ScandAsia China - April 2016

APR 2016

Theme:

International Schools

Emilia Tavakoli

spearheads Finncham Hong Kong as it celebrates 30 years ScandAsia.dk

ScandAsia.fi

ScandAsia.no

ScandAsia.se

APR 20 16

Coming Events

Swedish Career Fair 2016 Internat iona School l s

Theme:

Emilia Ta spearh vakoli eads Fi nncham H ScandAsi

a.dk

ScandAsi

a.fi

on celebratg Kong as it es 30 ye ars ScandAsi a.no ScandAsi

a.se

Front cover: Johan Persson, designer Photos: Inga Backmann www.ingabeckmann.com

Your FREE ScandAsia Magazine in China ScandAsia is the only magazine that covers all the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish residents in China.

We also publish a ScandAsia magazine in Thailand, Singapore and the rest of South East Asia.

Please sign up for your own FREE copy: www. scandasia.com Publisher : 211 Soi Prasert Manukitch 29 Prasert Manukitch Road Chorakae Bua, Lad Prao Bangkok 10230, Thailand Tel. +66 2 943 7166-8, Fax: +66 2 943 7169 E-mail: news@scandasia.com Editor-in-Chief : Gregers A.W. Møller gregers@scandmedia.com Assistant Editor: Joakim Persson Joakim@scandmedia.com Advertising : Finn Balslev finn@scandmedia.com Graphic Designer : Peerapol Meesuwan Peerapol@scandmedia.com Distribution : Wanvisa Rattanaburi wanvisa@scandmedia.com Printing : Siamprint Co., Ltd.

Daily news and features here: www.scandasia.com

Where: Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai 500 Weihai Road, Shanghai + Rosewood Hotel, Jing Guang Centre, Hujialou, Chaoyang District, Beijing When: Shanghai Saturday 9 April, 10:00-17:00; Beijing Sunday 24 April, 10:00 - 14:00 The Swedish Career Fair is a platform in which talented young professionals can meet with company representatives to exchange ideas and opportunities.

A mix of large and small international Swedish companies will par ticipate and present the opportunities they offer within their organizations.

The event lasts a full day and is free of charge for all visitors. Pre-registration is required in order to secure your attendance.

Companies, ranging from SME’z to MNC’s, will be participating in this year’s Swedish Career Fair. A wide range of industries; from retail, manufacturing, banking, recruiting, and more are exhibiting in the largest Swedish fair in China. Come and meet them!

This year we present the theme Green Sweden - focusing on Swedish companies being world leaders in sustainable innovations and CSRrelated activities.

Doing Business in China: How do You Handle the Request For Kick-backs Where: Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai 500 Weihai Road, Shanghai When: Thu 14 April, 08:00-10:00 Swedish Chamber of Commerce, China Chamber Breakfast: While most companies have compliance policies, not all Chinese staff buy into and adhere to those policies. The key reason being many people could not figure out how they could be compliant and still win business contracts and meet their business targets. Hence, this breakfast session

tackles the issues how international companies and businesses can handle requests for kick-backs and other unreasonable demands, AND STILL able to do business in China.

Speaker : c.j. Ng. Price: Members: 200RMB, Non-members: 600RMB

Vappu Junk 2016 Where: Leaving from Central Pier 9 When: Sat 30 April, 09:45 AM - 06:00 PM One of the things that makes Hong Kong so unique is that the city is surrounded by sea and, therefore, jumping on a junk boat MUST be on your Hong Kong bucket list! Since VAPPU is one of the biggest Finnish celebrations of the year, we want to organize something special: YP Vappu Junk Boat 2016 celebration with a Nordic touch! Furthermore, we will get together with the Swedish Young Professionals!

We will meet up at 9.45 am at Central Pier 9 on Saturday, 30th of April. The boat will leave at 10am and the magnificent morning harbor view of Hong Kong will surround us. We will eat, sing, chat and enjoy the ocean breeze as we sip on our summer drinks. … Sounds like a perfect day to us! When the time comes, we will return to the ground and enter Hong Kong’s nightlife.

The price for the members is HK$400 and for non-members HK$600, including food & drinks.

Space is limited so be fast and secure your place on the coolest Vappu boat in Hong Kong!

DCCC South China: Sankt Hans Where: Coloplast, Zhuhai When: 4 June, 2:30PM – late We are happy to invite you and your family to celebrate an old Danish tradition; Skt. Hans.

Together we will welcome the Danish midsummer.

Besides a lovely dinner we will arrange a few social activity games and we hope to create some fun and memorable moments.

Price: Members: RMB 250 Non-members: RMB 350 Children above 10: RMB 100

The price includes: Afternoon refreshments and dinner.

Lemonade and sluch-ice is kindly sponsored

by Sunquick Hotel accommondation: Grand Bay View hotel, Zhuhai.

Registration: Please send a email to dccsc@ dccsc.net with name(s) and company.

News Brief

Ten more Swedish visa application centres in China

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New chairwoman elected for FinnCham Hong Kong

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n 26 Feb 2016 Anna Hyrske, was elected as new Chairwoman within the new 2016 Finnish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong (FinnCham) board of directors.

Anna Hyrske has been on the FinnCham board since 2015 and she is currently working as Head of Responsible Investments and Portfolio Manager at Ilmarinen, a Finnish Pension Insurance Company with an AuM of over €34 billion. Anna joined Ilmarinen in 1999 and has since held various positions such as Credit Analyst and Corporate Responsibility Advisor.

