P y h ä j o e n K u u l u m i s e t – 9 . 4 . 2 016
A.V.I.T.A.E
Ancient food with a twist By Bianca Rasmussen, Denmark AVITAE MAGIRA is the title of the new cookbook published by the AVITAE team, with ancient recipies from all over Europe. In the fall of 2015, students from seven European countries traveled to Hotel Academia in Bratislava to work with recipes from the
participating countries and reinvent them with an innovative twist. Prior to the visit, the students did a great deal of research and dug out the recipes of five courses for an original authentic meal from the respective countries. The ancient recipes were brought to Bratislava, where the students cooked together in international teams,
sivu 5
competing to present the best meals for the tasters. Sofie Brøbech Hedam Hansen from Denmark went to Bratislava to cook with four other students. “I had a great experience in Bratislava. The equipment was all modern but the meals were old fashioned. It was fun to work in an international team and try to present the food in an innovative way!”.
The recipes have all been collected into one book, which is now available to download for free! http://www. avitae.org/#!magiraavita/ginyg Bon appetite!
sivu 6 Spring
P y h ä j A.V.I.T.A.E o e n K u u l u m i s e t – 9 . 4 . 2 016
2016
Articles on travelling If you could travel anywhere for free, where would you go and why? Well, for me this has been a really hard decision, but I think I am not the only one. Nowadays, travelling has turned into popular but expensive activity. There are enough travel agencies which offer you various vacations and journeys. We know also cheaper ways how to travel such as backpacking and making a journey on your own. When I imagine travelling for free, I would definitely go everywhere. There are a lot of countries I wish to visit, meet different people, make new friends and taste diverse cuisines. But like everyone, I have a few places I would like to go the most. The first on my wish-list is Iceland. I have never been there but I would love to go there one day. I have heard that it is a unique country in its culture, food and people. For me Iceland is a peaceful country with endless and untouched nature mountains and different species of animals and natural wonders. The phenomenon of the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) can be seen during mid-winter (November-December) when the weather is clear. There are plenty of adventurers photographers who want to take a picture of this beauty but it is
really hard to find it. Iceland is specific with arctic and cold weather, short days and long polar white nights. For a small country, Iceland is full of natural wonders. You will find a unique mix of volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, lava fields, black sand beaches, geysers, and dramatic mountains. I like to imagine living there one day. In my point of view Iceland is not that much interested in politics, there is really less criminality than in the other countries, so it is a quite safe place for living. People there are open hearted and friendly. Did you know that the national food in Iceland is Hot-dog ? Surveys show that despite their obsession with modern technology, as many as 80% of Icelanders believe in the existence of elves. Even today, roads have been rerouted and building plans redesigned or abandoned to avoid disturbing rocks where elves are said to live. All around the country, strange lava formations were once explained in folktales as trolls who were turned to stone when caught outdoors in daylight. But only children in Iceland believe in trolls today, and the once widespread belief
in ghosts is in decline, some say because electricity has taken the fright out of the long winter nights. Iceland has a ton of volcanic activity. While some countries might be scared to live in the center of a fiery ring of volcanoes, Iceland grabbed nature by its slippery throat and figured out how to use it to their advantage. Roughly 85 percent of Iceland’s energy is from re-
newable resources, and well over half of that is geothermal alone. At the present, Iceland has become popular for visitors from all over the world. Sporting attractions have become a must for visitors to Iceland. The top favourites include swimming in a geothermal hot spring (where people can bath in warm open-air pools all year round – even during blizzards!),
Anywhere in the world…
By Sofie Brøbech Every day, way too many times a day, with no exception I check my Instagram (ask any of my friends for real life proof). I follow travel photographer after travel photographer, and see corners of the world I have never been to on my teeny tiny iPhone screen. This is really not a good habit to have, if you don’t have any money for all the trips you want to go on after seeing all the pictures. So when asked the question of where I would go, if I could go anywhere in the entire world for free – my mind goes into panic mode. How could I ever choose between sunny Cape Town, amazing Australia or the city that never sleeps – New York? I want to go everywhere, but one place I just can’t seem to let go at the moment is Iceland. Why Iceland? Why go to a little island, found far out in the
Atlantic and Artic ocean, when pe and seeing them through a you could go anywhere? screen just isn’t enough. I am always looking for an advenWell, first of all it is insanely ture and getting to experience expensive to go to Iceland – Iceland’s nature first hand is, so a free trip would make my without a doubt, the number cheap-ass student heart feel one adventure on my bucket very very good. But that is not list. The most magical thing, nearly what I find most com- above all of the amazingness pelling about Iceland. The one of Iceland, would be the Nortthing that truly makes Iceland a hern lights. A phenomenon I no-brainer for me is the nature. know absolutely nothing about Gigantic glaciers, snowy moun- (or close too), but I feel like it tains and of course, the Nort- really doesn’t need an explanahern Lights. I have heard stories tion. Seeing big green streaks, from friends, watched videos dancing in the night sky is in my on YouTube and read captions opinion as close to a miracle as to pictures and not once have we get. I know that this is just a I seen or heard anything even rhetorical question, but if anyslightly bad about Iceland. Out one would ever like to pay for of all of my friends, YouTubers my trip to Iceland it would be and photographers I follow, all awesome. Even though I will go of them can’t praise the beau- there anyways, that I am sure ty of the island enough. I think of. I might not be on the first that has played a major role in plane to Reykjavik tomorrow my wanting to go there. I am but hopefully on one very, very a sucker for a good landsca- soon.
