State of play

Finland
on the economy and technology 2010
Aalto:
Perpetual
motion
Green coal
is born
Growing
new bone
Eco-cities
bloom
Springboard
for business
State of play
he Finnish system of higher education took a giant leap towards the
future at the beginning of 2010. Our most esteemed universities – the
Helsinki University of Technology, the Helsinki School of Economics,
and the University of Art and Design Helsinki – merged to form Aalto
University. The name pays tribute to internationally renowned architect Alvar Aalto. The new, multidimensional centre of competence and creativity collaborates
closely with industry and commerce.
The ability to unite forces in the application of resources reflects creativity. This
magazine showcases Finnish creativity in solutions to global problems related to
the environment and social well-being as well as innovations in health care services and the entertainment industry.
International recognition of Finland’s creativity is the distinction of Helsinki being conferred World Design Capital 2012.
Alongside creativity, reliability is one of our strong traits. A good reputation has
made Finland an interesting collaboration partner for companies around the world.
Editorial Staff
Sanoma Magazines Finland
Custom Publishing
Producer
Pia Hyvönen
Erkki Virtanen
Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Employment and the Economy
4 News and updates
6 Aalto University aims high
11 Column: Birth to a new breed
13 From wood pulp to gigabytes
Managing Editor
Kimmo Holappa
14 Driving disruption towards success
Translation
Kathleen Kuosmanen
15 Via Vuosaari
English Editor
Shelly Nyqvist
16 State of play
Printed by
Libris Oy
Publishers
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Department for Communications
and Culture
formin.finland.fi
Ministry of Employment
and the Economy
www.tem.fi
Tekes
www.tekes.fi
PHOTO: Sarlin+Sopanen Architects
30 20
20 Conquering the Finnish Alps
22 Super smart stem cells
24 Why should kids have all the fun?
25 Growing old with dignity
26 A milky toast to well-being
27 Tailored welding
36 24
28 Heavyweights
30 Post-Madonna eco-urban
Sitra
www.sitra.fi
32 Green coal for China
Invest in Finland
www.investinfinland.fi
35 Every little AC helps
Finnfacts
TAT Group
www.finnfacts.fi
36 Writing with attitude
ISSN 1797-3287
6 28
12 Springboard for business
Art Director
Antti Kangassalo
Cover photograph by
Taavetti Alin
PHOTO: TIMO RAUNIO
2010
T
Editorial Board
Minna Hakaoja
Tiina Kairistola
Krista Kinnunen
Mikko Koivumaa
Markus Kokko
Eeva Landowski
Liisa Levänen
Mervi Liukkonen
Peter Marten
Laura Niemi
Juha Parikka
PHOTO: TONI HÄRKÖNEN
Creating the future
Editor-in-Chief
Juha Parikka
26
38 Easy does it
cover
16
Luca Bruno and
Sini Lindberg (cover)
and the always pacified
Chairman of the Board
Jani Kuronen (left) from
Anima Vitae.
38
3
Future city life
FOCUS FINLAND / NEWS AND UPDATES COMPILED BY KATJA PANTZAR
NEWS AND UPDATES
The
world’s
new design
capital is
Helsinki
F
ollowing a fierce
competition among
46 cities in 27 countries,
the Finnish capital has
been appointed World
Design Capital 2012.
Design has been a key
element in the ongoing
development of the city
of Helsinki; and Helsinki
design includes many
globally well-known
Finnish brands such as
Artek, iittala, Marimekko,
Nokia and Kone.
www.worlddesigncapital.com
www.wdc2012helsinki.fi
as the airline with the
Green skies role
most modern and eco-efahead
ficient aircraft in Europe
T
he Finnish national
airline Finnair is focusing on being an ecoforerunner. As the carrier continues its EUR 2
billion fleet upgrade, its
will be assured. Finnair
offers passengers a variety of tools for reducing
their carbon footprint
when flying.
www.finnair.com
Branding
Finland
You can
trust a Finn’s
word. Honesty
is an integral
element in our
brand.
Martti Ahtisaari
Nobel Peace Prize winner 2008
Y
/ CC-B
I ITO
O: JO
PHOT
4
lila and former Finnish President,
Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti
Ahtisaari.
“We could have more daring creativity than we have, but we do have
reliability. A Finnish handshake is a
promise that holds,” Ollila pointed
out.
Martti Ahtisaari emphasised the
strength of the Finnish brand in international peace-making efforts.
“It would be worthwhile to think
about how this could translate into
the civilian sector.”
President Ahtisaari also brought
up the strongpoints of Finnish culture, and traditions of Nordic and
Scandinavian values and equality.
As challenges, the panelists considered the lack of national self-esteem and the need to develop personal openness and communication skills.
“We do not shine when it comes
to telling our own story. As a nation,
we have had difficult points, but we
have survived,” Ollila said. The Finnish brand delegation is
made up of prominent Finns representing i.e. culture, business, international advocacy and public relations.
Finland is a
survivor. This is
a tremendous
positive force.
Jorma Ollila
Chairman of the Board
of Directors of Shell and Nokia
PHOTO
: JUHA S
INISALO
C
redibility and crazy creativity. Not to mention conflictsolving. These assets could
form the foundation for the distinguished group of Finns who are slated to develop the basis for the Finland country brand. The deadline for
the task lies at the end of this year.
Head of the brand delegation is
Jorma Ollila, Chairman of the Board
of Directors of Royal Dutch Shell plc
and Nokia Corporation.
One of the discussions addressing the image of Finland was held
at the Pori Jazz festival in July 2009.
Two key participants were Jorma Ol-
On top of the world
F
M
ore than 200 countries are participating in the largest World Expo ever
which takes place in Shanghai from May 1
to October 31.
‘Better City, Better Life’ is the Shanghai
World Expo 2010 theme. Finland’s pavilion,
Kirnu (‘Giant’s Kettle’), has been designed to
portray the Nordic country’s values: freedom, creativity, innovation, community
spirit, health and nature. Kirnu showcases
Finnish solutions for future urban construction with energy-efficient, low-emission and
environmentally-friendly options.
www.finlandatexpo.com
www.prosperity.com
inland continues to fare well in international surveys. According to the 2009 Legatum Prosperity Index released in October, Finland is the
world’s most prosperous country. London-based think-tank Legatum used a variety of measures including economics, entrepreneurship and
innovation, democracy, education, health, safety and security, and personal freedom to rank 104 countries.
5
FOCUS FINLAND / aalto university
An international,
interdisciplinary
and cross-artistic
community;
that is what
Aalto University
will be.
Text: Salla Korpela Photos: Aino Huovio
Aalto University
aims high
6
7
F
rom the outside, the Design Factory
doesn’t stand out from the low, red brick
buildings of the Helsinki University of
Technology. You enter the modest-looking building from the old loading dock.
Walk in and you find an environment
bursting with innovation and joy 24/7.
The lobby features comfortable sofas, a
coffee bar, and a conference room fashioned from a round-sided travel trailer. The window bay displays prototypes
of imaginative vehicles. The wall of light
and colour can be adjusted to reflect the
mood. A Nintendo Wii console sits in the
midst of all this.
“We work like crazy here and every day
we learn something new. That doesn’t
happen unless people are having fun,”
says Design Factory project manager Jussi Hannula.
The Design Factory is the first place to
deploy the idea behind Aalto University,
operational as of January 1, 2010. The new
university integrates the Helsinki School
of Economics, the Helsinki University of
Technology, and the University of Arts
and Design Helsinki. The international,
interdisciplinary and cross-artistic community has about 20,000 students and
8
{
4,000 employees, and its campus spreads
from east to west in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
The Design Factory realises all the dimensions of the new university. It’s where
new design, product and service concepts
and technological solutions are produced.
And where the ways to commercialise
them are brainstormed.