She has co-written the first Finnish handbook on responsible investments and is frequently asked to give lectures and speeches on this topic, both in Finland and internationally. She holds bachelor degrees in economics from Université de Montpellier I (France),The Nottigham Trent University (UK) and a master’s degree from Hanken (Finland).

Ms. Hyrske is replacing Henna Räisänen, who served as the FinnCham Chairwoman for the past two years 2014-2015. FinnCham thanked Henna Räisänen for a job very well done.

“Her efforts during the past two years have revamped the chamber and brought it into a new business-focused and active direction. Ms. Räisänen will continue on as a board member during 2016 to ensure continuity within the chamber’s management.“ Two new board directors also joined the Finnish Chamber board at the AGM: Pete Helin (Enics) and Sari Arho Havrén (Tekes). They replaced depar ting board members Mats Berg (Kemira) and Sebastian Risku (Finnair), who were both relocating back to Finland.

Board members Siru Heino and Sari Arho Havren absent from photo

o make the application process more convenient for the increasing numbers of Chinese travelers, Sweden will open new visa application centres in several cities in China.

During the spring, ten new Swedish visa application centres will open in Xi’an, Chongqing, Nanjing, Chengdu, Shenyang, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Jinan, Kunming and Changsha. Currently, there are visa application centres in Beijing and in Shanghai.

The number of Chinese visitors to Sweden is growing rapidly, and the opening of new visa application centres in different parts of the country will make it more convenient for visitors to submit their applications. With the new application centres, we hope that even more Chinese travelers will get a chance to experience Sweden.

“We welcome Chinese travelers to visit Sweden, the country of Nobel, the northern lights and the midnight sun. By opening visa application centres in several locations in China, we hope to provide the best possible service together with VFS Global,” said Anna Eriksson, head of the migration section at the Embassy of Sweden.

In recent years, China has become one of Sweden’s fastest growing tourism markets. Pristine nature, innovative design, and a unique lifestyle experience are some of the factors that attract Chinese tourists to Sweden. According to the latest figures from Visit Sweden, the number of room nights booked by Chinese tourists in Sweden increased by 28.5% in 2015, and this growth trend is only expected to continue in the years to come Source: Consulate General of Sweden Shanghai

First Finnish education conference ever held in Hong Kong

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eld in February the Finnish Education Conference, hosted by FinnCham’s Education Committee, was the first ever in Hong Kong.

The event attracted over 120 guests, including local media. Seven participating edutech companies came from Finland to showcase their products and services to Hong Kong’s education sector.

Additionally, the three key note speakers, all Finnish exper ts on education innovation, gave informative and inspiring seminars about the success of Finland’s education system, ways to integrate Finnish edutech tools into Hong Kong, and how we can collaborate and learn from each other moving forward. FinnCham will continue hosting similar seminars.

Source: Finnish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong April 2016 • ScandAsia.China 3

News Brief

13 new Finnish visa centres in China

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inland’s visa services in China will expand throughout the country with 13 new visa centers to be opened in spring 2016.

Furthermore, services for Chinese visitors will be further improved by Stopover Finland packages that will be launched in the end of March.

Finnish authorities and Finnish tourism related companies continue to expand their offer of convenient and fast services for Chinese visitors to Finland.

These cities are (in alphabetical order)

Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Jinan, Kunming, Nanjing, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Wuhan and Xi’an. In addition to these cities, Finland has application centres in Beijing and in Shanghai.

Stopover Finland packages to be launched soon Visit Finland together with Finnair and other Finnish tourism related companies will launch a new stopover service in the end of March. The

new service provides stopover packages that cater the needs of Chinese visitors wishing to stay in Finland between 5 hours to 5 days.

The tourism from China to Finland is experiencing a rapid growth thanks to customer friendly, flexible and better services.

The number of overnight stays by Chinese visitors in Finland grew more than 40% in 2015 in comparison to the previous year and Chinese travelers are already the biggest spenders per visit of all the international visitors in Finland.

Finland’s new visa application centres in different parts of China, including in the cities with direct flight connections to Helsinki, offer easier and more comfortable access to visit beautiful and pure Finland.

Further information about the opening of the visa application centers will follow later on these channels: www.finland.cn, www.vfsglobal.cn/finland/ c h i n a / E n g l i s h / i n d e x . h t m l , e . we i b o. c o m / thisisfinland

Discover China opportunities seminars held in Sweden

By Joakim Persson

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tiftelsen Teknikdalen – Ideas into business, in the Swedish province of Dalarna recently held China seminars in tree cities to present the world’s largest economy as the land of opportunity and a trendsetter.

It is in China where innovation, trends and future growth occurs, thus it is very interesting for Swedish companies to build relationships in China for international expansion or simply to shift gear.

In China one does business through relationships and therefore the Teknikdalen Foundation has previously coordinated trips to China to increase the knowledge, network and to seek business opportunities.

The 1-3 Februar y seminars, held in the citites of Gävle, Borlänge, and Mora, included inspirational speakers who are well versed in the art of doing business, in order entrepreneurs in Sweden to get both inspiration and knowledge of the Chinese market.

Xu Min, SWEdala office Wuhan Xu Min helps companies from the provinces Dalarna and Gävleborg to get in touch with Chinese business par tners. He also works at the Swedish Environmental Research Institute’s 4 ScandAsia.China • April 2016

offices in Beijing and can give us a unique insight into what is happening in the Chinese market.

50% of what is being copied in China are copies, is that correct? Elio de Tullio from the EU’s China IPR - SME Helpdesk gave the answer.

