H U M A N
T E C H N O L O G Y
summer/autumn 2010
JYVÄSKYLÄ
C I T Y , F I N L A N D
Responsibility pays itself back even in small enterprises Rally celebrates its 60th jubilee in Jyväskylä A city that’s both big enough and small enough
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first words July 1, 2010
Jyväskylä – Human Technology City, Summer/Autumn 2010
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Let’s build a more sustainable and responsible future!
The City of Jyväskylä, with a population of 130 000, is one of Finland’s centres of growth. Recognised as a city of high-quality education, Jyväskylä is also internationally known for the architecture of Alvar Aalto. www.jyvaskyla.fi Jyväskylä Regional Development Company Jykes Ltd. is a business promotion and development company owned by the four municipalities in the Jyväskylä Region. The aim of Jykes is to create a favourable business environment. By offering expertise, support and various networks for companies, Jykes creates opportunities and conditions for profitable business operations. www.jykes.fi The Regional Council of Central Finland is responsible for moulding joint development aspirations and managing the implementation of the same in a region dedicated to quality of life. www.keskisuomi.fi
REGIONAL COUNCIL OF CENTRAL FINLAND
The University of Jyväskylä is one of the largest, most attractive and dynamic research universities in Finland, with about 15 000 students, including international students from some 90 countries. www.jyu.fi JAMK University of Applied Sciences is a multidisciplinary institution of higher education with a strong international orientation and a student enrolment of 8 000. Our strengths are workplacedriven learning, close cooperation with the labour market and business, as well as extensive international contacts. www.jamk.fi Jyväskylä Innovation Ltd is a development company that reinforces the growth, development and competitiveness of technology companies in Jyväskylä and Central Finland. The company carries out the Jyväskylä Region Centre of Expertise Programme. www.jklinnovation.fi Jyväskylä Educational Consortium is one of the biggest institutions of vocational education in Finland. It provides instruction to 6 000 young people and 12 000 adult students each year. www.jao.fi
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After a long search, photographer Mika Juhani Luomansivu has found a profession which offers him new creative dimensions every day. 4 Matching words to deeds 6 Responsibility pays itself back even in small enterprises
6 Companies’ competitiveness dependent on employees’ well-being 8 Business on the environment’s terms 9 Future of transport sector is framed in green
10 Taking care of tomorrow 11 What will become of me? 12 Bioenergy from Central Finland 14 Light and shadows 16 All the experience of a champion 18 A city that’s both big enough and small enough 20 500 slapshots an hour 22 Destination: Shanghai
Published twice yearly, Jyväskylä Human Technology City magazine showcases the expertise, culture and people to be found in the Jyväskylä Region. ISSN 1795-3146 Editorial Office in this issue: JAMK University of Applied Sciences, Rajakatu 35, 40200 Jyväskylä,
[email protected], www.jamk.fi Editor-in-chief: Heli Toivola, JAMK University of Applied Sciences Editorial board: Merja Lahti (Regional Council of Central Finland), Kevin Manninen (Jyväskylä Innovation Ltd), Anu Mustonen (University of Jyväskylä), Helinä Mäenpää (City of Jyväskylä), Erkki Mäntymaa (Jyväskylä Educational Consortium), Päivi Tervonen (Jyväskylä Regional Development Company Jykes Ltd.), Heli Toivola (JAMK University of Applied Sciences), Carola Wictorsson (Jyväskylä Innovation Ltd) Editorial staff: Viestintä-Paprico Oy English translation: Peter Gregory and Tony Melville Printed by ER-paino/Kariteam Circulation: 9 800 Cover: Photo Petteri Kivimäki. Parkour Central Finland style – Mika Vuoriainen (front) and Jaakko Junttila show off their moves.
www.jyvaskylanseutu.fi www.humantechnology.fi
26 Events
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“Jyväskylä is both big enough and small enough,” says Alison Doolittle-Suokas. She is from Indiana in the USA and came to Jyväskylä in 1994 to study Art Education at the university.
Jyväskylä • Human Technology City
lobal climate change, increasing consumption of natural resources, the aging of the workforce, diversity of cultures and globalisation of the economy are examples of challenges that require the adoption of responsible strategies and practices. We have to incorporate ecological, social, cultural and economic responsibility into our everyday activities in order to save ourselves from the serious crisis threatening the natural economy. In line with its values, JAMK University of Applied Sciences seeks to be a responsible operator which plays its own part in building a sustainable future. It is especially important to give all students the capabilities and skills they need to work in a sustainable way in their future professions. Our natural surroundings– and our waterways in particular – are an important element of the distinctive landscape of Central Finland and of the nation as a whole. The challenges facing the environment of Central Finland are largely associated with the use of natural resources, industry and energy production, and they are also significant for climate change and its prevention. Natural diversity and clean water are elements of our environment that we all want to look after. As a result of economic globalisation, responsibility is becoming an increasingly significant aspect of business operations and an important element in the competence of various occupational groups. Customers are now more aware and seek information about companies’ principles of social responsibility. In future responsibility and support for sustainable development in business operations will be vital, and
companies that commit to them preemptively may achieve a sustainable competitive advantage.
PEKKA RÖTKÖNEN
This publication is brought to you by
Sustainable development is a generally accepted objective in modern society and its importance in working life is set to grow even more in future. Education and training play a central role in determining what kind of capabilities and skills we produce to meet the needs of working life, and how we use those skills to build the society of the future. The task of JAMK University of Applied Sciences is to train professionals for their working careers and to undertake research, development and innovation activities which serve the needs of working life in Central Finland. One of our focus areas in these activities is to work with our business network to develop Central Finland into a pioneer of responsible business. We can do this by creating tools, strategies and practices for the various sub-areas of responsible business operations. JAMK University of Applied Sciences produces skills and competence that promote the building of a sustainable future in both Central Finland and on a global scale.
Jussi Halttunen, Rector, JAMK University of Applied Sciences
“Natural diversity and clean water are elements of our environment that we all want to look after.”
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Business responsibility measured in everyday life
”Benefits for society also arise from the fact that we develop and grow our business. That has to happen on a sustainable basis without pursuing quick profits.”
Matching words to deeds A quality product is the crown of successful
Laura Sojakka
business activity. Before its manufacture an enterprise which operates responsibly has demonstrated concern for its workers, consumers, stakeholders and environment.
Siparila was established in 2003. At that time it employed 21 people and achieved a turnover of EUR 3.5 million. In 2010 Siparila is home to over 70 employees, and the company’s turnover is in excess of EUR 16 million. Exterior wooden cladding accounts for 70–80 per cent of the firm’s production, the remainder consists of interior decoration products and yard buildings.
Words by tommi salo, Photos by petteri kivimäki
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mployees are not just letters and numbers on paper. Each has a name and each must be treated as a distinct individual. This is how Laura Sojakka, Managing Director of Siparila Oy, describes a company’s social re-
sponsibility. “It pays to remember that people make products for other people,” states Sojakka. She points out that in addition to social responsibility companies must take into account their responsibility towards society. Siparila wants to carry its responsibility by being a dependable company in which the employees are content and understand the value of their own work and that of others. “Benefits for society also arise from the fact that we develop and grow our business. That has to happen on a sustainable basis without pursuing quick profits.” Wood processing specialist Siparila is one of 12 enterprises in Central Finland which are involved in a project run by JAMK University of Applied Sciences. In the project companies are provided with the tools for further developing responsibility and efforts made to ensure responsibility is reflected in greater competitive advantage for the companies concerned.