A product development course is under way in the lecture hall. The course is
headed by Stanford University doctoral
exchange student Gregory Kress. The
initial discussion is on the connection
between product design and marketing;
after which comes hands-on work. The
students are divided into teams of two.
Their first assignment is to determine
what kind of wallet would best serve their
teammate’s needs. Then they design it.
Prototypes are created from paper, cardboard and other crafting materials. Building blocks, modelling clay, tape, scissors,
glue and crayons are available.
T
he new university’s ambitious goal is to be one of the
leading institutions in the world in its own specialised
disciplines. The essentials are in place.
The Helsinki School of Economics offers the international CEMS Master’s in Management programme, ranked number
one by The Financial Times in October 2009.
The Helsinki University of Technology is the largest of the
merged educational institutes. Its internationally acknowledged
technology and architecture faculties represent first-rate research
and have attracted many foreign students from around the globe
for a number of years. The University of Arts and Design Helsinki
holds the same appeal; and is the biggest educational facility in its
field in the Nordic countries as well as one of the most prestigious
universities in the world.
A panel of representatives from twenty countries carried out a
research assessment of Aalto University in autumn 2009; the societal impact of research emerged as a particular strength. Intensive collaboration e.g. with companies is a special characteristic
of the research at Aalto University and a competitive advantage
in the international market.
Jussi Hannula is
project manager for
the design factory,
the first facility to
deploy the idea behind
Aalto University.
The perpetual motion of Aalto
The name of the new university symbolises change, the state of perpetual motion. The Finnish word ‘aalto’ is ‘wave’ in
English.
The name pays tribute to Architect Alvar Aalto (1898-1976), who rose to international fame with his functional work
and was distinguished in the arts, economics and technology fields. Aalto studied architecture during the 1910s at the
Helsinki Polytechnic, which later became
the Helsinki University of Technology and
is now part of Aalto University.
The name also refers to Alvar Aalto’s
spouses Aino Aalto (1894-1949) and
Elissa Aalto (1922-1994), both renowned
architects and designers of their time.
Aalto University aims high and wide. By
bringing economics, technology and the
arts close together, it aspires to create a
student-centred culture that encourages
innovation and a passion for learning and
research.
“Our traditional manufacturing industries are struggling. To make up for the
jobs lost in these industries, we need businesses based on new kinds of expertise
and innovations, co-operation between
various actors and sectors and the adop-
}
The name of the new
university, Aalto
(‘Wave’), symbolises
the state of perpetual
motion.
Amongst the best
tion of a multinational approach,” crystallises Tuula Teeri, president of Aalto University.
“Customer-driven service innovations in
particular are a new and rapidly evolving
area. On the other hand, climate change
and the ever-worsening waste problems
require us to make sustainable development our shared goal. Merging the universities and the investment in the new
university is an opportunity to meet these
challenges. Exploring the interfaces between disciplines leads to unexpected results, and the surprises lead to new discoveries.”
The joy and passion of learning
The Design Factory’s layout and activities support the independent initiative
and creativity of the people in it. The facility defines itself as a ‘passion-based cocreation platform.’ Long gone are the days
when professors lectured while students
sat and absorbed as much information as
they could.
There are no fixed furnishings in the
lecture halls; the space is refurnished for
each event. A lecturer can speak from an
elevated platform borrowed from the theatrical department. The workshops have
equipment and materials for creating prototypes and expertise for guidance. The
spaces for teamwork are plentiful and
equipped with IT, video projectors and
comfortable seating. For quiet, independent work, a black room or a white room is
available, depending on your preference.
Or you can relax in a cubicle furnished
with beanbag chairs.
Instead of a cafeteria, there is a kitchen
where the hungry can cook for themselves
and for others. Who said that a computer
classroom has to be a dull and unhappy
place? The one here looks like a beach bar.
The basement houses a video room where
you can play Guitar Hero, sing karaoke and watch movies.
A!?
Aalto University is a foundation-based university. The Finnish
government contributed EUR 500 million while private parties donated EUR 200 million towards the basic capital
of the university.
9
Before his tenure at KONE, Matti Alahuhta, D.Sc. (Tech),
worked for Nokia for over 25 years, most recently as
a member of the Executive Board and executive vice
president of Nokia. The other Aalto University board
members are among the top names in research, industry and academia.
“Karaoke is a good icebreaker with
some students. Our movie theatre is a former environmental conditions
laboratory and the air-conditioning equipment is still in place. So we can adjust the
temperature and humidity of the room to
match the movie we are watching. If needed, we can create a jungle atmosphere,”
Hannula says.
Fun and imagination gets results.
Throughout the academic term, the Design Factory holds courses related to product development, design and conceptualisation, and numerous international research teams work there. Supporting partners from the corporate world have offices
on the Design Factory’s premises. Space
is also leased to start-up companies envisioned to bring synergy benefits.
Opening doors
to the world
“I
have headed global business operations for 25 years and have monitored
development on different continents.
And I am convinced that Finnish universities are in need of renewal. Similar changes
are also under way elsewhere in Europe,” says
Matti Alahuhta, Chairman of the Board of Aalto University, and president and CEO of KONE
Corporation. A global manufacturer of elevators and escalators, KONE has annual net sales
of EUR 4.6 billion and its class B shares are listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd.
Alahuhta believes that Aalto University will
open a new world of opportunities for international collaboration.
“The higher quality and increased diversity of
education not only benefits students and the
academic community, but also society in general. Students can enjoy higher quality education and flexible educational opportunities. Researchers gain better resources, and the business world and other employers gain more
skilled employees.”
Goal: Interdisciplinary identity
PHOTO: SAMI KULJU
The Design Factory creates a common
spirit and identity for the new university
and for the employees and students of different backgrounds working under its umbrella. You’d have to be an incurable sort
with no sense of humour not to feel comfortable in the building.
“Students of economic sciences are ecstatic about the new convergence and
about the fact that the new university will
get adequate resources right from the
start. There are a lot of applicants for the
interdisciplinary science and art courses,”
notes Elli Leppisaari, who represents
economic science students in the new
university’s Council of the Student Union.
10
Henri Lönn, an aircraft technology student, agrees: “The new university challenges the entire Finnish university system
to evolve to a new level.”
The most critical voices against university renewal have been heard from the
University of Arts and Design Helsinki.
It is largely an issue of identity – the artists would prefer to stand out as their own
group.
“There is no doubt that the art students
will also benefit from the wider range of
opportunities for minor disciplines. The
generations of students change quickly,
and I believe that the new art students in
a few years will feel completely at home as
Aalto students,” says art education student
Ilmari Arnkil. Z
Column
column / FOCUS FINLAND
{
birth to
a new breed
I
recently ran in to the CEO of Wetend Technologies. His company produces technology that reduces the amount of chemicals used in pulp manufacturing by as
much as 90 per cent. The lower water and energy consumption and reduced
carbon dioxide emissions also generate savings. In other words, brilliant environmental technology!
In recent years, this company has grown particularly in China and Japan. According
to the CEO, the company’s success is based on knowledge of the local markets and
people. In fact, cultural literacy is essential for every player in the global economy –
from the SMEs to the mega-companies.
In this respect, Finnish companies may have a certain competitive edge. We have
had to venture out from our small linguistic and cultural circle and become adept in
foreign languages, for example. Learning languages starts in front of the TV because
foreign-sourced TV programmes are not dubbed in Finland. Children learn the basics of
three or four languages in school. And an
increasing number of high school and
university students are going abroad
to study.
Finland has a good image internationally at the moment.
The nation’s educational system, advanced technology,
nature and environmental awareness are respected. I hear about
these things almost daily in my travels around the world.
So, Finland appears to have what it will take to tackle future
challenges. The efficient use of resources is becoming an even
stronger driver of industrial production and services. Our globe
simply cannot sustain the squandering of resources that the
careless use of natural resources has led to.