This Helpdesk assists companies with advice on the Chinese copyright law (trademarks) and the negotiations around licensing, manufacturing and distribution agreements in connection with operations in China.

The art of doing business in China by Peter Grufman. Which business oppor tunities and difficulties are involved in starting and running a manufacturing company in China? Peter has extensive experience in production in China and shared their experiences in an inspiring way.

The foundation also infor med about an upcoming trip to China being planned for this spring, 2016. Marie Ericson, Teknikdalen Foundation gave a briefing.

Teknikdalen Foundation initiates, operates and participates in regional, national and international projects and suppor t new business ideas and innovations that generate increased growth and development throughout Dalarna.

News Brief

Norwegian Cruise Line launches upscale cruise liner for Chinese market

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orwegian Joy’ is the name for the cruise ship that will pioneer Internationallyacclaimed Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) expansion into the ‘world’s fastest growing cruise market.’

NCL unveiled in February 2016 the English and Chinese names for the world’s first purposebuilt cruise liner for the China market, described as the most innovative ship ever styled exclusively for Chinese guests. The name Norwegian Joy emphasizes the experience that the ship will offer – ‘Paradise on the Sea’.

“After closely studying the Chinese cruise market for several years, we wanted to be clear about what we will deliver to our guests on this spectacular vessel,” said Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Chief Executive Officer Frank Del Rio.

“Norwegian Joy will provide the same sense of freedom and flexibility found on all Norwegian Cruise Line ships, but with resort-style vacation experiences and amenities designed specifically with the Chinese guest in mind.”

With a capacity of 3,900 guests, the new Breakaway Plus-class vessel will debut in China in the summer 2017. Xuisine and onboard experiences will cater to the unique vacation preferences of Chinese guests. This “unrivaled customization” for the China market has involved detailed consultation with Chinese partners and local experts on the subtleties of Chinese culture and preferences, states NCL. The upscale cruise experience especially tailored for modern Chinese travelers extends from world-class entertainment to a wide range

of specially curated fine international dining, unrivaled duty-free luxury shopping at sea and a new range of incredible first-at-sea activities on board.

“Chinese guests will discover an unmatched quality of service, cuisine, enter tainment and retail experience onboard Norwegian Joy that is simply not available in the China market today,” said Senior Vice President and Managing Director of China, David Herrera. “With Norwegian Joy, we will unquestionably offer our Chinese guests a superior product and introduce a new standard of innovation and excellence into what will soon be the world’s second largest cruise market.”

NCL has also revealed a new Chinese name and logo exclusively for the mainland China market. The company’s name will be represented by characters 诺唯真 (Nuò Wéi Zhēn), translating as a ‘Promising, Exclusive and Authentic’ cruise line, which perfectly reflects the company’s dedication to offering the premier cruise product in China.

Along with outstanding enter tainment, dining and upscale accommodations, Norwegian Cruise Line is renowned for a unique style of cruising known as Freestyle Cruising that offers guests the freedom and flexibility to dine, shop and enjoy entertainment on their own time schedule in a fun, relaxed, and energetic atmosphere.

To support NCL’s expansion in China, the company has opened offices in Beijing (Guomao CBD) and Shanghai (Xintiandi), suppor ting all three brands in the company’s por tfolio – Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

‘Modern Danish’ at Design Shanghai 2016 fair

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n 9 – 12 March 2016 the ‘Modern Danish’ pavilion opened its doors to Chinese trade visitors during the four day long Design Shanghai fair - offering Chinese audience a chance to sneak peek at modern Danish lifestyle.

The Danish Trade Council’s design and retail sector team had this year par tnered up with fast-growing Chinese design firm WoWdsgn and selected some of Denmark’s best contemporary brands in an effort to showcase a good balance of hip, urban, upcoming, innovative design products along with Danish design icons. Among the Danish companies in participating in “Modern Danish” this year were Muuto, AYTM, HANDVÄRK, Aida, Lindberg Eyewear, Danerka, Flexa, Jacob Jensen Design, JYSK, Louise Roe and Manostiles.

Design Shanghai is Asia’s leading design event and was again this year getting massive media attention from within both design as well as business press. The event is primarily trade oriented with a large amount of design retailers, interior architects, department stores and other design opinion leaders among it visitors.

In addition to organizing the Danish pavilion for the Danish companies, The Danish Trade Council in China had organized match making with new customers, a press event, an educational

retail field trip and a VIP networking event during the 4 days.

The ‘Modern Danish’ pavilion was officially opened by the Danish Ambassador A. Carsten Damsgaard, Design Shanghai CEO Lee Newton, WoWdsgn Founder and Chairman Mr. BO Xi and Aida CEO Peter Maae Jensen and thereby marked Denmark’s participation with “Modern Danish” pavilion for the second consecutive year.

Head of Danish Trade Council’s design & retail team Casper Freddie says: “we believe that now is a very good time for Danish design

companies to enter and grow in China – the Chinese economy is changing to become more consumer-oriented with growth rates still exceeding 10 % per year and we can see with the massive interest of Danish design the last couple of days at Design Shanghai that a high number of Chinese consumers really have an appetite to tap into a lifestyle where designed products are becoming more and more relevant. This is a golden opportunity for Danish design” Embassy of Denmark, China April 2016 • ScandAsia.China 5

News Brief

Kalmar introduces K-Motion technology in the Asia-Pacific region

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almar, provider of the widest range of cargo handling solutions and services to ports, terminals etc., has introduced their new Kalmar K-Motion technology for reachstackers to the Asian market in 2016. A launch event was held in Shanghai, China in January.

