Vaasa Energy Week

The Vaasa Energy Week event is Finland’s largest energy technology conference and exhibition and kicked off March 14-18. The exhibition offered a fascinating forum for experts from both the public and private sectors such as Energyspin, Sales café and Energy match and included seminars and exhibitor booths.

The international event was held for the fifth consecutive time this year and Cleantech Kvarken was one of the organisers focusing on the Africa Energy Forum. The Vaasa region has the largest energy cluster - EnergyVaasa External link, opens in new window. - in the Nordic region. The cluster boasts more than 140 companies and employs over 11, 000 people.

Students make new contacts

VASEK, the Vaasa region’s development company, and Merinova, were two of the most important players on hand and organised the event. Triinu Varblane, International Business Developer at Merinova, wanted to highlight the fact that the students who assisted were volunteers and that they helped ensure that everything ran smoothly. Although they received no pay, they earned something much more valuable, contacts.

“They had an opportunity to get to know people such as Olli Rehn and executives from major corporations,” said Varblane.

More about the volunteering students in Wasabladet > External link, opens in new window.

Energy Spin

One of the most popular seminars was Energy Spin which brought together startups in the energy sector as well as investors and others interested in networking. The schedule included speed dating and pitches to a jury. The pitches offered the audience a fast, intense hour. Aurelia Turbines, OptiWatti, EnergySolaris, BroadBit Batteries, Upside Energy, Finrenes and limes were each given a maximum of four minutes to give a pitch giving the crowd a basic idea of how to “sell” investors.

More about Energy Spin on VASEK’s website > External link, opens in new window.

Presentation materials

Check out the seminar presentations at Energy Week’s website > External link, opens in new window.