A dramatic turnaround will take place within the next
ten years and will create entirely new standards for materials and energy efficiency. Investments in green technology over the next decade have been calculated at
EUR 2 trillion.
Hopefully Finland will find its place in this rebuilding
work. We have the prerequisites and a good foundation
of know-how for it. My guess is that a new breed of
Nokia will emerge from the companies working on
these challenges. Z
A dramatic
turnaround will take
place within the
next ten years.
Markku Wilenius
The author heads the strategy unit of Europe’s biggest insurance
company, Allianz, and is a professor at the Turku School of Economics, Finland Futures Research Centre.
11
FOCUS FINLAND / innovation and google
O
ne could assume the country is cold and uninteresting. Nokia dispelled that
notion long ago. Perhaps
less well known is that Finland is an excellent place for business innovation and testing. The key reason is
simple - it is small, which keeps things
manageable.
“What also helps is the way things are
done; the way people behave is fairly systematic,” says Kari Kohtamäki, customer
manager at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Systematic, though, does
not equal boring. Curiosity and innovation run deep. “There has always been inventors and very strong personalities involved,” reflects Kohtamäki.
Service development at Preve
Taking full advantage of the local testing
grounds is pharmaceutical company Pfizer. They established a subsidiary, Preve
Oy, specifically to develop and commercialise health care services in Finland.
“Finland is seen as a technologically savvy country from Pfizer’s point of view,”
notes Jari Turpeinen, head of Services
at Preve. The wide-spread use of mobile
phones was of particular interest. “Pfizer
can learn a lot from this... and the expertise we attain can be included in our service models in other countries.”
Health coaching service pilot
Preve has provided health coaching services to patients with type II diabetes,
heart failure and chronic heart disease
from 2007. Carried out in Päijät-Häme
province in southern Finland, the selfcare pilot project comprises, in addition to traditional care, regular over-thephone discussions between the coach and
the customer. The idea is to guide patients
into a more independent mode to adopt
healthier lifestyles. The results will give
Pfizer insight into how the service should
be further developed here and elsewhere.
Finding a customer who recognises the
need for a new, innovative health care
delivery model was crucial. With positive
experiences from previous testing, the Päijät-Häme hospital district was selected.
Getting reliable partners to support the
pilot was also needed.
Preve benefited from strong public-private collaboration. “People are close to
each other and we have a long tradition
of working together,” says Kohtamäki.
This, combined with a prevalence of innovation and know-how, makes Finland
hard to beat.
InnoHub comes to town
Such ideal settings are also recognised
by Philips, well-known maker of health
care, consumer and lighting products.
After a formal analysis confirmed a very
high concentration of innovation, they approached VTT with a proposal for an In-
“Finland is seen as a
technologically savvy
country from Pfizer’s
point of view.”
noHub in Finland, based on their successful InnoHub in Singapore.
“Innovation is a buzzword,” says Rob
Kommeren, senior consultant at Philips
Applied Technologies and CEO of InnoHub Espoo. “What we claim is that the
concentration of expertise at VTT with
Philips behind it is so powerful that we
really can offer it all. It is based on actual
truth and actual, validated concepts.”
The Espoo hub focuses on health and
From wood pulp to
Gigabytes
Finland is a great place for
developing new business ideas.
Springboard
for business
Text: Randel Wells Photo: Antti Kangassalo
12
Google turns a paper mill
into a 21st century data centre.
Text: Randel Wells
T
he port town of Hamina on the
southern coast of Finland has
a history stretching back to the
16th century. While an important
trade centre in the past, today it
is a relatively small town of some 21,000 inhabitants.
To the surprise of many, Google selected
Hamina as the location for its new data centre. The Summa Mill facility, formerly run by
Stora Enso, represents an investment of up to
EUR 200 million for the town.
Hamina - right combination
Google uses a rigorous selection process,
looking at factors such as location, workforce,
business regulations and cost.
“Hamina has the right combination of energy infrastructure, developable land and available workforce. Additionally, the team from
the local community worked exceptionally hard throughout the selection process,”
says Al Verney, communications manager at
Google.
well-being, and the premises include a
living room area, hospital room simulator and a nurse’s station. It supports every
step in product development. The starting point can be anything from early stages of innovation, portfolio planning, to
final validation before mass production.
“We are there to overcome hurdles,” says
Kommeren. “We just guide. The customer
stays in the driving seat.”
InnoHub Espoo was opened in early
2009 to a positive reception. With one
project finished and more coming, Kommeren says, “This is an excellent place
to be. There is enormous interest in the
things we do here. The ‘hub’ function,
bringing parties together both from the
offering and the demanding side, is very
much appreciated.” Z
“Finland presents our company with a great
business environment for our technology operations,” continues Verney.
“The Summa Mill site in particular presents
us with an interesting opportunity to quickly
re-develop and re-use an existing facility and
its strong infrastructure, while providing an
important economic development boost for
the town.”
Digital green
Data centres require a tremendous amount of
energy. Google has set out a number of initiatives to keep their centres green.
“Finland has been great in this respect – the
local authorities are great partners,” says Verney. “We power our data centres with renewable energy wherever possible, and so we are
currently working with the City of Hamina and
Haminan Energia to establish four wind turbines on the site.”
Security is also paramount for Google.
“We use the very best technology to ensure
our centres and our services remain secure,
and we make sure our data centres are physically secure, too,” says Verney.
The Summa site is no exception. With
Google’s help, Hamina will become the new
digital trade centre of the North. Z
13
FOCUS FINLAND / forum virium
via vuosaari / FOCUS FINLAND
Driving disruption
towards success
Through collaborative,
user-driven innovation,
Forum Virium Helsinki
helps companies
capitalise on the
challenges and
opportunities brought
about by digitalisation.
Text: Randel Wells Photo: Larkas & Laine
“
Finnish society is service
driven.
14
”
“A
ll service businesses are
in some kind of disruption because of digitalisation,” says Jarmo Eskelinen, chief executive at Forum Virium
Helsinki (FVH), a non-profit enterprise
promoting development of digital services in Helsinki.
“We are not aiming for disruption. If you
step into a development process, you cannot be quite sure if you are facing an evolutionary path or a disruptive path. In
quite a few cases, there will be disruption
because digitalisation changes the way
services are delivered.”
FVH helps its members and partners
develop services by bringing together ideas and content creators with established
private and public sector players. A crucial part of success is testing in real environments.
“Finnish society is quite a good base to
build service innovations because it is
service driven. There is a strong role of
public services which are facing challenges and need innovation,” says Eskelinen.
Open access
A recent FVH success includes initiating an open data movement inspired
by Apps for Democracy in Washington,
D.C., where public data has been opened
to developers. Two large European Union funded projects were also approved:
Smart Urban Spaces, for developing interoperable, user-friendly urban services,
and Managed Outcomes, which looks at
using media channels to measure the results of well-being services.
Looking further into the future, Eskelinen sees much development in real-world
and virtual-world user interfaces. Backend operations of services, such as logistics and information management, are
already well developed and digitalised.
However, the virtual interfaces between
backend systems and customers are still
largely missing. Z
F
inland provides an ideal logistics solution with its new EUR 700
million Vuosaari Harbour which opened in late 2008. The Port
of Helsinki operates out of the harbour offering safe storage
systems and excellent connections to European ports ranging from neighbouring St. Petersburg, Russia to Teesport in the UK. Vuosaari’s cargo
traffic consists of Finnish foreign trade imports and exports. The value
of traffic represents approximately one-third of the value of all Finnish
foreign trade and two-fifths of Finnish foreign trade transported by sea. Z
Via Vuosaari
Text: Katja Pantzar Photo: Mikael Kaplar, Studio POiNT
15
FOCUS FINLAND / state of play
What do you get when you cross long, cold winters,
good education and powerful computers? A group
of game and animation gurus, and a growing cultural
industry sector. Text: Anna Ruohonen Photos: Taavetti Alin
I
f Helsinki had its own Walk of
Fame, you would find the impressions of reindeer hooves.
