Group’s pig slaughterhouse in Nurmo. A return call by the Finnish delegation in Shanghai followed in 2009. “The delegation was very content with what they saw and the Deputy Director, Dr Xie Minqiang, expressed willingness to continue negotiations on a possible cooperation. This became a reality when I led a Finnish company delegation to Shanghai. As a result of the visit, there have been concrete commercial measures between the Finnish and Chinese,” Mr Lähteenkorva says. The interest expressed by the Chinese – they are especially interested in both wellbeing and food safety, in turn led to a decision to take part at the Shanghai expo. The exhibitors include the Wellbeing and HealthBio-clusters.

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Shanghai At Shanghai the Food Development Cluster will organise a two-day event, Sharing Health/Food safety – On Tracking Good Food, with the participation of Evira, VTT, Palmenia Institute of University of Helsinki. There will also be participation of Finnish food safety companies Biocid (hygiene solutions), Finnish Food Safety Projects (diagnostics), NeuroAgent (traceability), Pellonpaja (machinery and other solutions catering for primary production), Sesca Logistics IT (logistics) Oy and Wipak (packaging). The Chinese food industry has already expressed interest in cooperation with Finnish companies, and according to Mr Väliaho, the contacts date back to well before the Expo. “Certain development companies have established offices in different Chinese cities and a couple of engineering firms are already involved in practical exports. This involves a long preparation phase, as well as building trust, but the first results are starting to emerge this year,” he says. As a result of the OSKE activities that commenced in 2009, Finnish companies have been granted several trading licences in China, and the cooperation between the Finnish food safety companies has strengthened notably which is important in order to enter the Chinese market. “Our approach is more comprehensive than each company offering its own small share in the vast food safety chain. Food can be redeemed safe only when the whole chain ‘from the field to the table’ is under control. In addition, when entering

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The Food Development Competence Cluster has set three strategic goals in order for Finland to emerge as a strong producer of healthy, health-enhancing, and safe food in 2013. Foodwest Ltd is one of the Centres of Expertise in the cluster, also coordinating the whole cluster.

1. Development and commercialisation of healthy and health -promoting food. The goal is to utilise national raw materials, develop processes, packaging and technologies, and help prevent illnesses. Foodwest possesses strong product development expertise, which in turn make it possible to create healthy and health-promoting products. Foodwest in addition relies on a strong international network of research institutions and companies, allowing for new angles to research.

2. Promoting the consumers’ wellbeing. The goal is to recognise and take into account consumers’ needs, utilise the knowledge of food markets, and develop nutrition and food services. Market research carried out by Foodwest, and a network of more than 10,000 families is a useful tool in evaluating consumers’ preferences. Foodwest has also developed a tool for preference mapping together with the University of Turku’s Functional Foods forum that combines traditional product tests with academic research.

3. Development of risk management and safety in the food production chain. The goal is to develop Finnish food production systems, export the knowledge of safety in food production, and develop pathogen risk management within the food production chain. Foodwest has vast knowledge on food sector companies’ quality management and it can aid them both by introducing the quality system expertise as a part of the strategy creation process, as well as developing different processes and packaging methods from a safety perspective.

Photo: Mikko Rantahakala

food & wellbeing

“Now, participating at the Expo is a concrete continuation to the above. Our goal is to portray the food safety management in Finland to the Chinese authorities and businessmen, and thus promote export possibilities in China,” Mr Lähteenkorva says. “In this sense, OSKE is an integrating force and a catalyst, driving the group of companies forward, toward success.”

Photo: Annaleena Ylinen

Foodwest is, first and foremost, a food development company headed by Antti Väliaho. Foodwest is also at the core of the respective Food Development Centre of Expertise (OSKE) – it received the OSKE status in 1999. On top of this, there is a national food development cluster made up of Foodwest and four partners, all of which engage in very close cooperation in the field of food development.

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The Seinäjoki Centre of Expertise in 2010

COMPANY – core expertise: * Agropolis Oy Ltd – networking of SMEs

Photo: Annaleena Ylinen

* Foodwest Oy Ltd – consumer behavior

the Chinese market, cooperation with the Chinese authorities is important for the Finnish companies.”

Eyes on Finnish exports of organic food products In 2010 the Food Development cluster’s common goal is to help especially the Finnish organic food producers to internationalise. “In our opinion Finnish organic products have excellent possibilities abroad. Finnish nature is clean and the Finnish organic products can thus be viewed as organic per excellence. Yet, the situation in Finland today is slightly backwards compared to other European countries as the farmers and producers do not find the market attractive due to the scarce supply. As a result, the organic products

chain needs to be worked on, as long as there are good possibilities to export. Naturally, we hope that the Finnish consumer will also benefit from this.” According to Mr Lähteenkorva, the key to organic products exports is to combine forces in the internationalisation phase. National Centres of Expertise (OSKE) have, as a result, initiated planning such a venture, and Finpro and Organic Food Finland have participated from the very beginning. At OSKE the work is being coordinated by Agropolis Ltd from Jokioinen, and all the Cluster companies actively participate. “Our goal is to enhance cooperation through which the Finnish companies interested in exports can get more visibility and credibility than they otherwise would acting alone,” Mr Lähteenkorva concludes.

* Functional Foods Forum – sensory quality * Kuopio Innovation Oy Ltd – nutrition in general * Viikki Food Centre – commercialisation Foodwest’s food development expertise centre will concentrate in customer-driven development operations. These encompass innovative product development, consumer research and quality control, and result in new business opportunities, growth and internationalisation. Within its core skill base, the Foodwest expertise centre participates in both organic products and food safety ventures alike. One of the main endeavour in 2010 is the Food & Life Expo that will take place in Seinäjoki in February 2011. It will assemble operators in the food, health and exercise fields. www.fooddevelopment.fi www.foodandlife.fi

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Text: Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Photos: Finland Convention Bureau

Finland Convention Bureau Finland has been chosen to host many conferences organized by a long and impressive list of international associations. Finland is a safe, efficient and reliable destination, and it is easily accessible from all over the world. Finlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s geographical location between East and West makes it interesting as a conference venue, attracting delegates from everywhere.

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helsinki Finland has established a position as one of the top 20 congress destinations in the world.

inland Convention Bureau (FCB) is a national organisation and Finland’s only official sales and marketing organisation that represents the meetings and convention industry. FCB also aims to increase amount of the international business events in Finland such as business meetings, incentive trips or product launchings. FCB was first established in 1974 and was one of the first national convention bureaus in Europe. FCB has almost 100 members consisting of cities, travel centres, meeting facilities, hotels and restaurants, transportation companies as well as businesses providing special services for congress organisers. The operations are funded by membership fees, by support from the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, and through FCB’s own fundraisings and project sales. Thus FCB’s service is free of charge for the congress organisers.

One of the top congress destinations in the world The steady reputation with successfully organised conferences has led Finland to establish a position as one of the top 20 congress destinations in the world. “To be permitted to host a conference requires first to be officially invited by an international organisation. Finland’s researchers are active in inviting the congresses from their specialised fields to Finland. The high quality of the Finnish research and science as well as the internationalisation of our universities and higher education is further helping them to succeed,” says Kerstin Träskman, acting Managing Director of Finland Convention Bureau. Finland is also considered a safe, environmentally friendly and efficient country. “We have also received much appreciation of the high level of the congress facilities as well as our services,” Träskman adds. One of the recent congresses has been ECCMID (European Congress of Clini-

cal Microbiology and Infectious Diseases that was held in Helsinki in May 2009. Some 8,000 people attended.

Profitable future The future vision of FCB is to serve as the best promoter for competitiveness of the Finnish meetings and convention industry, and to be a recognised partner as well as a trendsetter. “The future of Finland as a destination for congresses and corporate events looks bright. Even if there is a lot of competition Finland seems to be positioning itself well in it. Based on the information we have up to 2014 there will be over 90,000 guests attending congresses already confirmed in Finland. As travelling income this means approximately EUR 150 million. As can be seen international congresses are a profitable business,” Träskman says. www.fcb.fi

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Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre As one of the leading congress centres in northern Europe, Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre is centrally located in the capital of Finland. Helsinki is an international trading centre with great connections worldwide through air routes from Europe as well as from Asia. Text: Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Photos: Sini Pennanen / Helsinki Exhibiton & Convention Centre

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elsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre offers functional premises for congresses for 1,000-10,000 people. It is known to be a modern and high-quality meeting place. The premises consist of 40 meeting rooms, 13 large lecture theatres and an auditorium for 4,400 people. In addition, the Centre has six exhibition halls and the seventh will be ready in 2011. The halls cover a total area of 44,000 sq m. “For international convention organizers we offer a variety of services all under the same roof,” says Congress Director Veronica Krabbe. She also mentions the flexibility of the space. “The halls can be turned into high class conference spaces when needed, and accommodate 300-1,000 people in 10 functional halls.” Holiday Inn can be found in the premises with 244 rooms. Restaurants in the conference centre vary from fine dining to hamburger and sushi restaurants. Every year, more than a million people attend fairs, congresses and different events and conventions at the Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre.

