Finland Times

 

Press Release image.

The sixth Arctic Business Forum (ABF), aimed at sharing information on challenges to investment and business in the European High North, begins today in Rovaniemi, the heart of Lapland. 

 

The opening day of the 3-day event entails pre-conference activities with working sessions slated for Wednesday and Thursday at Korundi House.

 

Pre-conference activities include visits to two factory sites at Rovaniemi to learn of arctic industry expertise and design. The first visit is to Lappset Group which is one of the leading manufacturers of playground equipment worldwide.

 

The visit to follow is to BRP Finland that is the only factory in Europe producing snowmobiles and other motorized recreational vehicles. 

 

The Lapland Chamber of Commerce is hosting the conference which will see a large number of business personalities getting together from home and abroad. 

 

Business leaders, academics, researchers, diplomats, and high government officials will discuss the latest developments and future prospects of business and investment in the burgeoning arctic economy. The first ABF conference was held in 2010.

 

“The 6th Arctic Business Forum in March 10-12, 2015 highlights the Arctic strongly from the business point of view by introducing and stressing the four different arctics through the global and local forces shaping the futures of these regions,” said Lapland Chamber of Commerce President and Chief Executive Officer Timo Rautajoki in a speech.

 

FTimes Photo.

On Wednesday, the conference program will be opened by Lapland Chamber of Commerce Chairman Juha Mäkimattila and continued with German Ambassador to Finland Dorothee Janetzke-Wenzel, Indian Ambassador to Finland Shri Ashok Kumar Sharma and Dutch ambassador to Finland Henk Swarttouw. 

 

After the inauguration, a session on “UPDATING THE STRATEGIES OF HIGH NORTH – WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE ARCTIC NOW” will commence. Moderated by Timo Rautajoki, the session will be participated by Mikå Mered, managing partner, Polarisk Group, United Kingdom, and Malte Humpert, executive director, The Arctic Institute, Center for Circumpolar Security Studies, USA.

 

In the afternoon, another session on “ARCTIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION” will take place moderated by Risto E.J. Penttilä, CEO, Finland Chamber of Commerce. Canadian Ambassador to Finland Andrée Cooligan, Adviser to the President of Russian Geographic Society Sergey Katikov, Rauno Posio, Arctic Economic Council member and Chairman of Lapland Hotels & Safaris, among others, will take part.

 

On the same day, another discussion will be held on “TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS” moderated by Chief Executive Officer of Lapland Chamber Timo Rautajoki. Antti Vehviläinen, Director General, Finnish Transport Agency,  Tom Shearer, Director, IC Aviation, Ireland and Elisabeth Sinclair, Project Leader, Norrbotniabanan, Sweden will take part in the discussion.

 

On the concluding day on Thursday, the forum will focus on “INDUSTRY IN THE EUROPEAN HIGH NORTH” to be moderated by Chairman Johanna Ikäheimo of Lappset Group and participated by Outokumpu Stainless Senior Vice President Martti Sassi, Stora Enso, Director Juha Mäkimattila, and a representative of Statoil (TBC).

 

Merrick Hoben, Director, Consensus Building Institute (CBI), Washington D.C. Office, USA will present the keynote paper on the topic where Japanese ambassador to Finland Kenji Shinoda will also speak.

 

On the same day, a discussion will be held on “MINING IN THE HIGH NORTH – UPDATING INVESTMENT PROJECTS”  Where FinnMin Executive Director Pekka Suomela, Anglo American Exploration Project Manager Jukka Jokela, Mawson Resources Environmental Leader Noora Raasakka  will participate as discussants.

 

Confederation of Finnish Construction Director General Tarmo Pipatti is scheduled to present a keynote paper on “WHAT’S NEW IN THE ARCTIC – NEW OPENINGS AND NEW SOLUTIONS” in the following session. Johanna Ikävalko, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Finland, Fredrik Brännström, Vice President, Vindtek Norr, Sweden, Arve Tannvik, Director, Kirkenes Näringshage, Norway, and Anatoly Glushkov, President, North Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Murmansk, Russian Federation and Mariette Mulaire, President and CEO, World Trade Center Winnipeg, Canada, will take part. 

 

Simultaneously a breakout session on “BUSINESS VOICE TO ARCTIC CHANGE” will be moderated by Monica Tennberg in Arktikum.  Rauno Posio, Chairman, Lapland Hotels & Safaris and Thomas R. Armstrong, President, Madison River Group, USA will speak at the programme.