Finland’s brightest movie star –
you may have heard of him – is
a young reindeer with dreams
of flying. More than a million viewers have watched Niko the reindeer and
his friends, a flying squirrel and a weasel, make the trek from Home Valley to
Santa’s Fell. It all happens in Niko & The
Way to the Stars, a movie produced by
the Finnish Anima Vitae and its European
partners. The animated movie premiered
in October 2008 and is the biggest Finnish movie production to date.
And not only that. Taking a phone call
from the TV industry mega-fair, Mipcom,
Anima Vitae CEO Petteri Pasanen elaborates on the distinction: “Niko has made
European movie history. The movie was
sold to over one hundred countries. That’s
an outstanding accomplishment for a European animation.”
Anima Vitae is Finland’s largest animation studio. Established in 2000, the studio has created networks with international joint productions. Animation is an
international product: It isn’t feasible to
make an animation for just one market.
Pasanen will meet new partners in
Cannes. In 2010, Anima Vitae will start
16
making a daily animation comedy.
Really: Animated current events for TV!
It’s not as crazy as it sounds. The 40-employee company in Finland produced a
weekly political satire The Autocrats for
seven years, proving that animation can
be made quickly.
“We have the world’s fastest animation
production line,” Pasanen says. “It was
built back when The Autocrats was produced, and now we are developing new
content for it.”
Anima Vitae, as well as Finnish game
companies, have their roots in the demo
scene phenomenon of the 1990s. The vitality of the phenomenon lives on in Finland and is highlighted once a year in the
country’s biggest ice arena.
The odd phenomenon begs an explanation.
From subculture to exports
First there was the subculture. It emerged
when computer enthusiasts started making programs with the Amiga and Commodore 64 computers of the 1980s. They
learned to integrate graphics and music
and called their creations ‘demos’.
The young male computer-game players in particular were enthralled with cre-
F
O
E
T
A
T
S AY
pL
Anima Vitae CEO Petteri Pasanen (back)
and the ART director of Niko,
Mikko Pitkänen, get a little crazy!
17
ating demos. They organised demo
parties and competed on the excellence of their demos.
Skills grew. Computers advanced.
Soon many computer nerds realised
they were entrepreneurs. This is how Anima Vitae and many other Finnish game
companies got started. Self-taught programmers created an industry that is now
an engine for Finland’s cultural exports.
B
Let’s meet online
ack to that ice arena: Once a year, for
18 years and counting, some 5,000 computer enthusiasts from
around the world flock
to Helsinki for an international youth computer festival. They
play, they surf, they IRC – and they rank
demos in the dimly lit mega-arena. The
event is called Assembly and is one of the
biggest demo parties in the world.
“The connection between today’s game
industry and demo scene is the unrelenting ambitiousness of the creators,” figures
one Finnish hard-core gamer who goes
by the name of Nisupulla (a sweet coffee
pastry) in gaming forums on the Internet.
“The Finnish gaming community is
proud of the country’s game industry
and its crown jewels,” he says. They include e.g. Housemarque’s Super Stardust,
Frozenbyte’s Trine, Redlynx’s Trials, Bugbear’s FlatOut and Remedy Entertainment’s Max Payne.
“The games of Finnish companies have a
certain originality. They aren’t about monotonous repetition; they require players
18
to be savvy. The game creators don’t settle for the easiest solutions, they come up
with something new and creative,” Nisupulla says.
By email, of course.
Because the easiest way to reach gamers
of high caliber is online.
Gamers around the world can expect
something new and creative from Remedy Entertainment’s upcoming game Alan
Wake.
H
This spring: Step into a thriller
orror writer Alan Wake
can’t sleep, even though
it is through his dreams
that he comes up with
ideas for his books. His
dreams stopped when
his bride vanished.
Wake turns to a sleep clinic for help,
but drifts into the centre of a nightmarish chain of bizarre events. He fights for
his life while trying to figure out what is
going on.
Remedy Entertainment puts gamers in
Alan Wake’s place, in the midst of a thriller. Playing the game is like becoming a
character in a TV show the likes of Twin
Peaks or X-Files.
“Alan Wake defines the thriller genre in
games,” Matias Myllyrinne, managing director of Remedy Entertainment, notes.
Creating storylines and characters is
Remedy’s specialty. A small, independent game studio – currently 50 employees
– builds brands out of the main characters in its games; brands that also spread
to other entertainment like movies and
books. For Remedy, the game is entertainment, not software.
“We are constantly making bigger
games, and we are balancing the demands
of growth. We want to maintain the creative atmosphere,” Myllyrinne says.
The company is famous also for game
graphics. For example, the ambient light
in Alan Wake changes based on the time
of day or night and the weather.
So it’s no wonder that gamers have waited for Alan Wake. Faithfully. The game
has been in the works for more than five
years and will be published by Microsoft
in spring 2010.
“A range of gaming enthusiasts, from occasional players to professionals, are really looking forward to Alan Wake. The
confidence in Remedy is strong,” says
Nisupulla, who has been playing games
since he was six. These days, he plays
about ten hours a week – but if he’s really hooked on the game, he’ll put in that
many hours in a single day.
“Right now, I have a steering wheel controller attached to an ironing board for
driving in online races; that makes it just
the right height when playing from an
armchair. Sometimes I haul all the stuff
to my friend’s garage and we spend the
weekend there playing,” he says.
Efficiency is a national trait
What’s the secret behind the Finnish
game industry? Neogames, Centre of
Game Business, Research and Development, lists the strengths of the Finnish
game industry:
- Technology know-how is the best in
the world.
- The price/quality ratio of game production is good. Efficiency is a national
trait.
- Game companies are engaged in extensive product development, supported
by state funding.
- Finland has educated game creators
and a stable society.
- Finland has a solid gaming culture.
This is a land where adult men can spend
their weekends gaming in their buddy’s
garage. Games are an export engine. And
part of the culture and lifestyle. Z
Make-up: Johanna Marjomaa; Stylist: Suvi Poutiainen; Clothes: Beam (Erottaja 15-17, Helsinki), Helsinki 10 (Eerikinkatu 3, Helsinki), Wunder (Pursimiehenkatu 5, 00120 Helsinki)
F
F
O
O
E
E
T
T
A
SSTTAA
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Y
A
L
ppL
{
}
Self-taught
programmers created
an industry that is now
an engine for cultural
exports.
LUCA BRUNO, LEAD ANIMATOR,
(LEFT) AND SIRI LINDBERG,
PRODUCTION MANAGER, FROM
ANIMA VITAE are in awE of the
demo scene culture.
19
T
photo: Alain Grosclaude
he world’s most northerly alpine
race, the FIS Alpine World Cup Levi,
takes place every November in
Finnish Lapland. Divided into ladies
and men’s slalom events, the tournament is
one of the most eagerly anticipated on the
international roster.
As top skiers compete for the coveted Alpine World Cup, the world will be watching.
Television coverage of the event is expected
to reach more than 100 million people. Z
Text: Katja Pantzar Photos: Patrick Forsblom
FOCUS FINLAND / levi worldcup
photo: Nisse Schmidt
Conquering the
20
21
FOCUS FINLAND / STEM CELL
“When we talk about adult stem cells,
we mean that these stem cells can be isolated from the patient’s own tissue such
as fat tissue. After cultivation, they can be
transplanted back to the patient either as
such or combined with biomaterials,” Suuronen clarifies.
Super smart
stem cells
Text: Marja Berisa Photos: Sami Helenius and iStockPhoto
Patients suffering from
degenerative or traumatic
cardiac, neuronal or retinal
conditions have new hope.
T
he human body is
versatile; and when
healthy, self-healing to a great extent. However, if a
serious illness such
as diabetes, Parkinson’s, multiple
sclerosis or Huntington’s strikes, the body can only do so
much.
