More than 500 participants have registered for the EU-Russia Innovation Forum, to be held in Lappeenranta on 25–26 May 2011. This, the second high-level Innovation Forum, is be organised by the City of Lappeenranta in cooperation with the Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT).
This year, the Forum will focus on promoting tangible business partnerships: Lappeenranta is seeking to promote bi-directional business across the EU’s eastern frontier. The idea is to create networks which boost cooperation projects undertaken between European and Russian companies.
As a practical tool for creating business partnerships, a major two-day Business Matchmaking Event will be organised, together with the European Enterprise Network (EEN). Over 120 companies have already registered for this networking event, which will follow a pre-booked matching schedule arranged according to the companies’ requests. This will lead to hundreds of partnership negotiations during the event. In addition, the three-day Forum will offer other opportunities to learn about interesting potential partners. More than 20 innovative organisations will present themselves at a dedicated exhibition. Participating businesses will also have the chance to present their innovative products and services in an Open Forum Area.
Focus Sectors: Energy efficiency, ICT and Health & Pharma
Through European and Russian case studies, the Forum also seeks to share best practices in innovative management and experiences of realised modernisation processes. In particular, the Forum will focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy, information and communication technologies and health & pharma.
The event will include eight pre-conferences and the same number of seminars. Among the distinguished speakers are Ville Itälä, Member of the European Parliament, Grigory Sumkin, Senior Counsellor, The Russian Mission to the EU, Veli-Pekka Saarnivaara, Director General, Tekes – Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, Zoran Stancic, Deputy Director-General, Directorate-General for Information Society and Media, European Commission, Ian Humphery-Smith, Director, Investment & Business Development, Skolkovo Bio-Medical Cluster, Russian Federation and Kari Kautinen, Vice President M&A, Fortum, Finland.
Local Craft Entrepreneurs and Culture showcased
Lappeenranta wishes to highlight its local culture and craft entrepreneurs, with a view to inspiring Forum participants to return and enjoy the city’s natural scenery and events. During the Forum, a Craft Market will be organised in front of the City Hall. At this Market, Taito Etelä-Karjala, Mariikki and Tyyki will present their products.
Forum participants will also have the opportunity to enjoy local culture on Tuesday 24th May at the ‘Ilta Saimaalla’ (‘Night on the Lake Saimaa’) concert performed by Lappeenranta City Orchestra, with Tibor Bogányi as conductor and soloist.
Additional information and registration at: www.eurussiainnoforum.com
Katja Keinänen
Secretary General
EU-Russia Innovation Forum
Tel. +358 50 402 4944
Fax. +358 5 616 6290
[email protected]
Reko Juntto
Managing Director
Lappeenranta Innovation Ltd
Tel. +358 50 5527433
About the Organisers:
Lappeenranta is a vibrant international University City of approximately 72,000 inhabitants in Southern Karelia. Lappeenranta has closely cooperated with the City of St Petersburg on innovation issues since 2005 and this cooperation has earned the title of EU-Russia Innovation Corridor. The objective of the partnership programme is to promote cooperation in innovation at the political level, in the education and research sectors and among private companies. The long-term objective is to have the innovation collaboration play a significant role in the new EU-Russia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.
Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) has combined two complementary disciplines – technology and business – since 1969. LUT’s strategic areas of expertise include energy efficiency, energy market, strategic management of business and technology, scientific computing and modelling of industrial processes as well as extensive know-how on Russia that traverses these areas. LUT Energy is the largest research and education organisation in the energy sector in Finland.
Media representatives should ensure their attendance of the event by completing the registration form available on the Innovation Forum Website, www.eurussiainnoforum.com.
Regards,
Mirka Kristiina Rahman, MBA USA
Marketing & Communications
EU-Russia Innovation Forum
Tel. +358 40 849 9161
Lappeenranta Innovation Ltd is a non-profit company co-owned by the Lappeenranta City Holding Company, Technopolis Plc and the Society for Viipuri School of Economics. It combines business, research and public administration in an innovative way. Lappeenranta Innovation Ltd is part of the Business & Innovations Service Unit of the Lappeenranta City Holding Company, aimed to support the growth and internationalisation of local companies. The Lappeenranta City Holding Company is a group company fully owned by the City of Lappeenranta. It is responsible for the management of the city group’s economic policies by promoting and developing the activities of its operative subsidiaries. The Group employs about 50 people, and the combined employment impact of the group of companies is about 960 jobs.
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