Lifecyle of products highlighted The raw material for Siparila’s products is wood. Sojakka admits that wood and forests provoke strong reactions in many people. In particular, the fear of forests being lost. “Nature takes on a high value, when we live in concrete cities. We should remember, however, that wood is a renewable material.” According to Sojakka, since wood is the basis for the firm’s products, Siparila’s operations are characterised by responsibility for the environment. At Siparila they have created lifecycle thinking for their products which applies to both material procurement and the carbon footprint of the finished products. “Every single sector of responsibility has to be correctly handled. Consumers are well informed, and we are prepared to trace production chains right back to the original sources. The firm’s press and communication profile must be in line with day-to-day activities.” An active contribution to Siparila’s development has also been made by Jyväskylä Regional Development Company Jykes Ltd., one of whose aims is the promotion of wellbeing in work communities. n • www.siparila.fi
Right things made visible Sojakka issues a reminder that social responsibility is a twoway street. On one hand a company must be responsible for its personnel, but on the other employees, too, have a responsibility towards their employer. Each employee “sells” the company to those around. “Employees must develop an overall picture of the company’s activities and of why things are done as they are. During strong growth change is to be witnessed every day, and the overall picture may become fuzzy.” As a practical tool Siparila is developing a personnel guide, in which the points of departure of business activity are gone over from Siparila’s perspective. “Many things have been done right, but it’s vital to put them together and make them visible,” Sojakka emphasises.
The interior decor of Laura Sojakka’s home is dominated by wood. What works in the home of Siparila’s Managing Director can be responsibly offered to customers, too.
Jyväskylä • Human Technology City
The raw material for Siparila’s products is wood.
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Responsibility pays itself back even in small enterprises Words and photo by tommi salo
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any small enterprises lack the tools to make responsible business conduct visible. Enterprises do a lot of things right, without the firm’s management ever discussing them amongst themselves or
with the personnel. For small enterprises, however, responsibility in business operations, and understanding its importance, are a precondition for survival and success. “According to studies responsibility has benefits in the long term for the company’s business. It enhances the firm’s reputation, boosts the well-being of staff, and increases the firm’s reliability in the eyes of stakeholders, for instance. Quick profits it does not generate, however,” underlines Specialist Marianne Ekonen of JAMK University of Applied Sciences, who has also studied leadership from a responsibility perspective. In 2009 JAMK University of Applied Sciences launched
the Pioneers of Responsible Business in Central Finland project, by means of which responsibility practices are integrated into firms’ everyday routine in practice. The project, which extends until the end of 2010, involves 12 enter prises.
Proper briefing of staff In those enterprises participating in the project the first move was to assess the firm’s current state and draw up a development plan on the basis of the findings. It has been essential to identify and make visible measures already implemented and assess what the future may bring. The tools for responsible business can assist in the development of both in-house personnel and the subcontracting chain, as well as the firm’s operating environment. Ekonen maintains that for a small and medium-sized enterprise responsibility in personnel questions means, for example, briefing staff even more systematically about the firm’s operating culture and the rules of the game. “It’s vital to educate staff into the firm’s way of thinking.”
Companies’ competitiveness dependent on employees’ well-being The basic precondition for doing work is a healthy, fully functioning individual. In future people’s careers will be longer and working life demands set to grow. In order for employees to remain innovative and productive at work a new management culture is required. Words by Timo sillanpää Photos by PETTERI KIVIMÄKI
A Irene Tähti works in the paint shop and on the packing line. In her opinion the variety of tasks makes work interesting.
t Sovella Oy, which operates in the global market, responsibility for the company’s personnel means welfare management, where the mental and physical well-being of employees are monitored and boosted with the help of a carefully designed welfare programme. “All employees that are interested can take part in a fitness survey, which provides them with valuable feedback about their physical condition. The feedback generated by the survey motivates work-
ers to improve their fitness. The feedback also includes guidance linked to physical recreation and nutrition. In addition the vocational health doctor gives an assessment of which tasks expose employees to ailments of the skeletal system and locomotory organs,” explains Sovella Oy’s HR Manager Anne Suominen. The factory’s production facilities have been reorganised. The aim is to boost production efficiency and improve work ergonomics and general awareness. The appeal of work has been increased by offering employees the opportunity to do flexible working hours, which benefits the daily routine of families with small children in particular. There is a desire to reduce absenteeism through sickness by discussing openly the reasons for missing work and giving consideration to the factors that could improve working conditions. “Sovella sells its customers well-being,
Jyväskylä • Human Technology City
In the subcontracting chain, on the other hand, it is extremely important to go over how responsible operations are when the chain is looked at as a whole. Horrible examples have demonstrated how a company’s reputation suffers when the reputation of one of its subcontractors goes downhill. In Ekonen’s view responsibility in environmental matters can be demonstrated by giving thought within the company to ways of reducing the load on the environment, among other things. “The problems caused by the cloud of ash from Iceland forced companies to think how matters could be handled differently. Is it always necessary to fly somewhere for a personal meeting, or could the same result be achieved by means of video negotiation?” For many small and medium-sized enterprises drawing up a responsibility report is an unacceptably heavy task. Ekonen explains that for smaller firms the key issue is to measure and monitor the goals and results which are central to the firm’s own operations. n
Specialist Marianne Ekonen points out that over the long term responsibility is reflected in profitable business for the company.
Sovella Oy designs and manufactures ergonomic industrial furniture such as work tables and work benches, shelving and cabinets, drawer units, manual assembly lines for various industries, homes and public buildings. Kirsi Laukkanen makes sliding profiles on a press brake. HR Manager Anne Suominen follows proceedings with interest. since the products it makes take ergonomic factors among other things into account. The company’s values include customer satisfaction, dependability, the desire for renewal, and profitable operation. Without a well-being personnel Sovella would find it impossible to implement its values.” Investment in the future At Sovella vocational well-being is regarded as an investment in the future, when the competition for expert labour really starts to accelerate. “A prosperous workforce is productive, innovative and does quality work. By taking care of employees’ well-being we can safeguard the company’s competitiveness and ensure our image as an employer remains attractive. By investing in vocational well-being and employees’ ability to cope we can also achieve savings in costs caused by personnel turn over, absences through sickness and disability to work, ” Anne Suominen maintains. One concrete aim of the vocational well-being programme is to reduce absences due to sickness by two per cent and to boost employees’ motivation and mental alertness. Jyväskylä Regional Development Company Jykes Ltd’s growth and development service supports the training of supervisory staff. n • www.sovella.fi
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Business
on the environment’s terms Words and photo by timo sillanpää
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any factors motivate enterprises to embrace environmental management. Compliance with environmental legislation may simply be a precondition for the firm to operate. Critical examination of production processes can bring the firm cost benefits and help it to avoid environmental catastrophes, the cost of which, in the worst case, might have to be borne by society. Taking the environment into consideration may generate completely new products for the company, of which one example is green electricity produced using renewable sources of energy. “Environmental management also has a positive impact on workers’ well-being and the company’s image. A good environmental image is an advantage when a company is competing for young, environmentally aware specialists,” underlines Hanna-Leena Pesonen, Professor of Corporate Environmental Management. Motivation may also flow from a company CEO’s personal ethical ambitions. For instance, Anita Roddick, founder of the international cosmetics-branch company Body Shop, was opposed to animal testing and a firm advocate of fair trade and environmental protection. Body Shop has maintained its brand as a business that operates in an ethical manner, even though it became part of L’Oreal in 2006.