a trek on the small but hardy Icelandic horse (the most natural way to travel through nature as it has been for more than a thousand years), and salmon & trout fishing. I hope that one day I will gain a possibility to explore the land of fire and ice, and other wonderful destinations.
-Slovakia
And where would you like to go the most?
-Denmark
sivu 7 Spring 2016
P y h ä j A.V.I.T.A.E o e n K u u l u m i s e t – 9 . 4 . 2 016
Experiences are the salt of life -Finland
By: Henri Petäjäsoja and Viljami Haapakoski Learning can be dull sometimes, but it can be very breathtaking and interesting if you do it in a different way. One of these “betterâ€? ways is travelling. Travelling not just shows you the culture and the places - It explains everything about these destinations’ backgrounds and gives you the real experience and shows the way the local people feel and see their world and culture.
side of China. The monumental history that China has is very diverse. The sights that the dynasties and Communism have left are not so well known, but we know that the China was the first civilization so there are so many things to see, like temples and The Great Wall of China. China’s history includes many traditions like martial arts. There are also many festivals that we don’t know and have.
Of course travelling doesn’t happen without money. But if we manage to get the trip for free, the place in the world where we would want be is China. China has so many different things to see. First in Southern China you have these wild Himalayan mountain areas. Wild and cruel nature can give you a different way to look at things. And that mountain range isn’t like the arctic hills here in Finland. The way how people live there would be so cool to see, just because it seems almost impossible to us. Also without support, you don’t often get this kind of opportunity to go to China.
China has a population of over 1.3 billion people and most of them lives in cities. These cities are the biggest in the world. Visiting even one of these would be an educational experience and change the way we look at slums and the economy. The huge mass of people. Always stuck in metros, which people think are late if they arrive 5 seconds behind schedule, beautiful skyscrapers and huge entertainment centres.
Chinese food - almost everyone loves it. Just imagine all the different restaurants, street booths etc. Experiencing even a part of Chinese food culture would be such a pleasure, not The second thing that gives only for our tummies, but also us goose bumps is the historical for our knowledge.
The Countryside of China might not be so well know as the cities. It’s very diverse. You have the rainforests where wild Pandas and tigers live. You have the gargantuan rice fields that you can see stretching over the horizon. You have the mighty rivers. So many different things to see and feel.
nist party. It would be interesting to ask local people how they feel about that system, and what they would change. Overall hearing what these local people think about daily life basis would be very teachful. Like what teenagers do in their freetime in cities and in countryside.
China has become one of the “wisest� countries, tells the studies. But they haven’t always been, so it would be very interesting to see the differences in education between Finland and China. The fact we know already is that the children in China starts school one year earlier. The size of the schools in cities are also interesting to see. China have four percent of uneploymentage. That means like billion people are working there. Sounds crazy. So what are the jobs there that can run so many workplaces. It would be so impossible to believe how many people there are. The government in china is one-party state governed by the commu-
The U.S.A: The Best Place to Visit on Earth By: Anna Kossivaki, Evelina Koutsou, Renia Antoniou, Tasos Kontos
Œ¤ ¤’Ž “£ šœ¤ ”Œ£¤ Š Â?—ŠŒŽ Â?ÂœÂĄ Â¤ÂœÂŚÂĄÂ“ÂŁÂ¤ÂŁá€” Â’ÂŽÂĄÂŽ “£ ÂŁÂœ Â˜ÂŚÂŒÂ’ Â˜ÂœÂĄÂŽ ¤œ “¤ ¤’Šš ¤’Š¤ထ ÂŞÂœÂŚÂ—Â? ÂĄÂŽÂŠÂ—Â—Â ÂŽÂšÂ”ÂœÂ Â˜ÂŽÂŽÂ¤Â“ÂšÂ‘ ¤’Ž Â?ÂŽÂœÂ?—Ž ÂŞÂ’Âœ —“¨Ž ¤’Ž¥Ž ŠšÂ? Š£ ¤’Ž £Â?ŽŠ– š‘—“£’ထ ÂŞÂœÂŚÂ—Â?