The new solution continues Kalmar’s longterm commitment to developing solutions that help customers meet their sustainability targets and minimise the environmental impact of their operations. Kalmar K-Motion’s combination of

hydrostatic and mechanical technologies delivers a more efficient transmission and allows for a smaller engine, all without compromising drive and lift power. All of this adds up to a reduction in both fuel consumption and exhaust emissions of as much as 40%.

K-Motion’s smart control system improves precision in both low and high drive-speed modes by splitting the power to increase overall drive and lifting efficiency, while the improved joystick enables more precise driving. As a result, daily operations are safer as operators can focus on the task at hand and react more quickly to potential problems, while the improved ergonomics also help reduce fatigue.

“Kalmar K-Motion has been developed as a result of listening closely to the needs of our customers. The support and feedback we receive from our customers and dealers is a key input to our R&D process. K-Motion is a continuation of our commitment to offering innovative technologies and world-class solutions

that help our customers achieve their operational and environmental goals,” said Ken Loh, Executive Vice President, Kalmar Asia-Pacific.

The first equipment to feature K-Motion technology is the Kalmar Gloria DRG450 reachstacker, designed for container, intermodal and industrial handling. Because K-Motion technology allows for a smaller engine with a maximum speed of 1700 rpm, it helps reduce engine noise, thereby improving comfort both for drivers and anyone in the surrounding area.

“Now more than ever, terminals are under pressure to increase their capacity, cut costs and reduce the environmental footprint of everyday operations. We at Kalmar have a longterm commitment to developing efficient and sustainable technology, and this includes the possible application of K-Motion technology across our entire range of reachstackers in the future,” said Stefan Johansson, Director, Sales and Marketing, Kalmar Reachstackers and Empty Container Handlers,

Finnish layoffs and increased Chinese cooperation for Kalmar Stora Enso invests in Consumer Board and Biomaterials China growth

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almar announced in February 2016 plans to reorganise its operations in Tampere, Finland, and deepen cooperation with the joint venture Rainbow Cargotec Industries (RCI) in China.

The plan is to utilise the successful cooperation model that is already in place in the rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes and extend it to automatic stacking cranes (ASC). According to the plan, Kalmar continues to hold the responsibility for automation and software development, sales, marketing and customer interface, as well as project deliveries of mega projects, while RCI would be responsible for the automatic stacking cranes.

To implement the plans, Kalmar begins cooperation procedure with its personnel in the Automation and Projects division in Tampere, Finland. Based on the company’s initial estimations, the possible personnel implications might lead to the reduction of maximum 35 employees, as well as to temporary layoffs. Automation and software development are not included in the scope of the negotiations. Additionally, this plan does not 6 ScandAsia.China • April 2016

have an impact on the shuttle and straddle carrier business operations.

“Port automation is in the core of our strategy, and we expect strong growth in this area in the future. That is why we are currently recruiting more software developers here in Tampere. At the same time, we must make sure that we are competitive in the global market. Together with RCI, we have been very successful in delivering Kalmar RTG projects within the set time, budget and Kalmar quality standards as well as to the full satisfaction of the customers. This gives us confidence that a similar cooperation model in ASC business would help us in executing our automation strategy,” says Antti Kaunonen, Senior Vice President, Automation and Projects, Kalmar.

Kalmar offers the widest range of cargo handling solutions and services to ports, terminals, distribution centres and to heavy industry. Kalmar is the industry forerunner in terminal automation and in energy efficient container handling, with one in four container movements around the globe being handled by a Kalmar solution.

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tora Enso (Finland) announced on 1 March more investment of approximately EUR 63 million to further improve competitiveness in strategic growth areas in China and Sweden.The divisions are Consumer Board and Biomaterials.

Stora Enso is investing EUR 31 million in a new polyethylene (PE) coating line in the new consumer board mill in Beihai, China, expected to be in operation during the second quarter of 2016. The investment will enhance Stora Enso’s strategy for profitable growth and suppor ts competitiveness by enabling shor t lead-times and full quality control for PE-coated prime Food Service Board (FSB). The investment is expected to be completed in mid-2017.

The total investments further enhance Stora Enso’s transformation into a global renewable materials growth company. EUR 31 million of these investments are part of the group’s 2016 capital expenditure forecast, which amounts to EUR 680–720 million.

Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials, wood and paper on global markets. Their aim is to replace non-renewable materials by innovating and developing new products and services based on wood and other renewable materials.

News Brief

Fingerprint Cards reports record year

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ingerprint Cards, a Swedish high-tech, listed company which develops, produces and markets biometric technology, has reported on the full year results for January to December 2015. Revenues amounted to SEK 2,900.5 M (233.6), up 1,142% compared with 2014.

CEO Jörgen Lantto reported that Fingerprint Cards had major success in China, where established a market-leading position at an early stage, within secure mobile payments “During 2015, our Chinese customers launched 40 smartphones integrating our touch fingerprint sensors, of which 33 were launched during the second half of the year. Our major Chinese customers are planning for continued strong growth in 2016, partly on the back of increased presence outside China. Fingerprint sensors are also rapidly becoming a mandatory component in Chinese smartphones, driven by demand for secure mobile payments.”

“Our successes outside China in the second half of the year are also worth noting, including Google’s two Nexus smartphones, which contain our FPC1025 touch fingerprint sensor. In all, this is generating excellent conditions for continued growth in 2016,” he continued.