Every year, more than a million people attend fairs, congresses and different events and conventions at the Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre.”

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Rewarding challenges Since the beginning the Centre has had the honour to host many important international summits. Veronica Krabbe has worked at the Centre since 1986. “We are proud to have an opportunity to host such summits as the Council of the European Union Summit in December 1999, 6th ASEM Summit 2006 and the most recent 16th OSCE Ministerial Council 2008 . Organizing events and conferences does not come without challenges. “Tight schedules, and the fact that the participating parties might be located in several countries, even continents, can give an extra spice for our planning and organizing,” Veronica Krabbe says. She also mentions about the flight schedules, and how sometimes there is no other way than to stay patient and improvise if the main speaker did not make it to the conference due to a delayed or cancelled flight. “Although the biggest reward is to be thanked after the conference by the customers and the participants.”

Responsible future events The new 14,700 sq m multipurpose hall that will be completed in the autumn of 2011, is being designed to merge with its surroundings and to be easily converted into a banqueting area, poster area, exhibition area or tennis and volleyball courts, just to mention a few uses. The hall that will be able to seat up to 6,000 spectators, can also be used to host international sports competitions. As the leading exhibition and congress centre in Finland, Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre wants to act responsibly and be a pioneer, also in environmental issues by reducing their carbon footprint as well as that of their customers. Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre has been granted the ISO 140001 Environmental Management Standard Certificate. www.finnexpo.fi

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Congress Director Veronica Krabbe

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Text: Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Photos: Helsinki Business Hub

Helsinki Business Hub - Innovation Drives Success Helsinki is becoming an important business hub between Europe and Asia. Centrally located between these two continents, Helsinki is also a cultural crossroad between East and West. As a commercial, political and cultural capital of Finland, Helsinki is an internationally dynamic hub for business.

inns are known to be amongst the most productive and reliable workers. Finnish students are ranked amongst the smartest on the planet when over third of the inhabitants in Helsinki have a higher education. With work ethics and skills that are needed in knowledge-intensive businesses within a global economy Finland and Helsinki are amongst the best places for global businesses to establish their subsidiaries. “Greater Helsinki Promotion (GHP) provides services that are mainly targeted to foreign businesses that are considering locating to Finland’s capital region. We are specialists in serving customers whose business is knowledgeintensive. We are interested not only in capital investments but also to bring greater knowledge to the Helsinki metropolitan area through top class international companies,” says Greater Helsinki Promotions CEO Tatu Laurila. GHP is a sales organisation for the Helsinki Business Hub.

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At the heart of the Baltic Sea Region Helsinki Business Hub means a broader geographical area than just the capital. In addition to the capital city Greater Helsinki consists of the cities of Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen, as well as surrounding municipalities represented by the Uusimaa Regional Council. Helsinki is also at the heart of the Baltic Sea Region. Business in the area is increas-

ing, especially with the expansion of the Schengen visa regime to include the region, with the exception of Russia, meaning that no visas are needed for travel. Within last decade Helsinki has internationalised tremendously when compared to the end of the 1990s. According to Laurila there is still more room in Helsinki to transform to a more global capital. “We have a huge potential when it comes to research, development and innovation activities in the many fields of expertise. We are

We have a huge potential when it comes to research, development and innovation activities in the many fields of expertise.”

We are specialists in serving customers whose business is knowledge-intensive.”

greatly welcoming new global businesses to realise their opportunities with us.” Finland’s assets include having a reliable and efficient work culture but it is limited to the absolute working hours. “In the developing economies people are ready to run fast for their success and when the direction is set the Western businesses are challenged. The key answer for the competitive challenge lays anyway in strategic partnering with the emerging economies such as China,” Laurila says. Earlier this year GHP and the Shenzhen Nanshan Government announced the establishment of the Finland Golden Bridge Innovation Centre as a first innovation platform that will provide access abroad for Chinese high-tech companies.

Ready for global markets Globalisation is the key to future businesses. “We have to have internationally successful Finnish products and services. Finland needs many more international businesses to truly develop in the direction in which it is already moving. We need to be ready for the global markets and competition by being more and more international within our own borders,” Laurila states. www.helsinkibusinesshub.fi

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Text: Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Photos: Sini Pennanen / Hanken

An internationally accredited business school, Hanken has approximately 2,300 graduate students and about 150 doctoral students. The school has two campuses in Finland, one in Helsinki and the other in Vaasa. Each year about 350 new students enrol at Hanken for their Bachelor’s or Master’s programmes. Last year the school celebrated its 100th anniversary.

A high quality education

– Hanken School of Economics

f all the graduate students in Hanken, 13.5 per cent are international. This is in contrast to the usual proportion in Finnish higher education institutions of two per cent. “As the only autonomous stand-alone business school in Finland we have been able to profile ourselves as more international. Our goal is to have 20 per cent of our students international,” says the rector, Marianne Stenius. According to Stenius, Hanken chose to internationalise earlier than most Finnish universities due to the tightening competition for student recruitment.

Exchange and Internship Programme International exchange students are the greatest assets to the school. The school has close to 70 partner universities and

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business schools in more than 30 countries. “All the graduate students that began their studies in Autumn 2009 now have a mandatory period abroad as a part of their study programme. It can be either in one of our partner universities or as an internship period in a foreign business. We have been planning this inclusion for two years and last year we were ready to begin,” says Stenius. The rector also mentions that the demand for the internship period hailed from the students. “This has been a challenge but also a welcome addition.” The main language in the school is Swedish but the students also speak Finnish and English. “Most of the students know at least four languages,” Stenius adds. Some 65 per cent of the Master’s degree courses are held in English.

Research as a foundation Hanken has a strong relationship between

research and teaching in Finance and Statistics, Intellectual Property Law, Management and Organisation, and Service and Relationship Marketing. Within a few last years a new area that has been developing is Humanitarian Logistics. “It can also be called Disaster Logistics because the main topic of the research is the logistics during catastrophes such as the earthquake in Haiti a few months ago,” Stenius explains. The home base of the Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Research Institute (HUMLOG) is in Hanken, although the other founding university is the Finnish National Defence University. Many international facets are also involved, such as universities in the other Nordic countries, England, Ireland and France as well as the Red Cross and UN. According to the HUMLOG Institute’s website they are aiming to “research the area of humanitarian logistics in disaster preparedness, response and

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As the only autonomous stand-alone business school in Finland we have been able to profile ourselves as more international.” recovery with the intention of influencing future activities in a way that will provide measurable benefits to persons requiring assistance.”

Tools to shape the future Since the beginning of this year after the Finnish University Reform came into effect in August 2009 Hanken also had the opportunity to further strengthen the interaction with the corporate sector.

Hansen has a strong relationship between research and teaching.

Hanken and IFL at the Stockholm School of Economics improved their unique collaboration in management development by forming Hanken & SSE Executive Education. The union tailors educational and developmental programmes to meet the strategic needs of customer companies. Hanken and IFL own equal shares in the new company. “We are confident about our decision. We can now build on our strong foundations of alumni activity and corporate sector involvement in research. This will further strengthen our tools for global networking that we give to our students. This is our way to shape the future,” says Stenius. Stenius has been in her position for 16 years and is now moving forward with a confident mind. She will leave her position next August. www.hanken.fi/public/en/

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The Innovation Mill is a new growth vehicle for Finnish technology companies”

Technopolis

Text: Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Photos: Sini Pennanen

Technopolis is a Finland-based company that provides business environments and services for knowledge-intensive companies and organisations. Currently up to 1,200 companies with 16,000 employees operate in the Technopolis centres that are located in seven cities in Finland and in St. Petersburg, Russia.

taniemi, Espoo, is known to be the heart of Finland’s largest technology cluster. Innopoli, one of the biggest service locations for Technopolis is located in Otaniemi. The area consists of Innopoli I, Innopoli II and Technopolis Ventures facilities. The future plans are to grow Otaniemi as a strong international innovation hot spot that operates closely with the other key players like Aalto University and Finnish Research Centre (VTT)

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“Otaniemi has traditionally been a strong concentration point for technology-based companies as well as higher education such as the University of Science and Technology, VTT and Technopolis. The high-class incubator activities have also generated new businesses in this area. Our intention is to attract international anchor companies as well as the venture capital companies to the area to speed up the growth,” says Helsinki Metropolitan Area Director Marko Järvinen.