The world is a wonderful place and there are many fascinating places to visit. But if i had the time and money, I would visit the USA because there is so much to see and do there. Top of my list would be a few days in The Big Apple, New York. It is an amazing city which is so full of life, twenty four hours a day. It would be really exciting just to be there. I have always wanted to see the Statue of Liberty which is the most famous sight in the USA and I would definitely take a selfie on the top to show to my friends back home. After that, I would like to visit Times Square which
WĹ?Ä?ĆšĆľĆŒÄž Ä¨ĆŒĹ˝Ĺľ Ç Ç Ç Í˜ĹŻĹ˝ĹśÄžĹŻÇ‡Ć‰ĹŻÄ‚ĹśÄžĆšÍ˜Ä?Žž
I have seen in so many films and there I would take time to enjoy a cup of coffee at the famous Hard Rock cafe. Next stop in my list would be Florida. I have heard about the amazing experience of swimming with dolphins there and this would be a must for me. I would also love to pay a visit to some of the awesome theme parks in Florida: Walt Disney World and Sea World to name but a few. Finally, I would like to end my visit with a trip to California. It would be a dream come true to go LA and see the film studios where so many Hollywood movies are made. If I
am lucky, I might even meet a movie star! Of course I would definitely take a tour in Beverly Hills to see the mansions where the stars live and hopefully there would also be time (and money) for some shopping on Rodeo Drive. But the USA is not just a place for tourists. There is so much more to it than that, I would really enjoy meeting the people who live there and as they speak English, I would have no problem communicating with them. It would be really interesting to experience the american way of life that we see so often in American TV shows and films. I would particularly like to
be’Š¨Ž šœ Â?ÂĄÂœÂ‹Â—ÂŽÂ˜ ÂŒÂœÂ˜Â˜ÂŚÂšÂ“ÂŒÂŠÂ¤Â“ÂšÂ‘ ª“¤’ ¤’Ž˜န ¤ ÂŞÂœÂŚÂ—Â? ‹Ž ¥ŽŠ—— “š¤Ž¥Ž£¤“š‘ ¤œ ÂŽÂŹÂ?ÂŽÂĄÂ“ÂŽÂšÂŒÂŽ there for Thanksgiving so I can taste homemade American Pumpkin Pie. ¤’Ž ÂŠÂ˜ÂŽÂĄÂ“ÂŒÂŠÂš ÂŞÂŠÂ ÂœÂ? —“Â?ÂŽ ¤’Š¤ ÂŞÂŽ ÂŁÂŽÂŽ ÂŁÂœ ÂœÂ?¤Žš “š Â˜ÂŽÂĄÂ“ÂŒÂŠÂš ÂŁÂ’ÂœÂŞÂŁ ŠšÂ? Â?Â“Â—Â˜ÂŁá€” ÂŞÂœÂŚÂ—Â? In short, a trip to the USA would be an experience of a Â?ÂŠÂĄÂ¤Â“ÂŒÂŚÂ—ÂŠÂĄÂ—Â Â—Â“Â–ÂŽ ¤œ ‹Ž ¤’Ž¥Ž Â?ÂœÂĄ ’Šš–£‘“¨“š‘ ÂŁÂœ ŒŠš ¤Š£¤Ž ’œ˜Ž˜ŠÂ?ÂŽ Â˜ÂŽÂĄÂ“ÂŒÂŠÂš lifetime for me and hope that one day I get the chance to make my dream come true. ÂŚÂ˜Â?–“š “Žန
-Greece
š ÂŁÂ’ÂœÂĄÂ¤á€‘ Š ¤¥“Â? ¤œ ¤’Ž ÂŞÂœÂŚÂ—Â? ‹Ž Šš ÂŽÂŹÂ?ÂŽÂĄÂ“ÂŽÂšÂŒÂŽ ÂœÂ? Š —“Â?Ž¤“˜Ž Â?ÂœÂĄ ˜Ž ŠšÂ? Â’ÂœÂ?ÂŽ ¤’Š¤ œšŽ Â?Š ‘Ž¤ ¤’Ž Œ’ŠšŒŽ ¤œ ˜Š–Ž ˜ Â?ÂĄÂŽÂŠÂ˜ Œœ˜Ž ¤¥ŒŽန
WĹ?Ä?ĆšĆľĆŒÄž Ä¨ĆŒĹ˝Ĺľ dŽĚĚ WĹ˝Ć?ĆšÄ?Ä‚ĆŒÄšĆ?
