THE INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE CITY OF ESPOO 2013

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1 THE INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE CITY OF ESPOO 2013

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3 CONTENTS Introduction 5 Key facts about Espoo 7 Internationality in the Espoo Strategy Organisation and contact persons for international activities 9 Highlights of Guest article: Marja Joenusva, Consulate General of Finland in Shanghai 13 The international activities of the Mayor s Office and joint activities 16 Shanghai 16 Sister cities 19 Eurocities 22 Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC) 25 Cooperation between Espoo and Silicon Valley grows stronger 26 Espoo Innovation Garden aiming for the title of European Capital of Innovation 28 Fair Trade Town 30 Visits and events 31 Part of Team Finland 35 Development and innovation activities 35 The international activities of the Education and Cultural Services 36 Pupils and students expanding horizons through global education 37 Younger children discovering the world in early education 40 Diverse international cultural cooperation 42 Sports events attracted international spectators 46 International experiences offered for Espoo s youngsters 47

4 The international activities of the Social and Health Services 48 Easier daily life and shorter queues 48 WHO world congress brings visitors to Espoo 48 The international activities of the Technical and Environment Services 50 Property investments and urban structure development 51 The city promotes housing and resident wellbeing 52 The international activities of Omnia - the joint authority of education in the Espoo region 54 The international activities of Visit Espoo 58 Leisure travel marketing 58 Meeting and conference marketing 59 International networks and representation 61 Technical visits 61 Projects implemented for the City of Espoo 61 The international activities of Otaniemi Marketing 62 Highlights from international media 64 Internationality in the Espoo Story 69 Outlook for

5 5 INTRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL DAILY LIFE IN ESPOO Internationality is an essential part of the City of Espoo and residency in Espoo. Approximately 12 % of the residents of Espoo speak a language other than Finnish or Swedish as their mother tongue. According to estimates, every fourth member of the working age population will speak a foreign language as their mother tongue in less than a couple of decades. While this trend is a welcome element that enriches the city, it also poses the challenge of introducing more international operational methods into daily life. Genuine, daily internationality concerns us all and applies to all city operations. Espoo is part of the dynamic Helsinki Metropolitan Area, which forms a part of larger European and global networks. The city already constitutes an entrepreneurial cluster that aims for international growth. In Keilaniemi, the headquarters of large companies soar to the sky together with the Otaniemi Campus learning, research, development and start-up community. Both areas serve as the distinctive features of Espoo in the international arena. Significant international companies conduct operations in Espoo, and the development continues. This is significant in terms of all other economic activity, too. Companies thrive more effortlessly in a community that includes enterprises of different sizes and qualities. Internationality increases competence and opens up connections and opportunities. The aim is to preserve and increase jobs and generate wellbeing. The city has good long term connections to China, and to our sister city Shanghai in particular. These connections have gained many Finnish enterprises access to the Chinese market and, in return, increased the interest of Chinese companies and investors in Finland and the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Cooperation with Shanghai has also offered schools in Espoo interesting contacts and learning opportunities. The children and adolescents attending day-care centres and schools in Espoo are growing up in an international environment. The day-care centres and schools are creating a foundation and future for sustainable development and responsible, collaborative world citizenship. Internationality entails multiculturality and everyday tolerance. Espoo is attracting more visitors than ever. Numerous conferences particularly appeal to international visitors. The city has only the best of Finland to offer: clean nature, silence, effortlessness and smooth progress. The Finnish Nature Centre Haltia in the Nuuksio National Park is a model example of Espoo s offerings in addition to top notch science, research and corporate connections. The Espoo Innovation Garden was one of the six finalists in the first European Capital of Innovation competition in This was a fine recognition of the work we have completed so far. Espoo aims to win in the next round. Everyday internationality enhances our chances of victory. Jukka Mäkelä Mayor of Espoo

6 6 The area around Espoo is a thriving region that covers Stockholm, St. Petersburg and Tallinn. Its direct neighbours are the Finnish capital Helsinki and the Airport city of Vantaa. Monocle magazine awarded Helsinki- Vantaa Airport repeatedly as one of Europe s best airports.

7 7 KEY FACTS ABOUT ESPOO Espoo is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The region has 1.4 million residents. It is home to 52% of Finland s foreign-speaking population. It generates 44% of overall turnover in Finland. Espoo is the second largest city in Finland with 260,000 inhabitants. The population of Espoo will increase by 24% in the next 20 years. Espoo is a very young city. 19.4% of the population of Espoo is under 15 years of age. A total of 12.2% of the population of Espoo is foreign-speaking and 7.8% Swedish-speaking. A total of 51% of the population over 24 years of age holds a university degree. Over 20% of the jobs in Espoo are in the ICT industry. Companies situated in Espoo generate over 50% of the turnover of the Helsinki stock market. Approximately 500 foreign companies are located in Espoo. Today, Espoo is being developed into a network city comprising five town centres and local centres. Espoo is an integral part of the developing metropolitan region and the labour market region of Southern Finland. fdi Intelligence Magazine evaluated the Helsinki Metropolitan Area as the second best investment target in Europe in its 2014/15 issue. The internationally awarded Helsinki- Vantaa Airport is a 25 minute drive away from the centre of Espoo and the Tapiola district. The Helsinki Metropolitan Area has repeatedly been listed among the best places in the world to live in on the basis of quality of life (Monocle, The Economist). The Finnish Nature Centre Haltia in Nuuksio, Espoo, provides the best of Finnish nature in a single location. The Keilaniemi headquarters are only a 20-kilometre drive away from the Nuuksio National Park. The residential areas in Espoo are never more than one kilometre away from a green area. Espoo has more islands (165) than Hawaii.

8 8 INTERNATIONALITY IN THE ESPOO STRATEGY Jorma Valve, Strategy Director According to the Espoo Strategy , internationality is a strong element of the Espoo 2020 vision, the operational concept of the city and the dynamic and competitive city of sustainable development perspective. Espoo vision 2020 Espoo is a pioneer. Espoo is a great place to live, learn, work and to enterprise in. Espoo is a multicultural city that promotes pluralism and has an open and inspiring atmosphere. Espoo s historical tradition, varied nature, seaside location, comfortable residential areas and functional connections form a safe urban environment structured by city centres. Espoo is a city of individual and joint responsibility. Espoo creates good conditions for the mental and physical development of residents. Espoo has high-quality services and comprehensive recreational opportunities. As a part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Espoo is known as a globally networked expert in cutting-edge technology, education, culture, sports, research and innovation. The operating principle of the city of Espoo The City of Espoo creates conditions for the good quality of life for Espoo residents and offers an internationally competitive operating environment for entrepreneurship according to the principles of sustainable development. Goal The objective of the a dynamic and competitive city of sustainable development perspective has been: The city will be internationally appealing and interesting. Professional people, entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes will put down roots in Espoo. Council objectives intended to enhance internationality in respect of the goal Universities will form a unified campus network, which will appeal to international students and researchers. The Otaniemi innovation environment will produce growth companies and world-class service innovation. As part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, the city will be a pioneer among the most important international networks and urban areas, known for its attractive combination of science, art and the economy. Espoo is a pioneer in preventing climate change.

9 9 ORGANISATION AND CONTACT PERSONS FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES The city offers diverse, vigorously developing international operations. Elements of internationality in different industries and operations are developed collaboratively and enhance the city strategy , the Espoo Story. The organisation of international operations is intended to enhance general coordination, the clear distribution of duties and work, and networking. The City Council specifies the objectives of international operations as part of the Espoo strategy. The City Board leads the city s international operations. People appointed by the board represent the city on official, international occasions and during visits. Committees lead and direct the international operations in their sectors. The mayor leads the international operations of the Espoo City Group and has a key role as a city representative in international affairs. The city s management group serves as the steering group for international operations. The director of economic and business development is responsible for presenting matters to the management group. In accordance with the Mayor s Office s operational instructions, the related city development unit steers the international operations of the city. The director of economic and business development leads the unit. The head of international affairs is responsible for preparing and coordinating affairs and for support services. The Mayor s Office s communications and human resources units are responsible for the international operations in their fields. The sectors of the city decide on their respective international operations and are responsible for any related forecasting, monitoring and implementation. The international coordinators of the city development unit and the sectors form a group that bears responsibility for routine affairs, the coordination of operations, forecasting and monitoring. International network meetings are also organised regularly. The report was edited by the Mayor s Office s head of international affairs on the basis of information provided by the sectors of the city and group companies. Mayor s Office Tuula Antola, Director for Business and Economic Development, tuula.antola@espoo.fi, Glenn Gassen, Head of International Affairs, glenn.gassen@espoo.fi, Education and Cultural Services Annika Forsten, Specialised Coordinator, annika.forsten@espoo.fi, Social and Health Services Tuula Heinänen, Development Director, tuula.heinanen@espoo.fi, Technical and Environmental Services Olli Isotalo, Development Director, olli.isotalo@espoo.fi, Tiina Järvinen, Development Engineer, tiina.m.jarvinen@espoo.fi, Omnia, The Joint Authority of Education in the Espoo Region Seija Heikkinen, Head of International Relations, seija.heikkinen@omnia.fi, Visit Espoo Jaana Tuomi, Managing Director, jaana.tuomi@espoo.fi, Riikka Laatikainen, Conference and Communication Coordinator, riikka.laatikainen@espoo.fi, Otaniemi Marketing Ari Huczkowski, CEO, ari@otaniemi.fi,

10 10 HIGHLIGHTS OF 2013 THE NEW MAYOR OF SHANGHAI MAKES HIS FIRST FOREIGN TRAVEL TO ESPOO The new Mayor of Shanghai, Mr Yang Xiong, visited Espoo to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the sister city agreement. In the anniversary seminar, he said that the Espoo-Shanghai sister city relationship has generated good results and is expected to yield much more. During the visit, the mayor toured Aalto University and companies in Keilaniemi. He also met with President Sauli Niinistö and Minister of Economic Affairs Jan Vapaavuori. ESPOO INNOVATION GARDEN IN THE EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF INNOVATION COMPETITION COOPERATION BETWEEN ESPOO AND SILICON VALLEY GROWS STRONGER A prestigious delegation led by Mayor Jukka Mäkelä visited Silicon Valley in June The delegation included representatives from Aalto University, the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Otaniemi Marketing. The meeting entailed discussion on cooperation between cities, universities and businesses. Potential cooperation between Espoo, Palo Alto and Shanghai was of particular interest to the participants. A good example of cooperation is the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, which aims at promoting entrepreneurship. The trip included tours of the NASA Ames Research Center and the Google, Berkeley and Stanford campuses. In December, the city entered the innovation capital competition organised by the European Commission. In the application, the city described the innovation ecosystem formed by local people and institutions, which serves as an innovative, inspiring, integrating and interactive environment. A total of 58 applicant cities submitted proposals to become the European Capital of Innovation. Espoo was one of the finalists with Barcelona, Grenoble, Groniningen, Malaga and Paris. TAPIOLA SINFONIETTA PERFORMS FOR OVER 100 MILLION CHINESE The official orchestra of the City of Espoo, Tapiola Sinfonietta, completed a programme of six chamber music recitals and three full concerts in China in December. The concert venues were the Hong Kong City Hall and the Oriental Art Center in Shanghai. The Oriental Art Center is one of the leading cultural facilities in China. One of the concerts was televised throughout southern China. The estimated number of viewers was 100 million. The musicians additionally offered lessons at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, which

11 11 is among the leading institutes of performing arts education in Asia, and at a music school for underprivileged children as a part of a UNICEF project. The soloists accompanying the orchestra were mezzo-soprano Virpi Räisänen and Chinese cellist Trey Lee. The orchestra was led by Janne Nisonen in the role of concertmaster. SHANGHAI SISTER SCHOOLS FOR ESPOO UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOLS A partnership agreement between upper secondary schools in Shanghai and Espoo was signed in August during the visit of the Mayor of Shanghai. The cooperation originally began in the form of friendly education and cultural services partnership between the two cities. During an official ceremony, the cities signed a cooperation agreement that established a sister school partnership between 11 upper secondary schools in Espoo and Shanghai. The aim of the agreement is, for example, to develop ways of enhancing knowledge of the Chinese language and culture in upper secondary schools in Espoo and a knowledge of the national languages and culture of Finland in schools in Shanghai. The agreement additionally enhances cooperation between pupils, teachers and school management. FINLANDIA TROPHY ATTRACTS INTERNATIONAL TOP SKATERS TO ESPOO Organised for the 18th time, the Finlandia Trophy attracted global superstars of figure skating to the Barona Arena in Espoo. The arena hosted the competition for the second time. Many figure skating World, European and Olympic champions begin their season at the Finlandia Trophy. The prestigious figure skating competition categories are singles, ice dancing and synchronised skating. The event attracted nearly 150 participants from 13 countries. Over 10,000 people witnessed the competition on site, while up to 350,000 viewers watched it on television. The television broadcast also reached millions of viewers in Japan. The Finnish Figure Skating Association held the competition in cooperation with the City of Espoo, among others. The opening ceremony of the Finlandia Trophy figure skating competition at the Barona Arena in Espoo School principals from Shanghai and Espoo planning cooperation. ENGAGING YOUNG PEOPLE IN NORDIC COOPERATION One of the themes of the annual meeting between Espoo and its Nordic sister cities was engaging young people in the Nordic town twinning. Before the visit, representatives of the Espoo Youth Council surveyed the thoughts of young people living in the sister cities. They then introduced the young people s suggestions at the meeting. Their list included joint events and sharing experiences concerning young people s possibilities to influence in their residential municipalities. The youth cooperation will continue in 2014 under the coordination of Espoo. Idea implementation will be carried out based on the wishes of the young people.

12 12 A RECORD NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES IN ESPOO TRAVEL INCOME INCREASED BY 54% Youth Council representatives presenting the wishes of young residents. THE RUSSIA CLUSTER Visit Espoo and its partners implemented their first joint marketing project in Russia. Marketing operations were carried out throughout the year. The aim of the projects was to increase the visibility of Espoo particularly in the St. Petersburg region and to increase the number of Russian tourists visiting Espoo. The main channels of operation were Vkontake (the Russian equivalent of Facebook), newsletters targeted at travel agencies and an workshop organised in St. Petersburg to allow the cluster partner companies and Visit Espoo to introduce their new products to the tourism industry. The number of Russian tourists staying overnight in Espoo continued to increase in 2013 at a rate of 6% compared with last year. The project will continue and expand in A record number of international conferences were organised in Espoo last year: a total of 94 conferences with the participation of nearly 9,000 delegates. The figures indicated a staggering growth of 20.5% in the number of conferences and 10.3% in delegate numbers in comparison with The conferences generated tourism income of over 14 million, which is 54% more than in the previous year. The conference summer 2013 was busy and internationally interesting. In June and July, some of the world s top scientists in the fields of plasma physics, nanotechnology and ice research convened in Otaniemi Campus. According to the national conference statistics published by Finland Convention Bureau (FCB), Espoo was again the second most popular conference city in Finland after Helsinki. Espoo ranked second both in terms of the number of conferences and the number of delegates. A Visit Espoo workshop at the Suomi-talo in St. Petersburg. The 40th European Physical Society Conference on Plasma Physics in Dipoli.