Regea Institute for Regenerative Medicine specialises in cell and tissue engineering; and aims at practical applications to complement the surgical and
medical treatment. The long-term goal
is to improve the patients’ quality
of life through new stem cell therapies while reducing the cost resulting from diseases that are currently
difficult or impossible to treat.
The starting point in stem cell engineering is the huge untapped potential inherent in the cells. Unlike the
‘normal’ living cells, they are capable of
both renewal and differentiation.
“Our research focuses on the differentiation of nerve, heart, retinal, bone and
cartilage cells from different stem cells,”
explains Riitta Suuronen, head of Regea
Institute.
{
Growing new bone tissue
Regea is a joint institute with the University of Tampere, Finland. Since its estab-
22
lishment in 2003, Regea has completed –
in collaboration with Finnish hospitals –
20 treatments of bone trauma and bone
deficiency.
The treatments were focused on the
head and neck area by utilising the patients’ own adipose (body fat) stem cells.
Regea has also successfully treated patients with severe frontal sinus infection
with stem cell applications and implants
constructed from biomaterials.
In 2007, Regea and the Helsinki University Central Hospital jointly performed
stem cell therapy procedure in which the
right side of the patient’s upper jaw, removed earlier because of an extensive
tumour, was replaced by a transplant
grown from stem cells extracted from
the patient’s own adipose tissue. Before
insertion, the implant was grown for nine
months in a custom-made mould placed
within the patient’s abdominal muscle.
Regea is the frontrunner in the clinical
application of stem cells. In Europe, Finland and Germany are the only countries
so far to have completed stem cell-based
bone tissue treatments.
The goal is to improve
the patients’ quality
of life.
A promising field
Thank you, donators
Embryonic stem cells, in their part, are
generated from 5-6 day old embryos.
“We receive the embryos as donations
from couples that have undergone in-vitro fertilisation treatments, and have given
their written consent. We only use embryos that are unsuitable for fertility treatment and would have been destroyed otherwise,” she stresses.
The engineering of cells and biomaterials is by no means without its challenges.
First of all, not all stem cells have the same
regenerative power. Adult stem cells are
easier to handle in terms of their fewer rejection reactions in patients, but are less
multipotent than embryonic stem cells.
On the other hand, embryonic stem
cells have great multipotency characteristics, but are prone to proliferation, which,
if not carefully controlled, may lead to
cancerous tumours.
Spin-offs blooming
The research carried out at Regea has
led to the establishment of three new local spin-off companies. Moreover, Regea
boasts a comprehensive network of specialists and research institutions.
“Thanks to the Finland Disting uishe d Profe ssor Prog ramme
(FiDiPro), we have at our disposal the
know-how of Professor George Sándor, one of the most prominent researchers in bone regeneration, cell
engineering and stem cell applications,” praises Suuronen.
FiDiPro is a joint funding program by
Tekes (The Finnish Funding Agency for
Technology and Innovation) and the
Academy of Finland. It gives established
foreign researchers the opportunity to
work in Finland for a fixed period. Professor Sándor participates in a research
project aiming at the generation of bone
by using adult stem cells and growth factors. Z
}
“The stem cells are multipotent and can
transform into multiple cell types or regenerate as stem cells. Stem cells can be
harvested from multiple sources such as
embryos, bone marrow and the stem cell
populations of the different organs and
tissues,” explains Suuronen.
Suuronen adds that the scientific world
views stem cell research as a necessary
and promising field.
23
FOCUS FINLAND / WHY SHOULD KIDS HAVE ALL THE FUN?
growing old with dignity / FOCUS FINLAND
Lappset Group
Ltd is responding
to the needs of
ageing populations
by offering park
equipment for
seniors.
growing old with
dignity
FWBC, a group of private
companies, is responding
to elder care needs
by offering products
and services that helps
seniors to stay active
and healthy.
Why should kids
have all the fun?
Text: Satu Jussila Photo: Rickard Eriksson
“O
ur 0-100 product
line allows seniors to
stretch their muscles
and maintain coordination, which prevents injuries caused from
falling,” explains Juha Laakkonen, chief executive officer at Lappset Group Ltd, a leading
producer of playground equipment in Europe.
Sales are especially brisk in Spain. Just in
the vicinity surrounding the city of Barcelona,
Lappset has sold over 100 of its 0-100 concepts for seniors. In 2010, Lappset expects
great sales growth in Finland and Sweden. Z
Three centres in Japan
Text: Satu Jussila
T
he amount of people age 65 and
older is growing worldwide and,
while this is good news, many
countries are facing challenges
in providing quality care for their elderly. Statistics from the United Nations estimates that global life expectancy will
reach 75 years by 2050. In developed regions, the projected increase is from 76
years today to 82 years by mid-century.
FWBC Finland Oy, a group of 11 private
companies providing services for seniors,
was founded as a result of this growing
need. Formed in 2003, the company packages well-being products and services for
elderly-care facilities. FWBC projects
are currently operating in Japan, and the
company is looking to other international markets.
Preventative care
On your next visit to the park, don’t be surprised if you see a senior citizen
exercising on playground equipment. It was specifically designed for them.
24
managing director of FWBC Finland Oy,
which stands for the Finnish Well-being
Centre.
FWBC is made up of companies that
provide things like specialised bathrooms,
exercise equipment, furniture and safety
watches that alert health-care staff when
a senior is in trouble. Finpro, an association of private companies, is also a shareholder and helps FWBC in business consultation abroad.
“The Finnish model looks to preventative care that keeps seniors active, which
we’ve found is vital to improving the quality of life,” explains Hilkka Tervaskari,
Currently, an elderly-care facility called
the Sendai-Finland Well-being Centre is
operating in the city of Sendai, in Japan.
A second FWBC has opened in the city
of Agano in March 2009 and, recently, a
third project in the city of Saijo started
construction in September 2009.
“We provide know-how in elderly care
and services, interior design and hightech products. We train staff in how to
use the facilities and assist in developing
the architecture so as to maximise the
functionality of the space. Deciding where
to place equipment is really important,”
summarises Tervaskari. Z
{ }
The global life
expectancy will
reach 75 years
by 2050.
25
FOCUS FINLAND / a milky toast to well-being
tailored welding / FOCUS FINLAND
A milky toast to
well-being
B
Dairy giant Valio Ltd
keeps us healthy by
offering a versatile
range of milk
products.
Text: Marja Berisa
Illustration: Antti Kangassalo
“
We take the theory
of ‘good living’ and
turn it into practice.
”
ut there’s more to business than butter, spreads,
yoghurt and cheese. In
addition to its core business, Valio has expanded
into services.
An exciting area of innovation is the
development of an all-in-one well-being
concept designed for work communities.
The Valio Olo concept offers companies
a down-to-earth, flexible well-being routine. It is a tailored model of improving
individuals’ health which targets these
key areas: nutrition, exercise, work-life
balance, fitness and job satisfaction.
The customer company also receives a
‘well-being manager’, whose job it is to
interact with both management and employees and help them first become aware
of their current well-being and then create common-sense plans to improve it.
Helsinki-based management consulting
agency August Associates is implementing Valio Olo.
“The program is unique in its comprehensiveness. It is more than just well-
meaning plans and discussions. Everybody knows the importance of healthy
nutrition, sound sleep and exercise, but
the difficulty lies in really finding the time
and motivation to change one’s existing
habits,” says managing partner of August
Associates Kai Koskinen.
Management consulting is a business
where 12-hour days are not uncommon,
and travel combined with tightly scheduled meetings with customers makes it
difficult to stick to healthy routines.
“Sometimes you just don’t have time for
lunch. So we initiated the Valio Olo programme – and we now keep the office refrigerator full of healthy foods and snacks.