sivu 8 Spring
P y h ä j A.V.I.T.A.E o e n K u u l u m i s e t – 9 . 4 . 2 016
2016
If you could go anywhere in the world, without considering the cost, where would you go and why? It is an incredibly personal question if you think about it: it can give a glimpse into your past -a memory of a favorite childhood vacation or summers spent on the beach- or into your hopes for the future, it can be influenced heavily by your taste in music, movies and books. We quickly realized all five of us couldn’t possibly agree on one place and so we decided to poll our classes in an attempt to discover which countries our classmates hope to experience. After we reconvened to compare our results, we couldn’t help but notice that many students from different classes had chosen similar destinations. We were struck by the fact that the
reasons people would like to travel to the same place could be extremely varied: curiosity, study or work opportunities , desirable environments to live in and so on; so we decided to classify their answers and separate them by motivation, rather than, say, geographical areas.
tinations in books or they’re fascinated by the art or by the natural landscape. Others selected places like England, Canada or France. All these countries have big multicultural cities, with prestigious universities and many more job opportunities. These are long-term trips, with the goal of beginning The results can be divided a better life. into two groups: the places chosen for their “exotic atWe could call this phenomosphere” and those chosen menon “smart immigration”: for the opportunity to advance people leave their homes and economically and academically. families, moving from one developed country to another, The first group, that includes not because they’re poor or countries like India or Iceland, escaping from war zones, but draws travelers for short-term because they’re looking for visits and holidays. People are the best the world has to offer attracted to these places be- them. cause they want to explore radically new cultures. Often The results of our poll they’ve read about these des- prompted us to notice that
the average Italian student is fascinated by and attracted to industrialized, modern cities while others seem to be drawn to places that are perceived as further from their culture. These preferences appear to be based more on literary and media influences than on a wellinformed analysis.
-Italy
Lastly, we must note that in contemporary society each and every trip is seen as an investment in a young person’s future or as a journey of selfdiscovery — even a hypothetical trip that is free of cost. By Tatia, Giacomo, Sara, Tommaso, Daniele.
If you could travel anywhere for free, where would you go and why?
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” Mark Twain I love this beautiful little island I call my homeland. I appreciate all that it has to offer to me, the long history, the bright sun, the magnificent sea. At the same time, this does not stop me from longing to meet other places, from desiring to travel the whole wide world … Could I pick just one place or even two to visit? Impossible! Every corner on this planet has something which makes it unique, which distinguishes it from everywhere else. If money was no object, I would start my adventure from Europe, travelling to Greece to follow the steps of those who have set the foundations of democracy and admire all the
unparalleled architectural wonders of the ancient world. Then I would visit Italy, the perfect combination of a fascinating history and a mouth watering cuisine. Next would come Western Europe: A trip through an evergreen nature, endless Medieval and Renaissance Castles and twenty-first century modern cities . An amalgam of cultural richness, elegance and fashion, industrial empires and political power. Up to the north I would spend hours admiring the North Selas and the snowy landscapes and visit the Arctic with the icebergs, the seals, the walrus and the arctic bears. Across the Atlantic, I would be welcomed by the gigantic Statue of Liberty. In the Big Apple, I would stroll in Central Park and spend hours in the famous Wall Street, where people become rich or poor in just a day. Moving South, I would visit Washington DC, the United States Capitol, the White House, the Lincoln Memorial. To the West,
I would hike in the National Parks, Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon. On the Pacific Coast, I would visit Hollywood, where all the fantastic films we watch in the cinema are being created. After spending some fun time in Florida and Disney World, I would make my way to South America. Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru … Ever since I have read about the Maya Civilization and the Incan Empire my curiosity is urging me to travel there. I would learn how to dance the Argentine Tango, Salsa, Rumba and Mambo. I would definitely be skeptical and a bit scared about exploring the Amazon Rainforest but I would make sure fear would not stop me from admiring the largest river on earth. When I think of Africa, wild animals come to mind, lions, elephants, cheetah, leopards, hippos, hyenas. I have seen them all on documentaries and films, some of them I met in the zoo, where they are locked
in cages, suffering in silence. I would love to admire them in their natural environment, keeping a safe distance, of course. Then, I would visit several of the African Tribes, who live peacefully away from the civilization. Sahara Desert and the Pyramids are on my list, as well. There are so many places to visit in Asia and so many things to do. The Great Wall of China, “an awe-inspiring feat of ancient defensive architecture”, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Yellow Mountains are just a few of the wonders of China. I would learn firsthand about the Chinese civilization, which is so mysterious and so impressively unique. In India I would visit Mumbai, New Delhi and Goa, the Taj Mahal, the Red Fort and the coasts of Ganges. Australia is yet another enigma, so far away and so different. The kangaroos, the koalas, they are such strange but beautiful animals. Sydney with the impressive Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, Melbourne
-Cyprus City, the beautiful beaches with the fearless surfers and the coral reefs are just of few of the things that come to mind when I think of Down Under. There are thousands of other places I would have loved to visit had I known about them. I am aware that what I now know is only a small fraction of the whole picture, only a small piece of the incredible puzzle we call Earth. If I could travel anywhere for free, I would go EVERYWHERE. “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” St Augustine of Hippo Cyprus AVITAE team
sivu 9 Spring 2016
P y h ä j A.V.I.T.A.E o e n K u u l u m i s e t – 9 . 4 . 2 016
NEW ZEALAND -Spain
By: Alejandra Sánchez Benet Since I watched the trilogy of ‘‘The Lord of the Rings’’ I’ve wanted to go on a trip to New Zealand. More than 150 locations throughout the country were used to made these films. I really want to enjoy it. I’ve look for information on the internet and you can visit ‘Hobbiton’, the place were the main characters of the movie lived. Also, I think go to New Zealand would be amazing because it has a lot of natural touristic places. I would like to do a road trip through all the country. I if have the chance, I would start in the northern island, in Auckland, and I would watch a rugby game! Rugby is one of the most famous sports there. The ‘‘All Blacks’’ national team are famous because before a match starts, they perform a ‘‘Haka Maori’’ which is a traditional dance for intimidate the other team.