13 13 GUEST ARTICLE THE CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ESPOO AND SHANGHAI IS GOOD FOR FINLAND Marja Joenusva, Consulate General of Finland in Shanghai The sister city partnership between Espoo and Shanghai has been delight for me since I began my work in the Consulate General of Finland in Shanghai in Espoo and Shanghai have a vibrant relationship that has transferred sister city cooperation into the modern era. The relationship now corresponds to the development targets and interests of both cities and is progressing in a dynamic manner. It is a thing from the past to see sister city cooperation as a dusty model. Finland established a Consulate General in Shanghai in 1995, and the close cooperation between Espoo and Shanghai has been running the same time. Whoever in Espoo came up with the idea of establishing a cooperation relationship with Shanghai was ahead of his or her time. Shanghai happens to value sister city cooperation a great deal, and this form of cooperation is exceptionally important to China in creating a foundation for businesses and educational or scientific collaboration. Everyone wants to cooperate with Shanghai, which has become such an attractive and economically interesting city. Shanghai is one of the largest metropolises in the world. The city is home to 24 million people. The entire world is present there, and the competition in Shanghai and for the attention of its residents is running hot. The economy of China will grow by an estimated annual rate of 7% in Shanghai has set a growth target of 7.5%, which is attracting more and more foreign businesses to China and to the Shanghai region in particular. Foreign companies consider the business environments in Shanghai and nearby Jiangsu province as most appealing in China. Factors contributing to the attraction include early and continuous opening to foreign businesses and an excellent infrastructure. Shanghai offers the world s largest container port measured by the number of containers, good international airports, high quality train transportation and a recently launched free trade zone pilot project. The largest flow of Finnish companies and investments is currently directed to Shanghai and the nearby province of Jiangsu. While Finland is struggling with an extremely difficult financial situation, Finnish companies have positive prospects in Eastern China, and the opportunities increase by the year. China currently represents hope to Finland. The Shanghai area and Eastern China are particularly important to the Finnish economy right now. From the Finnish perspective, Shanghai offers an excellent buzz and a plethora of opportunities. Nearly every industrial country in the world has a Consulate General in Shanghai, and their mutual rivalry for the city and the attention of its residents is currently as fierce as the competition for Chinese customers between businesses. Each country wants to gain visibility in the largest growing market in

14 14 the world in the most dynamic city in China. This makes for huge potential. States compete against each other for the growing flow of Shanghainese tourists and business partners in the fields of science, culture and education, to name but a few. A large number of foreign heads of state and ministers visit Shanghai every year and each one is aspiring to increasingly close cooperation with the city. In this international competition for the attention of Shanghai, those who had the wisdom to establish a close relationship with the city in a timely fashion are now benefiting from their foresight. Espoo had the sense, and has performed a great service for Finland by creating a long term relationship with Shanghai, because the link also greatly benefits the state. The Chinese cherish long term relationships. They value old friendships. The sister city cooperation presents an opportunity for the promotion of national projects and businesses. According to local regulations, the regional leaders of China are allowed to make one trip abroad each year. The trip may include visits to several destinations. This regulation also applies to the Mayor or Shanghai, Mr Yang Xiong. Soon after being elected for his post in 2013, he decided to begin his only annual foreign tour in Finland. Green with envy, my colleagues from other countries wanted to know how we managed to lure him over. My answer was that the Mayor came to celebrate the15th anniversary of the sister city cooperation between Espoo and Shanghai. He came to Finland for the sake of Espoo. I felt it was a triumph for Finland as well. Mayor Yang s visit to Espoo and Helsinki was one of the absolute highlights of my work in I was lucky to attend the event and witness the meeting of the Mayor of Shanghai and the President of the Republic of Finland, Sauli Niinistö, at the presidential residence in Mäntyniemi. Together with the Mayor, we expressed our desire to have the President visit Shanghai. He promised to come. The Mayor of Shanghai is a very busy man. Everyone wants to see him, but he only has time to see a few chosen people. Those people are generally heads of state or the leaders of large companies however, the mayors of sister cities are always an exception. The Mayor of Espoo, Jukka Mäkelä, met the Mayor of Shanghai in the summer of 2012, whereas most Finnish ministers visiting Shanghai have been received by a deputy mayor. Espoo is, indeed, our asset in our relationship with Shanghai. Being a city, Shanghai understands cooperation between cities best - simple but true in Shanghai. In my opinion, Espoo has made an excellent job of utilising this fact to the benefit of Finland. Espoo s sister city cooperation with Shanghai has been commendably active and is being vigorously developed in a more dynamic direction. Contacts have been established with different city officials and numerous other Shanghainese operators. Sister city cooperation has served as a kind of engine for establishing closer cooperation between experts in different industries. I am glad to be able to say that the operations of Espoo and the State of Finland have been complementary. Maintaining connections in China is challenging simply because of the language barrier. All help in creating new relationships and maintaining established ones with partners in Shanghai is more than welcome. In a way, Espoo has opened doors for Finnish officials and vice versa. I believe that the Consulate General of Finland and Espoo merge in the eyes of the Shanghainese, which benefits us both. People in Shanghai perceive of us in the Consulate General as representatives of Espoo, and we have nothing against that image - quite the opposite, in fact.

15 15 We also want to promote Chinese investments in Finland, and Espoo has been a pioneer in that respect as well. Last autumn, the Espoo based China Finland Golden Bridge Innovation Center and the City of Espoo signed a memorandum of understanding with the Shanghai based Zhangjiang Hi Tech Park, with the aim of promoting science and technology cooperation between the two cities, preparing a soft landing base for Chinese companies wanting to establish themselves in Finland, and supporting cooperation with Finnish companies. One of the most tangible and extensive cooperation projects between Finland and Shanghai is the Aalto Tongji Design Factory in Shanghai. The Design Factory concept launched in Otaniemi has spread from Espoo to the Tongji University in Shanghai. Tongji University is a prestigious establishment and one of the universities to receive the most funding from the Chinese government. The university s strengths include infratech, urban design and environmental technology. The Aalto Tongji Design Factory was launched in Shanghai in spring It serves as the Aalto University headquarters in Asia. In 2011, the factory was supplemented with a Sino Finnish centre as a tool for practical project implementation. The Aalto Tongji Design Factory is an important base for Finnish operations in Shanghai. It brings together students, designers, engineers, researchers and businesspeople from Finland, China and other countries to create innovative projects. Aalto University and Tongji University additionally run active student and researcher exchange programmes. In my experience, cooperation in the field of higher education is one of the best methods of building a stronger bond between China and Finland. Cooperation between upper secondary schools in Espoo and Shanghai is another positive element the Consulate General wishes to promote. Shanghai offers vast potential for cooperation in the field of education. Finland has a reputation as an excellent education provider, which makes us a desirable partner in the increasingly international city of Shanghai as it develops its education system. The younger people are exposed to foreign cultures and new people, the better. Let s set a mutual goal of producing more China experts in Finland. We want more of them. Marja Joenusva Consul General of Finland in Shanghai

16 16 THE INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE MAYOR S OFFICE AND JOINT ACTIVITIES Glenn Gassen, Head of International Affairs The Mayor s Office guides and monitors the Corporate Group of Espoo under the direction of the mayor. International operations are one of the areas of the office s city development unit, in addition to the monitoring and administration of economic policy, strategic urban development projects, research, and the management of city marketing. The unit is responsible for enhancing the vitality and competitive edge of the city. In the city s development unit, the director of economic and business development and the head of international affairs coordinate the city s international affairs through a network model. They are responsible for international activities particularly in the areas of economic, competitive and development affairs. SHANGHAI The Mayor Shanghai, Mr Yang Xiong, visiting KONE. In 1998, the cities of Espoo and Shanghai signed a sister city agreement. Cooperation has seen rapid development on many levels since then. According to the current memorandum of understanding, the two cities work together in the fields of science and technology, higher education, and the exchange of best practices. Delegations from Shanghai regularly visit Espoo to learn about Finnish solutions. Similarly, approximately 150 Finnish companies maintain operations in Shanghai and, for example, Aalto University and Tongji University have a partnership agreement. The 15th anniversary of the sister city agreement signed by Shanghai and Espoo was celebrated on 26 August with a visit to Espoo by Mayor of Shanghai, Mr Yang Xiong and a joint development and innovation seminar at the Hanasaari Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre. Mayor Yang entered office in early Espoo was his first sister city destination as mayor. It was a great honour for Espoo to be selected from among the 73 sister cities of Shanghai. Shanghai impressed with nature and the competitive edge in Espoo At the end of April, a delegation from the Shanghai Foreign Affairs Office visited Espoo to prepare the mayor s visit. The Chinese were given a first taste of local experiences. They visited the Aalto University Design Factory, Rovio, Nokia and the Espoo Cultural Centre. Deputy Director of the Shanghai Foreign Affairs Office Shao Huixiang was impressed with Finnish nature and competitive ability, which many Chinese guests found to be a unique combination. In the spring, a report was compiled on the international operations of the education and cultural services and the educational partners of the City of Espoo in conjunction with preparing for the visit of the Mayor of Shanghai and a related visit by experts in the field of education. The report included a description of each organisation and recounts international operations, particularly cooperation with China. The documentation also contained reports on the wishes and expectations of the education communities in Espoo, particularly concerning the relationship with China and Shanghai.

17 17 Delegation from the Shanghai Foreign Affairs Office with Harri Koponen from Rovio Eleven Espoo schools will have twin schools in Shanghai, which will increase information exchange and international co-operation, explains Sampo Suihko, Deputy Mayor for Education and Cultural Services. Furthermore the Chinese People s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries in Shanghai donated copies of the Window of Shanghai programme books to Espoo libraries. The copies can be borrowed from the Tapiola library. During the visit, terms were discussed concerning a new agreement for scientific and technological cooperation between Espoo and Shanghai, which will serve as a platform for establishing a network for start-up enterprises and business accelerators between Shanghai and the Otaniemi area. 15th anniversary celebrations with a visit by Mayor Yang The Mayor was accompanied by a prestigious delegation including Deputy Secretary General of the Shanghai Municipal People s Government Dai Haibo, Director General of the Shanghai Municipal Foreign Affairs Office Li Mingjun, and Director of the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality Shou Ziqi. In addition to a banquet hosted by Mayor Jukka Mäkelä and an anniversary seminar, the Shanghai delegation visited Nuuksio National Park, Aalto University, Kone and Fortum in the Keilaniemi district of Espoo. Mayor Yang in conversation with Miki Kuusi from Startup Sauna. The Director of the Finnish Education Department, Ms Kaisu Toivonen, and the Deputy Director General of the Shanghai Education Commission, Mr Yang Guoshun, signed an agreement expanding the cooperation between upper secondary schools in Espoo and Shanghai. The Otaniemi area in Espoo has been ranked as one of the world s most innovative university and business areas several times. In addition to Aalto University and international research centres, there are over 800 businesses operating in the area, ranging from start-ups to the headquarters of major corporations. The entire metropolitan area is extremely competitive and interesting at the international level, says Tuula Antola, Director of Economic and Business Development, City of Espoo. The partnership between Espoo and Shanghai includes information exchange concerning sustainable urban development, Nordic municipal administration and social welfare and health care service practices.

18 18 The ageing of the population is a major challenge in Shanghai, too. The plans drawn up for services for the elderly and the new rehabilitation hospital in Espoo have attracted a great deal of interest, says Juha Metso, Deputy Mayor for Social and Health Services. A nationally significant sister city relationship The visit included an introduction of the Aalto University campus, the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and the China related activities of the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation Tekes. The visit covered some examples of cooperation, such as the Shanghai based FinChi Innovation Center which serves as a platform for Finnish companies aiming for the Chinese market and cooperation with Chinese companies. The programme also included an introduction to the diverse cooperation between Aalto University and Tongji University. The visitors from Shanghai talked about their new free trade zone and the international technology fair in Shanghai, including the opportunities these present for Finnish companies. Juha Metso, Deputy Mayor for Social and Health Services in Espoo, met with the delegation to discuss the next stages of sister city cooperation, particularly the cooperation agreement with the Zhang Jiang Hi Tech Park and elderly services projects. The programme ended with an introduction to the Startup Sauna network. Mayor Yang and the President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö. Mayor Yang s visit was important to Finland. During his visit the Mayor also met with the President of the Republic of Finland, Sauli Niinistö and Minister of Economic Affairs Jan Vapaavuori. They discussed, among other things, Finland s role as the Country of Honour at the Pujiang Innovation Forum organised on October China s most important innovation event offered Finland visibility in significant market areas. On 21 October, before the Pujiang Innovation Forum, Chairman of the Economic and Informational Commission of Shanghai s People s Government, Shang Yuying, visited Espoo to learn about the potential of the economic relationship between Finland and Shanghai. Sector leader Mika Lautanala from the Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy, Director of Economic and Business Development Tuula Antola from Espoo and the CEO of the Golden Bridge China Finland Innovation Center Marko Vänskä welcomed him at Dipoli in the Otaniemi district. Signing of the cooperation agreement between Espoo and the Shanghai Zhang Jiang Hi Tech Park during the Pujiang Innovation Forum on 26 October During the Pujiang Innovation Forum, Director of Economic and Business Development Tuula Antola signed a cooperation agreement between China Finland Golden Bridge Innovation Center (CFGB) and the Shanghai based Zhang Jiang Hi Tech Park. The agreement was further specified during the visit of Mayor Yang. The agreement serves as a foundation for promoting the introduction of Finnish companies in Shanghai, their opportunities through Chinese investment, and Chinese investments in Espoo.

19 19 Finnish local democracy attracts interest in Shanghai A delegation of the Shanghai Municipal People s Congress visits the Espoo Council Hall. In July, a delegation of the Shanghai Municipal People s Congress visited Espoo led by Song Longming, a member of the Shanghai Municipal Economic Commission. The visit covered Finnish municipal democracy and principles of economic planning. The Deputy Chairs of the City Board, Ms Tiina Elo and Mr Markku Sistonen, and Member of the City Board, Mr Pertti Järvenpää hosted the delegation of six. After the principles of the Finnish political system and municipal democracy had been presented, the hosts from Espoo described some of the practical activities. The meeting entailed fruitful exchange of experiences and ideas. Espoo Shanghai cooperation under further development At the commission of the Mayor s Office, Finpro conducted interviews with 26 people concerning their views on the cooperation between Espoo and Shanghai. The aim was to compile a road map for sister city activities between Espoo and Shanghai. The interviewees included representatives from the City of Espoo, Shanghai, Aalto University, Tongji University, local companies, and Finns active on China. Workshops and discussion events were organised based on the results both internally and with key partners will see the implementation of the first follow up measures based on the development process. SISTER CITIES The Nordic sister city conference In 1970, Espoo joined a chain of sister cities including Kristianstad from Sweden, Kongsberg from Norway, Köge from Denmark and Skagafjördur from Iceland. A crucial element of the sister city cooperation is the annual conference, organised on a larger scale every other year. Espoo served as host to the Nordic sister city conference in The wellbeing of the elderly and the participation of the young were topics in the 2013 conference which attracted decision makers, leading experts and international affairs coordinators from the sister cities. The hosts representing the City of Espoo were Chair of the City Board Ari Konttas, Deputy Chair of the City Board Markku Sistonen and member of the City Council Ulf Johansson as well as five other city councillors. Mayor Jukka Mäkelä opened the conference and the key officials participated in accordance with the topics being discussed. A seminar held in activity centre Vindängen focused on the promotion of wellbeing for the elderly. Sports Director Martti Merra introduced the 68+ sports pass and the Coordinator for Swedish Cultural Affairs Camilla Nemlander-Sjöberg talked about the culture chain that disseminates art and cultural experiences among the elderly and nursing staff. The programme continued at a life and living centre in Kauklahti, where Director of Elderly Services Jukka Louhija explained Espoo s response to demographic challenges. The guests talked about their own operational models before discussion on common challenges. The next day involved discussion on how to make Nordic sister city cooperation more accessible to the young people in the municipalities. Maria Ohisalo and Jose Forslund, representatives of the working group assembled by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland to contemplate the future of Nordic cooperation, shared their ideas concerning cooperation. Allianssi Youth Exchanges representatives Kirsi Uusitalo and Essi Helin talked about the possibilities young people have to influence municipal activities. Nine Youth Council representatives from Espoo presented the ideas submitted by young people in the sister cities concerning cooperation and the opportunities to influence. The presentation teemed with new ideas and the attendants agreed to the aim of

20 20 increasing sister city youth cooperation based on the collected feedback. Espoo youth services offered to coordinate the upcoming cooperation. Under the lead of Ari Konttas, the meeting of the mayors focused on language practices. The participants decided that the conference participants from the five sister cities could use Scandinavian languages or English, but that the presentation content should always be offered in English, too. Konttas stressed that mutual understanding is more important than the language used for communication. It was also decided that Espoo youth services will coordinate the sister cities youth cooperation. The themes for 2014 were selected: the EU Water Framework Directive, active and healthy ageing, and youth cooperation. Visual artist Joan Miró s poster exhibition on loan from Kristianstad The poster exhibition entitled Kansan Miró (the people s Miró) was organised in the Espoo Cultural Centre as a joint effort with Kristianstad. Kristianstad obtained the exhibition as a donation. The exhibition comprised 154 posters from the collection of the Catalonian artist from the period In conjunction with the exhibition, comic drawing and rhythmic music workshops were also held as a part of the comprehensive school children s culture and sport path KULPS! The exhibition attracted approximately 2,000 visitors and 50 people took part in the workshops. Director of the District of Nõmme Erkki Korp visited Espoo District Director Erkki Korp from Espoo s Estonian twin municipality Nõmme visited Espoo in April. During the visit, Korp participated in the 20th anniversary of the Finnish Estonian Association in Finland. He met with Tuula Antola, Director of Economic and Business Development, and Glenn Gassen, Head of International Affairs. Conversation revolved around bilateral cooperation. Korp also met with Mayor Jukka Mäkelä at Gumböle Manor. School exchange with Esztergom Maininki School has begun to activate sister city cooperation with the City of Esztergom in Hungary. The school music class made a school trip to Esztergom last autumn. The trip was preceded by three years of cooperation with a twin class in Esztergom. The classes had been exchanging musical online greetings and engaging in more traditional correspondence. The successful implementation of the trip required an extensive fund raising operation by the students and their parents. The twin class from the Szent Erzsebet School will visit Espoo and Maininki schools in March Vibrant sister school cooperation with Esztergom The Maininki School musical class 9A visited Espoo sister city Esztergom on a class trip and got to experience everyday Hungary. A magically hospitable people, the Hungarians stood by their gentle hearted King Matthias principles and organised an unforgettable field trip for Finnish students. Espoo became Esztergom s first sister city in Many more have come since, but Espoo has a significant place in the minds of the people of Esztergom and Espoo residents are always welcome in the city. The music class visited the council hall which is the workplace of Éva Tétényi, Mayor of Esztergom. As an architect, Éva was naturally interested in current construction trends in Espoo. However, she was particularly interested in hearing experiences about the Youth Council. The idea of a youth council is novel in Esztergom and Éva was excited about the council having real opportunities to influence. The pupils of Maininki School truly travelled in time during their trip to Esztergom. They transferred from the Saunalahti School completed in 2012 to the school of Szent Erzsébet, dating back to the 1200s. The building was originally a convent that served as a girls school until the Second World War. It was then closed

