An interregional conference of the Vanguard Initiative network was arranged in Kajaani on 25-26 September with the headline “The Next Steps of Interregional Collaboration in Bio-economy” in collaboration with East and North Finland and Vanguard Initiative’s Bio-economy pilot. The presentations are now available online.
Vanguard Initiative is a network of European regions that looks to stimulate industrial innovation and build European value chains based on complementarities in regional smart specialization strategies. Vanguard facilitates interregional collaboration, stimulates interregional innovation investments, strengthens open innovation, and speeds up the introduction and market-uptake of new products and innovations in Europe. East and North Finland is a member of the Vanguard Initiative since 2020 and joined the Bio economy pilot in the beginning of 2024. The event in Kajaani brought together stakeholders from the pilot regions including the pilot’s co-leader and East and North Finland with the objective to form basis for future collaboration.
We are a new member in the pilot and want to use this opportunity to actively build connections with the other pilot regions. The objective of East and North Finland is to help our companies and other stakeholders to get involved in the pilot activities and benefit from the added value that our membership in Vanguard Initiative and the Bio economy pilot creates. East and North Finland has a lot to offer in bio economy topics and we look forward to longstanding interregional collaboration”, summarizes Jarkko Räty, the East and North Finland regional contact point for the Bio economy pilot.
Programme and Presentations
PROGRAMME Interregional Conference of East and North Finland and VI Bioeconomy pilot 25_26_09_2024
Wednesday, the 25th of September
9.00-9.15 Welcome to East and North Finland and welcome to the VI Bio-economy pilot’s interregional conference
Jouni Ponnikas. Regional Development Director, Regional Council of Kainuu
Ilaria Re (Chief Operating Officer, Consorzio Italbiotec, Lombardy Green Chemistry Association and the co-lead of the Bio-economy pilot)
9.15-9.45 Vanguard Initiative in a nutshell and collaboration opportunities with respect to the pilots
9.45-10.45 Bio-economy pilot: State of play and bio-aromatics demo-case focus
11.00-11.30 East and North Finland:
An overview of the hosting region and bio -economy as a part of East and North Finland RIS3 strategy
Eerikki Vainio, Senior Advisor, East and North Finland EU Office and Saija Tikkanen, Specialist, International Affairs, Council of Oulu Region
11.30-12.30 Panel discussion – Bio-economy pilot: Looking forward
Moderator: Tuula Kokkonen (Business and Innovation Manager, Regional Council of South Savo). Panelists: Ilaria Re (Chief Operating Officer, Consorzio Italbiotec, Lombardy Green Chemistry Association and the co-lead of the Bio-economy pilot), Ludo Diels (Portfolio Manager at Processes4Planet and Former Advisor Sustainable Chemistry – VITO, Bio aromatics demo case leader of the Vanguard Initiative Bio-economy pilot), Sari Koivula (Forest and Climate Expert, Regional Council of North Karelia) and Anne Saloniemi (Specialist, Lapland University of Applied Sciences).
13.30-14.30 East and North Finland showcases: local stakeholders present their activities related to the pilot
Jarkko Räty (East and North Finland regional Contact Point for the Bio economy pilot)
Lasse Pulkkinen (Research Director, South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences): Forest cluster in South Savo – RDI in Savonlinna technology park
Harri Auvinen (Research and Development Manager, Savonia University of Applied Sciences): Bio and Circular Cluster – North Savo
Mikko Ahokas (CEO, Macon Oy)
Thursday, the 26th of September
9.00-9.15 Takeaways of the first day
Ilaria Re (Chief Operating Officer, Consorzio Italbiotec, Lombardy Green Chemistry Association and the co-lead of the Bio-economy pilot)
9.15-9.45 Bio-economy and the EU policy frame
9.45-10.15 East and North Finland showcases: local stakeholders present their activities related to the pilot
Jarkko Räty (Head of research and development, Leader of the clean tech research in Measurement Technology Unit, University of Oulu, Kajaani University Consortium) and the local stakeholders. Speakers:
Anne Saloniemi (Specialist, Lapland University of Applied Sciences)
Antti Haapala (Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Eastern Finland)
Egidija Rainosalo (RDI Coordinator, Centria University of Applied Sciences)
10.15-10.45 Bio-economy pilot: looking forward and how could East and North Finland contribute
Ilaria Re (Chief Operating Officer, Consorzio Italbiotec, Lombardy Green Chemistry Association, and the co-lead of the Bio-economy pilot)
Heikki Sirviö (Regional Development Manager, Regional Council of North Savo)
10.45-11.00 Final remarks and end of the event
Ilaria Re (Chief Operating Officer, Consorzio Italbiotec, Lombardy Green Chemistry Association and the co-lead of the Bio-economy pilot)
Jouni Ponnikas (Regional Development Director, Regional Council of Kainuu)
Primary Contacts Regarding the Event
Jarkko Räty, PhD, Research manager
University of Oulu, Unit of Measurement Technology, Kajaani
jarkko.raty@oulu.fi or +358 40 839 7353
Eerikki Vainio
Senior Advisor
East and North Finland EU Office
eerikki.vainio@eastnorth.fi or +32 497 405 383