modify its industrial processes as a result of watercourse pollution,” Pesonen explains. Environmental investments in the paper industry also accelerated customers’ demand for the use of chlorine-free bleaching, greater recycling, and the conservation of ancient forests. Nowadays the focus of interest is the impact, broadly taken, of human kind on nature. The centre of attention here is not simply heavy industry but all corporate activity, products, associated production processes and impacts ari sing from use. “We’re dealing with a difficult equation which involves the environment, the economy and social responsibility. How can this equation be made to function in such a way that we achieve a win-win situation?” Pesonen asks. Corporate environmental management frequently fails for the reason that companies are in pursuit of quick profits, and because certain people simply shirk their responsibility. “Short-term economic thinking makes environmental management more difficult, since investments are considerable and long payback times have to be accepted. Fortunately consumer awareness is growing the whole time, which puts pressure on industry to pay proper attention to the environment.” n
”Thinking is changing” Corporate environmental management is all about recognising the impacts business activity and a company’s products have on the environment. The management process involves controlling these impacts and measures by which the load on the environment can be reduced. In recent years Pesonen has noticed a clear change in companies’ thinking. “Just a few years ago some corporate leaders were still of the opinion that taking the environment into account means extra costs for the company. Now views of that kind are no longer to be heard.”
History shaded with contradictions In many western countries the early years of corporate environmental management were a time characterised by contradictions. In Finland legislation was initially passed to limit emissions from heavy industry affecting the watercourse. “In past years the forest industry in particular had to
“Studies in Corporate Environmental Management were introduced at the University of Jyväskylä’s School of Business and Economics in autumn 1995, and were the first of their kind in the Nordic countries. The international Master’s Degree Programme in Corporate Environmental Management is a strongly multidisciplinary degree programme on which approximately half the students are from abroad”, stresses Professor Hanna-Leena Pesonen.
Jyväskylä • Human Technology City
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Future of transport sector is framed in green Is it possible to make regions more attractive and competitive while addressing climate issues? Can efforts to combat climate change offer new business opportunities to transport companies? Answers to these questions are being sought through projects based on international cooperation. Words by TOMMI SALO, Photo by PHOTOBANK PLUGI
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vision of the future. A green corridor leads through the European transportation network. Some of the corridor’s environmental benefits are created through the development of more effective combined transport. Development of combined transport (road, rail, sea) creates the potential for transport terminals – and even a network of ter minals – in Europe. The international Scandria project, which involves 19 different partners from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Germany, is seeking to develop more efficient and environmentally-friendly transport systems. “The establishment of combined transport terminals will create more cost-effective logistics services and new business opportunities for international operators. Innoroad Park could be one of the Finnish players linked in a pro-environmental way to the European transport network,” says Development Manager Jani Viitasaari of Jyväskylä Regional Development Company Jykes Ltd. Innoroad Park is an international cluster of companies specialising in road transport and vehicles, together with supporting businesses, in Jyväskylä region. It brings together business, academic research and training. New innovations in transport systems Work is being done to develop transport systems without neglecting the need to combat climate change. The international Baltic Climate project, which is targeted at the Baltic Sea Region, aims to identify ways of reducing the costs and environmental impacts of transport. At the same time the
project is seeking new business opportunities for the transport sector. “One of the main areas is the development of transportation for bioenergy. The aim is to determine how road, rail and water transportation can be utilised efficiently,” Viitasaari says. Innoroad, a road transport expertise network located in the Jyväskylä Region, is contributing its own know-how to the project. The areas concerned are the optimisation of logistics operations, pro-environmental innovations in transport systems, and research into transport emissions. The project, which will run until the beginning of 2012, involves 24 partners from Finland, Germany, Sweden, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Lithuania and Poland. n • www.innoroadpark.fi
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Consumer awareness of responsible production is increasing
Sacked workers all pondering the same question
Taking care of tomorrow
What will become of me?
Words by PIA TERVOJA, Photos by PETTERI KIVIMÄKI
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esponsible consumption has developed from a marginal phenomenon into a mainstream trend. Consumers are now more aware and think – sometimes on a daily basis – about the ethical and ecological aspects of the foodstuffs and other products they buy. “Individual consumers find it difficult to focus on all the different aspects, so most choose to concentrate on a specific theme. One person will avoid products made using child labour, while another will emphasise the ecological side,” says Terhi-Anna Wilska, Professor of Sociology at the University of Jyväskylä. Discussion of negative issues related to production can
upset people, causing them to become indifferent. Many end up thinking only about their own wallet and buy the cheapest products. “Research has shown that many people shift responsibility to companies. They think that producers should themselves be responsible and take care of things because it’s difficult for consumers to influence production conditions.” Wilska states that most consumers put their trust in technology. They believe that ethical or environmental problems associated with production will be eliminated or at least reduced in future, provided that the right kind of technology can be developed.
Learning about carbon footprints in school Professor Wilska has researched consumption behaviour, particularly among young people. She says that young people have a good basic knowledge of responsible consumption and they are very familiar with the concepts of the carbon footprint or ecological backpack. “Youth is a very self-centred stage of life, however. Young people live for the moment and cannot be bothered to think about the future of the planet.” Young consumers think that doing without things is boring. If ecological or ethical products look good and fit in with today’s trends then they sell better. Terhi-Anna Wilska goes on to say that the most respon sible consumers of all are women in the Baby Boom Generation. Having grown up in an agrarian society, these women learnt concepts like recycling as young children. Wilska believes that the children and young people of today will grow up to become more responsible consumers. They will start to see the importance of ecological and eth ical matters by the time they have their own children.
Responsibility is today’s luxury
“In a certain sense, responsible consumption can be considered to be today’s luxury. If you want to be an aware consumer then choose more expensive organic foodstuffs, fair trade products and vintage items,” says Terhi-Anna Wilska.
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The emphasis on responsible consumption has not cut consumption overall. Even the recession only reduced consumption of special items. Terhi-Anna Wilska says that Finland did not become a consumer society until the 1960s and ‘70s. It is therefore only now that Finns have developed a taste for consumption. “People do not buy less, but they do buy slightly different products. They tend to emphasise quality and durability when they talk about their consumption; in actual fact they do upgrade their home entertainment equipment every few years, for example.” Modern consumers want individual products with a hint of luxury. Finnish consumers are very price conscious, but people with sufficiently high incomes can be persuaded to buy more expensive products. n
Jyväskylä • Human Technology City
Words by tommi salo, Photos by petteri kivimäki
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aking employees redundant can be conducted in many ways, some better, others worse. Simply the threat of redundancy eats away at a work community, so the boss’s way of operating and taking the personnel into account is of key importance from the viewpoint of the final result. “In a redundancy situation employees have three worries. What will become of me, what will become of me and what will become of me,” emphasises Professor Anna-Maija Lämsä of the University of Jyväskylä. Lämsä says that the first question in the proper conduct of redundancies is whether the redundancies are justified. If the company’s situation demands a reduction in the number of employees, then management has to consider how and on what grounds personnel are to be laid off. “The justifications have to be transparent. In a redundancy situation people must be treated well. They must be told the reasons for their dismissal in a personal discussion. It would also be good for the management to consider whether employees can be assisted in finding a new job,” Lämsä continues. Among other things Professor Lämsä has studied ethical issues related to human resource management and written a doctoral thesis on the ethics of redundancies.