southern island. First, I would go to the Abel Tasman National Park. There, you can do everything: from walk through golden sandy beaches to go hiking around the calm and serene vegetation, and also you have a chance to meet local wildlife like fur seals and blue penguins. Next, I would walk through valleys on ice in Fox Glacier, on the western edge of the island. This unique natural wonder looks amazing and unusual, I really want to go there. Then, I would go to a place near the mountains, and in the night, enjoy the gorgeous the Aurora Borealis. Finally, I would do a lot of activities like bungee in beautiful places; do aquatic sports like rafting through the rapids of the Tongariro river, fishing in the Lake Laupo, and canoeing on a unspoiled beach; and also I would visit the big cities and I would taste
the New Zealand’s traditional food. Another reason why I want to go to this amazing country is because I wan to know more about the Maoris lives. The Maoris are the indigenous people that live there. I want to experience the Maori’s culture by visiting a Marae (their house) and learn about fascinating myths and legends from them.
Then, I would go to the Lake Taupo in Mine Bay, more specifically to the part where the ancient people sculpted on a wall Maoris drawings. After that, I would visit ‘‘Hobbiton’’ as I said before. Afterwards, I would go to the thermas in Rotorua, which are natural pools with bubbling mud, with occasional bursts of activity from nearby geysers. For Maori culture, this place is like the hell in the earth because of the dry scenery and the vapor of the pools. Later, I would travel to the
Articles on innovation INSIGHT INTO INNOVATION
-Spain
“Can Innovation Be Other than Products?”
by Haydée Rodríguez Hernández and David Riverol Martín. No doubt the best way to get an adequate answer to this question is talking to an expert on innovation, science and technology. So, we have interviewed José Joaquín Hernández Brito, Executive Manager of PLOCAN. First he told us about his job. He works at the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands, a scientific and technological facility funded by the Spanish and Canary Islands governments. Its aim is to enable research, technological development and innovation in the ocean at increasing depths in
an environmentally sustainable way. The infrastructure is dedicated to experimentation and research in all aspects of marine science and technology, especially those which require access to scientific and technical laboratories in the marine environment. The platform is available to the national scientific and technological community, opened to international collaboration, and integrated within European coordination and collaboration initiatives in this field. Additionally PLOCAN is involved in R+D+I projects, enabling research and scientific technological development of maritime and marine sciences. (Official Website http://www. plocan.eu/index.php/en/)
How would you define
innovation?
PLOCAN is helping to do innovation in the so called “Blue Growth”, that involves ocean energy, aquaculture, coastal tourism, marine biotechnology and other activities. As an example, we provide test sites to improve new prototypes to produce marine energy, underwater robotics and new sensors to measure anthropogenic pollutants in the oceans.
It is the process of transferring an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value or for which customers will pay. Innovation means solving a problem; an outcome with a positive impact, new value in the company or in the society. European economies have often had difficulties in transforming their success in basic research into commercial success. It is crucial for our future to try Can you explain what to create value at the same time Responsible Research and we develop science; closing a Innovation means (RRI)? virtuous loop where money is invested in research and the reRRI implies that researchers, search output is applied to pro- citizens, policy makers, busiduce innovation, fresh money ness and third sector organizaand value, benefits and profits. tions work together during the research and innovation proWhat type of innovation is cess in order to align both the carried out at PLOCAN? process and its outcomes with
the values, needs and expectations of society. We are specially interested in the application of RRI to fields within the Blue Economy: ocean renewable energy, aquaculture, maritime activities or marine tourism. Blue economy could provide many opportunities and jobs, but researchers have to work together with citizens to meet their needs and expectations.