“We continue to capture market share in touch fingerprint sensors for smartphones. During the four th quar ter, 18 smar tphones featuring our touch fingerprint sensors were launched by smar tphone manufacturers including Huawei, Xiaomi, Lenovo, LG and ZTE, which all belong to the seven largest smartphone manufacturers in the world. During 2015, no less than 55 smartphones featuring FPC’s touch fingerprint sensors were launched by 23 manufacturers, compared with one smartphone each by two smartphone manufacturers in 2014.”

On achievements within growing market segments FPC during the fourth quarter 2015

continued work to adapt their sensors for applications in market segments other than smartphones, for example, smart cards.This work is progressing as planned and the first commercial product launches are scheduled to take place in 2016.

At the start of 2016 FPC also announced progress in providing their touch fingerprint sensors to the automotive industry, where they have already won the first evaluations from a globally leading car manufacturer concerning future integration in cars.They also made progress related to the Internet of Things, whereby different types of objects are connected to the Internet, where fingerprint sensors are beginning to gain a significant role.

“The reason why we secure the fir st engagements in these new segments is the same as in smartphones – we offer the market’s leading technology and products, thus enabling our customers to provide the best possible user experience to the consumers, irrespective of whether the end product is a smartphone, a smart card, a vehicle or a connected object,” reported Jörgen Lantto. ”In 2015, we established FPC as the globally leading manufacturer of complete and integrated systems for fingerprint sensors. Our objective in 2016 is to consolidate our position as the market’s leading supplier by growing fur ther together with our existing customers, and by breaking new ground in smartphones and other market segments. I am very enthusiastic about FPC’s future. Our aim is to continue to gain market share and prepare for a market which, according to our estimates, will amount to more than one billion units per year as of 2017.”

Finnair’s Airbus A350 landed in Hong Kong

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ith the Airbus A350 XWB Finnair is introducing a ‘New Sense of Flying’ on its long-haul Asian routes, the latest destination being Hong Kong.

The Finnish airline’s brand-new Airbus landed for the very first time at Hong Kong International Airport on 17 March. Customers flying between Hong Kong and Helsinki can now experience Finnair’s A350’s next-generation technology and comfort.

As the first airline to introduce the A350 to a Hong Kong route, Finnair’s strategically focuses on the Asian market. Together with Shanghai, Bangkok, and Beijing, Hong Kong is among the first destinations to experience the Finnair A350 aircraft in long haul operations. Finnair expects to have 7 aircraft by the end of 2016, and intends to double Asian traffic by 2020.

“This is the biggest investment in Finnair history. Being among the first airlines to order, we expect the investment to enable growth both in our passenger ser vices as well as in cargo traffic. Time has proven that the market believes in this concept since the first A350 arrives in Asia, and the experience is more than satisfactory, in terms of reliability, performance and customer experience.” says Lars Olofsson,

Sales Director, Greater China, Finnair. “As one of the most important routes, we are excited to see the strong growth in the Hong Kong market.”

With the first A350 to fly a Hong Kong route, travelers will enjoy a new sense of flying brought

by Finnair.The bright and spacious, award-winning cabin featuring large panoramic windows, inflight Wi-Fi, brand new entertainment system, tailored signature menu, Finnair A350 brings all the luxuries you never imagined in air travel. ”With the Finnair A350, we want to offer the best experience of Nordic hospitality. Our aim has been to consider every little detail, from the personalized service by our cabin crew to

the details of the cabin design. We hope the escalating product and service will offer Hong Kong travelers the most pleasant trip to Europe.” says Maarit Keränen, Head of Inflight Service, Finnair.

“To better serve the taste buds of Hong Kong passengers, we created the new menu in partnership with Executive Chef Jaakko Sorsa of FINDS Restaurant & Bar in Hong Kong. This is the first Asian-based chef cooperation for Finnair. With this cooperation, we want to honor our Nordic roots, and bring the best of Nordic flavours to the customers of our Hong Kong route from Asia to Europe.”

April 2016 • ScandAsia.China 7

Emilia Tavakoli spearheads Finncham Hong Kong as it celebrates 30 years

By Maria Andreasdottir

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he Finnish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong celebrates its 30th anniversar y this year 2016. Emilia Tavakoli, the Executive Director (ED) of FinnCham, is in charge of organizing what will be the grandest event this chamber has hosted so far. We learn more about Emilia and this pivotal year for Finncham Hong Kong.

“Right now we are preparing the Chamber’s 30th anniversar y, which will be held on 25 November and the Finland’s 100th birthday next year. It’s like planning a wedding, but with far more business interests,” She smiles.

Since Emilia entered here role the Finnish community has been more active than ever. She is known for striving to constantly improve and innovate the chamber; which is proved by her “Young Professional”-upstart group and engaging younger Finns to take action and work with the Chamber.

“The youth is the future, and I want to let them know the chamber exists to support them.”

Working with both young and adults from different business fields, Emilia must be prepared to adjust her mind set and focus constantly. Her background has already given her the blessing of being versatile, but she is happy to keep developing this quality. Of all things she is most happy about the great help she always finds in the Finnish community in Hong Kong.

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“Our community is the best thing! Since I came here as the new girl in town, I have met great support not only from the board members, but from the whole community in general. We have limited resources being a small chamber, but our members are so active, and that’s the reason behind our success.”