The core business for Technopolis is the leasing of office space. For better customer services they have added several other services that every business needs, such as Information and Reception Services, a network that provides customers with fast and reliable data connections that are technically advanced and secure. Services also include high quality voice services in a mobile environment regardless of company size, and a versatile service for the destruction of confidential material to ensure absolute security. Restaurant facilities are part of the services provided as well. “We also offer videoconferencing in each of our locations. Our service is very personal and the system does not require any technical knowledge by the user. This full service model makes it very easy for the customer to use and operate.” Järvinen mentions that during and after the volcanic eruption in Iceland last April the videoconference systems have been in much use. Technopolis organises events to demonstrate how to use the videoconferencing systems. “This has added enquiries for the system as well.”

“

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Respecting nature through video conferencing

Our intention is to attract international anchor companies as well as the venture capital companies to the area to speed up the growth.”

Innovation Mill Technopolis’ services focuses on national and international activities and on supporting the growth and funding of their c ustomers. The core business is to support the profitable growth of companies through four service areas: fundraising, matchmaking, online and innovation services.

The Innovation Mill is a new growth vehicle for Finnish technology companies. Participating companies can utilise Technopolis´ resources and networks to evolve their innovations into global solutions. The programme is coordinated by Technopolis. The Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (Tekes) and several cities around Finland provide funding for the mill. As part of the programme, supporting financial instruments and networks are available to boost the competitiveness of innovative Finnish companies. “These services provide international possibilities to find the avenues for funding, networking and advancing the company’s innovational thinking.” Järvinen also mentions that their customers consist of a variety of different businesses in technological and information fields. Some of them are global corporations and some are small start-up companies. “Our target is to keep recognising what our customers need in the future and then provide that to them,” Järvinen says. www.technopolis.fi

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Facts about Helsinki: Founded in 1550 Capital of Finland since 1812 Population: about 580,000 Helsinki Region population: about 1 320,250 Share of Population with Academic Degree (2004): 43% (25-64 yrs)

Helsinki one of the best cities in the world to live in High educational standards have contributed to Finlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emergence as a country of high technology. Finland is today a world leader in various hightech fields, and this expertise benefits society as a whole. Helsinki has been ranked as one of the top ten cities in the world to live in. The latest annual index compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit is ranking Helsinki in sixth place worldwide. Finland is one of the most extensive and unspoiled natural environments in Europe. www.hel.fi

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Seurasaari Midsummer Bonfires 25.6.2010 A traditional Finnish Midsummer celebration for the whole family, with all of the familiar elements such as handcraft demonstrations, folk dancing, plays and music. The evening concludes with bonfires and Midsummer dances.

Love and Anarchy-filmfestival 16.9.2010 – 26.9.2010 This major film festival features internationally renowned filmmakers and their works.

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Helsinki, the capital of the Republic of Finland, is a modern pocket-sized metropolis - ideal for visitors! The lifestyle in the second most northerly capital city in the world is full of contrasts and activities in the form of hundreds of events and friendly people. Helsinki’s rhythm is laid back, yet refreshingly active.

Helsinki International Horse Show 21.10.2010 - 24.10.2010 International riding competition Organisers: Lippupalvelu Phone: +358 (0)600 10 800 (1,83 e/ min+local call charge)

St Thomas Christmas Market 7.12.2010 – 22.12.2010 There are over 120 stalls at the St Thomas Christmas Market selling eg. crafts, baked goods and other Christmas specialities. It is also possible to see a smith at his work and every now and then you might even meet Santa Claus.

at the festival site on Wednesday, August 11. The unique Suvilahti festival area will again add a special flavour to the Flow atmosphere, and the festival's musical scope remains broad, ranging from electronic music via indie rock and jazz to world music. Organisers: Tiketti Phone: +358 (0)600 11 616

Helsinki Cup 11.7.2010 - 17.7.2010 Thousands of young football players from around the world gather in Helsinki to compete for the Helsinki Cup over one week. Organisers: Helsinki Cup Phone: +358 (0)9 454 3511

Flow 10 Festival 13.8.2010 – 15.8.2010 Flow Festival brings together a vast selection of international and Finnish acts. In addition to the festival weekend, an Opening Concert will be held

Helsinki Design Week 26.8.2010 - 5.9.2010

Helsinki Festival 20.8.2010 - 5.9.2010 Finland’s largest multi-arts festival will once again provide a diverse programme of events throughout the city, with experiences ranging from classical to world music and pop, from drama to contemporary dance, and from visual art to film. We hereby invite and encourage you to lose yourself in the Night of the Arts or get carried away with our fringe programme.

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Piece of Central Europe in Finland

Text: Klaus Susiluoto Photo: Turku

The Mayor of Turku, Mr Mikko Pukkinen says that Turku is the most European of Finland’s cities. “ It thus no surprise that in 2011 Turku will be the European Capital of Culture, which will boost culture as well as commerce in the long run.”

ver since it was founded in the 13th century, Turku has been a truly international town. “Nothing has changed in this regard. We just have a different kind of international influence today. We have active dealings in different fields and varied amounts of trading. There are also many foreign-born people who work and study in Turku,” says Mikko Pukkinen. “Transport connections to Europe are excellent. Turku Airport has regular direct flights to eight cities in northern Europe and this has been steadily growing. There are four daily ferries that sail to Stockholm every day.” The European influences that have become part of Finland, do so via Turku. “This has not changed in the 21st century. About seven per cent of city residents use languages other than Finnish or Swedish. Immigrants enrich the culture in Turku. I believe that work-related immigration will continue to increase.” There are many immigrants that apply for Finnish citizenship, and in 2009 about 160 people were granted it. There are also many second and third-generation immigrants who were born in Finland, but have foreign roots. The City of Turku celebrates this diversity with the annual “New Citizen of Turku” award, where one is chosen among foreign-born immigrants.

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World’s biggest passenger ships

Strong entrepreneurship

Along with their cultural openness, the Turku region also has technological expertise: “We have a clear advantage in hightech competency, for example in shipbuilding. The STX shipyard has manufactured some of the world’s largest passenger ships. Modern cruise liners require a huge amount of technical proficiency and this kind of knowledge has stemmed from decades of experience,” says Mayor Pukkinen. Turku and Turku artists have also enriched the cultural arts in the region. “The most recent example of this is a cultural centre that is being built in the former metalwork premises of Finnish Railway company VR. This Konepaja Hall allows us to put up exhibitions and performances that would otherwise be impossible to organise.” The Turku 2011 events that will be spread throughout the city allows for the use of existing facilities like the old engineering workshop which provides a unique centre and pulls together an extensive programme. Currently in the planning stage is the Fortuna quarter with artisan studios and shops.

Turku is the city of entrepreneurs and traders. “The cornerstone is the home of small and medium-sized companies. We provide exceptionally strong support to entrepreneurs, where the city networks with business promotion organisations, for example. Turku’s business and industry people are skilful at networking.” Mikko Pukkinen was not born in Turku, but after moving there he became soon convinced about city’s strengths. “When I first moved to Turku, I was genuinely surprised by the wide variety of opportunities the city could offer. Whether it is cultural or leisure activities, you always find something interesting to do. Opportunities to study are exceptionally good. Turku is greater as a city than merely the sum of its population. Turku is a historic city and that is implicit in the work by central European academics who look at the culturally open and traditional city community.” “What is striking about Turku as well is its natural beauty in the summertime. The Turku archipelago is really worth visiting. This vivacious city has a blend of life and culture that betters what any other Scandinavian city can offer.” www.turku.fi

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The cornerstone is the home of small and medium-sized companies. We provide exceptionally strong support to entrepreneurs, where the city networks with business promotion organisations, for example. Turkuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business and industry people are skilful at networking.â&#x20AC;?