Trust the foundation for everything
“An ethical orientation has be-
Lämsä suggests the debate over management ethics has spread in new directions since the recession of the early 1990s. At that time Finland was forced to endure the impacts of one of the worst economic crises in the country’s history. “An ethical orientation has become more widespread among managers. Now managers give more thought to their own responsibilities and taking care of people. Ethical questions receive attention in management development and training for example.” Nevertheless, there are always those for whom the battle between right and wrong has little or no significance. “Roughly 15 per cent of managers reply that they do not experience ethical issues in their work,” Lämsä says with some surprise. Ethical problems are caused by a company’s financial pressures, when in the short term achieving results is a must. Many managers are also forced to fire their own staff. One ethical problem should always be at the back of every manager’s mind: how to treat the company’s workforce fairly. Lämsä issues a reminder that the functioning of a good
come more widespread among managers,” says Professor Anna-Maija Lämsä.
work community is founded on trust. Among the factors that inspire trust she lists open communication, participative leadership and fair and just practices in human resource management. “Uncertainty debilitates organisations. It is created when there is a contradiction between what is said and the way things are actually done.” An essential feature of openness is an ability to admit mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes, including the company’s senior management. Lämsä points out that in every organisation there should be space for correcting and forgiving mistakes. In her view the functioning of the work community can be measured by how mistakes are dealt with and what is learned from them. n
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Bioenergy from Central Finland In Central Finland the bioenergy branch has a “secret weapon”. For enterprises it opens up the opportunity for new kinds of testing as well as exports of bioenergyrelated equipment to the international market. Words by tommi salo, Photo by petteri kivimäki
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he “secret weapon” is something not found elsewhere in Finland. It is located at the Bioenergy Development Centre (BDC) in Saarijärvi, 65 kilometres north-west of Jyväskylä. That special something is a newgeneration boiler testing laboratory which bioenergy-branch companies can make use of in their product development. The boiler testing laboratory is set to be the only place in Finland where it is possible to study and test run heating boilers as big as 1 000 kilowatts in size. JAMK University of Applied Sciences, in cooperation with VTT Expert Ser vices Oy, is building an accredited testing service for heating boilers rated at up to 500 kilowatts, which guarantees the exploitability of the test results where exports are concerned, too. “The objective is to work with companies operating in the bio energy branch to develop novel solutions. We can help to test ideas and conduct product development,” says Head of Department Pekka Äänismaa of JAMK University of Applied Sciences. The BDC is located at JAMK’s Saarijärvi unit. Its task is to generate and disseminate new information as well as boost companies’ competitiveness and opportunities for growth in the bioenergy branch.
Keeping rural areas economically viable The boiler testing laboratory is one demonstration of the solid
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bioenergy expertise to be found in Central Finland. The region has long traditions in the use of wood and the development of biofuels. “Bioenergy is the most important form of energy by which Finland is planning to achieve its climate target. It will also help to boost economic activity in rural areas, since the bioenergy branch is one of the few growth segments in sparsely populated areas. We still have work to do on refining different types of biomass and finding new uses for them,” comments Äänismaa on the current major interest in bioenergy. One new departure would be to decentralize the production of electricity with the help of biomass. Äänismaa finds the thought of small-scale production of heat and electricity using biofuels interesting. “Wood could be turned into wood-gas, for instance, and then used. The development of totally new fuels from biomass also strikes a chord. These new ideas are still in search of a commercial foothold.” Äänismaa explains that in future, too, the focus of development will be on improving the growing, harvesting and logistics chain of biofuels and on using various forms of biomass in small-sized plants. It is also essential to study biofuel handling and quality management as well as associated emissions. It is around all these that entrepren eurship in the bioenergy-branch will revolve and which, appropriately supported, will generate new business and new jobs. n
A step ahead of the others
Export business worth hundreds of millions
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y the end of 2010 Central Finland will possess nine power plants making use of biofuels with a total thermal power of over 1 500 megawatts. The plants predomin antly use biomass harvested locally. “Virtually all municipalities in Central Finland make use of biofuels for their district heating. The region also has an increasing number of systems in specific building complexes that employ biofuels,” ventures Markku Paananen, Development Manager with the Dynamic Bio energy Cluster Programme. Central Finland is blessed with exceptionally extensive expertise in the study and use of biofuels. The region has long had a number of industrial players with an interest in using bioenergy. In addition visionary decisions and investments have been made in Central Finland to assist in developing bioenergy. Experience and knowhow are also being used to the full to boost exports. Paananen explains that technology developed in Central Finland is one of the bioenergy branch’s export products. There may also be demand abroad for specialist knowhow, in the form of different training packages, for instance. “We would also have a chance to take bio energy into the international market. Perhaps in the future Central Finland will also become an exporter of biofuels,” Paananen continues. The branch’s goal is for the value of exports from Central Finland to reach EUR 200 million by 2015. According to Paananen, in the short term the opportunities lie in Europe, but North America and Asia are also potential export markets. n
As a growth branch, bioenergy has a significant role in maintaining prosperity in rural areas, stresses Pekka Äänismaa of JAMK University of Applied Sciences.
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Light and shadows
Photography can be used to focus attention on social injustice and provoke discussion about people who are marginalised from society. This is the view of Mika Juhani Luomansivu, a photographer based in Jyväskylä, who recently took one of the top places in Europe’s largest photography competition. His series Mirror of our dreams about marginalised people earned him third prize in the 2009 Prix de la Photographie Paris (PX3).
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Words by timo sillanpää, Photos by Petteri Kivimäki, mika juhani luomansivu
fter a long search, photographer Mika Juhani Luomansivu (40) has found a profession which offers him new creative dimensions every day. At the moment he feels that he has so far only scratched the surface of photogra phy, a means of expression which is already more than two centuries old. He says that he is particularly interested in the relationship between light and shadows: the right light brings out the very essence of the subject. “I’m especially interested in photographing people and objects. People have their own personality and objects have their own faces, too. The old masters, like Yousuf Karsh and Richard Avedon, knew how to use light,” Luomansivu says. He believes in the power of minimalist photographs and their new popularity in a world saturated with information. Luomansivu says that he is pleased he has found a profession that allows him to realise his creativity and constantly stretch his abilities. It has taken him a long time to find his own place, and he has tried his hand at many different types of work over the years.
Bringing Elvis into the RE class “To begin with I spent a couple of years training to be a cook, but I dropped out and went to work on a building site. When I’d done my military service I got into the music scene, carried along by punk rock. I was young and restless,” Luomansivu recalls. He says that he is creative by nature, and recalls
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that the teachers at his school urged him to go into the theatre. His creativity came out in many ways, such as the time during his schooldays when he climbed onto his desk and started singing Elvis during a religious education class. “Even though I knew that I had creativity inside me, I drifted into business and computer studies. When I was just over twenty I got a vocational qualification in business and administration. I then set up my own company producing advertising stickers and bought my first camera. Since then a camera has been a natural part of my working day.” Luomansivu was initially keen on natural subjects: he was fascinated by different compositions and colours. He maintained his interest in photography while studying IT at JAMK University of Applied Sciences. When he completed his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Luomansivu worked for six years as a systems specialist with telecoms company Elisa Oyj. “The work felt great to begin with. But gradually I started to feel that the world of IT was empty and cold, even though the pay and conditions were good. I kept longing to do creative work and shot a lot of pictures in my spare time.” At the age of 36 Luomansivu finally took the decision he had been thinking about for years and enrolled at Jyväskylä Institute of Adult Education to study photography. Eighteen months later he gained his Further Qualification in Photography, and set up
Jyväskylä • Human Technology City
his own studio in early 2007. “I felt straightaway that photography was the right subject to study. The qualification has given me a good basis for my work: we studied the various stages in the photographic process, lighting techniques, studio and field work, image manipulation and many other aspects that are essential to a professional photographer,” Luomansivu explains.