21 21 and has now seen a revival as a coeducation school with more than 1,200 pupils and students from preschool to upper secondary school graduate age. The Finnish students slept in an old inn brimming with the atmosphere of a bygone era and domestic animals that evoked delighted screams. To us, the teachers supervising the group of 25 students, the place was a goldmine. As a lecturer in history, I could tangibly understand the significance of the many thousands of years of history behind Esztergom and Visegrád. Deputy principle and music teacher Petri Kangas was privileged to hear Esztergom come alive with music. Szent Erzsébet School has many groups specialised in music and drama. The visitors were treated to both various performances and a chance to perform themselves. Different parts of town rang with the tunes of traditional Finnish music, played by the pupils of Maininki School. The host school s bravura piece was Kaksipa poikaa Kurikasta, naturally performed in Finnish. The students had worked for over two years to fund the trip, leaving the different districts of Espoo well supplied with brownies and paper towels in the process. The pupils, teachers and parents of our sister school and the local Finnish Hungarian Society also performed heroic deeds to pull off the trip. While the street lights in Esztergom are dark at night owing to financial trouble, hospitality shines bright in the city. Our group was guided on a tour on both sides of the Danube, visiting homes, castles and old cultural centres. In addition to new friendships and Facebook groups, we left with the hope of seeing at least some of our hosts visit Espoo in return. Maarit Posti Lecturer in Social Studies, Maininki School

22 22 EUROCITIES The Eurocities network comprises 140 central European cities and offers its members many opportunities and themes for exchanging information and networking. The organisation also lobbies for the member cities in Brussels and plays a significant role in the future development of urban issues in Europe. Paul Bevan met with Mayor Jukka Mäkelä to discuss the role of Espoo in the Eurocities network. The topics that emerged as the most interesting were issues related to cultural exchange, economic development and relations outside of Europe as well as EU funding. Other discussion topics included area and city appeal, marketing and branding. In addition to the Mayor, Director of Business and Economic Development Tuula Antola and Head of International Affairs Glenn Gassen participated in the discussion. Cooperation Platform Lively discussion with European colleagues Secretary General of Eurocities Paul Bevan meets with Mayor Jukka Mäkelä at Gumböle Manor In May, Espoo invited over 80 Eurocities member representatives to Finland. The two day Cooperation Platform event offers an annual opportunity for international and European affairs coordinators to meet, network, exchange experiences and learn. Points of focus include tangible project initiatives and EU level development prospects. Espoo introduced the Omnia led InnoEspoo project to the guests. Secretary General of Eurocities, Paul Bevan, visited Espoo in February. The purpose of the visit was to prepare the more extensive Eurocities Cooperation Platform conference held in Espoo in May. Paul Bevan visited Dipoli and Aalto University, the Design Factory, Startup Sauna and Urban Mill.

23 23 Director of Business and Economic Development Tuula Antola and Head of International Affairs Glenn Gassen participated in the first Economic Development Forum of the year. The theme of the event organised by the City of Turin was Cities attractiveness policies. The conference offered an opportunity for learning about the development in Turin, in particular, which considerably changed owing to the structural change of Fiat. The city developed its images at the Winter Olympic Games in 2006, for example. The conference introduced local sustainable development and enterprise incubator projects, and various Italian metropolitan operational models within the framework of the metropolitan area working group. Espoo based company s Catchbox microphone in good use. The guests also got to tour the most interesting sights in the city. After the workshops, they were transported to Aalto Design Factory, Startup Sauna and the Urban Mill as well as Finnish Nature Centre Haltia. During the meeting, the speakers used the throwable Catchbox microphone developed by a start-up company in Otaniemi. The microphone serves as a concrete example of local innovation. People were interested in the microphone and generated many ideas for its use at different events. The visit reinforced Espoo s image as an internationally attractive partner for the most important cities in Europe. Espoo and Utrecht leading the International Economic Relations working group Espoo sought a leading role in the new working group International Economic Relations by sharing the position of chair with the City of Utrecht. The aim of the working group was to consider how cities promote local economic relations outside the EU. At the inauguration meeting, the results of a survey conducted by Utrecht concerning city activities outside the EU were presented, including the example cases of Espoo, Liverpool and Amsterdam. Approximately half the members of the working group have relations with Shanghai, making this exchange of information particularly interesting to Espoo. In addition to the International Economic Relations working group, the representatives of Espoo regularly participate in the working group on innovation. Economic Development Forum The appeal of Espoo to international enterprises, entrepreneurs and experts was also mirrored in the form of active participation in the Eurocities Economic Development Forum. The event is organised three times a year. Each conference has a special theme. The forum also involves working group meetings, which cover topics related to economic development such as cohesion politics, entrepreneurship and SMEs, innovation, integrated urban development, metropolitan areas and international economic relations. The participants are experts in their cities. The event offers an excellent opportunity for keeping up to date on matters and networking with European colleagues. Working group chaired by Glenn Gassen from Espoo (in the centre) and Desirée van de Ven from Utrecht (on the right).

24 24 Before the second annual forum in Tampere, a morning seminar was organised in Helsinki to discuss the operational model of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and related reforms. City Secretary Mari Immonen presented the Espoo perspective to her European colleagues and took part in a discussion panel. The themes of the Tampere conference were the cooperation between enterprises and universities and the effects of such cooperation on local industry. In cooperation with Utrecht, Espoo organised the meeting of the International Economic Relations working group, to which China expert Juha Moilanen was invited and where Tampere activities were presented. A visit to Glasgow City Council. Employment and entrepreneurship among young people were the themes of the third meeting. Project Manager Johanna Lyytikäinen from the Omnia led InnoEspoo project and Head of International Affairs Glenn Gassen represented Espoo in the event. Various initiatives from Glasgow, Manchester, Gijon, Berlin, Gent, Leipzig, Malmö, Barcelona, Brno and Toulouse provided the participants with a diverse understanding of the best practices of European cities. In the International Economic Relations working group, Glenn Gassen talked about the visit of the Mayor of Shanghai in August and the related follow up measures. Representatives of other Shanghai sister cities, including Barcelona, Liverpool, Antwerp, Budapest and Central Denmark were extremely interested in the topic, and the meeting involved discussion on the benefits of prestigious guests in a city. The meeting participants contemplated the various opportunities for promoting the introduction of small and medium sized European companies in China. The Danish representative provided an interesting case sample related to the topic. Also, Barcelona introduced the best aspects of its diverse city marketing operations and their effects on economic development. Influencing and networking at the Culture Forum Espoo attended the spring meeting of the Culture Forum of the Eurocities network to discuss municipal funding related matters and comment on the pending 1.5 million Creative Europe programme. The meeting also covered the topic of community funding, which is growing in popularity in the largest European cities. The theme of the autumn meeting was cultural mapping, which entails the identification of the cultural characteristics and local identity factors of local communities. Cultural mapping is a new municipal tool for investigating cross administrative operational models. It is also a useful tool in the fields of cultural travel and creative economy. The meeting generated blankets for possible joint projects. Through participation in the Culture Forum events, culture experts gain topical information on the cultural administration and development work in the largest European cities. The meetings serve as a vantage point into the cultural administration of the host cities, decision making in the EU and, in particular, the preparation processes for various affairs. The forum offers a genuine channel of influence and an opportunity for networking with European operators in the field of culture. The network can be diversely utilised in the cultural communities in Espoo, says Intendant Tiina Kasvi from the Espoo s Culture Department.

25 25 Engaging Youth Council representatives in European cooperation Two representatives from Espoo Youth Council participated in a Eurocities Culture Forum workshop in Antwerp in August. They exchanged thoughts on youth participation and the future of youth culture. The ideas of the work group were presented to the Culture Forum. Our key objective was to send a youthful message to the European decision makers regarding how we young people want to contribute to our culture. A total of 24 young people from twelve European countries participated in the meeting. All provided a different approach to youth culture, and opinions and experiences related to youth culture varied considerably. Activities were implemented in the form of workshops, dialogue and cooperation, meaning everyone had to get along. Conversation was animated and new ideas and improvement suggestions came pouring in. We participated in the debate actively and aimed to influence the end result. The cultural starting points in Espoo and Finland are of comparatively high quality, so we had plenty of experiences to share. We introduced events and ideas in Espoo, weighing their positive and negative aspects. We also received great ideas from elsewhere in Europe. UNION OF THE BALTIC CITIES (UBC) The Union of Baltic Cities, UBC, was founded in 1991 and included 107 cities in ten countries. The objectives of the network are to reinforce cooperation, exchange information and experiences and advocate regional interests. The well-being and employment of young people an element of Baltic cooperation Espoo participated in the preparation of the youth employment and wellbeing promotion programme of the network together with the Finnish members of the network. The programme was presented to other Baltic cities in the network conference held in Mariehamn. The programme included practical measure suggestions for the promotion of youth participation and the creation of flexible paths of education for young people. After the programme writing process, the City of Tampere invited the youth guarantee representatives of the six largest Finnish cities to convene to continue the discussion on youth affairs. The six partner cities agreed that one of the main themes of cooperation should be the hobby guarantee, which Espoo has highlighted as an aspect of the promotion of youth wellbeing. This cooperation was a clear result of UBC activities, says Merja Nordling, Youth Manager in Espoo. Our efforts culminated in a video which was sent to the Culture Forum in Gdansk for viewing by the decision makers. The message of the video was that we would like to see increased dialogue between decision makers and young people. We also reminded decision makers of the importance of young people to society and of our vast potential for contribution in the field of culture. We feel the event was the start of more extensive European cooperation that needs to be continued. Nicholas Kujala, Youth Council of the City of Espoo Sampsa Pietilä, Youth Council of the City of Espoo

26 26 COOPERATION BETWEEN ESPOO AND SILICON VALLEY GROWS STRONGER Palo Alto and Espoo representatives met to discuss cooperation between cities, universities and businesses. Mayor Jukka Mäkelä invited the administration of Palo Alto for a visit to Espoo. The mayors found potential cooperation between Espoo, Palo Alto and Shanghai particularly interesting. Director of Aalto University s Shanghai Design Factory, Matti M. Hämäläinen, thought the meeting was successful and felt many opportunities for cooperation had been unveiled. Director of NASA Ames Research Center, Dr. S. Pete Worden, Mayor Jukka Mäkelä, and Alfonso Gutierrez from Otaniemi Marketing. We also arranged with Google to have Finland s biggest start-up event, SLUSH, feature a speaker from Google, says visit organiser, Otaniemi Marketing s Alfonso Gutierrez, with satisfaction. Mayor of Palo Alto Gregory Scharff with Jukka Mäkelä NASA and VTT negotiate cooperation The trip included tours of the NASA Ames Research Center and Google facilities. NASA presented its research partnership with businesses and universities. VTT Vice President Juha Palve saw the visit to NASA s research centre as significant and felt it would lead to cooperation between VTT and NASA. The leaders of NASA s research units were interested in Otaniemi s potential for research and cooperation, which were presented by Otaniemi Marketing CEO Ari Huczkowski. Finnish start-ups well represented in Silicon Valley One of the themes of the visit was promoting start-up companies and learning more about the operations of the Silicon Valley start-up accelerators Rocket Space and Plug and Play. These companies help Silicon Valley start-ups accelerate their growth with the aid of risk money, training and new sales channels. Approximately $14 billion is invested in startups and growth businesses in Silicon Valley each year, which amounts to approximately 40% of the world s risk investments. Head of Finpro s Silicon Valley Trade Center Pekka Pärnänen thinks it is an excellent idea for the City of Espoo, Aalto University and VTT to build cooperation with Silicon Valley. It is vital to promote start-up entrepreneurship and internationalisation through concrete actions.

27 27 The participants also met with Finnish start-ups Transfluent, Audiodraft and Vuact. Approximately 40 Finnish startups currently operate in Silicon Valley good example of cooperation is the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, which aims at promoting entrepreneurship. Visits to the campuses of businesses and universities also provided new ideas for science tourism and developing the Otaniemi campus around our strengths, says Visit Espoo Managing Director Jaana Tuomi. The delegation of Mayor Jukka Mäkelä included Director of Economic and Business Development Tuula Antola, Otaniemi Marketing CEO Ari Huczkowski and Director Alfonso Gutierrez, Visit Espoo Managing Director Jaana Tuomi, VTT Vice President Juha Palve and President Jyrki Kiihamäki, Aalto University International Alliance Senior Advisor William Cardwell, Aalto Tongji Design Factory Director Matti M. Hämäläinen, Head of Finpro s Silicon Valley operations Pekka Pärnänen, Senior Consultant Hartti Suomela and Honorary Consul of Finland in Silicon Valley Michel Wendell. Director of Economic and Business Development Tuula Antola, Audiodraft CEO Teemu Yli-Hollo and Mayor Jukka Mäkelä It was wonderful to see Finnish start-ups succeeding in the world s most competitive growth business environment. The way in which start-ups, large companies and investors were brought together was especially inspiring, said Director of Economic and Business Development Tuula Antola in reference to the visits to Rocket Space and Plug and Play. Growing partnership between Aalto University and Stanford University Jukka Mäkelä visiting the Epicenter start up accelerator at Stanford University. The delegation visited the campuses of Berkeley and Stanford universities. Senior Advisor in charge of Global Alliances at Aalto University William Cardwell has nothing but praise for the position of Aalto University in the Stanford partnership. According to Cardwell, design competence and studentled entrepreneurship combined with strong technology competence are some of the strengths of Aalto University that complement what Stanford has to offer. He considers the partnership between Aalto University and Stanford University significant and sees many opportunities for growth. One

28 28 ESPOO INNOVATION GARDEN AIMING FOR THE TITLE OF EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF INNOVATION Pilot call for proposals 2013 European Capital of Innovation Award Joined up governance & innovation Responsible economic growth - City innovation strategy - Competitiveness clusters programs KI EN-C ISBN: DOI number: /43475 Map image: jonybigude # , Source: Fotolia.com Growing Green Cities - Creating Green City prototypes City for kids - Preparing for influx of young citizens Embracing open data - Connected city covering all areas of life Innovation through science, business & culture - City as a living lab test-bed for new technology Social value innovation - Inspiring people to develop solutions that create social value Do-it-yourself urbanism Walkability Intelligent community Self-sufficient ecosystem Sharing the city Citizen initiatives URBAN SYSTEMS inspiring PLACE interactive PEOPLE SOCIAL SYSTEMS icapital innovation ECOSYSTEM ECONOMIC SYSTEMS innovative PRIVATE SECTOR integrated PUBLIC SECTOR GOVERNANCE SYSTEMS SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM Creating new jobs Micro-enterprise platforms Participatory public services Seamless Networks as catalysts Knowledge flow Start-up capital - Innovative access to finance Collaborative ITC lab clusters - Opportunities for Digital Society Open spaces for citizen engagement - Open source strategies Entrepreneurial public managers - Responding to the needs of the modern citizen Connectivity & culture for innovation - Innovation hubs approach Research and Innovation The European Commission s model shows how the European capital of innovation should function. The largest innovation centre in the Nordic countries is located in the Otaniemi, Keilaniemi and Tapiola districts of Espoo. The title Espoo Innovation Garden mirrors the dynamic activities of the area. The name also pays homage to cultural traditions and the value of Tapiola as a garden city. The area develops and thrives based on the T3 approach. T3 means a combination of science, art and the economy (tiede, taide, talous). In December, the City of Espoo submitted its application, which highlighted the Espoo Innovation Garden, to the European Commission s new icapital competition. The entrants competed for the title of European Capital of Innovation.