Mayor of Turku, Mr Mikko Pukkinen

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Creative sector and logistics

Text: Klaus Susiluoto Photo: Turku

Kalle Euro, Director of Turku Region Development Centre says that the creative industries are expanding, along with flourishing traditional businesses in the area.

or investors and business people Turku is an emerging area – a bridgehead between east and west. There are also universities with 40,000 students that ensure a firstclass educated workforce. Turku is a city with business spirit. “Since 2003 we have arranged The European Day of the Entrepreneur (EDE), an event for entrepreneurs and representatives of organisations involved in the running of the local economy. The aim is to promote and encourage entrepreneurship locally, nationally and internationally by offering seminars, presentations and services to advise and improve entrepreneurial skills,” says Kalle Euro.

In the first couple of years, Stockholm, Sweden, the Baltic countries, Russia and China were some of the main areas of participation. “The recipe is pretty much the same today. We strive to strengthen our international ties. This year we have associations with the cities of Gdansk in Poland, St Petersburg, as well as Rostock and Hamburg in Germany,” says Kalle Euro. “In China we are partnering with Tianjin’s Ecocity project. We are currently celebrating a 10-year relationship with Tianjin, and we have a strong presence in Shanghai’s World Expo 2010, with our Cultural Capital 2011 theme.” Tianjin is the engine of growth in the

Beijing area. “The city of Tianjin has 12 million people, and being the port city of Beijing, development is expected to remain strong. I believe that Turku-based companies have some opportunities in this dynamic area,” says Euro. The Turku region has led the way with its positive attitude to entrepreneurship. For example, last year as many as 800 enterprises were given advice by Potkuri, the agency for start-up companies. “For example, if a foreigner wants to set up a restaurant or ICT company in the Turku region, Potkuri will help,” says Kalle Euro.

LogiCity launched The City of Turku also wants to attract more logistics companies. “Close to the airport we have an emerging LogiCity area, which will continue to expand with its railway link to Russia and on to China, as well as the motorway into central Finland and the E18 ring road. The ports of Turku and Naantali can be reached by road from LogiCity in about 15 minutes,” says Euro. Kaukokiito was the first company to base itself in this area by opening a new terminal in April this year. Kaukokiito’s terminal is a little over 14,000 sq m. The large 10-hectare plot also allows for expansion. “Other companies are also welcome to

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turku We have a strong creative sector in the Turku region, where a lively, creative attitude can be seen in many aspects of life and business.” Director of Turku Region Development Centre, Kalle Euro

make inquiries about the LogiCity area. We don’t just offer the location but provide options for advanced RFID technology as well as the city’s active economic policy.”

Creative sectors The cultural industry is becoming an important branch of Turku’s economic structure. “We have a strong creative sector in the Turku region, where a lively, creative attitude can be seen in many aspects of life and business. We have even used the term ‘Fun Factory’ to embody Turku as a place of enjoyment.” “We of course have a more serious business-like approach with our cultural sector efforts as well. The creative industry is expanding, and approximately 8,000 people work in the creative sectors of 2,500 companies, where turnover is EUR 1.3 billion. Companies are still growing

and turnover is on the rise. “There is a business incubator called Creve Venture, where new companies can be given the opportunity to establish themselves. Creative businesses also have good alliances with traditional companies.” The West Finland Film Commission, WFFC, under the guidance of Turku Region Development Centre, was developed to generate more TV and film production in Turku. “There is a series currently in production, where six detective stories are being filmed in Turku. This project alone brings 120 days of shooting to Turku. It means new opportunities to companies working in relation to the film industry.” West Finland Film Commission WFFC has participated in international events in Los Angeles and the Cannes Film Festival. “We want to attract not only Finnish film makers but also international ones. For example, the scenic archipelago and

the city itself could offer opportunities to shoot films. There is a lot of potential for the film industry in Turku as it is only in its early stages of development.” www.turkuregion.fi

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Turku Science Park

Text: Klaus Susiluoto Photo: Turku Science Park

– International Partnering

“The science park concept was developed in the United States and Europe. Finland was foremost in implementing this concept, but we still have to learn from Asia,” believes Rikumatti Levomäki, CEO of Turku Science Park Ltd.

“I

n the Far East, where the science park concept is younger than in Europe, people and companies are quick to shift to more substantial collaborations. It would be good to create similar partnerships in Finland and the rest of Europe,” says Levomäki, who has previous experience in business development work. His previous position was with the City of Salo - known for its Nokia mobile phone factory and other ICT activities. “Information and communication technology is the second biggest business sector in south-west Finland, and it has been growing continuously and steadily, employing a total of 13,500 people. The Turku-Salo region forms Finland’s strongest ICT expertise cluster outside the Helsinki metropolitan area,” confirms Levomäki. “ICT emphasises further development and though manufacturing will not increase any further, applications will become more varied.” Rikumatti Levomäki believes that logistics research could be an essential part of a science park. “For example RFID technology offers interesting prospects. ICT will become

increasingly integrated to logistic solutions and this raises the productivity at various levels, for example in trade.”

Core competence “The business incubator concept of Turku Science Park can be further developed,” says Levomäki, “Under our umbrella, the company can concentrate on its core competence. The Turku region has strong companies in the field of life sciences. BioTurku® comprises around one hundred stakeholders – companies as well as training and research centres. The key R&D areas are drug development, diagnostics, biomaterials, and functional foods. “People are becoming more and more interested in health and wellbeing. Therefore, demand for functional foods is rapidly increasing. We expect high growth figures as Finns have a lot of expertise in this particular area.” Turku Science Park Ltd is actively building alliances with national and international clusters. According to Levomäki: “We have a co-operation agreement with the German Technologiepark Heidelberg

GmbH, one of the best-known clusters of biomedical business and research expertise in Europe, as well as a joint venture Biocelex Ltd, with the world-famous Swedish Karolinska Institute. Biocelex provides innovation and business development services for the internationalisation and growth of biotechnology businesses. Are there concrete results from these? “Biocelex, which is a subsidiary of the Turku Science and Business Park, is dedicated to searching out innovations and pioneering companies as investment targets. Since early 2008 Biocelex Ltd has presented approximately 50 Finnish life science innovations to Karolinska Development AB as investment targets. As a result, Karolinska has so far invested in two companies in Finland – BioCis Pharma Ltd and Evostem Ltd.” Levomäki hopes he can bring some new ideas to Turku’s Science and Business Park: “The most urgent task is to get research results utilised. If you cannot apply the results yourself, someone else could use them. An open approach to a strongly networked community is a model for future work.” www.turkusciencepark.com

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The Port of Turku is a hub for Scandinavian traffic. The best route from Scandinavia to Finland and vice versa goes through our port, says Christian Ramberg, Managing Director of the Port of Turku.

he port has direct connections also to Germany, to the ports of Lübeck and the Bremerhaven. “The latter has good trans-Atlantic connections, not only to North America, but also to South America. Hamburg naturally is one of Europe’s main hubs to and from Asia. With feeders it is easy to reach the Baltic Sea from Hamburg van vice versa.” The port of Turku handles some 25 000 TEU of containers every year. “Ro-ro traffic, however, is the most important mode of transportation in Turku. Sea-rail connection is the third base. Our port has facilities to do shipping of railway wagons from Finland to Sweden and further to Europe, although the rail gauge is different,” tells Ramberg. “On the other hand, we share with Russia and the former Soviet Union, even some Asian countries the same gauge, so bringing goods all the way from Russia or the Far East to Finland is a good option. The Finnish operator SeaRail has signed a contract with Russian PGK.” There are also some other strengths Turku has: “Project shippings are important. For example, premium boats and large diesel engines are exported from the Port of Turku. Cars are imported through Turku. The amount of imported cars dropped because of the economic crises, but Finns

now buy more cars again, and the amount is increasing.” Three new terminals have been built within a couple of years. Schenker Cargo’s logistics centre is now 32 500m2 after the recent enlargement, the Danish-Swedish Posten Logistik SCM’s logistics centre in Ovako area is some 25 000m2 and Kaukokiito’s truck terminal 14 000m2.

Cruise ships for Turku Turku is also an important passenger port. There are many visitors from Russia and the Far East on the ferries between Turku and Stockholm.

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Port of Turku – Scandinavian Hub

Text: Klaus Susiluoto Photo: Port of Turku

“The route from Turku is the best way to reach the Swedish capital. The ferry goes through one of the most beautiful archipelagos of the world: the Turku, Åland islands and the Stockholm archipelagos. From time to time, you are literally at a stone’s throw from some of the islands,” describes Ramberg. “The ferry companies invest much in good food and entertainment. For example fish meals are appreciated by many Asians.” In the summer season international cruise ships regularly call on the Port of Turku. “During the summer of 2010 at least eight cruise ships will visit Turku. We have Turku Cruise Port working group to promote the city as a cruise destination.” “Next year, 2011, there are many events in the port of Turku linked to Turku 2011 European Capital of Culture celebration,” concludes Ramberg. www.portofturku.fi

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Different Views Of City Space

Text: Klaus Susiluoto Photo: Turku 2011

As the European Capital of Culture, Turku has the chance to gain unparalleled international visibility during 2011.

