Updated 6.9.2023 | 18:09

Driving climate action – highlights at the WALCC Forum in Vaasa

Wed 20.9.2023 | 09:00 - 17:00

Wasa Innovation Center
Gerbyntie 16
65230 Vaasa
Finland

The World Alliance for Low Carbon Cities and co-organizer University of Vaasa welcome you to the Transformative Innovation in Action Forum in Vaasa on September 20th! We are pleased to invite and offer a limited number of FREE passes to the Forum as it will also kick-start the Boosting Energy Transformation (BET). This initiative was recently granted funding under Business Finland’s Decarbonized Cities program. Please act on this opportunity now and register immediately, as tickets are limited.

  • Follow this link to register for free. Seats are limited so register now!  

The Forum will emphasize international collaboration in the spirit of the EU missions and accelerate the co-implementation of the twin green & digital transition. The Forum will take place in Vaasa, the Nordic energy capital and a forerunner in decarbonization. The Alliance is also joined by the City of Vaasa, Ostrobothnia Regional Council, and Merinova in co-creating the Forum. 

The discussions on Wednesday, September 20th address different means of driving co-implementation as climate efforts shift from planning to action. The sessions (see below) are structured around the different types of organizations that orchestrate co-implementation, addressing regions & cities, intermediaries, and companies separately. Each 90-minute session leads off with a 30-minute panel discussion which poses questions for the audience to discuss in small groups over the course of 45 minutes before results are summarised.

Ohjelma

  • 08:30 - 09:00 Registration and Coffee at the Wasa Innovation Center
  • 09:00 - 10:30 Cities and regions as orchestrators
    expert panel followed by small group discussions
    Moderated by Taina Tukiainen, Research Director, University of Vaasa
    • Boosting Energy Transition, Regional Innovation Valleys & Viability Advantage – How Vaasa and Espoo simultaneously drive decarbonization locally, nationally and on the EU level
  • 10:30 - 10:45 Coffee break
  • 10:45 - 12:15 Intermediaries as orchestrators expert panel followed by small group discussions Moderated by Fredrik Pressler, CEO, Posintra
    • Increasing Company and City Collaboration – Kilpilahti and Baltic Sea Region spearheading decarbonization initiatives
  • 12:15 - 13:00 Lunch
  • 13:00 - 14:30 Companies as orchestrators expert panel followed by small group discussions Moderated by Johan Wallin, Managing Partner, Synocus
    • Designing Superblocks and Energy Efficient Societies – Lessons learned by Skanska, Fortum and their partners about their transformational projects with cities such as Tampere and Espoo
  • 14:30 - 15:00 Coffee Break
  • 15:00 - 15:30 Operationalizing transformative innovation policies; Discussion moderated by Johan Wallin, Managing Partner, Synocus
  • 15:30 - 16:30 Reflections on the WALCC Vaasa Forum and implications for operationalizing transformative innovation policies
    • Co-creating the WALCC 2024 Action Plan
  • 16:30 - 17:00 WALCC annual meeting

Among the confirmed Forum speakers are:

Antti Ahlava, Professor, Aalto University - Elina Bardram, EU Adaptation to Climate Change Mission - Mats Brandt, Regional Mayor, Ostrobothnia Regional Council - Stefan Damlin, Managing Director, Vaasan Sähkö - Johanna Häggman, Communications Manager, Kvarken Council EGTC - Tomas Häyry, Mayor, City of Vaasa - Elsi Kauppinen, Policy Area Coordinator, EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region - Tauno Kekäle, Project Manager, Merinova - Esa Kokkonen, Director, Baltic Institute of Finland - Jari Kuusisto, Project Manager, IoT for Smart Cities, Wapice - Heidi Kuusniemi, Professor, University of Vaasa - Kari Lahti, General Manager, Fortum - - Markus Laine, Senior lecturer, Tampere University - Peter Lindgren, Vice President System Drives, ABB & Vice Chair, World Alliance for Low Carbon Cities - Markku Markkula, Committee of the Regions & President, Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council  -Martin Meyer, Vice-Rector, University of Vaasa - Wiebke Pankauke, EU Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission - Fredrik Pressler, CEO, Posintra - Fredrick von Schoultz, Deputy Mayor, City of Porvoo - Karim Selouane, Co-chair of the Global ABC Adaptation Working Group, CEO and founder of Resallience - Satu Sipola, Vice President, Hydrogen and Project Execution  - Joakim Strand, Member of Parliament, Chair of the Vaasa City Council - Siret Talve, Scientific Adviser, Republic of Estonia Ministry of Rural Affairs - Pekka Tiitinen, Managing Director, ABB Finland -Toni Tuomola, District Manager, Skanska - Barbara Widera, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Architecture