And the last question, Is innovation focussed only in the generation of new products or services? Not exactly. Innovation is any change in the organization of the company or institution that will produce a positive output, an increase of its competitiveness. Research institutions should also try to generate
improved models to manage sciences and technology, considering the future challenges in a globalized world, collaboration with private sector and innovative entrepreneurs and society. After our interview we have realized how important innovation is and the different aspects it covers.
sivu 10 Spring
P y h ä j A.V.I.T.A.E o e n K u u l u m i s e t – 9 . 4 . 2 016
2016
Innovation - our path into the future By: Sanna Halunen &Katja Keskitalo Our world is full of enviable home runs, for example Apple, Microsoft, McDonald’s and other successful companies. Somehow they conquer the world with their inventions and products. What do all these companies have in common? Other than an enormous amount of money, they have a leader who had a vision, an innovation and was brave enough to work for it. What is innovation? Is it a new kind of product, something never-seen-before? Or is it maybe something old, just brought again into daylight? Could it be both? Innovation is easy to see as a product, but generally speaking it’s much more. The definition of innovation is something new and fresh, something that people haven’t seen before. In other words, it means a vision
of the future where that idea is an obvious part of the world. How did people live without that spark, created by someone? We don’t know, but obviously it was awful. An enormous part of being innovative is being creative. More importantly, it’s having courage to see things that others might not see. J.K Rowling, the author of Harry Potter, had to go through eight publishers before somebody read her book and saw it as the huge, successful story that it is. In conclusion, one can’t win without taking risks. If people stay in their comfort zones, they won’t learn and not to mention, they won’t advance. There is this Finnish guy who re-invented the axe. A traditional axe has a handle and a blade, but Heikki Kärnä wanted to improve it. In other
words, he invented a leveraxe which is fast, doesn’t get stuck and more importantly, it’s safer than the traditional axe. Nevertheless, at first people thought that it was stupid and useless. Some people would’ve thought ‘that’s it, I’m giving up’ but not Kärnä. On the contrary, he founded his own business and nowadays he owns multiple patents. How then attract attentions to your idea? In Finland new start-up companies can meet up in Slush, an event for big and small companies world-wide, where the new innovations are presented to the world. Even the small companies have possibility to rise and get known among the biggest companies in the world. It’s an amazing opportunity for adolescents to expand horizons and learn about the real world.
Innovation is an idea - an idea of better future and new possibilities. It is made of willpower, motivation, hard work and being a risk-taker, a courageous person. Everyone who has the guts can bring up a new innovation and try his wings as an entrepreneur in the business world. In Finland we have this thing called sisu. It means going through a lot to get what one wants and never giving up. Innovations are made of sisu: of the will to go on. If the life gives you lemons, take them and make some lemonade. Every entrepreneur should have sisu: to hold on their ideas and dreams, to their innovation, no matter what.
Innovation – more than a physical product? By Bianca Rasmussen, 2.j Ørestad Gymnasium, Copenhagen, Denmark
In just a couple of weeks, the latest version of the Samsung Galaxy flagship model, rounded edges and all, will be released with its new software and special features. The technology company Intel recently showcased their newest product – an intelligent dress, which reacts to people coming near it, activating a cloud of electronic butterflies, combining fashion and technology. Many shops across Europe have introduced contactless payment in their checkout counters, increasing efficiency and speed for the customers. All the aforementioned are excellent examples of innovation, each product new and groundbreaking in their field. But is innovation solely confined to physical products?
The answer is hopefully pretty obvious; no, of course innovation is much more than a simple product that can be held in your hand. Innovation exceeds that which people can touch. For example, one can learn innovatively, teach in an innovative manner – one can even lead an innovative lifestyle. Basically innovation in itself comes from one thing: Thinking innovatively. An example of the innovative thinking and teaching is something that I, for one, experience every day. As a student at Ørestad Gymnasium, we are taught to think out of the box, which leads to us working innovatively and solving our problems, both in school and out, in an original fashion. This is not to say that
our methods are always successful – We still make a great deal of mistakes, which is only natural, but the innovative way of tackling that is to learn from your mistakes. The next time you start a project, you will be able to think back and examine which courses of action ended with success and which should be avoided in the future. The goal is to turn us into independent young people and prepare us for the multiple challenges of the real world, where our teachers won’t be at hand to guide us. How does one become an independent young person? For starters, we are taught to question what we learn. Many years ago, most well educated people believed the world to
-Finland
be as flat as a pancake. Scientist are constantly discovering new things, so it is important for us students to challenge the established facts and views on certain issues. Some projects are all about identifying and working with an actual problem in our society. These projects have an innovative focus as well, encouraging us to find solutions that will help solve realworld problems. Working in groups is also encouraged as a method of innovate teaching. The students sit with each other, bouncing ideas off of one another and exchanging experiences. In my opinion, this opportunity to share your work with other people is great. Through this, my fellow students can use some of their
-Denmark experiences to suggest improvements which might have evaded my attention after working on the same project for a long time. In projects such as AVITAE, we often do huge brainstorms, covering the walls or floor of the classroom with post-it notes to get as many ideas out there as possible. People are not necessarily the same age or of the same cultural background – But that is exactly the point. We all have something to contribute with, and a new set of eyes can see solutions that ten others couldn’t have. With innovative teaching, we learn from our peers as well as our teachers. So the bottom line is this: If it is original or an improvement to
already existing things, whether it be physical products such as dresses and phones or ways to think and learn, such as working in groups or using the floor to create mind-maps, it is per definition innovative. Let me just end with three good tips on how you can be more innovative in your own life: 1. Allow yourself to be around people who think differently than you. 2. Don’t be afraid to take risks – have courage and be kind. 3. It’s alright to fail. We can all learn from our mistakes.
