University of Vaasa at Wasa Future Festival, 10–14 August 2026
Wasa Innovation Center, Bock's
Gerbyntie 16
Vaasa
Finland
The University of Vaasa is once again a partner of Wasa Future Festival, held from 10–15 August 2026.
The festival brings together skilled and motivated people from business, higher education, research and the public sector – from local decision-makers to government ministers – to tackle major challenges and create new solutions in the fields of the economy, technology and culture. In 2026, the festival themes are the New Nordic Initiatives: New Nordic Energy, New Nordic Education, New Nordic AI, New Nordic Defence and New Nordic Forest.
In Vaasa, growth is not just discussed – it is built. At Wasa Future Festival, the University of Vaasa’s Finland Investment Institute and Sitra will convene an exceptional group of leaders from investment, finance, business, research and the public sector for an AI Cubic workshop. Using this new methodology, participants will identify concrete growth initiatives that can strengthen Finland’s competitiveness and accelerate new investments.
The University of Vaasa’s festival programme also offers a broad range of perspectives on how growth is created. The sessions explore why crises become threats for some companies but opportunities for resilient ones; how the Startup Factory and research-based innovation support the creation of new businesses; how AI agents and new AI methods can accelerate strategy work and growth; what kinds of new business opportunities space data can open up; and how the jointly developed Energy Transition Valley initiative is combining the energy transition, university–industry collaboration and multidisciplinary expertise to create new innovations, attract investments and strengthen international competitiveness.
University of Vaasa programme:
Monday 10 August
| 12:00 – 15:00 | Right Wing | Erwan Mouazan | New Value Chains from the Forest -sessiossa:
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| 13:00 – 15:00 | Mind Square | Vaasan yliopisto | Future Vaasa 204X: Powered by Data, Energy and the Cityverse |
| 15:30 – 18:00 | Catacombs | Cocktail-tilaisuus ja näyttelyjen avajaiset: Kaikki on energiaa – Energia on kaikkea - näyttely sekä Terra:Forms -taidenäyttely Ilmoittautuminen avajaisiin ja cocktail-tilaisuuteen |
Tuesday 11 August
8:30 – 9:00 | Mind Square | Vaasan yliopisto | Breakfast and the opening of the University Day |
| 9:00 – 10:30 | Mind Square | Marko Kohtamäki (VY), Kristian Luoma (In Paraller), Joona Kevari | Agentic AI in Knowledge Work: Approaches and applications Presentation and panel discussion |
| 10:30 – 13:00 | Right Wing | Maria Pajuoja (VY), Anna-Mari Simunaniemi (JAMK), Pauli Komonen (VTT) | AI's transformative Forces: A Foresight Workshop for Decision Makers |
| 9:30 – 11:30 | Right Wing | Philipp Holtkamp (VY), Patrik Österåker (Next Level Growth), Jussi Itävuori (Botnia Ventures), Lars Ling, Jan Segerstam (VY), Jeff Wallace | Startups for Economic Growth
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| 13:00 – 15:00 | MindSquare | Hanna Smith (VY), Petri Uusikylä (VY), Mika Aaltonen (Sustainable Nation Group), Kari Renko (Patria), Hannu Mäntymaa (Wärtsilä) | How to prosper during the times of uncertainty? The goal of this session is to deepen our understanding of how crises can paralyse certain businesses and public organisations while providing an opportunity for others to recharge and flourish. Esitys ja paneelikeskustelu
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| 13:00 – 14:00 | Right Wing | Mika Nieminen (VY), Antero Karvonen (VY), Anton Sigfrids (VY), Jaana Leikas (VY), Nina Wessberg (VY) | Values in Motion? AI as a question of public values and societal futures
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Wednesday 12 August
| 9:00 – 11:00 | Mind Square | Katja Sirviö (VY) ja Sari Kola (Merinova) | Future of Energy - EnergySAMPO Sector coupling: Industrial electrification, datacenters, hydrogen industry are coupled in the future energy system
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| 11:00 – 11:30 | Mind Square | Minna Martikainen (VY), Atte Jääskeläinen (Sitra) ja Pekka Koponen (VY) | Finland Investment Institute and Sitra launch a new method to create growth in Finland: AI cubic |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | Mind Square | Mika Grundström (VY), Emma Kaasinen ja Sami Niiranen (Sitowise), Lauri Ikonen (Polarnode), Jukka-Pekka Joensuu (Trevian), Mikko Heikkilä (Fingrid) | Laskentakeskukset kasvun moottorina (datacentres as motors for growth) |
| 12:00 – 15:00 | Right Wing | Ali Arslan (VY), Johanna Kalliokoski (VY), Johanna Haveri (VY), Heidi Kuusniemi (TaY), | Space Wednesday: From Orbit to Opportunity - the Economic Impact of Space in Finland and the Nordics |
| 14:00 – 16:00 | Barn | Tanja Sihvonen (VY), Tiina Raevaara, Katri Saarikivi, Kari Enqvist, Mikael Fortelius | Syvenevän vastakkainasettelun aika (ME/NE) |
| 15:00 – 17:00 | Garage | Henri Karimäki (VY), Jan Segerstam (VY), Katja Sirviö (VY), Maciej Mikulski (VY), Kimmo Kauhaniemi (VY) | Maximized R&D Impact with University-Industry Collaboration
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Thursday 13 August
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Mind Square | Minna Martikainen (VY), Atte Jääskeläinen (Sitra) and Pekka Koponen (VY) | AI Cubic of Economic Growth - results |
| 14:00 – 15:00 | Ball Room | Elina Melgin (VY), Ia Adlercreutz (Aalto), Teemu Mäki (Suomen Taiteilijaseura), Ulrika Romantschuk (Nordea), Janne Ylinen (Halpahalli, SKR Keski-Pohjanmaa) | Taide innovaatioiden kiihdyttäjänä: Millaisia vaikutuksia taiteella on yritysten toimintakulttuuriin |
Friday 14 August
| 13:00 – 14:20 | Mind Square | Harri Jalonen (VY) | HEALTH: The Path Towards University Wellbeing Services County. Professor Harri Jalonen from the University of Vaasa will give a presentation:
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Explore the full and up-to-date programme on the Wasa Future Festival website. The festival website also includes an optional registration form. Please note that the programme is still being updated.
The event is free of charge and open to everyone.
Welcome to Wasa Future Festival!