We take the theory of ‘good living’ and
turn it into practice that fits our purposes. We have to make compromises; but on
the whole, we are now becoming a healthier company.” Z
Changing times
and new economic
realities are giving
rise to creative new
approaches to some
of the most basic
features of business
operations.
Text: Eddie Hawkins
Photo: Matti Viljanen
{
Tailored
welding
26
N
etworked business models
cutting across old boundaries and entirely new revenue logic are turning challenges into growth. Kemppi,
a leading manufacturer of electric welding equipment; Barona, one of Finland’s
largest human resources companies; and
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have created and launched an innovative new service product called HumanWeld – Performance3.
The tailored rental service packages personnel with the latest welding equipment
technology and productivity monitoring.
The basic idea is to combine the strengths
of both partners to generate additional
value to the customer, and new revenue
streams for the suppliers.
“As a general trend, different technologies are becoming saturated,” explains
Kemppi CEO Anssi Rantasalo.
“Differentiating in technology is rarely
possible and manufacturers have traditionally sought expansion through spare
parts, maintenance
and consulting. New
ideas are needed.”
Within the service
product, Barona is
responsible for human resources, implementation and
branding. This releases the employer from the challenges
of personnel resourcing and introduces
flexibility to changing situations. Kemppi’s contribution is welding equipment
and the monitoring of client productivity. Training and certification are managed together.
“We took the challenge of crossing
boundaries and innovating. We went beyond obvious customer need to bring
something new to the marketplace that
would dramatically improve customer operations. The concept deepens our partnership with the customer more. And, the
service pricing is based on production efficiency and quality. The customer only
pays for work done.”
Rantasalo goes on to boast, “The enthusiasm of market response shows we are
right on target.” Z
“We went
beyond
obvious
customer
need.”
27
The
working
world
requires
new
leadership
I
n upcoming decades, the working-age population will decrease
throughout Europe. Finland will be
one of the first to face the change,
so solutions are already being vigorously
pursued. This radical change requires insight, flexibility and common will.
“In order to cope with the upcoming labour shortage, work must be organised
more flexibly based on the needs of different employee groups and employers,”
emphasises managing director Satu Huber, who heads Tapiola Pension, one of
Finland’s biggest pension insurance companies.
As a result of Finland’s pension reform
in 2005, workers over the age of 63 accumulate more pension than their younger
colleagues. In fact, people are retiring at a
slightly older age than they used to.
Moreover, the working capacity of people must be taken care of; ageing programmes and general occupational health
care have led to improvements in this
area. Employers, in turn, receive support
from occupational health care and from
pension companies to help identify and
solve problems at the work place. There
is still plenty of work to do.
Manage flexibly
Studies show that workplace well-being
stems from community spirit, meaningful work duties, and the opportunity to
influence one’s own work. Leadership has
a bigger impact on these issues than legislation and labour market agreements.
Expert companies pursuing innovativeness need management doctrines that are
different from those created in the early
1900s to boost the efficiency of the car
industry.
“We have a lot of valuable research data,
but the adoption of best practices must be
developed further. It is a practical challenge for managers,” Huber says.
Flexible models are needed in issues like
daily work hours, sabbatical opportunities
and work loads. The democratic model of
‘the same way of operating for everyone’
no longer works. A big challenge is the
creation of team spirit.
“An atmosphere must be created where
the younger employees learn from the
experiences of their elder colleagues;
and vice versa, where the older employees learn, for example, IT skills from their
younger cohorts.” Z
Labour shortages in
upcoming years will force
Finns to remain in the
workforce longer. We have
to become more innovative
and flexible, says Satu
Huber, managing director
of Tapiola Pension.
Text: Risto Pennanen Photos: Aino Huovio
28
HEAVYWEIGHTS
FOCUS FINLAND / THE HEAVYWEIGHTS
Finland has what it takes
to become the trailblazer
in next-generation wellbeing services, says Mikko
Kosonen, president of
the Finnish Innovation
Fund, Sitra.
A
ccording to Kosonen, the
country’s future competitiveness is based on certain social
and cultural strengths.
“We are a developed, adequately small
society. Achieving trailblazer status in
electronic health care and health promotion services, for example, should be fundamentally easier for us than for bigger
countries.”
“The trailblazer status is supported by
what may be the world’s most educated
population that readily adopts new ways
of operating and technologies.”
The fact that Finns take equality literally also accelerates and facilitates the advancement of new ideas.
“We continue to have a very democratic
society. Surely we have plenty of hierarchies, but deep gaps have not formed between social classes. The operating culture is built on a spirit of getting things
done, directness, clarity and integrity –
and that supports the quick realisation of
trailblazer status.”
Kosonen notes that developing new solutions related to well-being services and
marketing them globally would be a very
natural next step.
“The strengths of Finnish society support our vision that we can implement –
more agilely than others – the systemic
and technological changes required for
the foundation of the next-generation
health care system.”
Systemic change is defined as change
that is comprehensive and spans multiple sectors.
“Finland is already a model country in
terms of health care, and the development
is being watched very carefully around
the world. Now we should work together even more emphatically to develop a
proactive health care system based on the
premise that citizens look after their own
health and well-being more actively and
better with new technology.”
“The trailblazer status and our credibility is reflected in the fact that experts
from a number of global technology companies, like IBM, Microsoft and Nokia,
have recently worked as guests at Sitra.
Finland could very well be a test laboratory for technology-based health care solutions that are scalable for global use.” Z
Attaining trailblazer status
29
FOCUS FINLAND / post-madonna eco-urban
Jätkäsaari will also have
a city block with Low2No
sustainable construction,
which has ambitious energy-efficiency goals. The
aim is to make the block a
national model of carbonneutral construction.
Text: Salla Korpela Photos: Sarlin+Sopanen Architects Ltd. & Arup Architecture
Post-Madonna
eco-urban
D
ense and comfortable. For
people, not for cars.
This is the new Jätkäsaari
neighbourhood going up on
the edge of downtown Helsinki. Over the
next fifteen years, homes for 15,000 Helsinki residents will be built and 6,000 jobs
will be created. Construction got off to a
flying start in August 2009, when more
than 80,000 people flocked to pop icon
Madonna’s concert held on the grounds
where the old port used to be.
Let’s be close!
The Jätkäsaari energy and eco-efficiency
goals are ambitious. The first eco-solution
lies in the density of the urban structure.
“We are building a neighbourhood, not
a suburb. The compact design creates
synergy benefits and reduces the need
for transportation and investments. This
saves energy and natural resources,” notes
Matti Kaijansinkko, architect and project leader in charge of the Jätkäsaari design.
Jätkäsaari is a peninsula. The city blocks
are designed to protect the courtyards of
the buildings from the icy marine winds.
The possibilities afforded by the latest
technology are integrated in the construction of the buildings and the infrastructure. For one, garbage trucks are a thing
of the past: Waste from the area is transported to a central waste collection point
via an underground vacuum system.
Let’s ride the tram!
In Jätkäsaari, everything is easily accessible on foot. A five-minute bike ride via
the connecting boulevard will put you in
downtown Helsinki. Shops and services
will be decentralised. Good ol’ tram service will provide public transportation in
the area as well as a convenient way of
30
F
getting from the cruise ships docked on
the south side of Jätkäsaari to downtown
Helsinki.
“The design of the area has been approached from a mobility management
perspective,” Kaijansinkko notes.
There are few streets for driving and
the residential streets are cul-de-sacs.
Through traffic is virtually non-existent. Parking for cars is primarily underground. Each block has two parking spots
reserved for cars belonging to car-share
clubs.
Let’s build sustainably!
Eco-efficiency is a hallmark of the massive fifteen-year construction project. The
area’s contaminated soil from decades of
port operations is not being transported
away. It is being buried under the planned
park area and segregated so that it doesn’t
pose a threat to the people using the park.
The old, colossal warehouse building is
being converted into a fitness centre.