“T

he Capital of Culture Turku sees culture in very broad terms,” says Cay Sevón, CEO of the Turku 2011 organisation. “Culture extends from everyday activities to opera and from well-being to urban city culture. People experience their surroundings in different ways.” “Turku is an old city; at the same time, it is the city of the avant garde. With the Turku 2011 programmes new spaces are taken into use in the city. Poetry conquers prisons and old people’s homes. Sports and environmental art meet each other. Flower arrangements send messages of love…Secrets are revealed…One thing that is for sure is that during 2011 everyone visiting Turku will have a new experience.”

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Turku, Tallinn, Stockholm and St Petersburg theatre productions are involved here. These are just a few examples.”

Programme for local people Cay Sevón notes that it is not only about visitors. “The central aim is to get local people to participate in cultural capital events. One large programme puts the suburbs of Turku on the map, to produce their own art events, to tell their own view of the city, to develop the city on a human scale. We want to activate schoolchildren – each and every one of them.” Practical issues such as the comfort of visitors must also be remembered.

Turku networks with all previous capitals of culture, and with those coming after Turku. “We share successes, joys and sorrows with other cultural capital cities. In Turku 2011 programmes the Baltic Sea is strongly present. We have a large umbrella programme, the Baltic trilogy. Outsiders – Germans, French etc - study the three cities of St Petersburg, Tallinn and Turku. Tallinn is the other European Capital of Culture for 2011; St Petersburg is Turku’s twin town and a great cultural metropolis, one of the cultural capitals of the whole world,” Sevón adds. “There is the New Drama, a playwright competition for young authors.

Turku is an old city; at the same time, it is the city of the avant garde.”

turku Archipelago project. With Tallinn, we want to show the beauty but on the other hand the challenges of the Baltic Sea too. Our beautiful sea is literally suffering. It is important for the Turku region, for Finland, and for the whole Baltic Sea region that the Baltic Sea is saved.” www.turku2011.fi

“Turku is too great a city just to be passed by. We boldly co-work with commercial travel companies, like Sokos Hotels, Finnair or TallinkSilja. The travel agency Kaleva and ticket office Lippupiste help people find the best time to visit Turku, and to develop tourism on a solid basis. The closer we get to 2011, the easier it has been to get corporate partners,” says Sevón. Opportunities for co-operation are available on many levels. Turku Energy is an important partner, as are logistics company Niemi and furniture specialist

Puustelli. Beverage company Hartwall, media company MTV Media and the airline Finnair are the main co-operation partners. The local regional newspaper, Turun Sanomat, and Radio Nova are media partners. Clear Channel can offer excellent large-screen technology. There is also the concept of a ‘Culture Club’. “We have already a dozen member companies and communities in the Culture Club. The members include Auratum, Felix Abba, Hesburger, Hansaprint, Luovia, the Kansallinen Kirjakauppa bookstore, the Turku Fair and Congress Centre and the Turku Region Development Centre.”

Suffering sea The Turku Capital of Culture concept was unveiled at the World Expo in Shanghai on 27 May, when the Tero Saarinen dance company and electronic music from Turku were exhibited in the Finnish Pavilion Kirnu. “One of the main events of Turku 2011 will be the Contemporary Art

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Cultural ship for 2011

Text: Klaus Susiluoto Photo: Tallink Silja

Tallink Silja is one of the main corporate partners for the Turku 2011 European Capital of Culture events. “As Turku was an important cornerstone in Tallink Silja’s business, it was easy to co-operate with the Turku 2011 Foundation,” says Kim Söderström, Area Manager of Tallink Silja.

reparations are currently underway for this 2011 corporate partnership. “Our Silja Europe vessel will be the official Culture Ship on the route between Turku and the Swedish capital of Stockholm. Our concept will widen the cruise experience by creating links between artists and Turku 2011 combining the visual arts and cruising. Artwork from the Contemporary Art Archipelago will be placed on the Silja Europa sea route.” This means that people can see artwork located on land from the cruise ferry. “The Baltic Sea is an important aspect of Turku 2011. Passengers going to Stockholm will see art exhibited in the port terminal building,” says Söderström. “The Turku-Stockholm route is a wonderful one to travel. As a native Turku

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resident, it is nice to remind other Turku people and those unfamiliar with Turku, how good and scenic the route is. “Turku is an important market base for us, and we want to continually invest in customer relations. Last year we opened our own travel agency in Turku city centre. We got positive feedback every day at our Aurakatu agency, as not all people want to use the Internet to book their trip.”

Intersail option Kim Söderström says that it has been a pleasure to work with Turku 2011 organisation: “We have a long-standing association with the city of Turku through the port.” Söderström reminds us that Tallink Silja can offer other interesting sea routes

on the Baltic Sea – Helsinki-Stockholm, Helsinki-Tallinn, Stockholm-Tallinn and Stockholm-Riga, for instance. “We have Interail cruising, which can be tailor-made to incorporate the four capital cities of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn, Helsinki, Stockholm and Riga. You can also travel less commonly used routes – such as stepping off in Mariehamn town, or getting to know the Åland islands, then continue on to Stockholm, and back to Turku, or Tallinn – the other European Capital of Culture 2011. “I genuinely hope that people can take up Tallink Silja’s travel packages. As a native Turku person I am convinced that the Turku 2011 European Capital of Culture will increase the awareness of Turku as a whole,” concludes Söderström. www.tallinksilja.com

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The Turku-Stockholm route is a wonderful one to travel.â&#x20AC;?

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Efficient multi-disciplinary Åbo Akademi “Finland’s Swedish-language Åbo Akademi University attracts many students from Scandinavia and Asia, thanks to its high-quality education and research,” declares Rector of Åbo Akademi, Mr Jorma Mattinen.

bo Akademi University has about 7,000 students, out of which approximately 770 international students from 60 different countries enrol every year. About nine per cent of all our degree students come from abroad. That is the highest figure at any multi-disciplinary university in Finland,” explains Rector Jorma Mattinen. “Of all foreign students about 26 per cent come from other Scandinavian countries. This is a common occurrence, since we are a Swedish-language university. However, of the 770 international students 16 per cent come from Asia, which is quite a significant figure. “A large group of them are also exchange students who come from our partner institutions around the world to study for one or two semesters at Åbo Akademi University. “Our university is ranked as one of the most efficient Finnish universities e.g. with reference to the number of international scientific publications”

Chemistry expertise Åbo Akademi is a multi-disciplinary university with humanistic as as well technological expertise. “We have a long tradition of work-

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ing with the business community. Our complementary external financing, forms about 40 per cent of our total budget,” says Rector Mattinen. “Although the business community continues increasing its funding of our university, we cannot commit any one part of the university’s R&D department to any one company. The University must concentrate on basic research and innovative attitude. We can participate in product development with businesses but we should gain financial remuneration for it. “Universities should keep in mind the educational potential of companies – the expectations and opportunities from graduates, whether they have a master’s in science, technology or any other discipline. Graduates from Åbo Akademi have generally found it easier to gain employment than university graduates from other institutions in Finland,” says Mattinen. Although Åbo Akademi is officially a Swedish-language university, many graduate courses are in English. One can also study other languages and cultural studies at Åbo Akademi. “With globalisation, understanding foreign cultures is becoming increasingly important in international business.” There is also growing research collaboration with Asian universities within

Text: Klaus Susiluoto Photo: Åbo Akademi

“We also participate in eBEREA – eBusiness Education and Research Network for Euro-Asian Collaboration – which incorporates universities from China, Finland, Italy and the Netherlands,” says Rector Mattinen. In the field of chemistry Åbo Akademi has a Centre of Excellence– the Proc-

ess Chemistry Group – which develops bio-based fuels. Also, the Combustion Chemistry research is at a high level. This has led to increased energy efficiency in many industrial power plants.” www.abo.fi

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the fields of natural sciences and technology and gradually, more and more Chinese degree students want to continue as researchers at Åbo Akademi after they graduate. Åbo Akademi has bilateral agreements and student exchange programmes with Chinese Jilin and Northeast Normal universities.

Our university is ranked as one of the most efficient Finnish universities e.g. with reference to the number of international scientific publications.”