When dreams don’t come true Luomansivu is now studying at the Institute of Visual Communications with the aim of gaining a Specialist Qualification in Photography. He particularly wants to learn how to assess his own work himself, which is an essential skill for photographers. During his short career as a professional photographer, Luomansivu has already achieved international recognition. He was awarded third prize in the category Book (Series Only) in Europe’s biggest photography competition, the PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris, and he also received a commendation. Luomansivu’s entry consisted of portraits of homeless and marginalised men and is entitled Mirror of our dreams. “I wanted to highlight people whose dreams have never come true and to stimulate the debate about the hard values in our society. The people in the photos have fallen through the cracks, they are outside society and they have become invisible to ordinary people.” Mirror of our dreams is part of a larger series focusing on humanity, which Luomansivu continues to work on. He intends to do portraits of Second World War veterans and women who worked in the Lotta Svärd organisation, and he also has a plan to photograph Bolivian women who have suffered violence. n • http://luomansivu.fi/studio/
“I’m especially interested in photographing people and objects. People have their own personality and objects have their own faces, too.” MIKA juhani luomansivu
Samples of portrait photographs taken by Mika Juhani Luomansivu
These pictures were taken as promo photos for the play ‘Ansa’ (‘The Trap’). Kari Kihlström in the role of the inspector, with Eeva Hakulinen as Florence.
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Rally celebrates its 60th jubilee in Jyväskylä
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As a world champion with huge experience Tommi Mäkinen (right) knows how a good rally car is put together. Helping Mäkinen to build Subaru Group N rally cars are Teppo Kallio (left) and Ville Tuominen.
All the experience of a champion
Tommi Mäkinen Racing builds rally cars, polishes drivers’ skills and offers experiential events services. The business is being developed with the skills and knowledge only a four-time world rally champion can provide. Words by tommi salo, Photos by petteri kivimäki, matti turpeinen
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ommi Mäkinen demonstrated his ability as a rally driver during a long and illustrious career. Four world championships at the end of the 1990s tell all about the man’s car-handling skills. The rally experience and knowledge Mäkinen built up over the years are now being put to good use in a company he owns, and which carries his name: Tommi Mäkinen Racing. The company, which was launched in 2004, is a high technology rally car factory, which develops Subaru Group
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N rally cars and equips them for use in competitions. Engineer support as well as a parts and maintenance ser vice are also on offer. Mäkinen’s experience is also much in demand at the company’s rally school, where both Finnish and foreign drivers get the chance to polish their rally driving skills. In the early part of 2010 Tommi Mäkinen Events was added to the company’s palette of products and services. For the bold, Tommi Mäki nen Events can offer a chance to occupy the co-driver’s seat in a real rally
car or take part in an ATV safari, as well more traditional congress services tailored for groups. “My own experiences have helped tremendously in developing the business. I reckon I know pretty well what drivers are thinking, having seen the rally world from the other side. The main focus of our business is still under consideration, in tight cooperation with the Subaru factory in Japan,” Mäkinen reveals.
Customers around the world The premises occupied by Tommi Mäkinen Racing at least provide an excellent opportunity for expanding operations. The modern, 2 500 square
Jyväskylä • Human Technology City
yväskylä has witnessed an unbroken series of rallies since 1951. Between the hero of the first event, Arvo Karlsson, and the winner in 2009, Mikko Hirvonen, 24 different drivers have enjoyed the sweet taste of victory. Pride of place on the list is taken by Marcus Grönholm with seven wins to his name. The very first rally featured 26 cars, of which 23 made it to the finish. The competition was 1 666 kilometres in length and the route took competitors as far north as the Arctic Circle. The rally had two special tests in the literal sense: a hill climb up Kuopio’s Puijo and an acceleration and braking test on Harjukatu, a street in Jyväskylä. At Neste Oil Rally Finland 2010 the 60th jubilee can be seen both in the way the occasion is presented and in the lineup of events, reveals Event Manager Tiina Lehmonen of AKK Sports Ltd. In honour of its anniversary the Finnish round of the World Rally Championship will offer rally visitors a wide range of supporting events such as the Historic Car Parade which is certain to be big on nostalgia with vehicles from both Finland and abroad. ”The parade will pass through certain special stages ahead of the competitors. Rally fans will have other opportunities to take a look at the cars during the rally”, Lehmonen explains. At rally HQ, Jyväskylä Paviljonki, visi-
metre facility was opened in Puuppola, roughly ten kilometres north of Jyväskylä, in the summer of 2009. Tommi Mäkinen Racing’s dealings with the Subaru factory are exceptionally close indeed. Small Subaru teams can be found in many places, but in Europe there are only a handful of players engaged in cooperation direct with the factory on such a scale. Another thing that sets the company apart is the extensive parts service. “We are able to offer our customers a fast service within Europe,” says Mäkinen. Tommi Mäkinen Racing’s market area covers the entire world. Over ninety per cent of the firm’s turnover comes from beyond Finland’s shores.
Hannu Mikkola shows how to handle the jumps on the Ehikki special stage in 1973. That year he was not quite fast enough to take top spot, but the following year Mikkola celebrated his fourth victory in Jyväskylä. tors can enjoy the jubilee exhibition in which the history of this legendary event is recounted with the help of historic cars, press cuttings and photographs. The 60th jubilee celebrations as such will take place on Saturday evening, 31.7. Topping the bill at the event will be Lenin-
grad Cowboys. The evening will culminate in the biggest firework display ever organised in Finland. n • Neste Oil Rally Finland 2010 will be staged 29.–31.7. www.nesteoilrallyfinland.fi
Attention to environmental issues • FIA, the governing body of motorsport, is introducing measures that will lead to a reduction in emissions from rally vehicles. The international rule trend in motorsport seeks to minimize the load on the environment in a number of ways, including the development of new technology that will cut environmental loading. • At Neste Oil Rally Finland the focus is on reducing the amount of waste generated by the event and seeing to it that waste is recycled. • Spectators will increasingly be taken to the special stages by bus, in order to cut down the amount of private motoring. • The vehicles used by the event organisers will run on biofuels. • The rally’s media centre has cut the number of print-outs. • The organiser of the rally, AKK Sports Ltd, is committed to the use of environmentally friendly solutions and also requires these of all its subcontractors.
”My own experiences have helped tremendously in developing the business,” says Tommi Mäkinen.
