23 Jun 2020

Webinar series focusing on major investments

During three webinars, audience gained insight into different parts of the industry on both sides of Kvarken. The series is called "INDUSTRY INSIGHT" and the first three webinars have provided information on Kokkola Industrial Park, Norrbotniabanan as well as public procurement in Sweden. With a total of over 400 entries, the interest has been great and for those who missed the event and understand Swedish, all webinars are now on the Future Cleantech Solutions YouTube channel.

- In these COVID-19 times, it is of the utmost importance to be close to the companies in our respective regions and open doors and provide inputs for major investments. says Jenny Åkermark, international business developer, North Sweden Cleantech.

The focus of the series has been to highlight initiatives that take place in the Kvarken region and provide insight into the challenges and needs that the investments have, and also how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can do business with them.

- Our FCS project will serve as a bridge between establishments, major investments and SMEs in the Kvarken region, and we have therefore invested in virtual support - the only possible one, especially on the Finnish side. says Triinu Varblane, international business developer, Merinova.

INDUSTRY INSIGHT with KIP

The web series's first webinar gave insight into the KIP area (Kokkola Industrial Park) in Kokkola, Finland. During an informative and appreciated live broadcast, participants gained insight into Kokkola Industrial Park and its opportunities. The planned investments are many and suppliers from both Sweden and Finland will be needed. In the fall of 2020, network groups from KIP plan to visit northern Sweden to meet Swedish companies, so keep an eye out for more information after the summer!

During the webinar, KIP was presented by Marketing Manager Johanna Hylkilä and Educational Manager Jonas Sandlin. Environmental Manager Virve Heikkinen talked about KIP's working groups and ongoing environmental / energy related discussions. CEO of KIPinfra Jaakko Pöykkö and Chemical Plant Manager of Keliber Sami Heikkinen presented some future investments in the area and in the panel debate participated also Karleby's Development Director Jonne Sandberg with overall insight into regional development. The webinar was moderated by Reija Harlamow and Triinu Varblane both from the Future Cleantech Solutions project group.

What is KIP? KIP, Kokkola Industrial Park, is Northern Europe's largest ecosystem of inorganic chemical industry where several companies leading in the chemical and metal industry operate. The park consists of 17 international production facilities, nearly 60 service companies and Finland's third largest public port. Circular economy and industrial symbiosis have been a natural part of the park for decades.

INDUSTRY INSIGHT with Norrbotniabanan

The second webinar in the series was about the multi-million investment Norrbotniabanan carried out together with representatives from the Swedish Transport Administration. In order to complete the construction of the Umeå-Luleå section, the Swedish Transport Administration needs subcontractors from both Sweden and Finland to meet their needs.

Representatives from the Swedish Transport Administration were Marie Eriksson and Maria Erlandsson, both project managers, and they talked about the different opportunities for suppliers and how suppliers can report their interest. In this digital information event, participants received up-to-date information on the mission, vision and status of the construction project of Norrbotniabanan. The Swedish Transport Administration talked about needs and challenges, how you as an entrepreneur can go about whether you have products or services to offer the investment and where more information can be obtained.

What is Norrbotniabanan? The Norrbotniabanan is a 270-kilometers planned railway along the coast of Västerbotten and Norrbotten, which creates opportunities for people and companies throughout Europe. The path is a prerequisite for Swedish growth and a fossil-free Sweden by 2045.

INDUSTRY INSIGHT with Public Procurement

The last webinar in the series was about Public Procurement and was carried out together with the The National Agency for Public Procurement. Since public authorities buy goods and services for large amounts every year, it opens great opportunities for companies, while it can be a challenge to take on. What applies in the form of laws, formal requirements, procurement processes and tendering procedures and what happens after the award decision were therefore parts that were discussed in the webinar. The webinar was organized together with Västerbotten's Chamber of Commerce and attracted a large audience in the form of many small and medium-sized companies.

Presenters during the webinar were Erika Hanses, procurement lawyer at the The National Agency for Public Procurement, Anders Blom, procurement manager at Skellefteå Municipality and Jonna Törnroos, lawyer at the the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities who gave a deeper insight into the procurement procedure.

Watch the webinars here!

The Future Cleantech Solutions project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Interreg Botnia-Atlantica, Regional Council of Ostrobothnia, VASEK, Merinova, Vaasa City, KOSEK, Region Västerbotten, Umeå Municipality, Umeå Energi, Skellefteå Municipality, Skellefteå Kraft, Region Västernorrland and Örnsköldsvik Municipality.