29 29 The area combines science, art and the economy The innovation cluster in Espoo is an extensive mix of public and private players. Local companies, research institutions, universities, cultural and artistic people, residents and private persons form an entity that serves as one of the key engines of the well being and the economy of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and of the whole of Finland. The Espoo Innovation Garden is growing rapidly through extensive construction projects. One of the key elements of the process is the new metro connection directly to the centre of Helsinki. The area is under complementary construction and will soon host more international companies and new enterprises. Chosen method: teamwork Two out of the 50 statements recommending the application of Espoo Bruce Oreck U.S. Ambassador to Finland Perhaps the most significant global mega trend is massive urbanization. Current patterns Indicate that by 2050, 70% of the world s population will reside in cities. Therefore city planners and political leaders will need to deploy radically innovative approach-es as they seek to solve the enormous environmental and societal challenges that urban growth presents. In this respect, the T3 innovation triangle presents a compelling opportunity. Espoo is a place where completely new ways of doing things are indeed possible and the solutions of tomorrow can take shape. And this is critical, because over and over again we have seen that it is the local eco-system which fuels creativity and encourages people to be visionary. The commitment and diversity of local operators constitute some of Espoo s strong points. The city activities are aimed at enabling and creating a framework for the intellectual and economic activities of the regional institutions and people. The Otaniemi, Keilaniemi and Tapiola innovation garden is an ecosystem that serves as a platform for success and constitutes more than the sum of its parts. Leif Edvinsson Chairman and co-founder of the New Club of Paris The World s First Professor of Intellectual Capital OISPG Open Innovation Luminary Awardee 2013 Espoo is a true City of Renewal and Innovation and with its unique T3 is a highly visualizing case of rapid prototyping for Societal Innovation, beyond the traditional aspects of Innovation. Together with Aalto University it has been pioneering among others the world s first camp on Societal Innovation- ACSI, now being diffused around the world. It has been cultivating an impressive eco system for I-Capital, as well as the larger concept of Regional Intellectual Capital. With the deeper and original meaning of Capital as Head, Espoo is spearheading the innovative agenda setting of a city role model to be a bench learning approach, as well as for scaling up. Espoo is already acting as the European Capital of Innovation by its pioneering navigation of the complex dimensions of Urban and Regional Ecosystem such as T3. Further information: espoo.fi/innovationgarden

30 30 While the City of Espoo submitted the capital of innovation application to the European Commission, the regional people participated actively in the preparations. In the course of two months, over 150 regional partners provided materials, suggestions and ideas for the joint application through an open online tool and two workshops. The preparation process was highly fruitful in the development of the regional concept. The recommendations submitted by 50 people were a crucial part of the application. The references came among others from Chair of Tapiola Kilta residents association Jukka Silvenius, Aalto University President Tuula Teeri, Kone CEO Matti Alahuhta, Director of EMMA museum Pilvi Kalhama, the United States Ambassador to Finland Bruce Oreck, Mayor of Helsinki Jussi Pajunen and the Director General of the Shanghai Municipal Foreign Affairs Office Li Mingjun. Europe seeks innovation and role models The objective of the European Commission in organising the capital of innovation competition is to improve innovation activities in European cities. The city deemed best will receive an award, and its example will be refined and utilised in other cities to generate growth, development and thriving areas. The entrant cities must show they are innovative in terms of concept, processes and tools. The winning city will have demonstrated its inspirational actions by showing it can attract expertise, funding and participation. Additionally, the icapital must be integrated in intelligent, sustainable growth that covers all of Europe and promotes participation. The city must create its innovation community in an interactive manner both internally and in relation to its environment. The proposed use of the award money was another criterion for eligibility. In January 2014, the Commission announced that Espoo had been selected as one of the finalists with Barcelona, Grenoble, Groniningen, Malaga and Paris, from among 58 applicants. The jury announced Barcelona as the winner in the Innovation Convention held in Brussels in March Director of Business and Economic Development Tuula Antola and Head of International Affairs Glenn Gassen participated in the convention in order to network with the other finalists and launch follow up measures. Based on an initiative by Espoo, the icapital contest will be discussed by leading EU Commission officials in the next Eurocities innovation working group meeting. FAIR TRADE TOWN In 2009, Espoo was the third city in Finland to gain the status of Fair Trade Town. In order to obtain the title, the city and the companies, associations, parishes and educational institutions in it must take concrete action to promote Fair Trade. In , Espoo has developed Fair Trade Town operations as a part of the international Towns for Fairtrade in Finland and Estonia project. The project is supported by the European Commission and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and coordinated by Fairtrade Finland. In addition to Espoo, the members include the cities of Tampere and Joensuu and an Estonian partner association. In the role of a Fairtrade Town, Espoo has increased the use of Fairtrade products in the city s meal services, produced education materials that promote the global responsibility of schools and the themes of sustainable development, and encouraged city employees and residents to reflect on their consumer choices through different events and campaigns. The international project has allowed Espoo to contribute to spreading information about the title of Fairtrade Town in other Finnish and Estonian cities, too. The neighbouring cities of Espoo, Helsinki and Kirkkonummi obtained the title in In Estonia, the Fairtrade Town campaign is running in Tallinn, for example.

31 31 VISITS AND EVENTS European regions and cities met in Espoo Improving the visibility of the Espoo Innovation Garden among investors The Committee of the Regions of the European Union is an advisory body that represents European regions and cities in EU level decision making. Two of the nine Finnish committee members, Sirpa Hertell and Markku Markkula, are Espoo City councillors. The chair of the committee declares the meeting open. In April 2013, the Committee of the Regions Culture and Education Committee convened in Espoo at the invitation of committee member Markku Markkula. The event was jointly organised by Helsinki Uusimaa Region, Aalto University and the City of Espoo. Over 100 mayors, regional ministers and councillors held a work meeting at the Dipoli Congress Centre to discuss regional innovation ability, youth employment and cyber safety. The afternoon programme included tours of local companies and the Otaniemi innovation environment. The Pioneering Europe 2020 Smart Regions conference was held the next day to discuss methods for regional specialisation, mutual learning and building a strong profile. Moreover, visits to Omnia, Laurea and Metropolia offered the opportunity to hear, see and try innovation concepts by local educational institutions. Espoo had a unique opportunity to make a lasting impression on international investors in conjunction with the Slush event. Investors and promising start-up entrepreneurs received a concrete presentation on the massive construction and development projects in the Espoo Innovation Garden. They were taken on a tour of the metro tunnel construction site underneath Tapiola. The dynamo of the growth company event Slush is also located in Espoo, in the Aalto University Startup Sauna. The event, currently held in the Helsinki Cable Factory, has become one of the most significant growth enterprise events in Europe. Capital investors and their representatives from all over the world meet thousands of people who are in the process of developing a growth enterprise. The objective is to arrange capital for the development of promising enterprise concepts. Mayor Jukka Mäkelä meeting the visitors in the underground metro tunnel in Tapiola.

32 32 Espoo wanted to offer a group of carefully selected investors and startup entrepreneurs a private event and to promote the city s innovation activities. The Espoo Innovation Garden is a significant promoter for growth companies, innovation, science and the economy in Finland and all of Northern Europe. At the tunnel event, Mayor Jukka Mäkelä stressed the importance of the city s role and will to construct an environment where people, ideas, enterprises, economy and research thrive. The Prime Minister of South Korea was interested in innovations and entrepreneurship The Prime Minister of South Korea, Chung Hongwon (on the right), was warmly welcomed. The investors were interested in the tunnel meeting experience. The geographic location was checked using a tablet. The Prime Minister of South Korea, Chung Hongwon, visited Espoo at the end of October. The Director of Economic and Business Development Tuula Antola and the President of Aalto University Tuula Teeri hosted the visit. The Prime Minister learned about research, innovation and the entrepreneur ecosystem in Otaniemi. President Tuula Teeri presented university activities to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister Chung also visited the Design Factory and Startup Sauna. Director of Economic and Business Development Tuula Antola explains why Espoo is an excellent place to grow.

33 33 Director of research and development activities at VTT, Jussi Tuovinen, introduced the biotechnology and microtechnology and nanoelectronics innovation ecosystem to the Prime Minister. He explained how top-notch research can convert nano technology into world class business activities. He also introduced the operations of Micronova, the joint research unit of Aalto University campus and the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. The Johannesburg city council delegation explored resident participation At the request of the Chair of the City Council of Johannesburg in South Africa, the City of Espoo invited a prestigious Johannesburg delegation to visit. The purpose of the trip was to examine economic planning and resident participation. The delegation visited Espoo Council Hall led by the Chair of the Chairpersons of the Johannesburg City Council, Solomon Mogase, on 20 September. The Vice Chair of the cross administrative A participatory Espoo programme, Mari Nevalainen, and Programme Manager Mari Immonen hosted the visit, introducing the cross administrative programme and discussing joint challenges with the guests. Dreaming with the EU commissioner for innovation The European Commissionner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, visited Otaniemi on 11 October. Director of Economic and Business Development Tuula Antola welcomed EU Commissionner Geoghegan Quinn. Antola hosted the discussion with local experts and drove the guest around the campus in her electric car. Local representatives from Tekes, VTT, Aalto University, Nokia, EIT ICT Labs, Fortum and AppCampus discussed the achievements, competitive ability and learning processes of Otaniemi with Geoghegan-Quinn. Director of Economic and Business Development Tuula Antola challenged the participants to dream and consider what globally important issues Otaniemi people could generate solutions to. Commissionner Geoghegan-Quinn praised the Finnish ability to construct a functional innovation environment and to network. Commissionner Geoghegan-Quinn enjoyed the informal atmosphere in Otaniemi. Espoo City Council member Mari Nevalainen, Chair of the Chairpersons of the Johannesburg City Council Solomon Mogase and City Secretary Mari Immonen.

34 34 Honorary consuls from South America explored Finnish competitive ability Ministers of the autonomous community of Valencia visited Helsinki-Uusimaa In the period from 17 to 18 June, Espoo hosted guests from the Spanish autonomous community of Valencia. Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and the Environment Isabel Bonig and Minister of Economy, Industry and Employment Maximo Buch visited Espoo with a delegation of the chamber of commerce and property developers at the invitation of the Regional Mayor of Uusimaa, Ossi Savolainen. Regional political representatives and economic developmetn and real estate officials also participated in the visit. The programme involved an introduction to the Keilaniemi-Otaniemi-Tapiola development concept and growth enterprise activities in particular. The NSN Solution Experience Center offered a chance to try out the latest solutions of mobile technology. At the request of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, the City of Espoo organised a day s visit for the Spanish speaking Honorary Consuls of Finland in Latin America. The consuls had convened in Helsinki for a few days of training. Honorary consuls are often employed in leading positions of the economy. The goal of the visit to Espoo was to demonstrate Finnish economic strengths and competitive edge to the prestigious guests. During the day, Chair of the City Council Ari Konttas and Director at the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce Saija Äikäs hosted the guests, who were introduced to Aalto University and Aalto Design Factory, Otaniemi, VTT and the Aalto Entrepreneurship Society in the morning. During the lunch hosted by Outotec, the guests learned about the company s diverse solutions and their application opportunities in Latin America, where Outotec has established significant operations. To end the visit, Nokia Siemens Networks invited the guests to their Solutions Experience Center, where the honorary consuls had the chance to try out the latest products in the mobile technology industry. Espoo Foreign Companies Forum In January the City of Espoo, in cooperation with Aalto University, invited the representatives of foreign Espoo based companies to visit Aalto Design Factory to learn about the area s development and meet key staff. Director of Economic and Business Development Tuula Antola and Otaniemi Marketing CEO Ari Huczkowski explained the key construction projects and development directions. The companies were treated to an introduction of the roles of Aalto University and VTT as research and development partners and promoters of growth companies. Aalto Entrepreneurship Society gave a presentation of its activities and the significance of the local operational environment. At the following cocktail event, the companies wishes and perspectives regarding the future of Espoo were further discussed. International media interest in start-up activities and Nokia The difficulties of Nokia s mobile phone operations have raised interest about Finland s economic development. As the home town of the Nokia Group, Espoo hosted representatives from various international media. Director of Economic and Business Development Tuula Antola answered their questions and the reporters were taken around various locations. Reporters of international quality media, including Financial Times fdi Intelligence, manager magazin (the most

35 35 important German weekly economic journal), Japanese TV Tokyo and the South Korean public broadcasting company KBS, visited Espoo and were surprised to find that, in spite of Nokia s struggles, Espoo is financially stable, gaining foreign investments and a home to start-up success stories. PART OF TEAM FINLAND A crucial aspect of the city s international activities is good connections with local partners and the representatives of other cities and national institutions. Meetings between the members of the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council, the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities and regional China actors are organised twice a year. For example, the meeting of the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities involved discussion on how to evaluate the benefits of international networks. Also, an international meeting event is organised for the employees of the city and its corporate group companies twice a year to exchange news. Espoo is one of the team players of Team Finland and maintains regular contacts with national China actors (Finpro, Tekes, Ministry of Employment and the Economy, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and VTT). Espoo participated in the China Day event organised by these organisations on 7 May. In May, the City of Espoo invited the Head of the International Department of the Parliament of Finland, Katriina Kuusinen, to visit. Kuusinen recounted her experiences of prestigious delegation visits, including the role of protocol. The city staff asked many questions and obtained professional tips. The pending visit by the Mayor of Shanghai provided a topical framework for the meeting. The economy and innovative ability of Espoo are of national importance and the city wants to be a good member of Team Finland. In 2012, a joint event with Aalto University was organised for the ambassadors of Finland. The event at Aalto Design Factory covered an introduction of the local development directions. In May 2013, the Finnish Foreign Ministry s Department of Europe was invited to Otaniemi to learn about the city s regional plans, Aalto University, the Startup Sauna success story and the new joint activity premises of Urban Mill. DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION ACTIVITIES Espoo included in a European development project on comparable local surveys The EU funded TooLS - Tools for developing comparable local surveys project ended in summer Researcher Petri Lintunen and specialist Tuula Miettinen from Espoo participated in the project together with colleagues from Helsinki and Vantaa. In Finland, Helsinki serves as a key partner to Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Freiburg University in Germany, in addition to the German urban statistics workings groups DUVA and Urban Audit. A total of 13 European municipalities collected information on the current and future service needs of residents over 50 years of age, with the purpose of mapping out the required nature of the services. The project involved developing methods which help to meet challenges related to the ageing of the population. Espoo seeks solutions to extensive societal issues In the autumn, Director of Development in Education and Cultural Services Kristiina Erkkilä led a delegation of the city and its partners to attend the Aalto Camp for Societal Innovation (ACSI) in Malmö. The objective of the international innovation camps intended for researchers, teachers, artists and students is to seek solutions to extensive societal issues. The ACSI camp gave Espoo ideas on how to construct a model for cooperation between the city and its educational institution partners. Moreover, ideas were found for creating an operational culture that encourages an exploratory and adventurous approach. The City of Espoo has been involved in ACSI activities since they began in The summer camp was held outside Finland for the first time.

36 36 THE INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE EDUCATION AND CULTURAL SERVICES Annika Forsten, Specialised Coordinator The Education and Cultural Services organise early childhood education, education, culture, sports and youth services and offer Espoo residents opportunities for learning, self improvement and the maintenance of personal well being. Internationality is a natural part of the services. International operations promote the internationality of Espoo residents and operators, develop sector services and increase the city s overall appeal. Espoo participating in building an international platform for learning cities Over the course of the year, Espoo participated in establishing UNESCO s global Learning Cities network at a conference held in Beijing. Approximately 500 mayors, directors of education and culture services and experts from around the world took part in the conference. Deputy Mayor, Head of Education and Cultural Services Sampo Suihko presented how Espoo accommodates lifelong learning and sustainable development throughout the human learning path. The outcomes of the conference included affirming the importance of the implementation of lifelong education in the cities of the world. One of the themes proposed was for cities to serve as schools without walls. The Education and Cultural Services in Espoo want to actively participate in building the network together with UNESCO and cooperating cities. Demand for Espoo know-how in educational export in cooperation with national and international partners. The projects offer excellent visibility to Finnish educational knowhow and bring new experiences into educational work in Finland and Espoo (see page 57). Stockholm offered ideas for youth service development Officials from several units at the Education and Cultural Services sought ideas for youth service development from Stockholm. The officials learned about Swedish youth and education activities in the Fryshuset activity centre in Stockholm and in Rinkeby School. The visit inspired many thoughts and ideas for the development of meeting spots for young people in Espoo and for the promotion of youth wellbeing through multiprofessional cooperation. Deputy Mayor Sampo Suihko travelled to the UNESCO conference in Beijing to share information about Espoo as a learning city. Omnia, The Joint Authority of Education in the Espoo Region, and the Education and Cultural Services of Espoo won two EU funded Twinning training export tender rounds. Deputy Mayor Sampo Suihko serves as the manager of the projects, aimed at enhancing basic education in Kosovo and the vocational education system in Egypt. The projects are carried out

37 37 Promoting sustainable education through international cooperation Education and Cultural Services manage the Regional Centre of Expertise Espoo network, which promotes sustainable development. RCE Espoo is a member of the global United Nations RCE expert network. Espoo conducted particularly close cooperation with the European operators of the network, especially in conjunction with the OPEDUCA learning development project. The OPEDUCA Project is a globally connected network of schools, universities, business companies and government institutions brought together to implement an educational programme for young people, that will equip them to promote a more sustainable future. PUPILS AND STUDENTS EXPANDING HORIZONS THROUGH GLOBAL EDUCATION The key themes of the curricula in the comprehensive and uppers secondary schools in Espoo include cultural identity, cultural knowledge and internationality. Espoo s extensive language programme supports the internationalisation of comprehensive and upper secondary school students. Basic and general upper secondary education is offered in Finnish language and Swedish language schools. In addition, the International Baccalaureate course of study offers education in English. Finland s participation in PISA (Programme for International Students Assessment) with the other OECD countries generates important international reference data for the development of education in general. Many international guests visited schools in Espoo to learn about why the Finnish education system ranks high in the PISA study. The guests were also interested in issues related to education and administration. Many groups of guests had been referred by the National Board of Education or the Ministry of Education and Culture, while other parties contacted the city and the schools. Among the guests was for example the Minister for Education from Singapore. Upper secondary school cooperation was developed with Espoo s sister city Shanghai. During the visit of the Mayor of Shanghai, the cities signed a cooperation agreement between 11 upper secondary schools in Espoo and Shanghai (see page 17). Diverse international activities in Finnish language education In addition to China, Finnish language upper secondary school partner countries included the Netherlands, Belgium, Chile, Spain, Canada, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Russia. Finnish language comprehensive school partner countries included France, Sweden, Hungary, Russia and Estonia. Five comprehensive schools were coupled with sister schools from Gifu, Japan. Finnish language upper secondary school students participated in the Euroscola conference for European schools in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Students also made study visits to Geneva to learn about the operations of European Organisation for Nuclear Research. The Kuninkaantie upper secondary school participated in an international developing country project in Kenya and the Etelä-Tapiola upper secondary school carried out mentoring activities in Nepal. Two students from Espoon Yhteislysen lukio participated in a study trip to the Antarctic. The Finnish Education Department has been collaborating with the York District education services in Canada for a period of over eight years. Espoo officials visited York District to participate in the annual education conference Quest and implemented two workshops in conjunction with the conference. In return, Espoo hosted Professor Michael Fullan from Toronto University, who provided training in the principles of change management. International cooperation took upper secondary school students to the Antarctic Students from Espoo Yhteislyseon lukio, Venla Vainio and Jesse Helminen, accompanied by principle Raija Teider, got to visit the Antarctic as a part of the unique Antarctic School Expedition event. The trip was organised by the Chilean Antarctic Institute for the purpose of learning about the work of glacier researchers. The event is annually organised for stu-