“The challenge is to make the area so enjoyable that the residents won’t necessarily want to travel anywhere else on their
days off work. The park will feature a sledding hill for kids; and a sandy beach for
those hot summer days will be built in the
sheltered cove,” Kaijansinkko describes. Z
Low2No
irst Madonna and her 80,000
fans took over a former port
area on the edge of downtown
Helsinki. Now a new, eco-urban
neighbourhood is set to rise in the area.
Sitra and its partners are designing a sustainable construction block in Jätkäsaari. Ideas and solutions for energy-efficient and sustainable construction were pursued through
the international Low2No competition. A total of 75 teams from 23 countries expressed
an interest in entering the competition. Five
were invited to participate. The winner of the
competition was the team comprised of Arup
(England), Sauerbruch-Hutton (Germany), Experienti (Italy) and Galley EcoCapital (USA).
Eco-cities
to China
C
hina is facing an unprecedented challenge in the history of the
world as some 400 million people
from rural areas relocate to cities over the
next 15 years. Numerous new cities will be
built in China, cities that either consume
a fraction of the energy consumed by existing cities or even produce more energy
than they use.
The Finnish company DigiEcoCity Ltd
signed an agreement in spring 2009 regarding the construction of two ecological model cities in China, each with about
100,000 residents: one in Gongqing,
Jiangxi Province, and the other in Danyang, Jiangsu Province.
“Climate change, urbanisation challenges, and the necessity for construction that is more eco-friendly than before
have been a key focus in the ministeriallevel negotiations between Finns and the
Chinese,” says Mauri Tommila, president
of DigiEcoCity.
A Finnish-Chinese joint venture is responsible for construction, and a number
of Finland’s leading high-tech companies
are participating in the project. The cities
are expected to be completed within five
years or so.
“Eco-solutions integrate all the aspects
of sustainable lifestyles. The need to travel
is reduced, energy is produced with a suitable combination of renewable sources,
energy waste is minimised, water management, recycling and waste management are efficient. The challenges are
enormous, but the future solutions can
be implemented with minor compromises in China,” Tommila notes. Z
31
FOCUS FINLAND / GREEN coal for china
To meet the burning need for renewable substitutes for
fossil fuels, environmental technology provider Preseco
have devised a new solid biofuel to replace coal.
I
Text: Fran Weaver Photo: Paula Vainio-Paananen
Green
coal
for
China
t looks like coal, feels like
coal, and burns to give as
much energy as high grade
coal, but Preseco’s biocarbon is made out of residual organic materials such as
wood or straw, making it a
greenhouse neutral fuel.
Biocarbon is produced
through a specially adapted
pyrolysis process, in
which organic materials are burnt at high
temperatures in oxygen-free conditions to
create solid fuels with
high energy content.
“It is crucial that the
new biocarbon product can be used in place of fossil coal
without any new investments in existing
power plants,” says Preseco’s managing director Mikko Kantero.
Solid biocarbon’s high energy content
also makes it a globally transportable and
tradable commodity.
“This is the first time in the history of
bioenergy that end users can be geographically separate from the sources of
raw material biomass,” explains Kantero.
“Projects are going on
in Brazil, Canada,
China, Chile and
Indonesia.”
Markets around the world
Preseco’s demonstration plant in the city
of Tampere is already producing biocarbon from residual wood for demonstration and testing purposes. Preseco and
China’s Anneng Thermal Power Group
are now planning to set up a biocarbon
producing joint venture in Hubei Province, starting with a demo plant using rice
32
straw as feedstock.
As the world’s largest coal user, China is
desperately seeking climate-friendly alternative fuels.
“We are also involved in developing
projects in Indonesia, Canada, Chile and
Brazil,” adds Kantero.
“The beauty of the biocarbon concept is
the potential to set up production plants
wherever there is enough suitable biomass available, and
then sell biocarbon
globally wherever we get the
best price.”
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every little ac helps / FOCUS FINLAND
“
Preseco is also building a new, fullsize biocarbon plant near Tampere,
with an eye on Finland’s need to cut its
own fossil fuel emissions by exploiting
more energy from its forests.
“By 2015, we could be producing a million tonnes of biocarbon a year, replacing
a fifth of the coal currently used in Finland – and reducing national greenhouse
gas emissions by 5 per cent,” says Kantero.
of organic material, including wastes from
slaughterhouses, food processing plants,
construction sites and gardens – as well
as chlorine-free plastics.
Lower grade biocarbon can also be used
as a soil fertiliser. Adding powdered biocarbon to farmland soils can greatly boost
their productivity. Kantero compares this
process to the way Finnish shifting cultivators used to create fertile fields by
Effective carbon sinks
“Biocarbon could be
made from any kind
of organic material.”
The highest grade biocarbon can be derived from wood or agricultural residues.
But according to Kantero, biocarbon
could ultimately be made from any kind
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safegua
rces wh
rding th
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sensitive
environm
northern
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has prod
innovati
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ing Natu
on
niquely w
ral Reso
u
ide-rang
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S
tr
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s materi
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The gov
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r rural
ic recove
34
ry.
burning patches of forest and raking the
charred wood and ash through the soil.
“This also makes soils into carbon sinks,
storing inert carbon, and helping to combat climate change. If carbon storage markets develop as expected, this could become an even more viable use of biocarbon than burning it,” says Kantero.
“We are convinced that the potential
global market for biocarbon is massive,”
says Kantero.
Preseco is well placed in the forefront of
this new technological development, with
patents and trade marks already in place.
The price premium for green biocarbon
over coal is likely to increase steeply as
markets are reshaped to combat climate
change by encouraging the substitution
of fossil fuels. Z
Savings in electricity
costs can actually pay
for the machinery.
”
Every little
AC helps
Text: Eddie Hawkins Photo: iStockPhoto
We already know how to save one-tenth of our electricity energy consumption.
“O
ne-third of global electricity is used by electric motors,” points out
Vacon CEO Vesa Laisi.
“Through the energy efficiency provided
by AC drives and energy efficient electric
motors, it is possible to save 30 per cent
of that energy. That means that this technology, these devices, can cut a full 10 per
cent of global electricity energy needs.”
Vacon is a Finnish-based designer and
manufacturer of AC drives; one of the
biggest in the world.
AC is a technology recognised as a practical, energy-efficient alternative. AC
drives are used to control the speed of an
electrical motor. An AC drive often uses
less energy than an alternative fixed speed
mode of operation by flexibly adapting to
needs.
Good business
The growth in the AC drive market is
based on rising energy prices, increasing
automation, and falling electronics prices.
There is room for growth in the market,
though. Only about one out of ten electric motors in the world is controlled by
AC drives.
Fans and pumps are the most common
energy saving applications: energy savings
are typically 20-50 per cent. For example,
when a fan is driven by a fixed speed motor, the airflow may sometimes be higher than it needs to be. The most efficient
means to regulate the airflow is by regulating the speed of the fan motor. And,
variable speeds mean greater energy savings, as well as better air quality.
Greater awareness of the global environment creates the need for AC drives. Just
as much as cost-savings devices, they represent energy savings as a type of commodity as well. Still, the bulk of electricity is generated by fossil fuels. Along the
chain from generation to final use, more
than half of the energy content of the fuel
is actually lost. A proven and easily deployed technology that cuts down on this
waste makes sense for the environment
and is good business.
“In most cases we are basically selling
a piece of machinery. In some cases, the
customer is buying energy efficiency. Savings in electricity costs can actually pay
for the machinery,” says Laisi. Z
35
FOCUS FINLAND / writing with attitude
“T
he writer’s job is to
change the world. The
writer’s job is also to
develop and create the
language. Honesty is at
the essence of writing, and often the most
personal is the most public.”
Hone sty re quire s courage. S of i
Oksanen has dared to question the axiomatic issue of Finnish equality, for instance.