One-way ticket Emilia has literary been around the world; from Europe to United States and now Asia. She was born in Stockholm and studied in San Diego before coming to Hong Kong. But how come FinnCham chose a woman who never lived in Finland to present their country in Southeast Asia? Emilia has asked this question herself many times, but she thinks she has found the answer.

Since she was little her family had been on the go, always looking for the next adventure.

A home address never remained constant for the Tavakoli’s, but one thing for sure did: their love for the Finnish culture. Emilia spent all of her summers and Christmases with her Finnish family in both Sweden and Finland. She and her parents cooked Finnish dishes and spoke their native language wherever they were in the world.

In 2013 Emilia found her self wor king as a qualified lawyer in estate planning law in California, and was bored. Influenced by her parents’ traveling lifestyle, the time had come for

Emilia, too, to look for the next journey. For a long time, she had been dreaming of going to Asia.

“I needed to be in a city with a pulse and excitement”.

She already had an idea where she would find it.

“There was just something about Hong Kong that fascinated me. I wanted to go and see one of the most growing and vibrant cities in the world with a culture I was not familiar with yet. I just had to go.”

As a modern nomad, she packed her bag and bought a one-way-ticket to Hong Kong in July 2013..

Here she knew no-one, but the lively can-dospirit of Emilia suddenly found herself mingling in Finnish community networking events in Hong Kong. She found out that a job position was open as ED at Finncham and when she learned more details about the position, she had no doubt: “This position was tailored to me. Completely.”

She took the chance and applied for the job.

“I was not sure if they would accept a nonFinn to be the face of the Finnish community.”

Just like Emilia was ready for a change and a challenge, so was FinnCham. The job was hers.

Challenge accepted She was welcomed to the chamber with an assignment more challenging than she could think

of, but Emilia was ready to jump in. Two months later, she found herself organizing the Finnish Independence day, the biggest annual event of the year, as the new Executive Director of Finnish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.

“Don’t ever settle in your comfort zone. I believe it’s healthy to challenge yourself, no matter what.”

After two and a half years’ experience of organizing events, Emilia is ready to host some of the grandest events in the history of the chamber coming up later in 2016 and 2017.

Finnish focus Emilia has experienced an increasing Chinese interest to focus on Finland since she took over the helm at Finncham.

“There are four strong trends right now: Finnish education, food, fashion and lifestyle products. China has fallen in love with Finnish berries, Marimekko and other fashion brands, and especially Finnish way of education.”

Emilia is already arranging a conference on the latter, where Finnish companies will promote educational products to Chinese parents and schools; “The education in Hong Kong and China tends to be heavily focused on memorization and long hours of studying, while Finnish education is focused on creativity, play time, innovation,

and twenty-first century skills that will allow the students to prosper when they enter the workforce. Finland also has excellent PISA test results, which has created interest from Asia into how these results were achieved in Finland.”

This Finnish Education Conference is a way to foster dialogue, learn from each other, and showcase something Finland is truly excellent at.

A local Hong Kong TV station will make a documentary about the Finnish education system and will attend the Finnish Chamber’s conference together with a local Hong Kong radio and other media.

The relationship between Finland and China are blooming. Emilia experiences how the amount of interest from Finland is growing, and how corporate members help Finnish companies to China. At the same time, China is becoming more interested in Finnish products, lifestyle and culture.

Even the Finnish moomin trolls are now playing in Chinese theatres, and the popular Finnish “Angry Birds” is coming out with an animated movie this spring.

Girl on the go Her Finnish career in Hong Kong happened “at the right time and the right place” according to Emilia.

Emilia never regretted coming to Asia. Since arriving to Hong Kong, she has not been visiting

Finland, but the Finnish community has made her feel like at home. She is very happy about her position at the Finnish Chamber. At the moment, she adds.

“No person should stay in this position for more than three years. I think the dedication to promote one’s country will always be there, and for me I will always be involved with the chamber no matter what. But I think after three years you have to begin a new chapter to get fresh ideas and keep yourself motivated.”

Always looking for the next adventure, Emilia has already an idea for “what’s next”, which will unlikely her past; she is considering to stay on.

“I will not stay in Hong Kong forever, but when I finish working for the chamber I would love to put an effort in real estate here.”

Her ideal is to have a base in Hong Kong, and a little cottage in Finland to spend the summers.

“And also a couple of homes in other parts of the world!”

“I am excited about the next adventure to come, but right now, Hong Kong is the perfect place for me to be.”

No matter where in the world she will be, she will always feel Finnish by heart.

April 2016 • ScandAsia.China 9

How to pick a school

H

ow do you pick the perfect school for your children, when you move to another country?

It might not be as easy as it sounds. During the years, more and more schools are established, and each institution offers different courses and has different ways of teaching. Many parents use social platforms like Facebook to get advices from other parents. But there will probably be no way around making your own inquiry into each avaible option.

Local v s international Are you looking for a local or an international school? In most countries in Asia, it is possible to sign your child into a local school – but it can be a challenge, if your child does not have Asian roots.

Local schools provide your child with a local environment and another benefit is that most of the local schools are more affordable than the international schools. One thing to be aware of though, is that psysical punishment has not been abolished in many Asian school systems.

If you go for an international school, consider that international students grow up in an environment that is much different to that of your own. Known as Third Culture Kids (TCKs), they often develop a different attitude.

Once this is said, many expat families decide to go for the international school – at least through primary school up to grade 9.

A few suggestions As said before, many parents seek advices from other parents.

But in the end, it is your choice and only you know what needs your child has.