38 38 dents from Chile. The upper secondary school from Espoo was the first foreign school allowed to take part in the event. A precondition for participation was the completion of a small research project to be entered in a competition with the Chilean participants. The research project of the student participants from Espoo covered wildlife in the Antarctic. We flew to King George Island in the Antarctic from Punta Arenas in Chile and spent a week learning about the Chilean Antarctic Institute s research projects on the island. We then returned to Punta Arenas on a Chilean Marine Corps ship. The return trip took four days. We sailed across the stormy Drake Passage and round Cape Horn, says Venla Vainio from Espoo Coeducational Secondary School. Espoo Coeducational Secondary School student Venla Vainio made penguin friends in the Antarctic. The visitors from Espoo toured the Antarctica on board a Chilean Marine Corps ship. Focus on Nordic cooperation in Swedish language education Many Swedish language schools have partners in the other Nordic countries. Also many international visitors to Swedishlanguage schools came from other Nordic countries, as well as other parts of the world. Staff participated in international training events, courses, study trips and fairs primarily in the Nordic countries. The general themes of the events were pedagogical development and management. Mattlidens skola participated in a Nordic literature cooperation project. Mattlidens Gymnasium has conducted cooperation with partner schools in Norway, Poland, Italy and Scotland for over two decades. The LEAP (Linked European Awareness Project) project allows ten students and one teacher from each partner school to meet to discuss a common topic. I am going to miss my Finnish school Austrian Deliah Kuchling is spending a year studying in an upper secondary school in Espoo. The experience has inspired new skills and ideas. Students Jesse Helminen and Venla Vainio, accompanied by Principle Raija Teider, travelled across the globe to study glaciers at the South Pole. I am an exchange student in Espoo. My home upper secondary school is the Lerchenfeld Gymnasium in Klagenfurt in Austria. I began my exchange term at Espoonlahti Upper Secondary School. Then I heard

39 39 about the opportunity to attend a Swedish school and agreed with my host family that I could transfer to Mattlidens Gymnasium. I have always wanted to learn Swedish, so I grabbed the opportunity. The other children in my host family go to Mattliden, too. I would like to learn fluent Finnish, too, but learning both languages in a year would be too challenging. Nevertheless, I am taking a course in Finnish and trying to learn the language as well as I can. The best thing about my exchange year has been meeting new friends from Finland and other countries. I ve learned many things and become much more independent. You have to be open and have the courage to contact people if you want to cope. After seven months, I am nearly fluent in Swedish and speak a little Finnish, too. Finnish and Austrian schools have many differences. In Finland, you call the teachers by their first names and the relationship between the students and teachers is far more relaxed. The Finnish school system also offers greater freedom of choice. You can choose the subject you want to focus on and the subjects you only want to complete to the compulsory extent. To tell you the truth, I prefer the Finnish education system and I m going to miss my Finnish school! Deliah Kuchling Exchange student at Mattlidens Gymnasium Deliah (second on the left) with her host family from Espoonlahti. Learning about children s rights through UNICEF cooperation The Vindängens School has participated in promoting the visibility of children s living conditions and right among students across the world through UNICEF cooperation. In addition to Vindängens School, Hösmärinpuisto School, Lagstads School, Mattlidens Gymnasium and Perkkaanpuisto School serve as UNICEF schools in the period Five of the 25 Finnish UNICEF schools are located in Espoo. We became a UNICEF school in autumn 2013, after having organised the UNICEF Walk for many years. The UNICEF Walk is a fundraising event organised to allow children all over the world to attend school. Our students walk or run a lap of a specific length and our sponsors donate money per lap. The sponsors are often the family and friends of the students. In conjunction with the walk, teachers held lessons on children s rights using materials delivered to the UNICEF schools, including films, texts and drama exercises. Sometimes, parents and students plan and give lessons to younger students. We have been witnessing the realities of children from different parts of the world. Our students have got to know other children better by conducting imaginary interviews or writing about them, or through dramatising their realities. We have been discussing what rights are important to us, what things we could live without and why the Convention on the Rights of the Child is necessary. Younger students have also constructed UNICEF villages where the basic rights are realised. For example, the villages have a school, a hospital and a well. Students have also produced books and photos related to children s rights. This year, we aim to combine our children s rights work with sustainable development. Our goal is for the school to earn the Green Flag Award for sustainable development in education. We are making an

40 40 effort to reduce waste, and we meet different cultures during theme days entailing dancing, rhythmic and musical workshops. We are also planning to celebrate a holiday of some other religion. Ida Hummelstedt-Djedou Class teacher, Vindängens School Five of the 25 Finnish UNICEF schools are from Espoo. YOUNGER CHILDREN DISCOVERING THE WORLD IN EARLY EDUCATION The curriculum for early childhood education highlights the importance of cooperation, the desire for peace, respect and internationality. International cooperation increases intercultural understanding and expertise related to different cultures. International cooperation also supplies information that promotes the development of early childhood education content and services. The early education is conducted by the Finnish Early Education Department and the Swedish Education and Early Education Department. Increasing intercultural understanding in Finnish language early education The Finnish Early Education Department launched more extensive cooperation with the Austrian Kinder in Wien organisation, also a partner in a EU funded Leonardo project for the promotion of vocational cooperation. 12 early childhood education professionals from Vienna visited day care centres in Espoo and learned about the Finnish methods of early childhood education. In return, the Viennese guests taught the professionals in Espoo about more precise concept generation in terms of pedagogy and about introducing foreign languages to children. In accordance with the national curriculum guidelines for early childhood education, international cooperation should be increased. The percentage of children, parents and staff from different cultures is increasing. More extensive expertise in multicultural early childhood education interaction will be required. Some day care centres have established connections with day care centres abroad. The day care centres exchange materials produced by their staff and the children, implement projects related to common topics and exchange news. The department s international cooperation primarily included individual staff visits to day care centres in Tallinn and occasional international visits to day care centres in Espoo. Some of the day care centres have been chosen as visit centres. The guests were interested in, for example, local operations and architecture. Individual employees participated in training abroad and a visiting trainer from the United Kingdom trained Espoo City staff in the dialogue between religions. A unit expert participated in a seminar in Iceland concerning outdoor education pedagogy.

41 41 Iceland offered new ideas for outdoor learning Finnish early childhood education expert Ilkka Tahvanainen visited Iceland to learn about the pedagogy of outdoor learning. The goal of the seminar was to offer outdoor teaching tools for teachers and educators. The Espoo representative came home with a head-full of new ideas and inspiration for the day care centres in Espoo. The ideas of sustainable development have expanded to constitute an overall foundation for the early childhood education curriculum in Finnish language day care, completed last autumn. When the plan was under way, I was offered the opportunity to represent Finland at an outdoor education pedagogy seminar in Reyjkavik. I was excited about the idea and wanted to learn about how one s immediate surroundings can be exploited as a learning platform and how the outdoors can be used to modify group work. dream of a climbing a mountain constructed using boulders, a hen house erected in the yard or a shallow brook running across the playground and under the day care centre. The Finns are outdoor people and have a good relationship with the environment, but my relationship with nature needed an update. After returning to Finland, I ordered some inspirational photographic art that motivates environmental artistry. My contacts with my colleagues from across Europe are still rippling after six months of returning home. Ilkka Tahvanainen Early childhood education specialist Finnish Early Education Department I learned that outdoor learning areas are constructed adjacent to schools and day care centres in Iceland. Educators and teachers are aware of the opportunities of their immediate surroundings. They have mapped out all the nearby paths, forests and shopping centre outdoor areas that allow for outdoor education. The day care centre and school storages are used to store any relevant equipment and small plastic boxes containing learning assignments related to examining various phenomena. When a child has had time to process a question in his or her mind, learning is transferred outdoors. Grass seats are built for the children, using the terrain. Finnish early education expert Ilkka Tahvanainen visited Iceland to learn about outdoor education. A small circle of seats can be situated underneath a fir tree so that children can hear and tell stories together with their families. Snags serves as materials for building an outdoor labyrinth to support art and maths education. Natural activity areas are organised adjacent to day care centres and schools. All activities are governed by the principle of overall well being. In safety oriented Finland, I dare not even Developing education kits for natural sciences in Swedish language early education The Swedish Education and Early Education Department participated in the Nordic Nordplus project entitled NatGrep. The goal of the project was to develop a joint education kit for early educators. The learning kit is meant to increase the level of qualification in natural sciences. The participants wanted to implement the project through a Nordic cooperation net-

42 42 work including representatives from the fields of education and natural sciences. Extensive, multiprofessional cooperation can serve to develop materials based on research data and practical needs and experiences. DIVERSE INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL COOPERATION The daily internationality of the City Library In accordance with the Finnish Library Act, the objective of public libraries is, for example, to promote equal internationalisation opportunities among the population. According to the Espoo strategy, the City Library offers an equal space for allround education and experiences, and opportunities for learning about different life styles and values both locally and online. Internationality is a natural element of daily library activities. The diverse services of the library have attracted plenty of foreign interest, too. Particularly the Entresse and Sello libraries were introduced to many visitors. Libraries from the St Petersburg region brought children over to learn about the Finnish library system and library cars. The Russian language library services of the Espoo City Library were launched at the Sello library in February. The Russian library collection includes 14,000 books, 1,000 films and speech recordings and many magazines. Members of the City Library staff participated in the Next Library future conference and held a workshop for Estonian librarians in Tallinn. One of the library employees visited Windhoek in Namibia to film a video of the library s role in offering opportunities for education. The employees have also networked with library professionals from across Europe by participating in the international non conference Cycling for Libraries. The event included international marketing of libraries and exchanging views regarding the future of libraries. The event was organised by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions and was implemented as a bicycle tour in the Netherlands and Belgium. International exhibition activities in Espoo City Museum and the WeeGee Exhibition Centre According to the city strategy, exhibition centre WeeGee will be converted into an internationally renowned exhibition centre. The Espoo City Museum promotes this goal by creating exhibition programmes which contain international topics. The internationality of exhibition activities entails extensive borrowing of objects and materials, joint productions and imported exhibitions. Internationality is a way to cover historical subjects in more depth and to demonstrate the connections between local, national culture and joint European cultural heritage. In 2013, the Espoo City Library was in the process of preparing its third international exported exhibition. Gladiators A Day at the Colosseum will open in September The City Museum was also in the process of borrowing objects form international partners for the Healing Waters exhibition to be opened in autumn The exhibition director has been active in the UNESCO directed International Council of Museums (ICOM) organisation, in the role of the chair of the Finnish committee, the elections committee and the International Committee for Exhibition Exchange. Networking facilitates the development of joint projects and arranging exhibitions in Espoo. At the initiative of the Italian government, the exhibition director was also invited to speak at an event promoting culture exportation and exhibition exchange in Turin in October.

43 43 International art at the Espoo Cultural Centre and Sello Hall According to the city strategy, the cultural network in Espoo consists of top international art and the unique local culture of each area. The international operations of art institutions in Espoo are essentially linked to the city s objective of creating an internationally attractive city by uniting science, art and the economy. The Espoo Cultural Centre is the main arena of performance arts in Espoo. Its programme is based on a combination of partners, facility rental and self production. Throughout the year, various operators carried out a considerable number of international top performances at the culture centre. The themes of the centre s annual KUTITUS art festival for children and young people were countries and cultures. The leading festival performer was a group from the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts in China. The musicians held percussion workshops, for example, and the youngest visitors had the chance to try out the acrobatics element of Beijing opera. The Espoo Music Institute introduced its music education system to the visitors. The festival also included a photograph and theatre custom exhibition implemented in cooperation with Aasia Helsingissä association. In the spring season, the Espoo Cultural Centre exported a Juan Miró poster exhibition (see page 20) from sister city Kristianstad and the Kimonon uudet vaatteet ( The Kimono s New Clothes ) exhibition, comprising recycled material kimonos by Japanese and Finnish artists. The international operations of the Sello Hall focused on cultural events organised in cooperation with foreign operators, including concerts and theatre performances. Over 20 cultural events included performers from all over the world, including Spain, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Nordic countries, Switzerland, Ukraine, Russia and the USA. Local culture services opened windows to the world Local culture services are organised in children s Art House Pikku Aurora, Karatalo and, in the scope of Swedish culture services, in Vindängen and other cultural houses in Espoo. International service selection opens windows into different cultures. Local culture services organised, for example, an exhibition of Japanese culture in the context of the Japanese Spring in Espoo event in Karatalo, and the Windows of Shanghai event (see page 17). Swedish culture services organised many Swedish language guest performances in libraries, Swedish schools, the Vindängen activity centre and the Swedish Finnish Culture Centre in Hanasaari. Swedish culture services also participated in the EUfunded Produforum Riks project. The project involved creating a national network of culture operators. During the project period, international relationships were created, a virtual environment was established, expertise was exchanged and partnerships were formed, for example, in schools and hospitals. Tapiola Sinfonietta reinforced the international culture profile of Espoo Professor Lü Suosen from the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts entertained the young audience at the KUTITUS festival at the Espoo Culture Centre Espoo s City Orchestra Tapiola Sinfonietta is implementing its strategic mission to enhance the city s cultural profile and produce top artistic experiences by inviting international renowned soloists and conductors to Espoo. The orchestra performs in Espoo regularly and tours in Finland and abroad.

44 44 In 2013 Tapiola Sinfonietta toured both Germany and China. The orchestra gave three concerts in Germany and nine in Hong Kong and Shanghai, China. The orchestra gained a lot of publicity during the China tour (see page 10). International soloists and conductors perform with Tapiola Sinfonietta on a weekly basis. The orchestra s recordings have received critical praise around the world. Tapiola Sinfonietta is a member of the Nordic Orchestra Librarians Association (NOBU) and the Major Orchestra Librarians Association (MOLA). By participating in the organisations annual meetings, the orchestra increases its visibility and established networks. In 2013, Tapiola Sinfonietta participated in the Nordic Orchestra Conference and performed at Nordic Music Days in Helsinki. organised a textile culture trip to Florence as part of an international cooperation network construction project. The Espoo Adult Education Centre also participated in the Real Life Language Learning project to exchange best European practices for immigrants learning a new language outside of the classroom. The project was implemented as an EU Grundtvig project, including partners from Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, France, Romania and Turkey. Another significant project was a project developing education in Finnish as a second language, implemented in cooperation with partners in Amsterdam. An international activity day was organised to contemplate the importance of internationality in liberal education, and operational development. The day s outcome served as a foundation for developing the internationality of liberal adult education particularly within the framework of the Espoo adult education centre of excellence to be established in Immigrant language education developed through advice from Amsterdam Tapiola Sinfonietta gave nine concerts in China. The Espoo Adult Education Centre launched the development of international operations The Espoo Adult Education Centre has a vision of becoming the most pedagogically prestigious international pioneer of liberal adult education by The institute s strategy includes constructing international cooperation and international operations. Students at the Espoo Adult Education Centre were offered opportunities to participate in self financed study trips, mainly related to language courses. The manual skills team Finland has scarcely invested in the development of Finnish as a second language training intended for immigrants at adult education centres. Models need to be sought from other forms of education and abroad. Espoo Adult Education Centre travelled to Amsterdam to learn good practices. The Espoo Adult Education Centre has developed a new course structure and study guidance model for Finnish language education intended for adult immigrants. The development project was implemented in cooperation with the National Board of Education in Finland. We want to enhance our immigrant customer s Finnish education and domestication, to clarify the study paths and to offer more flexible course alternatives to meet the needs of different customer groups. The project included a study trip. We chose the Netherlands as our destination, because the country has a long history and plenty of experience in adult immigrant language education.