Rector of Åbo Akademi, Mr Jorma Mattinen

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TUAS invests heavily in business management education The Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS) is a multi-disciplinary higher education institution for 9,000 students and 750 experts. “We offer education that develops working life and promotes entrepreneurship. We also have applied research and development (R&D) and holistic development of organisations,” explains the Rector Juha Kettunen.

“O

ne of the most popular degree programmes this spring was International Business, which had four times more applicants than we could approve. Information Technology and Nursing were also popular,” states Kettunen. According to its strategy, the Turku University of Applied Sciences invests heavily in entrepreneurship and business management education, which are at the Master’s level. “We have, for example, entrepreneurship training and incubator activities. A particularly popular aspect has been the Spark for Entrepreneurship seminar, where business people talk about their own careers.” “We also participate in the national Venture Cup business plan competition. We aim at promoting entrepreneurship through an innovative approach that works for the greater Turku region.” For the first time in its history, the

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Turku University of Applied Sciences offers summer-time educational options in 2010. “This could provide better chances to get one’s examination ready in time and create a favourable position when seeking a job. With summer-time education, students can also balance their study load within a longer semester. The summertime studies include an international programme called “Ethics, Ecology and Environment”, says Kettunen. The Turku University of Applied Sciences puts continuous emphasis on the quality of education. “The quality assurance system ensures that we can reach our targets. It complements strategic management and makes our processes more effective.” The degree programme of civil engineering achieved the distinction of the centre of excellence as the first degree programme in the field of technology and transportation.

Text: Klaus Susiluoto Photo: TUAS

Rector Juha Kettunen

Corporate social responsibility As one of the largest university of applied sciences in Finland, the institution takes corporate social responsibility very seriously. “We are the first higher education institution in Finland to have developed our operations with reports on corporate social responsibility.” “We are keen about international cooperation, with for example, our partnership with Dutch Hogeschool Utrecht. In engineering education, we have links with the Sendai National Technical College and Tohoku University in Japan. Asia is an important region in addition to Europe and North America.” Annually, we have 250 exchange students, who come mainly from Spain, France and Germany. Finnish students go abroad as well on exchange programmes as international semester students. In addition to this, TUAS has more than 300 international students completing their exams, the majority of whom come from China, Nepal, Nigeria and Kenya. Degree programmes taught in English, such as International Business, Information Technology and Nursing offer great opportunities for study. www.turkuamk.fi

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On-the-job learning for entrepreneurs

Text: Klaus Susiluoto Photos: Turku Vocational Institute

One important way to develop one’s skills in Turku Vocational Institute is apprenticeship training.

urku Vocational Institute (TAI, Turun ammatti-instituutti ) is one of Finland’s largest upper secondary vocational schools. It offers young people and adults education and training for basic vocational qualifications as well as vocational further education and training in the fields of Business Economics and Service, Technology, and Health and Welfare. The language of instruction at the Institute is Finnish, except for the educational unit of Business and IT, whose language of instruction is Swedish. Turku Vocational Institute has invested in apprenticeship training: “It is a flexible and practical method of learning in which the student (employee) and the employer enter into a fixed-term employment and education relationship,” tells Chief Executive of TAI Seija Mattila, “The education is carried out primarily through hands-on tasks in the workplace which supplement the theoretical studies provided at an institute of learning. All apprenticeship training arrangements are handled by the Turku Vocational Apprenticeship Office.” “Our Institute has many projects related to on-the-job learning that are focused on improving the students’ opportunities to complete their on-the-job learning period, even abroad.” Entrepreneurship is an important issue in the Turku region. It is thus no surprise that there are special apprenticeship

programs for those who run their own company. This kind of agreement is done between our apprenticeship office and the company. “This is a good way for entrepreneur to develop his or her skills. On-the-job learning naturally plays an important role also here, but one can do larger scale development work at the same time. Apprenticeship programs offer also the op-

portunity to do matchmaking with other students at these programs. It can even be a kind of benchmarking work,” says Seija Mattila. Since January this year there is a shorttime tailor-made package on the subject the contents of which entrepreneur can decide him or herself. This is also apprenticeship education and free-of-charge for entrepreneur, on certain conditions. This benefit is granted with the help of entrepreneur organisation of South-West Finland.

Chief Executive of TAI Seija Mattila

TAI in Facebook Turku Vocational Institute opened up its own pages also in Facebook. “We started only in April this year, so it is impossible to conclude the pros and cons of our approach. But I believe we can do networking and make our institute more known. And to be there, logged to Facebook, where almost everyone else already is. It is estimated that around 1.2 million Finns have already joined the Facebook – a large figure for a country of little more than five million,” says Mattila. “Facebook is a medium that is quick, flexible, and one can use the Facebook as an information channel. Students are our clients and we cannot ignore them even in this issue.”

International activities The regional focuses of the international activities of Turku Vocational Institute are the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland), the Baltic region (particularly Estonia, the Netherlands and Germany), the other EU member states, China and Russia. www.turkuai.fi

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University of Turku From Asian studies to Finland Futures

The University of Turku and Turku School of Economics merged to form a new University of Turku as of 1 January 2010. The strategic goal was to form an international concentration of research and higher education that fosters wellbeing, economic growth, versatile study opportunities and cultural life in Turku and the whole country.

Text: Katja Kangasniemi Photo: Turku 2011

he University of Turku has over 20,000 students and some 3,000 staff, making it the third largest employer in the Turku region. Of the international students, some 300 are Master degree students and ca 180 are Doctoral students. In addition the University receives annually over 1000 international exchange students. The three biggest nationalities among foreign students are Russian, German and Chinese. “There has traditionally been co-operation with Nordic universities, and during the past years the University of Turku has streamlined the collaboration especially with universities in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Russia,” says the

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Rector, Keijo Virtanen. “The University of Turku has coordinated the Baltic Sea Region University Network for a decade, and today this network encompasses 39 institutions in the Baltic Sea area.” The Faculty of Medicine of the University of Turku is one of the ten Centres of Excellence in university education 2010– 2012 selected by the Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council. “The evaluation was based on the international peer review, and e.g. the excellent connection between teaching and top-quality research in medicine and bio-sciences was highly acknowledged, which is the goal at other faculties as well”, says Rector Virtanen. www.utu.fi/en/

The University of Turku also has an important national role in promoting Asian Studies. “The Centre for East Asian Studies (CEAS) is the first and only academic centre in Finland devoted to the study of contemporary East Asia. CEAS offers not only education and research but also wider Asian knowledge – the Centre just published a book for Finnish readers on Chinese mega cities, their administration, business and living environment in transition,” says Virtanen.

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East Asian Studies

http://aasia.utu.fi/en/

Finland Futures Research Centre is one of the eleven special units of the University of Turku, which do not belong to any of the seven faculties of the University and concentrate on research. The Centre refines visionary knowledge regarding alternative futures and the challenges and possibilities included in them. The Centre’s academic research focuses mainly on themes such as foresight, environmental and energy research, innovations, social and cultural research, and research on creative industries. Through education and development projects, the Centre offers its clients the tools to forecast future developments and control change processes. www.tse.fi/EN/units/specialunits/ffrc/

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– Where Inspiration Turns into Innovation

Text: Klaus Susiluoto Photos: www.ouka.fi

Oulu has been called the White City of the North. It could also be called the Wise City, or the City of Wisdom. A knowledgeintensive approach and international partnering have always been part of Oulu’s strategy.

he Mayor of Oulu, Mr Matti Pennanen, says that the present international character of the city can be seen in

many ways. “We have very keen cooperation in the northern part of the Gulf of Bothnia. You can think of this as an arc-shaped area, at the bottom of the Gulf of Bothnia, which is the northernmost extension of the Baltic Sea,” he says. This area covers towns from the Finnish side of the gulf, from Kokkola to Raahe, Oulu, Kemi and Tornio, to Haparanda, Luleå, Boden and Umeå on the Swedish side of the gulf. The Bothnian Arc association strives to establish stronger ties between towns and cities in the area. “Certain other areas in Sweden, Norway and Russia are also our natural partners – for example, the biggest cities in the Russian north, Murmansk, Petrozavodsk and Arkangel, are close partners of Oulu,” says Mayor Pennanen. Murmansk has a good quality technical university, while Arkangel has a medical school. “It is no use underestimating the Russian north-west. They have expertise in many areas, there are large oil and gas

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fields in the Barents Sea, they are willing to cooperate with the European Union and Finland.” Arkangel is also Oulu’s twin town. The mayor of Oulu has experience in Russian affairs, since he worked for big Finnish construction company, YIT, in Moscow between 1996-2000. “Naturally there is much to do make everyday business, tourism and research cooperation easier. There are no proper air connections from Oulu or any other Finnish city to Murmansk or Arkangel. You have to fly via St Petersburg or Moscow, and then on from there. By road it takes 12-15 hours from Oulu to Murmansk.” In spite of these obstacles there is a huge amount of potential in EU-FinlandRussian cooperation.