First: Observe Visit the schools you are interested in during a regular school day. Ask to observe teachers in class so you can get a feel for how the adults treat the children, parents and one another. You don’t have to be an expert to get a good sense of what is — or is not — happening in a classroom when you visit.

Copyright : anatols / 123RF Stock Photo

10 ScandAsia.China • April 2016

Copyright : petro / 123RF Stock Photo

Second: Distance Make sure the school is not too far away from your home. Have in mind that in most big cities, it is travelling time between your house and the school that matters. Will you be driving your child to school yourself or how will your child be going there?

Especially in cities like Bangkok, the traffic is hectic and you can easily use hours stuck between cars, taxies and tuk-tuks.

Third: Reputation Use your network in the city. Ask as many as possible, what their experience with this school is. Do not listen to people, who have no children at the school themselves.

Fourth: Courses The school’s courses and programs will most likely be listed in the school’s informations packages or on their website. They will talk about British Curriculum and American Curriculum and what most Scandinavians go for these days is the IB Curriculum.

The IB Curriculum is an educational programme managed by the International Baccalaureate for students aged 3 to 12. Students are required to learn a second language during the programme.

Fifth: Supplementary courses More and more parents find it important that their children are receiving lessons in their mother language. On some of the international schools, the different Scandinavian communities have organized mother tounge language lessons as a supplementary course.

It depends on your child. Many children already have a long day in school with lessons in Thai, English and other courses.

Stay involved As a parent you might wish there were some secret education-analyst methodology. No matter how hard you do your homework, stay involved with your child’s everyday life. Is your child happy and motivated or tired and introverted? Talk with your child about how school is and spend more time together in the beginning. First period will probably be as exhausting for your child as for you – starting up your lives in a completely different country.

Copyright : Dmitriy Shironosov / 123RF Stock Photo

April 2016 • ScandAsia.China 11

Her er der intet der står med småt alt er inklusiv Selvrisiko kr.

Specielle priser til dig, der som dansker er bosat i udlandet og skal hjem på ferie. Fri kilometer, fuld forsikring og ingen selvrisiko og mere end 5000 biler at vælge imellem.

0,-

Ring på tlf. +45 89 33 11 33 eller book online på europcar.dk

Vi tilbyder også leje af GPS, barnestole og meget mere.

ScanAsia_ April 2016.indd 1

17/03/16 12.09

International School of Bergen

I

nternational School of Bergen (ISB) is situated on the west coast of Norway and offers an English language learning environment to students between the ages of 3 and 16.

Our mission is to provide an internationally accredited education serving the business and Bergen communities.

The educational programme of ISB has been developed to help prepare its students for a successful future. The school is accredited by the

Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges in addition to being authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization to offer their Primary Years and Middle Years programmes.

Our students and staff All teacher s hold univer sity degrees and appropriate teaching qualifications. Classes are small. With students and staff representing

ENGELSKSPRÅKLIG PRIVATSKOLE FOR BARN OG UNGDOM MELLOM 3 OG 16 ÅR • • • • • •

Få elever i hver klasse Trygt læringsmiljø med god individuell oppfølging God kontakt med foreldre Internasjonalt godkjente og utfordrende læreplaner Utmerkede resultater i internasjonale og norske nasjonalprøver Sentral beliggenhet med bybanestopp rett utenfor døren For mer informasjon: www.isob.no eller post@isob.no

12 ScandAsia.China • April 2016

more than thirty different nationalities, we pride ourselves in having a welcoming and including community.

ISB was founded in 1975, giving us 40 years of experience as an educational institution.

International School of Bergen Vilhelm Bjerknesvei 15, 5081 Bergen, Norway Phone: +4755306330 Website: www.isob.no || E-mail: post@isob.no

From Concept to Creation:

The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Personal Project

W

onderful things happen when 15 and 16 year olds take on a challenge that interests them. Students realize that when they set their mind to it, they can do so much more than they thought. They delve deep into research and understand that some information out there is more useful than others. They learn numerous valuable skills and learn much more about themselves.

The Personal Project is a significant capstone project celebrating the final year of the IB Middle Years Programme. Students choose to create something, or achieve something in an area they are passionate about. They choose their own topic. The important part of the Personal Project is actually the process: star ting with an idea, refining it into a goal, planning, doing research, carrying out the work and reflecting on it all.

This year’s projects at KIS International School in Bangkok included a wide spectrum of interests including designing a humanoid robot, making a flowboard, learning to play the violin, creating an album with piano music composed by the student, creating an Ibook about the

development of surgery, investigating applications of nanotechnology, examining how people’s eyes change with different emotions, and designing a space suit.

Throughout the Personal Project students hone their research, self-management, thinking, communication and social skills.

Once the project is complete the students share their product and learning experiences in an exhibition. Visitors have the opportunity to ask the students questions and learn about their journey. Students gain confidence in presenting and welcome the feedback given by others. The final par t of the personal project is writing a report.

Many of the students use the personal project to find out if certain fields of study or careers would be suitable for them. One KIS student for example created an architectural model of an environmentally friendly house, enabling him to have a glimpse of the kind of work an architect would do, not just by creating the house but also by speaking with experts in the field and using software that architects use.

Another student wanted to use the project as an opportunity to do something creative and

artistic before embarking on a career in sciences.

She chose to create a large work of mosaic art.

Annette Lillethun, from Norway, says of her Personal Project: “Although the personal project was challenging, we all showed persistence and excitement through the process which can be seen in the variety of final products we created this year”.