sivu 11 Spring 2016
P y h ä j A.V.I.T.A.E o e n K u u l u m i s e t – 9 . 4 . 2 016
Can innovation be other than products? By Giulia, Sara, Maraja and Alice To the question about whether innovation can be other than products there's only one answer: yes, of course. In our age we can see how a small detail can make a product look better than it is thanks to the addition or the removal of some parts which can be ingredients, or funny things; and thanks to advertising, which plays an important part in innovation. In Italy, an example of this is given by the famous hazelnut chocolates called "Baci Perugina": they are nothing more than chocolate pralines with
one whole hazelnut inside, but everybody knows them thanks to a little “innovation” that has nothing to do with the product itself since it is not edible! This “innovation” consists in tiny, translucent wrappings containing navy blue colored romance aphorisms. The chocolate the pralines are made of is the same we can find in other products too, but thanks to this little feature (the aphorisms), the “Baci” have become unique. Still talking about chocolate, we can also think of Easter Eggs: in 1875 an English confectionery factory created the first chocolate egg with a surprise inside. Just adding a small gift to the chocolate, manufacturers created a tradition.
Yet, companies sometimes choose an opposite way to innovate their own products: they do not add something new, but they rather remove something from the product to safeguard their customers' health for example. This is the case of Coca Cola or Coke, as it is often called. In 1982 the Coca-Cola company invented Diet Coke to extend its network of consumers; this product has a flavour which is similar to that of the classic Coke but contains few calories. Innovation can also be effectively achieved through advertising, which plays a central role in trade: even if a product is really innovative, it means nothing without a clever advertising campaign. Sometimes it
doesn't really matter whether there is real innovation, since what counts is the way in which advertising presents the innovative concept you want to promote, no matter how authentic and transformative it actually is. This can be easily understood when looking at computers: Apple is the brand which best uses the advertising strategy described above. As a fact, the differences between an IPhone model and the models of other brands are minimal, but IPhones are supported by a great advertising campaign which makes customers think that there is a real positive added value in them which you cannot find elsewhere. So, as we have tried to show in the examples provided, some
-Italy little “brushstrokes” of advertising genius are often the basis of innovation, and count more that the actual disruptive quality of a product.
Can innovation be other than products?
Have you ever thought about anything other than product? You should now concentrate on its innovation. Innovation can help you discover what opportunities exist now, or are likely to emerge in the future. Would you be willing to consider working in an innovative or creative company? It is a kind of company that does not follow others, instead, it uses new ideas, methods of collaborating with others, tries to set up better environment for its workers, uses techniques that are suitable for new, young workforce, such as painting walls, darts, chill out zones etc. Innovation is not only about designing a new product or service to sell, but can also focus on existing business processes and practices to improve efficiency, find new customers, cut down on waste and increase profits. In fact, all companies can be more creative and innovative no matter what their expertise or product is. When applying innovation to any aspect of a business, you are able to stay ahead of a changing market place and the competition. Would you like to know more about company like this? Here are some characteristics of it. Consumers often see innovation as something that adds value to a company or to its
products. Used properly, innovation can give you a commercial advantage - especially in saturated or rapidly shifting markets. The customers may even be willing to pay more for a welldesigned, novel and innovative product or service, rather than choosing a cheaper, but less exciting rival. Constantly innovating and improving business practices are also likely to help you attract better staff members and retain more of your existing staff - something which is crucial to the long-term health and performance of your business. Another characteristic that is essential for innovation is asking company’s stuff. Every company should challenge people who work in the business to find new and better ways to do things and late and improved ways to please customers. They are close to the action and can see opportunities for innovation. They often need encouragement to bring forward many great ideas. Moreover, running a brainstorm during meetings is one of the necessary conditions of being innovative because generating a large quantity of ideas is really important. It brings improved ways how to get the customers on their side and
those are pleased when they are offered different approach. Using social networks - following trends and asking questions on groups like Twitter or Facebook are great ways to become successful. Asking what people want to see in the future innovation or what the big new idea will be. Many early adopters are active on social network groups and will happily respond with suggestion. Another point in becoming effective is to come up with ideas at the beginning of the innovation process ... and then stop. Many times we come up with several ideas and start innovating, and then we crop up with more ideas and never get a single concept done. At some point we have to turn off the idea of the process and really work on the innovation in order to bring a project to life. To conclude, the more creative and innovative you and your team members are, the more long-
term success you will achieve. When you work hard, you will be regarded as an industry innovator—the one your competitors are trying to copy.