Asia and the USA Oulu has extended its international relations also to Asia. Japan and China play an important role. “In Japan our partner town is Sendai. We have had cooperation on welfare issues. Also Tokyo, Osaka and Sapporo have been our partners. We have initial links with the Chinese city of Hangzhou,

The Mayor of Oulu, Mr Matti Pennanen

but we do want to have a clear agenda before we step into real cooperation. Nokia Siemens Network operates in Hangzhou, which is naturally one issue to think of, since Nokia is also strong in Oulu. But we will have to consider other issues too. What we know is that we want to achieve concrete results with every twin town we have. And it is after all not the cities, but the individuals who actually work together.” Oulu is also one of the Finnish cities with strong partnerships in the United States. “In the US much has been done with San Jose, an energetic Californian city. The City of San Jose and City of Oulu in Finland agreed to work together on various initiatives which promote and encourage mutually beneficial relations – to foster improved connections for businesses, research organisations and city government in each region,” says Mayor Pennanen.

There are hundreds of foreign-born experts working at the University of Oulu and other institutes of higher education, and in companies based in the region. “Naturally most of them do not stay permanently, but that is quite normal. All in all, the Oulu region has some 3,000 immigrants. We have an international English school, the Swedish school, the multidisciplinary University with 17,000 students and 3,000 staff, as well as other top ranking educational institutions.” The University of Oulu has ranked in the 500 top universities in the world – quite an achievement for a city of 120,000 people. Oulu is known as the city of Hi-Tech. There are 12,000-15,000 people working in the Hi-Tech industry. “Oulu is one of the wireless technology hubs of Europe. We are one of the leading powerhouses in Europe in the

development of mobile communications technology, especially GSM and WCDMA technologies. The city has a pool of exceptionally talented software and hardware engineers. World-leading companies, such as Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks, still play an important role here,” Says Mayor Pennanen.

Game industry Many jobs in manufacturing electronics were relocated to Asian countries, but there are new beginnings, for example in the game industry. “We have Game Professor Tony Manninen, the first of a kind in Finnish universities. The game company LudoCraft was a spin-off from the research unit of the University of Oulu, but it is now an independent company. Manninen continues to lecture on games, and the game industry is one of the most promising

new sectors of business in the Oulu region.” Tony Manninen has been called the “Doctor of Games in Finland.” He has been in the computer and console game industry for more than 15 years. Manninen also wrote the first handbook on game design in Finland, and he is the contact person for the Oulu Games Cluster.

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Top university

City brand In a recent study by research institution Taloustutkimus, Oulu’s image was evaluated to be the best of city brands in Finland. What is the secret behind this? “It has been thanks to continuous work,” says Mayor Pennanen. “We have the Oulu product, which includes the whole region of Oulu with some 220,000 people. Right now we are doing evaluation work with a consulting company.” www.oulu.com

Oulu City Hall

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From Electronics Hardware to Internet and Game Excellence Oulu is one of the original home towns of Nokia, but it is also much more. Oulu aims to be a top-ranking city in Internet research and the game industry, among others. Everything is tied together with strong business development excellence.

ulu is a city of very strong technology. It was one of the cities where Nokia played an important role in the mobile giant’s transformation from a Nordic electronics company to a global mobile phone brand. This has naturally benefited the City of Oulu as well as Nokia, and Nokia still has a strong base in Oulu. Many smaller electronics companies have left the city due to the global shift of basic electronics to China, India and other low-cost countries, but new business activities have emerged. Oulu’s Economic Development Director, Mikko Karvo, says that Oulu was well prepared for global challenges. He says: “Already for 2000-2006 we created a Growth Agreement strategy on how to redevelop the ICT cluster. New focuses were media and content, welfare, biotechnology and environment. “In our present Innovation Strategy, the clusters are not forgotten, but we emphasise business development and marketing, internationalisation, innovation processes, and innovative and competitive working environment. “We are now implementing the strat-

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egy, but in an even more varied way than we originally planned, although the economic downturn naturally has affected our work somewhat,” says Karvo. “Besides, to start a completely new business like the game industry requires hard work anyway, plus years and years – even decades – of experience before you can have proven results if measured in the number of new jobs and growth in turnover.” Mikko Karvo says that there is strong activity among service companies too, with applications like e-commerce and travel industry spiced with ICT. “Oulu lost thousands of jobs during electronics’ downsizing, but mostly these jobs have been replaced with new types of jobs,” says Karvo.

Oulu innovation Innovation work in Oulu is co-built by enterprises in the area, the City of Oulu, Oulu University, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, VTT Technical Research Centre and Technopolis Plc. The latter provides business environments and services for knowledge-intensive companies and organisations.

Text: Klaus Susiluoto

“This innovation work fosters hightechnology development based on the Triple Helix co-operation in northern Finland, to create new clusters. We already have the Centre for Internet Excellence (CIE), Centre of Expertise in the Water Industry (CEWIC), a cluster of printed electronics (PrintoCent) and the international business programme MAIGBE, Martti Ahtisaari Institute of Global Business and Economics,” Karvo says. Finland’s ex-president, Martti Ahtisaari, is known for his peace work. Ahtisaari was granted the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008, and he is usually referred to only as “the Negotiator”, with superb results in peace processes in Kosovo, Aceh, Namibia etc. But he is keenly interested in international business and global issues too. Ahtisaari spent much of his youth in Oulu, and was also briefly a teacher there before entering the diplomatic service. He agreed that his name can be used in the MAIGBE programme, and he visits his old home town quite frequently.

Oulu Innovation Centre’s alliance agreement has been signed and the innovation work continues. This work will be shifted to a new business development company starting in 2011, tells Juha Ala-Mursula, who started as Director of Economic Affairs for Oulu City Council in April. “Practical innovation work is already carried out. The Centre for Internet Excellence, CIE, has been launched in the university premises. CIE will in the near future announce details about international projects. “Broad multidisciplinarity, transparency, the benefits of global research networks, a joint testing infrastructure and also networking and a result-oriented mode of operation will be typical of the Centre,” says Ala-Mursula. The Living Lab environment with “Turning Ideas into Business” model is also in progress, he says. Ala-Mursula emphasises that although research activities are strong in the Oulu region, the business-like approach is not forgotten. For example, in addition to Nokia, Oulu-based Polar Electro has shown good progress in its international operations. “We need growth companies. Finnish companies should grow faster, either organically or by acquiring innovative companies. But taking market share takes time, and enterprises make their own decisions. Oulu-based companies have strong technological expertise, but considering our location, the size of population and workforce expenses, mass production in big volume is possibly not the best strategy.”

Shanghai as a milestone Oulu has been an international city since its beginning. In the old times, traders and manufacturers came from Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands. Some of them returned to their home countries, but some stayed. “Today our international community in Oulu is much bigger, and the city of

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Ideas into business

Oulu has contacts all over the world. Some Oulu-based companies even operate in China. The World Expo in Shanghai is possibly a milestone in our China strategy. We are mapping out a suitable partner in China,” says Ala-Mursula, who already visited the Shanghai Expo. He says that Hangzhou is a potential twin city, since some companies operate there already to some extent. “But Hangzhou is by no means the only choice.” www.ouka.fi

Centre for Internet excellence Nokia and the University of Oulu play an important role in the Centre for Internet Excellence. The Rector of the University of Oulu, Lauri Lajunen, said: “The centre and its operational concept will enhance our basic research and promote our primary objective, which is to develop into a world-class research university. This is the profile that we have chosen in the Finnish university community. Hence we will also be able to contribute more effectively to the success of our operating environment.” Nokia announced that the history of its institutions in the Oulu area as innovators and a globally sufficient cluster of competence are the main reasons why it decided to take part in the establishment of the Centre. Nokia, like the other equal partners, played a role in developing the concept of the Centre, the basic funding, and especially the projects. Nokia locates its own personnel in the Centre’s facilities, according to the need. Nokia already has an important R&D activity in Oulu. www.cie.fi www.oulu.fi

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– Flexible Event Organisers Text: Klaus Susiluoto

Oulu’s cultural life is more active than you would expect from a city of 137,000 inhabitants. It is striking that the city has many music events, but also visual arts, theatre, film and street entertainment figure well too.

ulu’s Director of Culture, Mr Risto Vuoria, says that Oulu is known for its music. “The city has the only professional symphony orchestra in northern Finland, and which produces high quality music of various kinds for the pleasure of its audiences. The language of music is universal, not only international, so attending high class concerts at our splendid Madetoja Concert Hall is very convenient for foreign visitors as well as city residents. “And actually quite often our orchestra is conducted by visiting conductors, who are well known internationally – covering nearly every continent. We should not forget to mention the fantastic soloist performing here too.” In addition to symphony concerts, the Orchestra also performs sacral music, light music and chamber music. It also produces an opera every year together with the City Theatre, the Conservatory and Oulu Opera Association. Oulu is also a centre for modern music. “Oulu is not known as a rock city like Tampere, or electronic music centre like Turku. Instead, our city is better known for the heavy music genre. But there are no limits to the different music genres performed in Oulu. In fact there are all

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types of music events, festivals, performances and musical ensembles, which are warmly welcomed by local and foreign music lovers. There is plenty to choose from according to your own taste in music and also a possibility to make a nice mixture,” says Vuoria.