45 45 During the trip, we toured education institutes that organise vocational and immigrant integration training (ROC Amsterdam and ROC Zadkine Rotterdam), and education institutes that correspond to the Finnish adult education centre (Volkuniversitait Amsterdam), the Taal voor het leven training project for stay at home mothers, and an immigrant information centre (Expatcenter Amsterdam). We were also invited to dinner at the home of a Dutch language teacher, which provided an opportunity for free form discussion on language teaching and life in the Netherlands. The trip was extremely fruitful and reinforced prior development ideas. Particularly the visit to the local adult education centre increased our faith in the fact that target oriented language education with proficiency tests is both sensible and feasible. The study trip also gave the delegation the opportunity to free themselves from their work routines and to contemplate operational development in more depth. Based on the project, clear Finnish language study pathways were integrated into the Espoo Adult Education Centre curriculum, complete with proficiency and course descriptions. The centre also launched Kielitupa activities to offer students study guidance and support for independent study work. The proficiency tests for Finnish language courses will be gradually launched in The study trip motivated the participants and inspired operational development in Espoo. Sometimes you have to travel far to see near. This applies to education development, too. Anne Rasskasov Specialised coordinator, Team coordinator Espoo Adult Education Centre City funded cultural operators have extensive international networks City funded cultural operators utilise international cooperation to organised exhibitions and culture events, develop operations and competence and to contribute to reinforcing Espoo s international profile. The Gallen-Kallela Museum foundation organised the The Finnish Lad and the Porridge Painter exhibition implemented through Nordic cooperation. The exhibition focused on a leading figure in modern Finnish painting, Akseli Gallen-Kallela and his friendship with the Norwegian artist Carl Dørnberger. The exhibition was opened by the spouse of the then Prime Minister of Norway. The Espoo Museum of Modern Art (EMMA) implemented a Warner Bros film studio tour exhibition in Espoo. The tour began in MoMa in New York. The museum also participated in an art education programme to increase museum visits among young people, organised by the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, and contributed a small sum to the implementation of the Nordic pavilion at the biennale in Venice. EMMA also invested in the construction of an international design profile and hosted numerous international visitors in the field of art. The programme of the annual Espoo Ciné film festival organised by Espoon elokuvajuhlat focused on European films. The festival also participated in an EU MEDIA programme intended to promote the distribution of European films. International festival cooperation was also mirrored in the operations of the festival venue, Kino Tapiola. The April Jazz event organised by Espoo Big Band every spring is the largest international jazz event in the Helsinki metropolitan area, featuring international musicians, audience and press. As has become traditional, the festival was organised in close cooperation with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, where spring jazz events are organised at the same time. International operations at the Espoo Music Academy produced the FEsTaRI chamber music event organised in cooperation with the cities of Tartu in Estonia and Riga in Latvia, and a cultural development cooperation project organised with the Afghanistan National Institute of Music. The latter was implemented through, for example, development

46 46 cooperation funding from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. In addition to annual competition and concert trips and master courses, the Music Academy participated in the European Music School Festival. Espoon Tanssiopisto dance academy organised a week long summer course for young ballet students and teachers. In addition to the Finnish teachers, the course featured two internationally renowned teachers, Eva Draw from Denmark and Ana Jojic-Begivic from Canada. The Korean Jung-Eun Kim also visited the academy to give a modern dance course. Moreover, seven of the dance academy students participated in the Dance Open course held by top Russian teachers in St Petersburg in April. The JuuriJuhla-RotFest association organised its annual chamber music event in April. The opening concert of the event featured the famous Swedish duo Johan Hedin and Gunnar Idenstam. International performances have helped to increase the appeal of the event. The Espoo City Theatre The International Theatre of Finland brought seven international performances to Finland last year, from the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Mexico, Portugal and Germany. Approximately 7,000 people saw the performances. SPORTS EVENTS ATTRACTED INTERNATIONAL SPECTATORS The internationality of the sports and exercise services is intertwined with the city s sports strategy. The strategy describes, for example, both goals for promoting exercise and sports and partnership with different actors. The Finlandia Trophy figure skating competition was held at the Barona Arena in October (see page 11). Top international figure skaters from 13 countries attended the contest. The City of Espoo was one of the partners of the organiser, the Finnish Figure Skating Association. Tapiolan Honka and Espoo Basket Team organised the 16th international Espoo Hightech Basket Tournament. Besides the organising clubs, the invitation based series included eight Finnish teams based on advance ranking and commendable foreign teams. The event activated a large number of players to visit many sports venues. The Leppävaara sports park serves as a venue for a Nordic track and field competition between 19-year olds from four countries. Finland was represented by athletes who recently won medals at the Kalevan kisat event and athletes who have a successful track record in international elite competitions in their age groups. The representatives were also evaluated for the match with Sweden. Sports clubs from Espoo arranged the event in cooperation with the City of Espoo. The sports and experience camp Stadium Sports Camp, to be implemented in the summer of 2015, has been planned in a spirit of international cooperation. Sports and exercise services employees visited Norrköping in Sweden to learn about the origins of this Swedish form of sports camp. The idea is to inspire hundreds of year olds to exercise for a period of a couple of weeks. The young participants do not need to be involved in club activities, and the exercises have been designed to accommodate personal development rates. The event is also a method of employing young Espoo residents. Culture hungry Espoo residents had the chance to learn about the famous animations of the Warner Bros studio in an exhibition organised by EMMA.

47 47 INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES OFFERED FOR ESPOO S YOUNGSTERS In accordance with the Youth Act, international and multicultural youth operations are an element of municipal youth work. The youth work objectives of the Youth Comittee action plan in 2013 included active citizenship and enhancing the social situation of young people. The starting points for implementing the goals were, for example, multiculturality and internationality. The youth information and advice centre yesbox serves as a sending partner in the EU Youth in Action programme European Voluntary Service (EVS). Youth services helped two young Espoo residents find voluntary service projects in Turkey and Greece and offered them personal support. The programme enables language learning and promotes intercultural understanding as well as reinforces social cohesion among the young. In October, yesbox organised the traditional The World Is Out There (Vaihtoehtona Maailma) evening. The event offers young people information on the possibilities of studying, working and travelling abroad. For the first time, the event was organised as a bilingual collaborative project with Ung Info. yesbox also visited the upper secondary schools of Kuninkaantie and Olari to talk about studying and working abroad. Two Youth Council representatives participated in a Eurocities workshop in Antwerpen, Belgium, in the autumn (see page 25). The Youth Council also participated in the Nordic sister municipality meeting held in Espoo to discuss youth participation in sister municipality work (see page 19). In July, Youth Services hosted an international voluntary service camp organised by Allianssi Youth Exchanges in Espoo. A Youth Services employee participated in a Youth in Action funded training event in Sofia, Bulgaria. The training covered the role of internationalisation and the new EU youth programme in offering support to youth participation and active citizenship. Networking was useful for future projects. Cultures met at a youth voluntary service camp Allianssi Youth Exchanges organises international voluntary work camps, which bring together voluntary workers from different countries for a period of 2 to 3 weeks. They work without financial compensation and receive accommodation and food for their labour. In the summer, Espoo Youth Services hosted an international youth camp. The camp participants comprised twelve year old people from nine countries, including Turkey, South Korea, Canada and France. The purpose of the meeting was for the young people to learn about Finnish culture and meet new friends from all over the world. The first camp week was held in the Sierla camp centre and the second week in the Kattilaniemi camp centre. The young people worked seven hour days and had the weekends off. In Sierla, the team washed and painted two bedrooms and reaped hay crops, cleared a hill and cleaned up a beach. We also did farm work under the direction of the janitor. In Kattilaniemi, we demolished old tent foundations and separated the materials for recycling, carried twigs away from forest areas and cleared outdoor areas. The camp participants also cooked their own food in accordance with their national customs. This way, everybody got the chance to learn about foreign food cultures. Rita Mutanen Director of Youth Services, Espoo Young people from around the world learned about each other s cultures at a voluntary work camp in Espoo.

48 48 THE INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES Tuula Heinänen, Development Director, and Outi Huida, Communications Manager Social welfare and health care services are responsible for public health centres, dental clinics, mental health care and intoxicant abuser care, child health clinics, laboratories, therapy and rehabilitation, Espoo city hospital, elderly care, disability services and immigrant services. EASIER DAILY LIFE AND SHORTER QUEUES The sector has conducted long term cooperation with the Jönköping County Council development unit Qulturum in Sweden. Qulturum is a health care quality developer with an international network of partners. From Jönköping, Espoo has gained operational development methods and training programmes, which have served as a foundation for facilitator training, and tool development for mapping out health centre operations and planning work rotas. The results were evident: reception queues are now shorter and smoother operational practices were introduced into daily health centre activities. The results were introduced in April 2013 in the International Forum on Quality and Safety in Health Care, organised in London. A delegation from the sector visited the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm to learn about lean development, aimed at facilitating daily activities. Based on the lean approach, Espoo organised the first Lean development festival (Ketterän kehittämisen festarit). The primary speaker was an English lean expert. It was agreed that cooperation with the institute will be continued. The themes of other international study trips included oral health care, homelessness, employment, the prevention of illness, rehabilitation, patient safety, multiprofessional team work and public procurement development. WHO WORLD CONGRESS BRINGS VISITORS TO ESPOO The 8th Global Conference on Health Promotion was held in Helsinki from 10 to 14 June The conference was organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in Finland and the City of Helsinki. The conference guests were also toured around various locations in Espoo. The visitors were interested in the Kauklahti Life and Living Centre for Senior Citizens, Palttina Kindergarten and Finnish Nature Centre Haltia. The Kauklahti Life and Living Centre for Senior Citizens provides comfortable, home like housing for the senior citizens of Espoo who require round-the-clock care. The centre is home to 70 senior citizens, who enjoy the benefits of the technology used to promote their safety and wellbeing at the centre, including wellbeing wrist bands and intelligent floors which can be adjusted according to customer. For example, an intelligent floor can alert the nurse if a resident has fallen on the floor, and the wrist bands can be used to regulate door and elevator functions. The guests also learned about the gym equipment, which can be operated with a smart card. The guests were interested in smart card operated gym equipment.

49 49 The same building includes a service centre for senior citizens, which serves as a meeting spot for the elderly in the area. They can come to the centre to have a meal, engage in a hobby, meet people and take part in recreational, culture and sports activities. The senior centre also serves as a meeting place for different organisations and groups. The centre includes a dining room, café, an activity hall, and exercise, gym and sauna facilities. complete with numerous trails, is a gateway to the wilderness. The park also includes paths accessible using a wheel chair or a walker. The Finnish Nature Centre Haltia signals a new era, because it is the first public building in Finland built entirely of wood. The construction design has ecological solutions: the building is heated and cooled with energy derived from the sun and earth. Media visits before the conference Before the conference began, social and health care press from Canada, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Croatia and Moldova visited Espoo to see the Finnish Nature Centre Haltia and Gumböle Manor to interview Deputy Mayor Juha Metso, Head of Social and Health Services. The reporters were interested in child health clinics, elderly services and health care centre doctor rates. The Finnish summer showed its most beautiful face to the reporters, and dozens of photos of the idyllic Gumböle Manor yard were sent out into the world. The conference guests learned about the principles of a life and living centre. Kindergarten Palttina is a meeting place for children under school age and parents taking care of their children at home. The activities are generally free and do not require registration. The activities are based on the idea of spending time together comfortably. Community Centre Palttina offers the opportunity to try manual skills, music, exercising and other pleasant activities together with a child. Palttina also organises clubs for children between 3 and 10 years of age being cared for at home. The community centre is a leisure centre for self guided activities for school children in grades 1 and 2. The centre provides opportunities for both independent and guided activities. School children are offered a snack service subject to a fee. Palttina facilities can be rented for private events in the evenings and during weekends. The guests were also enticed by the Nuuksio National Park and the new Finnish Nature Centre Haltia, which were opened on the eve of the visit. The Nuuksio National Park, An international group of reporters on the stairs of Gumböle Manor.

50 50 THE INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE TECHNICAL AND ENVIRONMENT SERVICES Tiina Järvinen, Development Engineer The goal of technical and environmental services is to develop a good urban structure. The sector is responsible for urban planning and the planning and construction of traffic ways and other municipal technology. It is also responsible for caring for the city environment and profile. The sector managed city facilities, such as health centres, schools and culture and sports facilities. In 2013, the sector staff participated in in various international events and training related to cooperation networks and international research projects. The sector engaged in cooperation with nearly 40 countries. Most of the networking took place with Nordic countries and Central Europe. The Central European partner countries included the Netherlands Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Ireland and Poland. Russia was also a destination. The sector conducted active networking with its partners, introducing good expertise from Espoo and developing local expertise. The staff are involved in various networks in their field, and participated in plenty of related international activities. Study trips were organised by, for example, the cooperation networks and associations such as the Finnish Association of Landscape Architects (Mark), Rakennustarkastusyhdistys (Finnish construction inspection company), the Nordic Road Association, Aalto University cooperation networks and various education and research cooperation partners. The most important fairs of the year were the MIPIM 2013 in France and the Expo Real 2013 in Germany. Many international fairs and network meetings were organised in Finland, too. Olli Isotalo at the Expo Real fair Development projects and meetings were a part of the annual operations. The sector received an international quality award in Stockholm in December. The sector is in the process of implementing many research and development projects (Enigma Enlightenment & Innovation, Ensured through Pre-Commercial Procurement in Cities, EUE Energising Urban Ecosystems, APRILap Action-oriented Planning Regulation and Investments Lab, Boundless Applied Information for Urban Green Infrastructures Promoting Livability and Resilience, UBS, ICLEI). The Enigma EU project partners included Eindhoven, Stavanger, Malmö and Bassano del Grappa and many universities, organisations and associations. Espoo has assigned the project to the Espoo City Planning Department and the Technical Services Department. The purpose of the project is to examine the role of lighting and related planning as a part of a regional project, to utilise recent technology (LED lighting and other solutions), to create a lighting environment that can better accommodate user needs (block area partners, private operators and general areas alike) and to enhance the operational lighting chain and model.

51 51 EU cooperation in Eindhoven to develop urban lighting and architecture Service Manager and architect Merja Kiviluoto from the City Planning Department participated in a trip to Eindhoven in the Netherlands, related to the Enlightenment and Innovation, Ensured through Pre-Commercial Procurement in Cities projects. This perennial EU project is related to public area lighting. The project site in Espoo is the Leppävaara Läkkitori, which is under reconstruction. We are mapping out more efficient lighting solutions that react better to the environment. We are also investigating the effects of lighting on an urban environment and the sensations of safety and comfort offered by lighting, says Merja Kiviluoto. Another theme is the entire planning process: how to better accommodate lighting related perspectives (including safety, direction, using lighting in an urban environment for effect) in the early stages of planning. This is more extensively connected to land use design and urban development. The event in Eindhoven was the first meeting between the project partners. It shed light on the lighting projects procedures employed in the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Italy. According to Kiviluoto, Espoo does comparatively well in the company. Another objective of the trip was to find a mutual vision, establish new friendships and introduce interesting lighting solutions. Animating Eindhoven through lighting PROPERTY INVESTMENTS AND URBAN STRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT The sector cooperates with international design and construction agencies and property investors. It actively seeks out parties willing to invest in Espoo. It exploits international expertise in construction projects. The most important urban marketing fairs of the year were the MIPIM 2013 in France and the Expo Real 2013 in Germany. Important city constructions sites, including West Metro and the Espoo City Hospital, are international projects. Wood construction has also raised international interest and serves as a framework for international networking. Espoo is running an extensive public transportation improvement project, the metro. Housing and other services are being developed near future metro stations. The project is of international interest and visitors from nearly ten countries have travelled over to learn more about it.

52 52 In 2013, 24% of the construction site staff were foreigners from Sweden, Estonia, Norway, Russia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Ukraine. Design and consulting agencies also utilise international expertise in the metro construction project. After the tunnelling work, the stations are now under construction, which may increase the number of international project partners. THE CITY PROMOTES HOUSING AND RESIDENT WELLBEING The Suurpelto community is a significant urban area in Espoo. It is one of the most significant development and construction projects in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area this millennium. The City of Espoo had a part of the infrastructure in Suurpelto completed before the residents moved to the area. This was a completely new approach to urban development. The plans for the park city and good construction enable and help thousands of inhabitants, workplaces and services to settle in Suurpelto. Guests from, for example, Sweden, Iceland and Central Europe have visited the district. Suurpelto has attracted the interest of international guests owing to its design construction technology and energy and environmental solutions. All buildings in Suurpelto are connected to a new, environmentally-friendly waste system. Guests from many countries, such as Russia, have come to learn about the system. The internationality of the district will be supported through the international Opinmäki School currently under construction and a new lifelong learning environment. The biggest school project in Espoo, it will be completed in The international school is an important aspect of the district and offers international families great services and an excellent location in the Helsinki metropolitan area. City development projects and the completion of the metro will also affect other districts, living environments and construction. Another area of international development in Espoo is the Finnoo and 3T area. The city seeks influences and good practices from abroad, for example from London. The new Suurpelto or city of parks residential area offers an excellent framework for international housing.

53 53 Learning about good construction in London It is crucial that the townscape unit permission authorities get to see examples of good solutions around the world. It gives us tools for our daily work and speeds up the project evaluation process, allowing us to better support projects and direct and offer tips to designers. Our goal is to implement the city story to construct a pleasant and functional environment. Influences from other countries help us create a diverse environment with no extra costs, says Anne Nurmio. Construction Manager Solja Mäkelä above London. The Building Control Townscape Unit visited London to learn about high construction. Construction Manager Solja Mäkelä and Townscape Architect Anne Nurmio recount their trip below. In London, we learned about how to blend high construction in a city structure, about its visibility and effect on the immediate environment, such as pedestrian routes and wind. We toured old and new properties and examined pending plans at a city design exhibition facility, says Solja Mäkelä. Tall buildings in London. The travellers used public transportation in London and saw an incredible quantity of things in just two or three days. They were interested to find out that the construction of tall buildings is prohibited in some areas, such as the St. Paul s Cathedral area and other historical environments.

