Looking for new customers, partners or financiers from Europe or Russia?The 2014 EU–Russia Innovation Forum will focus on energy efficiency and cleantech. The event is being held in Lappeenranta for the fourth time. This year's theme will be green growth economy. which signifies the building of economic growth on a sustainable foundation. The event will showcase renewable energy sources, water and waste management, nanotechnology, Arctic expertise, business ethics and supply chains built on a sustainable foundation.
The green economy will be examined from the perspective of companies and business development in particular.
”An impressive group of experts on the green economy, international business, Russia and the EU will gather in Lappeenranta in June. This will be a fantastic opportunity to discover new ideas and partners for operating in the international sustainable economy”,
says Vice Rector Veli Matti Virolainen of the Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT).
A strong programme committee guarantees quality
The three-day event will focus on the sector's current operating environment along with visions for its future. The currency and quality of the event's content will be guaranteed by the programme committee, which consists of renowned Finnish, Russian and Central-European experts on the energy industry and international business. The committee's membership includes Skolkovo Foundation adviser Pekka Viljakainen, Rector Vladimir Vasiliev of the ITMO University of St. Petersburg, Rector Viktor Koksharov of the Ural Federal University, EBN European BIC Network CEO Philippe Vanrie, Director-General Esa Härmälä of the Energy Department and Director-General Petri Peltonen of the Enterprise and Innovation Department of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, LUT Vice Rector Veli Matti Virolainen, CEO Markus Lankinen of Wirma Lappeenranta Oy and Chairman Heikki Järvenpää of the Lappeenranta City Council. The programme committee is chaired by LUT's Chairman of the Board Tuomo Rönkkö.
"As the IPCC's (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report published in September demonstrates, climate change is advancing more rapidly than predicted. This makes the availability of clean energy more important than ever. It is my hope that the 2014 Forum will feature a great deal of discussion on solving this challenge – on what concrete, joint action could be taken to influence this development", says programme committee member, VP Business Process Development at Fortum Oyj Jouni Keronen.
”Innovation-oriented cooperation between the EU and Russia creates great opportunities for research institutes, companies and states alike. I believe that the Innovation Forum 2014 will once more result in concrete projects being launched by the participants”,
says Mari Pantsar-Kallio, member of the programme committee and head of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy's Strategic Programme for the Cleantech Business.
The fourth EU–Russia Innovation Forum will be held in Lappeenranta on 4–6 June 2014. Registration for the event has opened at http://www.eurussiainnoforum.com. In 2012, the event was attended by more than 800 participants from 34 countries.
For more information, please contact:
Veli Matti Virolainen, Vice Rector, Lappeenranta University of Technology, tel. +358 40 541 1862
Enquiries regarding accreditation and practical arrangements:
Eeva Pihlajaniemi, tel. +358 44 052 3056, eeva.pihlajaniemi@wirma.fi
The EU–Russia Innovation Forum in Lappeenranta, 4–6 June 2014. The event's theme is Green Growth Economy. The forum will be organised by the Lappeenranta University of Technology LUT and the City of Lappeenranta. In 2012, the event was attended by 800 participants from 34 countries. Read more at: http://www.eurussiainnoforum.com