“We’re constantly visiting customers around the world. Naturally I still follow the world rally championship, but
I haven’t managed to watch a single rally on the spot.” There is, however, one rally event where Mäkinen is always present. The Finnish round of the WRC calendar in Jyväskylä became familiar to him as a spectator while still a boy. Mäki nen, who competed in his first rally in 1985, has subsequently celebrated WRC victory in Jyväskylä on no less than five occasions. “That Frenchman (Sébastien Loeb) seems to have such a firm hold on the world rally championship, but here in our own back yard my money is on the Finnish drivers,” Mäkinen says of the current rally season. n • www.tommimakinen.com
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A city that’s both big enough and small enough
We asked three foreigners living in Jyväskylä why they chose to make their home here. 1. What brought you to Jyväskylä? 2. What is Jyväskylä like as a place to live? 3. What is Jyväskylä like as a place to work or do business? Words by tommi salo, Photos by petteri kivimäki
Iryna Stupina Iryna Stupina, from Ukraine, moved to Jyväskylä in 2002. She has worked at the Valtra tractor company since 2006. She is presently employed as an Export Assistant, covering the Baltic States, Central Europe and the Balkans. 1. “I moved to Finland for family reasons. In Ukraine I had a university degree and more than ten years of experience working in different companies. In Finland I wanted to continue my studies. I enrolled at JAMK University of Applied Sciences and I graduated from the International Business Programme in 2009. While I was studying I did a project about Ukraine for Valtra, and I got a job there.” 2. “Jyväskylä is a beautiful city, with a lake almost in the centre. The city and its natural surroundings are very pleasant all year round. The most difficult time for me is late autumn, when it starts to get dark very early. There are large numbers of students in Jyväskylä, making it a young, multicultural city. There’s always something happening.” 3. “People coming from a different culture can find work in Jyväskylä, especially with international companies. This gives you a chance to use your language skills and knowledge of other business cultures.” n
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Graham Burns Graham Burns is originally from Manchester in the UK. He joined the army at the age of 16 and served all over the world for the following 26 years. After leaving the army he studied in the UK and gained a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) qualification. He has lived in Jyväskylä since 2005. 1. “I was in Croatia and met my future wife, who’s from Finland. In 2005 she got a job with JAMK University of Applied Sciences and we decided to move to Jyväskylä. From 2005 to 2009 I worked for companies in the Jyväskylä area, then I started my own business. My company offers English language teaching and training in intercultural communication.” 2. “The people of this area are open, once you get to know them. Winter is not my favourite time of year, but otherwise Jyväskylä is a good place to live. The city is compact, with all the services you need close at hand, and without all the hustle and bustle you get in big cities.” 3. “The Jyväskylä Region wants to develop international business, but companies need to widen their perspectives and not be afraid of losing control when they move into the international markets. Jyväskylä Region has a lot of experience and know-how in certain areas of business, such as high tech.” n
Jyväskylä • Human Technology City
City’s appeal assists recruiting
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inding a solution to the shortage of labour is currently a challenge for many Finnish cities and one set to become more difficult in the future. In many branches the competition for personnel is already intense. Head of Recruiting Mia-Riitta Allik from the City of Jyväskylä says that the labour shortage can be seen in the Jyväskylä Region, too. Jyväskylä’s situation is helped by the fact that the city is one of the favourite places to move to. In particular, those contemplating a move rate Jyväskylä highly as a residential environment and consider it a safe place in which to raise children. “We’re able to attract new people to Jyväskylä. Nowadays moving is not looked at simply from an employment perspective. In addition to job opportunities people weigh up all the other things on offer, for example, schools and day-care centres for their children as well as recreational facilities for adults and children alike,” says Allik of Jyväskylä’s strengths in the competition. Involving international students in working life
Alison Doolittle-Suokas Alison Doolittle-Suokas is from Indiana in the USA and came to Jyväskylä in 1994 to study Art Education at the university. Having changed her plans a number of times, she graduated from JAMK University of Applied Sciences’ International Business Programme in 2004. She has lived in Jyväskylä for a total of 15 years and in Helsinki for one year. At present she is Marketing Manager of Emfit Ltd, which is located in Vaajakoski near Jyväskylä. 1. “I felt as though I belonged here – the people are great. I made a lot of friends and found work in the Jyväskylä area. Free education was a good bonus, but it wasn’t the actual reason I stayed in Jyväskylä. Since finishing my studies I’ve done a lot of different kinds of work in and around Jyväskylä, from graphic designer to managing director.” 2. “Jyväskylä is both big enough and small enough. All the services you need are here, and they are close by. Winter is really beautiful here.” 3. “Some companies are really interested in employees with a foreign background. However, some are slightly afraid of them. With a bit of persistence I’ve always managed to find work for myself. Jyväskylä is a good location for international companies. Business premises are available at reasonable rates, it’s a good place to live and work, and the flight time from Helsinki is quite short.” n
Foreigners living in Finland as well as those moving to the country form an excellent resource for easing the labour shortage. Immigrants in Jyväskylä have been offered access to education and training, while those who have obtained a degree in their home country can take extra studies in order to have their qualifications recognised in Finland. International students following courses in the Jyväskylä Region constitute a huge opportunity. “First we have to establish how many students would be prepared to remain here after completing their studies. Many have said they would stay if there was a job available. Well, we have work available, so the word if can be safely forgotten,” Allik underlines. The City of Jyväskylä and JAMK University of Applied Sciences have intensified their cooperation in questions related to the employment of people with a foreign background. One target is to integrate international students more and more closely into Finnish working life already during their studies. n
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slapshots an hour A simulator can assist with shot accuracy and skating technique improved on a skating treadmill – uphill, for instance. Ice hockey training is rendered more effective when the very latest technology is employed to boost skills. Words by tommi salo, Photos by petteri kivimäki
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epetition, repetition, repetition… That’s how top-flight skills are perfected in many sports disciplines. At the end of 2009 Finland’s first private training centre focusing on skills coaching for ice hockey was opened in Jyväskylä. At the Breakaway Hockey Centre state-of-the-art technology has been harnessed for the individual improve-
ment of skills. “We offer an opportunity for individual guided training, on which feedback is provided immediately. The amount of repetitions and feedback is bigger than in training sessions with a team,” explains the company’s Chief Operating Officer and Head Coach Marko Pykälä. Ice hockey players have the chance to improve their skating technique, puckhandling, passing and shooting using the fruits of the latest technology: a skating treadmill, a shot simulator and as far as is known Finland’s largest area of synthetic ice. The ShootOut simulator is identical to the one in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. “All training data relating to skating to skating and shooting are documen ted. To assist training we use videos, mirrors and the experienced eye of a professional coach,” Pykälä continues.
First in Jyväskylä, then elsewhere
Ice hockey players have the chance to improve their skating technique for example on a skating treadmill.
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Underpinning the business idea of the Breakaway Hockey Centre is the master’s thesis written by the company’s Chief Executive Officer and Coach Timo Salonen at the University of Jy-
Coach Timo Salonen (left) and Head Coach Marko Pykälä (third from left) believe that the new training centre focused on discipline-specific skills coaching could change ice hockey training culture as a whole, also where junior ice hockey players are concerned.
väskylä. Salonen studied the influence of balance on skating speed. “Very little scientific research has been done on skating. Learning the skill in this kind of environment is virgin territory relatively speaking. So we’re confronted by questions of what learning is based on and how it can be boosted,” states Salonen. Salonen and Pykälä developed the business idea for almost two years and sought funding from various sources. Instead of franchise entrepreneurship they wanted to see how far their own wings would carry them. “The plan is to get the concept
Jyväskylä • Human Technology City
working well in Jyväskylä, and then someone else could spread it on a franchise basis to other parts of Finland. We’ve had initial discussions about expanding operations to Russia as well,” Pykälä reveals. Salonen and Pykälä say they considered the potential for running a rehabilitation clinic. With the help of the Breakaway Hockey Centre’s services
the rehabilitation periods of professional athletes could be made more aggressive than before. Instead of an athlete having to go it alone rehabilitation could be conducted in groups.