54 54 THE INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF OMNIA - THE JOINT AUTHORITY OF EDUCATION IN THE ESPOO REGION Seija Heikkinen, Head of International Relations The international operations of Omnia comprise three modules: international mobility, development activities and school export projects. Mobility projects entail practical training abroad for students and teachers. In the context of development projects, Omnia staff plan, implement and test new education materials, methods and learning environments. Omnia is a significant international operator in vocational education networks and a pioneer of internationality. Mobility statistics summary 2013 YA total of 49 partner countries: Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Bulgaria, Egypt, the United Kingdom, South Korea, the Netherlands, Indonesia, India, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Canada, China, Columbia, Kosovo, Greece, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Namibia, Norway, Poland, Qatar, France, Romania, Sweden, Germany, Zambia, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Denmark, Thailand, the Czech Republic, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, Estonia and the USA. The most popular exchange destinations are Spain, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. International mobility, students Number (persons) Students (outbound from Omnia) 195 Students (inbound to Omnia) 167 Total 362 International mobility, experts Experts outbound from Finland 244 Experts inbound to Finland (other than guest groups) 235 Exchange students from Croatia learning about services in Espoontori Guest groups visiting Omnia Number of people 590 Number of groups 32

55 55 Bilateral student and staff exchange experiences German exchange student Thomas Krautbauer gushes in an online version of the Mittelbayerische Zeitung on 16 May 2013: It s incredible what you can offer at a vocational school! They have an amazing work hall where you can practise garden construction, a library, enterprises, a beauty parlour and a student restaurant where students can eat breakfast and lunch for free. The food was delicious and healthy! Adult student in Clothing Studies Suvi Möttönen: My practical training in Barcelona was really fruitful. I learned many new work methods and grew more interested in the job descriptions in the clothing industry. Construction student Jarkko Kuusijärvi: I believe the exchange period significantly improved my employment prospects. Director Tuula Laulaja, Villa Tapiola centre for the demented: We began cooperation with Omnia in 2010, because we wanted to gain an overall understanding of elderly care in different countries. We serve as a representative for the professional field in different projects. We have gained plenty of good experiences and practices that help us improve our work. We have had guests from Japan, Germany, Estonia and Italy, and we have sent Villa Tapiola representatives abroad. We hope to see this win-win situation continue and our participatory cooperation increase. Risto Virkkunen, Head of International Affairs, Kainuu Vocational College: Internationalisation also requires proper domestic partners, such as OMNIA, with whom Kainuu Vocational College cooperates in the framework of numerous internationalisation projects and networks, including the Japanese and European study pathway networks. Our cooperation is target oriented, smooth and transparent. Katarina Sandbacka, Head of Education, Vaasa Vocational Institute: We have a long track record of cooperation with Omnia in the context of internationalisation development and many networks. We value their partnership because they are responsible, creative, enthusiastic, up to date and complete their responsibilities. On the job learning supervisor Alexander Sokolev, Audi Center, Espoo: I have supervised French, Hungarian, Russian and Estonian car industry exchange students at Omnia. Working with them is inspirational and motivational. Director Reinhilde Egbers, Elderly service house, Bremen, Germany: It was truly interesting to learn about a Finnish education institution and an elderly care home in Espoo. I am looking forward to a return visit by Finnish experts so that we can compare and develop our services. Kari Leppänen and Ivan Vendl learning on the job.

56 56 National network cooperation supports internationality Omnia staff are involved in multidisciplinary and industry specific networks and coordinate some of them. Examples of the networks: The Chinet Network of Finnish and Chinese educational institutes, through which the technology sectors of Omnia conduct teacher and student exchange in Shanghai. The European Pathway network operations promote the transparency of internationalisation studies and the commissioning of a credit system and increase the opportunities for the international mobility of labour. The purpose of the exchange periods is to increase the reciprocity of the partner network and the development of regional cooperation with enterprises. The Keva network for development cooperation, voluntary work and global vocational education comprises 14 vocational institutes. The objective is to encourage active citizenship, entrepreneurship and global responsibility among students and staff and to increase cooperation between educational institutes and NGOs. The Taitumo Network of Finnish Crafts and Design Colleges comprises 10 Finnish and numerous international education institutes and enterprises. The members are student and experts in crafts and design. The network coordinates artisan mobility projects. HANAKO is a multidisciplinary vocational education network between Finland and Japan, comprising 7 vocational education organisers and numerous professional partner from around Finland. Students and professional operations form the starting points of the cooperation. Dozens of bilateral student and expert exchanges have been implemented within the framework of the network. In the Akkuna Venäjälle (Window to Russia) network, Russia is a country of opportunity. Our geographically closest neighbour is an extensive market area and a fascinating travel destination. The flow of tourists travels both ways. Russians form the biggest tourist group in Finland. Russia and Finland offer each other countless opportunities for cooperation. A knowledge of Russian language and culture opens doors and windows to Finnish experts. Company staff often meet Russian colleagues, partners, customers and tourists in their work. Numerous Finnish enterprises operate in Russia and offer employment opportunities. You do not always need to travel far from home: Finland offers the chance for internationalisation through networking with Russian and people with a Russian background, for example by working in a Finnish company that conducts operations in Russia. Vocational education development through EU projects Omnia coordinates the language and cultural education project Ready-Study-Go. The project has obtained the European Label award and has been highly commended for an extension project. The project entails producing language and cultural education materials in eight languages in the hotel, restaurant, bakery and car industries. The materials include writing, pronunciation and listening comprehension exercises and accommodate different styles of learning and varying proficiency levels. The most recent project, Ready- Study-Around Europe ( ), tests mobile education and produces new materials in the social and health industry. Ready-Study-Go-Ahead! online materials are available at project can be linked to many learning environments.

57 57 NELLIP (Network of European Language Labelled Initiatives) is a project of the EU Lifelong Learning Programme (Languages, KA 2). The project aims to promote quality in language learning through the dissemination and promotion of good practices discovered in projects that have been awarded the European Language Label. The NELLIP project focuses on promoting the best methods and practices of awarded language projects, increasing mutual networking between the awarded projects, supporting quality language project design and implementation so that they comply with the European quality criteria for language education, and analysing the impacts and benefits of the European quality award in language education. The NELLIP project targets comprehensive schools, vocational education institutes, adult education centres and universities. Omnia has been actively involved in the development of the ECVET vocational education comparability system since the beginning. The comparability system serves to increase degree transparency and offers students improved opportunities for implementing personal study paths and lifelong key skills. AssetEcvet, Automobile service sector ECVET testing project: Education export projects: In 2013, Omnia s board approved strategic guidelines for the period , thereby establishing its new education partnerships sector in charge of education export activities and supplementary development activities. A two year twinning project was launched in Egypt in spring The project involves benchmarking European best practices and, in cooperation with the Egyptian partners, developing their vocational education system through, for example, increasing its visibility. The project is a collaboration between the Egyptian Ministry of Industry s Productivity and Vocational Training Department (PVTD). A three year twinning project will be launched in Kosovo in March Omnia and the City of Espoon Education and Cultural Services won a tendering in 2013 to develop basic education in Kosovo through a twinning project. During the project, Omnia and its partners will develop teaching quality and support the introduction of a new curriculum in Kosovo. In 2013, Omnia education partners have served in expert positions in, for example Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Tunisia. Omnia has also been involved in the development of vocational education projects in, for example, Zambia, Liberia and Tanzania. Omnia was approved as a UNEVOC member in UNEVOC is the UNESCO centre for vocational education. The mission of UNEVOC is to develop vocational education in specific target countries, with particular focus on increasing accessibility, improving quality and enabling lifelong learning. The chief aim of the HETA-ECVET project is to improve the comparability and identification of vocational degrees in Finland and Estonia and to improve the free mobility of people and labour. The ECVET for Elderly Care is a European Commission funded project that focuses on the basic professional requirements for elderly care. It is a Sector Skills Alliance pilot project The delegation of the Qatari Minister for Education touring InnoOmnia.

58 58 THE INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF VISIT ESPOO Riikka Laatikainen, Conference and Communication Coordinator Visit Espoo is a subsidiary of the City of Espoo and began operations in early The City of Espoo is the largest shareholder in the company. Other shareholders include Espoo-based companies operating in the field of visitor trade. The company s key mission is to support the convention and tourism industry in Espoo. The company produces tourism, culture and convention-related marketing services and conducts close, active cooperation with the companies in the area. Over the course of the operational year, the international operations and marketing of Visit Espoo focused on personal sales work through workshops and fairs, content marketing and websites, search engine marketing and optimisation, plus marketing efforts in social media. The two main themes in all marketing communication were Innovations and Nature. The primary target markets within leisure travel were Russia, China, Germany and Estonia. In the meeting and conference marketing the target groups were international organisations in Europe, international companies and MICE agencies, scientists and professors. LEISURE TRAVEL MARKETING A new visitespoo.ru site and Vkontakte page were launched to serve the Russian market. Yandex search engine marketing also produced positive results. Visit Espoo representatives met with representatives from Shanghai-based travel agencies at two events held in Shanghai in The EspooGuide brochure was used to market services and event offerings to visitors. The brochure is available in Finnish, English and Russian. An electronic version is available in Swedish. The Product Manual for Travel Agents was distributed to support sales and newsletters were sent to international travel agencies in Russia (2 pieces) and China (2 pieces). The company also visited the following international publications: The Helsinki Tourist Guide, Helsinki & Southern Finland Daytrips, Allegro, and the Winter Vacation in Finland appendix to the Vedomosti magazine. Visit Espoo published marketing videos entitled Winter day in Espoo and Nature Activities in Espoo through the Visit Espoo YouTube channel. Marketing events and operations implemented during the operational year The Matka - Nordic Travel Fair and Meet Finland workshop in Helsinki ITB in Berlin Visit Finland workshop/russia in Ylläs Visit Espoo China workshop in Shanghai The company collaborated with Espoo based travel agencies in Russia cluster activities and held a workshop in St. Petersburg with partners. Visit Espoo surveyed new sales channels in China together with FinPro Media visits and familiarisation (FAM) trips to Espoo Visit Espoo organised a total of six (6) familiarisation trips (FAM trips) to Espoo. The approximately 70 participants were agents from travel agencies in Hong Kong, Chongqing, Beijing, Shanghai, Russia and Germany. Visit Espoo hosted six media groups from China, Hong Kong, Russia and Germany in The number of participants exceeded 60. Media visits were implemented in cooperation with the Finnish Tourist Board, Finnfacts, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and/or FinnPro. March: Chinese economy reporters from various media visited Espoo. They spent a day off in the Nuuksio National Park. Visit Espoo videos were published through the Chinese YouKu in conjunction with the visit. May: A film crew from Hong Kong Discovery and a reporter form a Hong Kong based credit card company vis-

59 59 ited Espoo. An extensive article of the visit was published in Hong Kong Discovery magazine (see page 67). Three videos about Espoo were also produced during the visit for the HKDiscovery Youtube channel. June: German travel reporters visited Nuuksio and Haltia. The primary purpose of the visit was to compile material for two camping/travel publications to be released in 2014, introducing national parks such as Nuuksio and travel destinations in Helsinki Region. A Russian media-themed trip was also organised for over 50 travellers and bloggers. Blog posts and comments in Russian are available, for example, on Finnish Tourist Board website. In September, Espoo hosted lifestyle reporters from Shanghai and, in October, a Russian online journalist published an article on Espoo and Santa s Cottage on the Finnish.ru site. International overnight stays and website statistics With total of 370,700 overnight stays and 164,000 overnights stays by foreigners, 2013 was one of the best years for Espoo in terms of registered overnight stays. The overall number decreased by 2.8% compared with the record number in 2012, while the percentage of foreign travellers did not change (-0.1%). The numbers of Russians and Chinese overnight stays increased by 6% and 8% respectively. Russia and China are Espoo s most significant target countries in leisure market. The TOP5 countries in the overnight stay category were Russia (42,500), Germany (13,400), Sweden (12,200), China (11,900) and Estonia (9,700). The Visitespoo.fi website is available in Finnish, Swedish, English and Russian. The number of foreign visitors to the site slightly exceeded 65,000, with nearly 57,000 unique visitors (compare with the whole year: all unique visitors 321,433 and overall number of visitors 423,531). TOP 5 countries: China, the USA, Russia, Sweden and Canada. Tourist Information Last year, tourist information was available by telephone, and the in the Citizen s Offices of Espoo. It total Espoo has six (6) Citizen s Offices which are situated in different parts of the town and all of the provide tourist information. Espoo also contributes to the funding of the Regional Tourist Information centre at the airport to serve visitors that arrive to Finland and Espoo. MEETING AND CONFERENCE MARKETING International meeting and conference marketing events and actions CONVENE, Vilnius Baltic region sales workshop IMEX, Frankfurt, in cooperation with the Finland Convention Bureau (FCB). Espoo highlighted in IMEX daily magazine on 23 May 2013: 60 Second Guide Espoo. Lunch workshop with international associations at the Finnish ambassador s residence in London, in cooperation with the Finland Convention Bureau St. Petersburg Workshop at the Suomi-talo in St. Petersburg. A total of 30 travel agencies from St. Petersburg attended the event (20 leisure and 10 MICE agencies). Conference marketing was further boosted through the EspooAmbassador -lunch, with the participation of 60 Aalto University professors and other members of the Otaniemi science community, invited by the Mayor of Espoo Jukka Mäkelä and Vice President of Aalto University Ilkka Niemelä. The 2013 EspooAmbassador was announced at the luncheon. The title went to Tapio Lokki, leader of the Virtual acoustics research group at the Department of Media Technology at the Aalto University School of Science. The announcement gained good visibility in the online media (e.g., CIM - Conference & Incentive Management, Global Meetings Industry, Travel around Europe & America, Xenionworld).

60 60 EspooAmbassador lunch on 29 August 2013 in Dipoli From the initiative of the Visit Espoo conference unit, Mayor Jukka Mäkelä and the Chair of the City Board Ari Konttas signed the IMEX and European Cities Marketing Declaration of Support for International Meetings and Events Industry in November, to confirm the commitment of Espoo to international conference marketing. To support sales and marketing Visit Espoo produced Meet Espoo and Conference Espoo brochures targeted for meeting and conference organizers, and the Agent Manual for the international companies. Moreover, completely new e-newsletters entitled Espoo Convention News were sent out to international conference and event organisers and other stakeholders in the spring and autumn. Through -website Visit Espoo disseminated news and other topical information and marketed Espoo as a meeting destinations. To reinforce the position of Espoo as an international conference city and to increase the number of conferences organised in Espoo, Visit Espoo and Aalto University have established a cooperation agreement. In 2013 it produced tangible results by gaining nearly ten new international conferences in the next few years for Espoo. International conference statistics tourism income increased by 54% A record number of international conferences were held in Espoo in 2013: a total of 94 conferences with the participation of nearly 9,000 delegates. Compared with the record in 2012, the figures indicated a staggering growth of 20% in conference number and 10% in delegate numbers. The conferences generated tourism income of over 14 million for Espoo, which is 54% more than in the previous year. Espoo also maintained its status as Finland s second most popular conference city (National Statistics of FCB). The conference summer 2013 was interesting, both business-wise and internationally. In June and July, some of the world s top scientists, for example in the fields of plasma physics, nanotechnology and ice research convened at Otaniemi. The biggest and most significant conferences organised in Espoo were; The 40th European Physical Society Conference on Plasma Physics, with 650 delegates The 14th International Meeting for Nanotube Research, 450 delegates The 22nd International Conference on Port and Ocean Engineering under Arctic Conditions, 230 delegates As usual, the City of Espoo offered the city reception for the international conferences as a hospitality. Visit Espoo was responsible for organizing these receptions the city of Espoo offered this hospitality for eight conferences with a total of 1,700 participants. The city reception of the 40th European Physical Society Conference on Plasma Physics at the Espoo Cultural Centre.

61 61 INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS AND REPRESENTATION Visit Espoo is an active member in the following international organisations and networks: International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Meeting Professionals International (MPI). Starting in autumn 2013, Visit Espoo has had a member in the MPI Finland Chapter Board of Directors Alliance of Brain Cities (ABC), a conference marketing cooperation alliance between Espoo, Bergen, Uppsala and Århus Skål International, an international travel industry professional network European Cities Marketing (ECM): a network of travel agencies from European cities In the operational year 2013, the Visit Espoo staff participated in training, networking and representative events organised by the above mentioned organisations both in Finland and abroad. Visit Espoo also contributes to the activities of the Finland Convention Bureau (FCB) marketing group, which is an internal FCB advisory board. PROJECTS IMPLEMENTED FOR THE CITY OF ESPOO In 2013, Visit Espoo produced several projects commissioned by the City of Espoo to support city marketing and develop tourism in Espoo. Visit Espoo also assisted the city in organising many events. The most significant events were: The visit of the Mayor of Shanghai to Espoo (see pages 16 18). Shanghai sister city cooperation Shanghai Road Map (see page 19). The Eurocities Meeting (see pages 22 23). The Nordic sister cities visit (see pages 19 20). The visit of the Mayor s delegation to Silicon Valley (see pages 26 27). The development of the Technical Visit programme The hospitality of international conferences Participation in the icapital contest and Espoo Innovation Garden (see pages 28 30) TECHNICAL VISITS The Technical Visits programme aims to create international networks between representatives of different fields of expertise and industries. During Technical Visits, international experts are introduced to operational models in the various sectors in Espoo. Visit Espoo is responsible for designing and developing the programmes together with the city authorities. Incoming travel agency The Travel Experience (TTE) is responsible for implementing the practical arrangements for Espoo Technical Visits. In 2013, Espoo hosted five technical visits organised by the TTE, with the participation of 73 people. Two of the groups came from China, one from the USA, one from Singapore and one from Japan. During the visits, the guests toured day care centres and upper secondary schools in Espoo, the Active Life Village and the Otaniemi, Tapiola and Suurpelto areas, and learned about local urban planning.