“In Finland, women are part of the
working world and the fabric of society, and the streets are safe. But equality and safety are often discounted within the walls of homes. Even the EU has
remarked on Finnish domestic violence.”
Challenging truths
Writing with
Attitude
36
As a social debater, the insightful Oksanen
challenges many truths and, in opening
new perspectives, helps democracy prevail. As a world-changing artist, she has
for now chosen Estonia’s recent history as
her subject matter.
Grateful for female authors
Language loaded with symbolism
“I am indebted to all those women who
were involved in the birth of Finnish literature and theatre back in the 1800s. Fredrika Runeberg was not only the first female author of historic novels in Finland,
but also one of the first authors of historic novels in Finland. She wrote about the
Russian occupation and its consequences,
just as I have.”
“Runeberg’s thoughts touch upon the
intellectual world of John Stuart Mill,
which was important for the feminist
movement in the late 1800s. According
to Mill, women are like nations: Nothing
of their essence can be known until they
are freed. Nations, too, behave differently in slavery than when free. This parallel
between repressed nations and women is
something I have used myself in my novels about Estonia and Estonian women.”
Oksanen wrote her first novel on composition paper when she was ten, and
presented it to her mother as a Christ-
For some authors, writing is a dive into
the dark recesses of the senses, into a chaos that can be sorted out only upon surfacing. Oksanen’s way of creating is different.
“An author outlines the unsaid, approaches the unknown. But I’m constantly aware of what I am doing. For me,
writing doesn’t mean a dive into the unknown.”
The profusion of details in Oksanen’s
literature appeals to all the senses without drowning the reader. Everything has
meaning and a justified place in the big
picture. Even the seemingly insignificant,
such as the mentioning of a sunflower
seed, unlocks possibilities.
“I mention sunflower seeds in Purge a
couple of times. Soviet occupiers brought
them to Estonia. The observant reader will surely catch this. And, of course,
sunflower seeds also have positive symbolic meaning.”
Her literary merits have made her one of Finland’s most
talked about artists. Sofi Oksanen, 33, looks the
interviewer straight in the eye. Text: Jorma Leppänen Photo: Toni Härkönen
“My actual subject is power. The fact
that my novels deal with Estonia is due to
the remarkable interest in the country’s
recent history. Rarely do we get to experience an overnight change in the social
system of a nation. The collapse of the Soviet Union and Estonia’s independence
were literally dramatic events.”
“And the fact that my mother is Estonian
obviously influenced my choice of subject
matter. I have spent a lot of time in rural
Estonia.”
Published in 2008, Oksanen’s novel Puhdistus (Purge) has been described in Finland as the novel of the decade. It looks at
Estonia’s history through the experiences of one family. In the novel, a woman’s
body is a metaphor for an occupied country. For the feminist movement, this was
a natural concept already over a century
ago. Purge has been translated into more
than 20 languages.
mas gift. Her own writing style, theme
and subject crystallised during her studies at the University of Helsinki and at the
Theatre Academy Helsinki.
“I have always read a lot of literature, but
studying literature wasn’t my cup of tea. It
took so much time that I had no time to
write. I found that oppressive.”
On Oksanen’s list of authors important
to her, she mentions Marguerite Duras,
whose works she discovered in their original language back in high school.
“The simplicity and musicality of Duras’
sentences made a great impression on me.
Years later, I realised that experiences of
colonisation are behind her literature.
Perhaps I had unconsciously identified
that undertone already as a youngster.”
Loaded with symbolism, the poetic language requires from its reader more than
prose advancing like a train. While it’s
not surprising that Purge won the most
recognised literature awards in Finland,
the novel’s enormous popularity amongst
readers was unexpected. A quality novel
rarely becomes a best-seller.
“It’s difficult for me to figure out why my
novel is so popular. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the subject
matter is universal. When the theatrical
version of Purge was presented at Dramaten in Stockholm, a South African director said he could very much identify with
the world of the play. Changes in power
structures always cause oppression and
they always happen according to the same
formula.” Z
37
COMPILED BY KATJA PANTZAR
Connecting inspiration
EASY DOES IT
T
Dancing in the rain
D
esigners from Gucci to Prada have been incorporating
rubber boots into their collections. Nokian Footwear
rubber boots – they were indeed once part of the company that included mobile phone maker Nokia – have been
around since 1898. Their most recent hit, the Hai (‘shark’),
withstands -40 degree Celsius temperatures and has found
favour with fashionistas and workers alike.
he world’s leading
mobile phone manufacturer Nokia is sharing its unused research
and development with
companies across Finland – for free. The goal
is to share ideas for everyone’s benefit and help
Finnish businesses to
become more competitive internationally.
Four new start-ups
have already been created through the In-
novation Mill including
Sports Tracking Technologies, which develops applications based
on the extremely popular Nokia Sports Tracker application. Millions
of mobile phone users
have downloaded the
program worldwide.
www.nokia.com
www.nokianfootwear.fi
is the first device to
make a fishing knot
automatically. The
hand-operated clicker
feeds and ties the line,
saving fishermen the
fiddly fuss of tying a
lure to the line.
Big in
Japan
T
wo of Finnish
design’s biggest names, homewares brand iittala and textile house
Marimekko, continue to
grow in popularity in Japan,
where their products are seen as
long-lasting and ecological. Joining iittala in the Ginza,
Marimekko recently opened a new store in the wellknown Tokyo shopping district. During the first two
quarters of 2009, Japan became Marimekko’s largest
export market.
www.spinmade.com
Successful steps
F
ootbalance insoles are custom-engineered to ensure that shoes fit correctly
and provide essential support depending on
the wearer’s individual podiatric needs. Footbalance and Tekes, a Finnish agency that
funds technology and innovation, teamed
up with UCLA’s Global Access Program to
market and sell the insoles in the US. The
programme, along with other initiatives, has
been such a success that Finnish Footbalance soles are now available in 5,300 stores
in 35 countries.
38
www.footbalance.com
I
n June 2010, the winner of the world’s largest
technology prize, The Millennium Technology
Prize, will be announced. Worth EUR 1 million
and awarded to a technological innovation that
improves the quality of life, the Finnish-funded
prize is awarded every two years.
www.iittala.com
www.marimekko.com
T
he new animated movie Moomins and the Comet
Chase is to be the first Nordic stereoscopic 3D
film. Finnish Filmkompaniet Alpha produces the
movie. Icelandic pop star Björk has composed and performs the theme: ‘The Comet Song’.
Moomins and the Comet Chase is based on Tove Jansson’s classic book Comet in Moominland.
Clean design
L
aunched at the prestigious Milan
Furniture Fair, the 10-Unit System
is a modular furniture range that
forms a chair, table or bench. Designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban
in co-operation with leading Finnish design house Artek, the new system is made
from recycled paper and plastic manufactured by UPM, one of the world’s leading
forest industry groups.
www.upm-kymmene.com
www.artek.fi
Moomin
goes
3D
Finland
in Figures
Spinmade’s Click2Knot
Eyes on the prize
www.millenniumprize.fi
cookie mold design by heirol oy
Easy reeler
PHOTO: JUHA RAHKONEN
FOCUS FINLAND / EASY DOES IT www.stat.fi
Sovereign
parliamentary
republic since
1917. • The president
is elected every
six years. The
position is held
by Tarja Halonen.
• Member of the
European Union
since 1995. •
Currency: euro
• GDP 2008: EUR
185 billion • Population:
5.3 million people • Capital:
Helsinki. One million people live in
the Helsinki region. • Languages: 91%
speak Finnish, 5.4% speak Swedish. •
Religion: 81% Lutheran, 1% Orthodox
• Area: 390, 920 square kilometres
or 150,900 square miles, of
which 9% is fresh water. •
There are 188,000 lakes in
Finland.
39
for more
information:
www.thisisfinland.fi
www.tem.fi
www.tekes.fi
www.sitra.fi
www.investinfinland.fi
www.finnfacts.fi