New products generated by research The Breakaway Hockey Centre operates in partnership with the Univer-
“So we’re confronted by questions of what learning is based on and how it can be boosted.”
sity of Jyväskylä. Salonen stresses that cooperation with the university makes the Breakaway Hockey Centre not just a training centre but also a centre for research. “The idea is to find the company new products through research.” As knowledge and experience accrue the entrepreneurs behind the training centre believe it is possible to change ice hockey’s whole training culture. In their view new-style individual training supported by leadingedge technology could in future be a part of normal team training, not simply an extension to it. n
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Parkour group The Concept of Dash and dance artist Helena Ratinen are the Central Finland guides at the Shanghai World Expo 2010. Words by pia tervoja, Photos by Petteri Kivimäki and matti häyrynen
Dance artist Helena Ratinen includes elements of architecture and design in her performance. In her piece ‘To the Bone’ a bookshelf designed by interior architect Simo Heikkilä acts as Ratinen’s “partner”.
Destination:
Shanghai
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he Finland pavilion at World Expo 2010 in Shanghai features artists from Finland’s different regions working as performing guides and promoting Finnish culture and know-how. At the same time they introduce visitors to the themes of the exhibition. One thing that Central Finland’s artist guides, The Concept of Dash and Helena Ratinen, have in common is their original way of appropriating public spaces and the public environment.
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Parkour is a physical discipline which involves training to overcome obstacles: in the urban environment it makes use of walls, railings, steps and other structures. Parkour is practised in public places. For her part, dance artist Helena Ratinen has taken contemporary dance away from the stage and into museums, parks and other public spaces where people are not used to seeing dance. She seeks to use dance to highlight architectural elements and details of the space where she performs.
In the parkour community Jyväskylä is known as the heart of Finnish parkour. The city is home to a Parkour Academy and Finland’s first parkour park.
Parkour is a type of performing art Parkour in Jyväskylä has been pioneered by a fairly small but active group of young men. The Concept of Dash group now includes Finland’s only professional parkour practitioners. “At the very start we set out to
Jyväskylä • Human Technology City
Jaakko Junttila (upside down) and Mika Vuoriainen (side on) are off to Expo 2010 Shanghai to demonstrate parkour skills developed in Central Finland.
develop parkour professionally. We wanted to question why things are done in a certain way. We’ve also systematically developed parkour training and teaching,” says Perttu “Spider” Pihlaja. Every week over 500 participants – ranging in age from young children to adults – take part in guided practice sessions. Parkour is a form of creative movement without restrictive rules, and regular practice plays its own important part. “In the practice sessions participants learn how to make the moves safely.
It’s important to warm up properly and, when practising, to focus on preventing injury by taking the necessary care and doing body maintenance. There’s no right or wrong way of doing things in parkour, though, and everyone can find their own way of getting over a railing or wall, for example,” says Jaakko Junttila. Perttu Pihlaja stresses that young participants are taught at an early stage how to practise parkour in a responsible way. Parkour should not leave any marks or traces in public spaces and the structures used are always checked first to ensure they will withstand parkour practice. The acrobatic nature of parkour means it is also an exciting form of art to watch. The members of The Concept of Dash have refined their parkour moves into a type of performing art. “We’ve introduced storylines into our performances, which is something new in Finland and internationally. We hope that the World Expo will help our group to find new channels to take our skills and knowledge to new places in the world,” Pihlaja explains.
Guiding Expo visitors with dance Dance artist Helena Ratinen of Jyväskylä was invited to perform as an
artist guide at the Finland pavilion during July. In her performances she concentrates on site-specific dance. She is interested in exploring ways of taking dance into environments that are different and unexpected. Ratinen has also developed the concept of exhibition guiding using her own body. This concept can be used to highlight architecture, paintings and other visual works, and even objects, in a totally new way. “I developed the concept Kehon vuoro around ten years ago, working in Jyväskylä Art Museum. I introduced the audience to a display of photographs through mime and dance and involved the audience in easy moving as well,” Helena Ratinen explains. The use of the body as a tool to guide exhibition visitors brings to gether many themes that fascinate Helena Ratinen. “I’ve got people moving, participa ting and looking at things in a new way. At the World Expo I aim to use dance to highlight Finnish design products and the unique architecture of the pavilion.” Helena Ratinen is a versatile artist, and in Shanghai she will have the opportunity to show another facet of her art. She is interested in meditative movement and Japanese butoh dance. “I will also be dancing in the water around the Finland pavilion.” n
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In brief Photo: Jyväskylän Kesä 2009/Mikko Vähäniitty
Ali Taskiran
Architecture • Art • Culture • Design • Environment Science • Events • News • Sport • Life • Education
A new website – www.worldishere.fi – has been set up to help companies recruit international students in the Jyväskylä Region. Foreign students enrolled at the University of Jyväskylä, JAMK University of Applied Sciences and Jyväskylä Educational Consortium can use the site to submit applications and provide information about their skills and competence. Employers can announce job vacancies and open internships, and review the students’ profiles. “The site is a meeting place which puts employers in direct contact with international students. It’s important for companies to use the skills and expertise of foreign students living in the Jyväskylä Region”, says Tiina Saarinen, Coordinator at the University of Jyväskylä. n
World music star Yasmin Levy skilfully combines two old musical traditions; rarely performed ladino music and the more familiar flamenco. Lucius Fontenot
By Tommi Salo
New circus troupe Circo Aereo entertained people in the pedestrian precinct at the opening of the 2009 Jyväskylä Festival with a performance entitled “Rust and Circus”.
Gourmet’s guide to world music
Cedric Watson has attracted international attention and praise for his cajun and creole-influenced music.
In July Jyväskylä Festival
urban arts festival in the Nordic countries. Nowadays the festival treats its visitors to concerts of a high international standard and an exceptionally broad spectrum of non-verbal theatre. Finnish performers can be encountered chiefly in the club concerts, the children’s programme and the various courses on offer. The festival programme comprises almost a hundred events, of which as many as half are free events in the city’s streets and parks. Last summer Jyväskylä Arts Festival achieved its target of 40 000 visitors, which is the festival’s all-time record.