-Slovakia
sivu 12 Spring
P y h ä j A.V.I.T.A.E o e n K u u l u m i s e t – 9 . 4 . 2 016
2016
Can innovation be other than products? Every day we come across a new product which came to existence in order to make our life easier, in order to solve a problem. This is what the purpose of innovation is. Can you imagine your life without a mobile phone, a tablet, a GPS? Yet, when our parents were young, none of these products existed. It is easy and straightforward to understand what an innovative product is, but is innovation limited to just products? “An innovation is a new or significantly improved product (goods or services) brought to market by an enterprise or a
new or significantly improved process, a new marketing method, or a new organisational method in business practices, workplace organisation or external relations implemented by an enterprise.” Statistics Finland This is a puzzling matter. Looking around us, what else has made our everyday life easier, what else has solved a problem we had or improved the quality of our life in any way? Our AVITAE friends live thousands of miles away from us yet we can chat everyday through Facebook and we are also able to share files and work together
in Google Drive. We can send a package to them which reaches them within a couple of days. When we were looking for plane tickets to travel for the AVITAE meetings we searched online for the most convenient and cheapest options using the numerous sites dedicated to this purpose. We also booked hotels online based on the evaluation given from fellow travelers and we decided which are the best restaurants for dining by reading their reviews. We can buy new or second hand books or whatever else our imagination can think of, from all around the world, wit-
hout leaving our house. We take all these services for granted but if we stop for a second and consider our life without them, we will realize that Facebook and Google Drive, Booking.com and TripAdvisor, Expedia and Amazon, FedEx and ebay and so many other services were innovative when they first appeared because they fitted the description, they were solving a problem and making life easier. Therefore the answer to the title question is yes, innovation is not limited to products, in fact it is not limited to services either. Innovation is everything
-Cyprus new that makes a positive difference. The European Programmes, the predecessors of Erasmus+ were innovative because they provided us with a new, improved way of learning and of improving our skills way beyond the traditional classrooms. We should never stop thinking of new ways of improving
our life, new approaches to learning, new approaches to doing things and we should never be afraid of change. Afterall, as Thomas Edison said “There is a way to do it better – find it”. Cyprus AVITAE Team
Can innovation be other than products? By: Chris Kolios, Vasia Dragataki, Marianthi Gountza, Vasiliki Mpagiorga, Giannis Vakkas Who can deny the fact that over the years great stride have been made in innovation in many ways and sectors .Other than in products there have been advancements made in the various fields of science, medicine in particular. Another sector which innovation has played a major role is technology and the educational field. So through innovations society has improved greatly in the last few years. First and foremost, the value of innovation has extended to all areas of human activity and especially in the sector of
health. It seems that the 21st century's innovations play an important role on the health care system as their use of has made the health care system better than before. For example they developed new products and treatments which can cure many serious illnesses, such as cancer. Moreover, the rapid development of technology has contributed to the expansion of telemedicine services and to the most effective treatment of patients in remote areas. In addition, education has improved by innovations. For instance, with the help of
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technology, teachers will no longer be forced to organize the lesson for the next day. One of the innovations in education is interactive boards which make the lesson more interesting, creative and improve cooperation among students. Likewise, students can use e-books rather than books. E-books are transferred more easily and provide to pupils a range of services. What is more, computers are also used for educational and recreational purposes, as students can store information there, solve problems and do extra exercises. Other than this, innovation has influenced technology very much. Many and amazing technological breakthroughs have been spawned in the 21st century. For example some universities in Europe have managed to «print» human parts from real human tissue through 3D printers. Another important breakthrough is the fact that many car industries have already manufactured cars, which do not need a car driver. This means that in the future the human life may be safer and easier as everything will be automatic. Such deve-
lopments in technology promise to humanity a better, easier and safer way of life. Last but not least, innovations are very important for society. Social innovation helps to solve some of the world's most crucial problems, such as climate change, youth unemployment, aging population and increasing social conflicts. They offer new solutions in the structure of societies and governing.
-Greece Social innovation has become even more significant for economic growth, because the rise of economy can be done only with the help of social innovation and the improvement of human relationships. So considering all the above, it is unequivocal that inno-
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vation has enter our lives not only as regards products, but also as regards different and important sectors of human activities such as education, medicine, technology and social structures with the only purpose of improving the quality and pace of our lives.
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Made by Elias Hirvikoski and Jeremia Toppari from Finland.