62 62 THE INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF OTANIEMI MARKETING Ari Huczkowski, CEO Otaniemi Marketing is the joint Otaniemi area marketing and development enterprise of the key operators in the Otaniemi science cluster, namely the City of Espoo, the Technopolis Group, Aalto University, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Oy Keskuslaboratorio Centrallaboratorium Ab, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Laurea University of Applied Sciences, and Aalto University Student Union. The enterprise was founded in The purpose of the company is to increase the regional competitive ability of Otaniemi by attracting international investments in the area, constructing competitive innovation environments and promoting networking. The T3 strategy (Tiede, Taide, Talous = Science, Art, Economy) of the City of Espoo is the core of the company operations. Besides the owners, the company s closest partners are the other operators in the Otaniemi area, such as Rovio Entertainment, Kone, Nokia, Nokia Siemens Networks, Mendor, Tekla, The Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), Centre for Metrology and Accreditation (MIKES), CSC IT Centre for Science Ltd, HIIT Helsinki Institute of Information Technology, EIT ICT Labs, Nokia Research Center Otaniemi, UPD nanotechnology laboratory, Spinno, different ministries, Invest in Finland, Finpro, Greater Helsinki Promotion, Kaato Community, Visit Espoo and EntepriseEspoo. COMPANY INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS IN 2013 The promotion of international investments and the international Otaniemi brand paid off over the course of the financial year. Five foreign companies established themselves in the area as a result of company sales processes. The largest of the investments was the Samsung Electronics Research Institute, now located in Innopoli 3 (formerly Falcon Business Park) in Otaniemi. In addition to the five greenfeld FDI investments, approximately 20 other foreign companies situated themselves in the area, attracted by the regional appeal and without any sales efforts targeted at them. Foreign research project sales also paid off. Two research projects with the large USA based Fortune 100 company were launched as the outcome of VTT sales processes in VTT customers include 50 of the world s 500 largest companies. Otaniemi marketing attracted many major foreign businesses to the SLUSH conference; including Kelloggs, Nintendo, Crooz, Square Enix, NTT Docomo and Samsung Electronics Innovation Centre UK. The company additionally established a partnership between EIT ICT Labs, VTT and Google. Head of Innovation and Creativity Programs at Google Dr Frederik Pferdt held several workshops (Innovation Google Style) for the regional partners in Otaniemi, organised by Otaniemi Marketing. He also gave a speech in connection with the EIT ICT Labs programme at the SLUSH event. A large number of foreign technology companies visited Otaniemi to learn about the local innovation offerings in the last financial year. The companies primarily came from Japan, South Korea, Central Europe and North America. In 2013, the company was invited to speak at many international innovation conferences in North America. The company has been an active member of AmCham Finland, an organisation that covers nearly all USA based companies operating in Finland. Otaniemi Marketing is also the only European member of the TECNA Technology Associations of North America network and a member of the ICA International Commercialization Network. TECNA has over 16,000 technology company members from North America, and the network offers unique access to the advanced technology eco system in North America. The company also actively maintains contacts with the embassies of many countries. Moreover, it is a member of the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce, EnterpriseEspoo and Cambridge Wireless.

63 63 The Uusimaa ELY centre granted the TalentMatch portal, which is in the process of establishing a market niche in international expertise, funding for two years. The TalentMatch has been fully launched and many TalentTalks and Talent- Match events were organised in 2013, including TalentMatch goes China, an event targeting enterprises operating in the Chinese market and regional Chinese experts. The primary partners of the TalentMatch project were the City of Espoon, the City of Helsinki, the City of Vantaa, Technopolis, Laurea and Aalto University. By the end of the year, TalentMatch contained over 1,800 expert profiles and 110 recruiting companies, and approximately twenty recruitments had already been implemented in the context of the project. The Otaniemi International Network (OIN) continued operations, for example by organising some events in In 2013, the company participated in over 200 international meetings to introduce Otaniemi and the Espoo T3-stragegy to international operators. The majority of the meetings were with representatives from the USA, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Poland, France, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and the Nordic countries. The company participated in many press visits to the City of Espoo, and hosted TV crews from, for example, Korea, China, Poland and Canada. The company was interviewed by foreign journals from, for example, the USA, Great Britain, Germany and Poland. The company conducts cooperation with Aalto University in the framework of the international interface, particularly with foreign companies research projects, research contact, the Design Factory, Startup Sauna, Urban Millis and ADDLab. With VTT, the company completed more Door Opening Missions (DOM) in the EMEA region, North America and Japan. Cooperation was particularly enhanced in the fields of ICT, energy technology, sensor technology and biotechnology. The company attended numerous events organised by Technopolis. During the year, many Technopolis representatives introduced Technopolis operations to foreign visitors. The company continued to implement its central role in the management of international relations and marketing in Espoo. The company also actively participated in the Nokia Bridge programme cooperation with the city s various operators, related to the structural changes being implemented at Nokia.

64 64 HIGHLIGHTS FROM INTERNATIONAL MEDIA FINLAND EMBARKS ON SIGNIFICANT EDUCATION EXPORT PROJECT IN KOSOVO The City of Espoo s Education and Cultural Services and Omnia are spearheading an EU-funded, EUR 4-million education export project in Kosovo. Omnia, The Joint Authority of Education in Espoo Region, and the City of Espoo s Education and Cultural Services department have won a competitive bid for the development of basic education in Kosovo. The three-year-long project will develop the quality of education and support the introduction of a new curriculum in Kosovo. According to Omnia, the project, with a budget of EUR 4 million, is exceptionally large for the education sector s EU-funded Twinning programme. The objective of the EU s Twinning instrument is to promote the goals of the EU s enlargement and neighbourhood programme. We have been a strong supporter of building up the state of Kosovo and its education system, and those efforts are now being carried out to an even greater extent through the Twinning programme. The project that we just won is the first Twinning project for education in Kosovo. It is just great that Finland won it, says Twinning programme expert Heidi Lempinen, of Finland s Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The central goals for the reform of the education sector of Kosovo, which became an independent state in 2008, are to promote equality, improve employment, and increase well-being among its youth. The education export project includes, among other things, the introduction of Kosovo s new curriculum, education reform at both the regional and municipal level, and the development of teacher training. The project is headed by the City of Espoo s Education and Cultural Services and Omnia. KulturKontakt Austria and several actors from Finland s education sector are also taking part in the project as partners. For Kosovo s part, the ministry in charge of education, the University of Prishtina and regional educational authorities are involved. Kosovo s new curriculum is the outcome of international co-operation, and a Finnish Austrian consortium was chosen for its expertise to support the local authorities in realising the reforms. Omnia, The Joint Authority of Education in Espoo Region, is currently involved in international projects related to education exports in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Zambia. EH [ ] You can read the full article at

65 Sivu 1/3 65 URL: November 2013, 07:05 Uhr You can read the full article at finnlands-start-ups-a html Finnlands Start-ups Bye, bye Nokia - hallo Zukunft Von Astrid Maier Mag Nokia in Trümmern liegen, die finnische Tech-Gründerszene hebt gerade mächtig ab. Denn statt zu verzweifeln, entdecken viele Ex-Nokianer das Unternehmertum für sich. So viel wird hier gegründet, dass Finnlands Start-ups sogar mehr Investitionen anziehen als deutsche. Rovio, Uplause, Supercell: Finnland braucht neue Ikonen So wie Rovio, der Erfinder des Smartphone-Spiels Angry Birds. Das Unternehmen, dessen Zentrale nur eine Gehminute vom extravaganten Nokia-Stammsitz direkt an der Baltischen See entfernt liegt, hat in Finnland längst Kult-Status erreicht - und ist doch schon dabei, in Sachen Ansehen vom nächsten Überflieger-Startup überholt zu werden: 1,5 Milliarden Dollar hat der japanische Tech-Konzern Softbank jüngst für die Mehrheit am Spiele-Entwickler Supercell gezahlt. Die Supercell-Mitgründer Ilkka Paananen und Mikko Kodisoja waren auch im Gründerteam von Uplause mit dabei. Finnland braucht neue Unternehmens-Ikonen. Und diese heißen Rovio und Supercel, sagt Tuula Antola, im Rathaus Helsinki - Gerade mal ein Wochenende Bedenkzeit hatte Veli-Pekka Marin, um über seine Zukunft zu entscheiden. Am Montagfrüh, kaum zurück im Büro, schickte er als erstes seine ab. Der Jung-Manager nahm darin das üppige Abfindungsangebot, das sein Arbeitgeber Nokia den Mitarbeitern erst am Freitag unterbreitet hatte, als einer der ersten Nokianer überhaupt, an. Nach 13 Jahren Karriere beim stolzesten Konzern Finnlands war für ihn, der zuletzt den Vertrieb im digitalen Zusatzgeschäft des Handy-Konzerns geleitet hatte, die Zeit gekommen: Marin wollte sein eigenes Unternehmen gründen. Vier Jahre sind seither vergangen, und der 39-jährige CEO, ein hoch gewachsener und zuvorkommender Finne, der schnell und fast akzentfrei Englisch spricht, sitzt jetzt in den Büroräumen seines Unternehmens Uplause. Marine ist entspannt, ganz so wie einer, der mit sich im Reinen ist. Im offenen Gemeinschaftsbüro seiner Firma sitzen vier Mitarbeiter vor ihren Computern und begrüßen Gäste mit einem Handschlag, hinter der Glaswand an der linken Seite von Marins Büro hangeln sich gerade ein paar Athleten an bunten Kletter-Wänden hoch. Dass die Uplause-Zentrale über einer Kletterhalle am Rande Helsinkis beheimatet ist, ist kein Zufall: Marins Geschäftsidee lebt vom Sport. Mit Uplause können Sportmannschaften oder Sponsoren die Fans im Stadion zu interaktiven Spielen animieren. Kunden sind etwa der deutsche Mineralwasser-Hersteller Hella Mineralbrunnen, Sponsor der Handballvon Espoo für Wirtschaftsentwicklung zuständig, zur Mannschaft des THW Kiel. Je lauter die Fans ihrer Mannschaft in den Pausen zujubeln, desto mehr Punkte Begrüßung. können sie sammeln, Ja, das angezeigt mit Nokia wird dies sei etwa tragisch. durch eine Aber gigantische kein Hella-Wasserflasche Grund, auf den Displays in der Sporthalle, die sich umso schneller füllt, je lauter der Geräuschpegel ansteigt. Die Werbung zum Mitmachen zu verzweifeln. kommt weltweit an, gerade hat Marin einen Vertrag mit den Baseballern der New York Mets für deren nächste Spielesaison Mehrere ergattert, Zehntausend erzählt er. Jobs Der Uplause-Chef hat der ehemals sagt: ""Wir wollen größte in jede Konzern des Landes in den vergangenen Jahren zwar abgebaut, große Arena und jedes große Stadion dieser Welt. Unser Ziel sind die Fußball-Weltmeisterschaften und Super Bowl." jetzt Finnland hoffen bei Start-up-Investitionen sie, die neuen Unternehmer-Helden auf Platz drei - noch vor Deutschland von Supercell, Mag Rovio, Nokia gerade Jolla in & Trümmern Co. würden liegen, bald die Gründer-Szene mehr Arbeitsplätze in der Heimat schaf- der einstigen Tech-Ikone hebt dagegen richtig ab. Und das eine hängt unmittelbar mit dem anderen zusammen. fen, als bei Nokia vernichtet wurden. Wie das genau gehen soll? Staat, Stadtverwaltung, Universitäten und Forschungseinrichtungen sowie Nokia selbst gehen für den Wiederaufbau mächtig in Vorleistung: Für Unternehmensgründer gibt es günstige Kredite, Schulungen und spezielle Förderprogramme in einem Land, in dem bis vor Kurzem das Wort Venture Capital, also Geld aus Wagnisfonds, kaum einer kannte. 430 Startups wurden laut Angaben der Stadtverwaltung in Espoo, der Nokia-Heimstätte, allein in den vergangenen zwei Jahren in der Region gegründet - allesamt von ehemaligen Nokia-Angestellten. Die meisten davon sind im Tech-Geschäft tätig. So fleißig ziehen technologiebeflissene Ex-Nokianer hier neue Unternehmen hoch, dass im ersten Quartal 2013 nach Finnland 12 Prozent aller Tech-Investitionen der europäischen Wagnisfonds flossen. Damit liegt Finnland nach England und Frankreich auf Platz drei der Startup-Investitionen in Europa - und noch vor Deutschland. "Nokia war für uns eine globale Business-Schule. Wir sind noch jung und hungrig", begründet Marin den heimischen Techgründer-Boom. Und Nokias Zöglinge wollen die Welt erobern. Rovio, Uplause, Supercell: "Finnland braucht neue Ikonen" So wie Rovio, der Erfinder des Smartphone-Spiels Angry Birds. Das Unternehmen, dessen Zentrale nur eine Gehminute vom extravaganten Nokia-Stammsitz direkt an der Baltischen See entfernt liegt, hat in Finnland längst Kult-Status erreicht - und ist doch schon dabei, in Sachen Ansehen vom nächsten Überflieger-Startup überholt zu werden: 1,5 Milliarden Dollar hat der japanische Tech-Konzern Softbank jüngst für die Mehrheit am Spiele-Entwickler Supercell gezahlt. Die Supercell-Mitgründer Ilkka Paananen und Mikko Kodisoja waren auch im Gründerteam von Uplause mit dabei. [ ] "Finnland braucht neue Unternehmens-Ikonen. Und diese heißen Rovio und Supercel", sagt Tuula Antola, im Rathaus von Espoo für Wirtschaftsentwicklung zuständig, zur Begrüßung. Ja, das mit Nokia sei tragisch. Aber kein Grund, zu verzweifeln Mehrere Zehntausend Jobs hat der ehemals größte Konzern des Landes in den vergangenen Jahren zwar abgebaut, jetzt hoffen sie, die neuen Unternehmer-Helden von Supercell, Rovio, Jolla & Co. würden bald mehr Arbeitsplätze schaffen, als bei Nokia vernichtet wurden. Wie das genau gehen soll? Staat, Stadtverwaltung, Universitäten und Forschungseinrichtungen sowie Nokia Der Geist von Nokia lebt weiter Das Unternehmertum liegt nicht unbedingt im Wesen von uns Finnen. Mit dem Gründerboom findet gerade ein kultureller Umbruch statt, konstatiert Antola. Auch ehemalige Nokia-Angestellte haben ein umtriebiges Netzwerk gestartet, Kaato, das ausländischen Firmen hilft, mit Hilfe finnischer Tech-Experten im Land Geschäft aufzubauen. Der Geist von Nokia lebt weiter, sagt dazu Kaato-Mitglied und ehemaliger Nokia-Manager Heikki Tarvainen. Wie vital gar die Gegend rund um die Heimstätte der gefallenen Unternehmens-Ikone Nokia in Zukunft pulsieren soll, zeigt Antola, die Frau im Rathaus, gerne anhand von Bauplänen und bunten Charts, die sie auf dem Computer gespeichert hat. Allein in die Region rund um Espoo sollen in den kommenden zehn Jahren fünf Milliarden Euro fließen, erzählt die Entwicklungsbeauftragte. Gebaut wird unter anderem eine Metrolinie, die Helsinki mit Espoo, den technischen Universitäten dort und einem neu entstehenden Business- und Tech-Zentrum verbinden soll. Selbst den größten Büro-Turm Europas wollen sie bald hier errichten. Er soll gleich neben der Nokia-Zentrale stehen. Aufsteigen zum besten Innovations-Campus der Welt Wollen sie nicht doch ein wenig zu hoch hinaus in Finnland? Tuula zückt weitere Sivu 2/3Charts: Tech-Giganten aus aller Welt, Samsung aus Korea, Huawei aus China und auch Google aus Kalifornien, hätten hier schließlich zuletzt neue Forschungsstätten errichtet: Wir wollen zum besten Innovations- Campus der Welt aufsteigen, sagt sie.

66 66 THE GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX 2013 The Local Dynamics of Innovation The fdi Market database collects information on greenfield investment projects. These data can be broken down to the city level.11 According to this database, the top five cities for outsourcing innovative FDI activities in , as measured by number of jobs created by greenf ield investment projects, are Shenzhen (China); Espoo (Finland); and Fairfield, Palo Alto, and Seattle (USA). Seoul (Republic of Korea) ranks 6th, and has the peculiarity of outsourcing more R&D than design activities. Traditional European manufacturing sites, such as Boulogne Billancourt and Paris, also rank among the top 20 cities for outsourcing innovative activities (Figure 4a). Since the 2008 economic and financial crisis, innovative FDI has suffered of a sharp decrease. For example, the number of jobs created by greenf ield FDI projects in design, testing, and R&D in the top recipient city decreased from 20,000 in to 13,000 in , and from 1,500 to 500 in the 20th city in the rankings.12 The cities that receive the most FDI inf lows related to R&D and design are located in emerging economies. Only six out of the top 20 are from European countries; five are from India and three from China. The top f ive destinations for design, testing, and R&D are Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune in India; Singapore; and Shanghai in China (Figure 4b). Most of the jobs created are in design and testing, while a few are in R&D activities. You can read the full article at (page 74)