Though the project requires a lot of work, students appreciate the opportunity to do (within reason) what they like to do, share it with others, and then be graded on it. As one KIS student said of the project :”Inspire yourself and inspire others”.

This year’s KIS Personal Project presentations can be found on Youtube: Group 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f656l4PhZww Group 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ5FPB40jmA Group 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZQkPMc5iB4

KIS International School is a full IB school in Bangkok, Thailand. www.kis.ac.th, admissions@kis.ac.th, tel +662 2743444.

April 2016 • ScandAsia.China 13

News Brief

Finavia and Swedavia enter sister airport relationship with Chinese operator

F

inavia Corporation and Swedavia have both signed a MoU on the ‘Establishment of a sister airport relationship (MOU)’ with Capital Airports Holding Company (CAH), the largest airport operator in China; on 7 January and 24 February 2016 respectively.

Currently, CAH owns or manages more than 40 international and regional airports in 8 provinces (municipalities or autonomous region) in China.

CAH’s collaboration with Finavia is described as extensive, where the first action is a sister airpor t agreement between Helsinki Airpor t and the biggest airport in Asia, Beijing Capital International Airpor t (with staff exchange activities to begin in 2016).

The sisterhood strengthens the relationship between the two countries and airpor ts in many ways. The objectives are benchmarking best practices and sharing knowledge, creating co-marketing activities in respective home markets, and exchanging personnel and building competence.

The MOU contributes to Helsinki Airport’s target to be the number one transfer airport for passengers flying between Europe and Asia.

Helsinki Airport is already the leading transfer airport in Northern Europe for long-haul traffic and it connects Europe and Asia with the shortest route. In 2016, Helsinki Airport provides connections to over 130 destinations, including 17 direct routes to Asia and further destinations to

14 ScandAsia.China • April 2016

almost all major European cities.

“We value high the establishment of sister airport relationship with Finavia. We see Finavia as one of the leading and most competent airport groups. Helsinki Airport is a leading hub between China and Europe due to the shor ter flying distance and MCT (Minimum connecting time), as well as its first class performance in safety, security and customer service. We look forward to our cooperation,” said Mr. Liu Xuesong, President and CEO of CAH, Chairman of Beijing Capital International Airport Co. Ltd. (BCIA).

“Cooperation with the largest airpor t operator in China is no doubt a remarkable milestone for us. It will contribute to the attractiveness of both operators’ airports and to the development opportunities of the FinlandChina routes. For Helsinki Airport, it represents an outstanding oppor tunity to develop a competitive edge regarding the Asian and especially the Chinese market in comparison to other airports in Northern Europe,” says Mr. Kari Savolainen, CEO of Finavia Corporation.

“The smooth air bridge between Europe and Asia brings foreign tourists to Finland where tourism has significant growth potential.

According to statistics recently published by the Finnish Hospitality Association, the number of Asian tourists in Finland is currently increasing. For instance, the number of Chinese visitors staying overnight has increased substantially,” Savolainen says.

Helsinki Airport is going through an extensive development programme worth EUR 900 million, during which Finavia will produce completely new services while integrating digitalization into the renewed customer experience through the use of the latest technologies.

The Swedish airpor t operator’s similar sisterhood with CAH is also with Beijing Capital International Airport, sharing knowledge and best practices.

Swedavia is a world leader in developing airports with the least possible environmental impact.

“Swedavia is a world leading airport group, and Stockholm Arlanda Airpor t under its management is a major European aviation hub connecting to the China market. Capital Airports Holding Company attaches great impor tance to the sister airport relationship with Swedavia, and CAH is willing to learn the rich experiences of green airport, sustainable development and airport management from the counterpart. The two sides will bring closer ties, enhance mutual trust and deepen friendship to open a new chapter for future cooperation,” says Mr. Liu Xuesong, President & CEO at CAH. “We are looking forward to extend our already strong connections with China. It will give great opportunity for increased connectivity between our countries in both business and leisure traveling. As environmental industry leaders we are hoping to be able to share best practices from our work on how to become a sustainable airport. It will also be beneficial for Arlanda to get Beijing Capital International Airport’s insights on airport infrastructure and a competitive airport city development,” says mr Karl Wistrand, Group CEO at state-owned Swedavia.

Stockholm Arlanda Airport is the only Nordic airport being served by a Chinese carrier; Air China. In 2013 the airline celebrated their 25Year Anniversary at Arlanda, and the now daily route has led to strong connections and good relations between China and Sweden over the years. The passenger numbers between Beijing and Stockholm have grown ten times faster than other international passenger growth at Arlanda during the last 15 years. In September last year the Scandinavian airline SAS also inaugurated a direct route to Hong Kong from Stockholm. In conjunction with this Swedavia established an office in Hong Kong in order to stimulate the Asian market.

Arlanda is the fastest growing airpor t in Scandinavia setting a record for the fifth consecutive year by 23 million passengers in 2015.

On the Beijing-Stockholm route leisure travelling is rapidly growing; the number of Chinese visitors to Sweden increased by 28 percent in 2015.

To welcome the Chinese visitors, Arlanda is a Chinese Friendly Airpor t with for example Chinese traffic signs, airport hosts, a Chinese web site and commercially adapted offers.

Offering the most competitive airport costs in the Nordics is the latest in a number of steps taken to become the leading airport in Scandinavia by 2020. In addition to the development at the airport, a new Airport city with hotels and office buildings are starting to take shape.The next step in this development phase is the establishment of the office complex Sky City Office One.

April 2016 • ScandAsia.China 15

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