Variety of cultural events Oulu’s Art Museum serves local, national as well as international visual culture. Its activities include exhibitions, publications, information services, city guides and art education. Oulu Art Museum’s own collections consist of more than 2,000 works. “We have a very true audience of visual arts. The Historical Museum opens an interesting window to the history of Northern Ostrobothnia,” says Vuoria. “Oulu also runs Finland’s oldest Science Centre. Located a short distance from each other, these three important institutions are now planning to form one single multidisciplinary organization. Joining forces is expected to bring more appealing and greater exhibitions and hence lead to an increasing number of visitors,” says Vuoria. There are many cultural events throughout the year.

“To name a few popular events, there is the Oulu Music Festival, the Irish Festival of Oulu, Elojazz, Oulu Music Video Festival – including the internationally renowned Air Guitar World Championships contest, the Night of Arts, Rock Festival Qstock, the Oulu promenade Rotuaari Picnic, Meri Oulu Outdoors Theatre, the International Children’s Theatre Festival and the International Children’s Film Festival,” Vuoria points out.

Easy-to-find events Risto Vuoria says that culture is also about the ability to organise events: “Our festival and event organizers are flexible, so any city in Europe or elsewhere, even in Asia, is a potential partner. In Asia we have connections to Beijing, Mumbai, Singapore, Sendai among others. The most recent co-operation has been with one of the biggest cultural programmes in northern Europe, called Music on Top with Luleå, Umeå, and Tromsø – as well as the 13 different European cities taking part in the theatre network called Platform 11+. “From the point of view of visitors or attendance of our cultural services, the events should be easy to find. This is the reason we are about to launch the Oulu

Tourism and conferencing Oulu and companies have a meeting Oulu service too. How are conferencing, travel and culture linked? For example, are the conference guests eager to link culture to conferencing? “Yes, absolutely,” he says. “I wonder if there are any people attending a confer-

The Music Centre is a lively place for culture and education in central Oulu giving home to Oulu Symphony Orchestra, Oulu Conservatory, and Oulu Music Festival.

ence who wouldn’t want to relax and have some fun in-between. In a city of human dimensions this is really easy.” Oulu is also known for companies in the game industry. Could games and the film industry be developed as creative industries? “I believe so, because it is not realistic to create big industries in assembly or manufacturing. The focus of new developing industries should be on small, knowledge-based content-businesses. For that we have just the excellent environment with a great number of young people and our very high-class universities and other education units.” It has been noted that, surprisingly, many cultural figures and authors were born in Oulu. What is the reason for this? “Oulu has long traditions from the past centuries in the field of education. Three hundred years ago our merchant navy brought all the most interesting and modern cultural ideas from Europe and the big foreign cities to this small, but energetic, town. As we want to point out “without mixing the nation’s capital to it.”

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region’s Cultural Website. The big moment is in November this year. In addition to improvements in communication and marketing, the cultural institutions are increasingly co-operating with local, domestic and foreign professionals to bring a wide variety of cultural happenings to and from Oulu.”

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Environmental expertise from Environmental sciences and business are strong in the Oulu region. One of the strongholds is NorNet, a network established in 1999.

Text: Klaus Susiluoto

he research carried out in NorNet is coordinated by Jouko Inkeröinen. “At the research project level international cooperation with universities and research institutes is actively focusing on northern environmental issues. Moreover, within the framework of international infrastructure initiatives and projects, shared used of Finnish research field stations and environmental monitoring facilities are promoted.” The operation of the network aims to promote not only the communication of research needs, but also putting research results more effectively into action. The work also aims to promote scientific post-graduate education and environmental enterprise. “Finnish environmental research is well known for its high quality,” says Inkeröinen. “And as a part of networking the NorNet network aims to offer and promote this knowledge to international markets. Wide-ranging and detailed environmental data and high level of technological skills form the basis of Finland's effective environmental protection policies.

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With the help of international projects and innovative approaches it is possible to be productive and disseminate these good practices. The NorNet focuses especially on northern environmental issues like adaptation in cold climate conditions, vulnerable ecosystems, sparsely populated areas and sustainable use of natural resources with a multidisciplinary approach.

Joint knowledge Cross-sector collaboration such as NorNet is part of the interaction between researchers and society. “Joint knowledge covers all dimensions of sustainable development having an effect to various societal sectors. For example, there is innovative development work going on between several NorNet partners measuring environmental impacts of material flows caused by the national economy allocated to different activity sectors and product groups,” says Inkeröinen. The NorNet Coordination Unit is located at the Thule Institute, which is a research centre into environmental issues,

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natural resources and energy economy at the University of Oulu. “NorNet coordinators gather complementary research groups from among NorNet partners to plan and execute research projects,” says Inkeröinen. “The Unit helps researchers to find external partners for projects outside the network. With the help of seminars and meetings the dissemination of research results is promoted. Also as a part of its agenda, the Coordination Unit does project preparation and management, communicates researchers’ funding possibilities, promotes research exchange and post-graduate education.”

History In the late 1990s the University of Oulu and Finnish Environment Institute agreed, together with the northern units of Environmental Administration, to initiate co-operation in the field of northern research. In 2002 the public research organisations Finnish Forest Research Institute, Agrifood Research Finland and Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute joined the network. They were later joined by the Geological Survey of Finland and the Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira. In 2009 the Finnish Meteorological Institute joined the network too. www.nornet.oulu.fi

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Tietomaa

– More Than 20 Years of Science Exhibitions Finland’s first science centre – Tietomaa – was opened in 1988 in Oulu, its present location. Tietomaa’s aim has always been to present “the achievements of science and engineering for everyone in a fun and interesting way”.

Text: Klaus Susiluoto

rom the outset, the number of visitors has increased steadily. “In the 2000s we received at least 60,000 visitors every year, with the exception of one year, and our record is 74,500 yearly visitors,” explains Jonna-Marleena Härö, Director of Tietomaa. “Our guests are mainly school classes and other groups. The educational aspect is important for schoolchildren, but otherwise there is no big difference in the kind of group visiting the Tietomaa centre. Exhibitions based on changing themes were introduced in 1993, and now at least one new theme exhibition opens every year. A new super screen (192 sq m) shows film premieres, usually around the end of April. Some of the new exhibitions are produced by Tietomaa, and some are rented world-wide. “The theme exhibition typically has 20-40 parts. In finding suitable exhibition ideas we cooperate with the University of Oulu and technology companies.

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For example game-developing expertise has been utilised. Later it will be possible to have an exhibition on computer and console games,” says Härö. “All exhibition items are hands-on, meaning that you can try everything yourself. Of the theme exhibitions the most popular for over 10 years has been the sports arena Sporttimus, which was renewed in 2009,” adds Härö. “Illusions, Gravity and Great Inventions have also been popular exhibitions.” Tietomaa belongs to NSCF, the Nordic Science Centre Association, and to the European umbrella organisation, ECSITE. Tietomaa is also a member of the European giant screen association Euromax. “We can utilise contacts with these organisations in the exhibition and film side of our work,” says Härö. “We also cooperate with the Luleå Technical House (Teknikens Hus). It was from here we rented the Bridges exhibitions, with the aid of Oulu-based Oulun siltasuunnittelijat, part of the WSP Finland company.” www.tietomaa.fi