puts on a comprehensive spread of world music superstars. Israel’s Yasmin Levy is the true star guest at this year’s Jyväskylä Festival. The music performed by this lady with the spectacular voice reveals the influences of two old musical traditions. With her flamenco and rare ladino music Levy has risen to become a front-row ethno musician. Yasmin Levy’s concert constitutes an excellent example of the way this urban
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festival with long, long traditions has always brought top names in world music to Jyväskylä. According to Festival Manager Tanja Rasi this year the festival’s international offering is exceptionally generous. She also makes special mention of the young, multitalented Cedric Watson, who is one of the most famous creoleinfluenced musical artists of recent years. Watson was nominated for a Grammy award immediately his first solo album appeared. Another enthusiastically awaited guest is America’s Linda Tillery, who brings her Cultural Heritage Choir to Jyväskylä. The choir, renowned for its performances of original Afro-American music, will also
give a concert with Finland’s Rajattomat a cappella ensemble. A Nordic flavour to this year’s festival is provided by Farmers Market from Norway. This fun-loving, boisterous ensemble rejoices in producing new versions of classics such as Abba’s hits. “This group’s music can’t be put in any particular category. It can change in an instant from jazz to rock. They are hilarious, but take what they do seriously,” Tanja Rasi explains. Finnish contribution visible in the clubs and children’s programme Jyväskylä Festival, which celebrates its 55th birthday this year, is the oldest
Jyväskylä • Human Technology City
n
By Pia Tervoja
55th Jyväskylä Arts Festival 13.–18.7. www.jyvaskylankesa.fi
Recruitment site brings companies and students together
Finnish network organises entrance exams around the world In early 2010 the Finnish Network for International Business Studies (FINNIBS) organised entrance examinations in twelve different countries for foreign-language education programmes at Finnish institutions. Over 2 000 applicants were invited to take the entrance exams, which were held in Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, India, Nepal, Russia, Latvia, Hungary, and Poland. The objective of the universities of applied sciences in the FINNIBS network is to get competent and motivated students into their foreignlanguage bachelor’s degree programmes. The opportunity to meet applicants at the entrance examination is an important part of the selection process. The FINNIBS network was set up at the end of 2009 and includes 14 Finnish universities of applied sciences offering a total of 43 programmes in six different areas. The network is coordinated by JAMK University of Applied Sciences. n By Tommi Salo
Business in Buenos Aires awaits JAMK students JAMK University of Applied Sciences is offering a special study programme in Business Studies in Latin America for the eighth time at its partner institution in Buenos Aires, Universidad Argentina de la Empresa (UADE). Students will familiarise themselves with the challenges which Finnish and European industries, companies or organizations may encounter when doing business in Latin America. The programme focuses on the economy and business environment of Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Mexico. The competences and learning outcomes of this Latin America business programme form an integral part of the degree programme at the home institution of each participating student. Around 50 students from Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences will be selected for this programme each year. ”Students get the chance to discover the opportunities but also to recognise possible risks in operating in the Latin American business environment and culture. Students are encouraged to develop an ability to resolve problems from the different perspectives of leadership and strategic management,” says Risto Korkia-Aho, Senior Lecturer and International Affairs Coordinator of the School of Business and Services Management at JAMK University of Applied Sciences. n
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In brief Jyväskylä introduces e-voucher for services
Architecture • Art • Culture • Design • Environment Science • Events • News • Sport • Life • Education
EVENTS
21.–22.8. Invisible – The Origin of Product Identity The sixth international Alvar Aalto Design Seminar
22.9.–24.10. City of Light event is big on experience Jyväskylä is currently getting ready for the City of Light event to be staged 22.9.–24.10. The event, which focuses on quality lighting of the urban environment, will again present a number of permanent illuminated locations, some of which are new and some completed previously. Further spice is added by exciting experimental illuminated locations and light installations. Jyväskylä is the first place in Finland to have grasped the importance of new-style lighting in built-up areas. The results of this endeavour are on show in the City of Light events, but the real work takes place in the time between these happenings. The city’s achievements in the field of urban illumination have attracted international attention, too: in 2009 Jyväskylä won first prize in the international city.people.light awards. n
The international Alvar Aalto Design Seminar to be held in Jyväskylä in August will bring together design professionals and students. The theme “Invisible – The Origin of Product Identity”, has been planned by Timo Salli, a designer and Professor at the Aalto University School of Art and Design. The seminar will explore the creative process of the designer, something that does not show in the final product. Speakers include industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa (Japan) industrial designer Ross Lovegrove (UK), designer Inga Sempé (France), design consultant Professor Hans Maier-Aichen (Ger many), design group Front (Sweden), interior designer Simo Heikkilä (Finland) and designer Clemens Weisshaar (Germany). n
• http://valonkaupunki.jyvaskyla.fi/english
• www.alvaraalto.fi JUHANA KONTTINEN
Jyväskylä has become the first city in Finland to introduce e-vouchers for purchasing services. The vouchers can be used by senior citizens or families with small children, for example, to pay for home care and home nursing. The internet-based e-vouchers replace the paper vouchers that have been in use in Jyväskylä since 2008. Jyväskylä has worked with Smartum Oy to develop the service voucher system. Smartum is a Finnish company that has developed a range of targeted benefit payment means for companies and municipalities, and it handles the actual transfers of money. Private service providers receive payment from Smartum for the work they have done, and Smartum receives funds from the city to pay for the services. “This solution streamlines payments and money transfers and improves the scope for monitoring the use of services,” says Riitta Pylvänen, Project Manager of Jyväskylä Regional Development Company Jykes Ltd. The city of Jyväskylä and Jykes have been developing the service vouchers for a number of years. The objective has been to increase customer choice in the purchase of social and health services. People living in Jyväskylä can use the service vouchers to purchase welfare services from private providers who meet the requirements set by the city. n By Timo Sillanpää
Design centre dedicated to Alvar Aalto to open in Helsinki Plans are afoot to build a design centre dedicated to the world-famous architect Alvar Aalto in Helsinki. The new centre would offer the general public a chance to acquaint themselves with Aalto first and foremost as a designer. The design centre’s goal is to showcase, by means of temporary exhibitions, Aalto’s work as a designer – for example, also less well known exclusive design products such as gold jewellery. According to current plans the new AAMU design centre will be located in the Rautatalo building – also penned by Aalto – right in the heart of Helsinki. The aim is for the design centre to open to the public on Aalto’s birthday, 3.12.2012, as part of World Design Helsinki 2012 proceedings. n By Tommi Salo Maija Holma, Alvar Aalto Museum
• www.alvaraalto.fi/museum
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Alvar and Aino Aalto designed the ”Aallon kukka” flower set for the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
Kuokkala bridge illuminated according to a ‘Golden Bridge’ theme.
30.11.–1.12. The power of the Baltic Sea macro-region
27.–29.10. Nanoscience Days 2010 Nanoscience Days is aimed at scientists from all disciplines who are interested in nanoscience and nanotechnology. The event is open and free. The topics of the Nanoscience Days seminars present a balanced overview of new results, emerging trends and perspectives in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The seminar provides an interdisciplinary forum for presenting and discussing fundamental and technological developments. NSDays 2009 brought 262 researchers from 14 countries to Jyväskylä. n • www.jyu.fi/science/muut_yksikot/nsc/en/nsdays/main
24.–27.8. ICCPR2010 – The 6th International Conference on Cultural Policy Research
The Baltic Sea Region Programme conference “The power of the Baltic Sea macro-region”, to be held in Jyväskylä from 30 November to 1 December, will gather policy makers and representatives of national, regional and local authorities from all the countries bordering the Baltic Sea and beyond. We are also expecting participants from non-governmental organisations, researchers and academics, project partners and interested project promoters - and all those dedicated to further developing the Baltic Sea region towards a model region in Europe. n
ICCPR2010 aims to provide a space for exploring cultural policies, their meanings, roles and impact in an interdisciplinary and international environment. The conference theme – Truths, Taboos and Myths of Cultural Policy – refers to the ways in which the field of cultural policy is realized and positions itself in praxis and research. The theme is not intended to set a rigid framework for proposed papers, but the organizers seek to motivate pros pective presenters to reflect on cultural policy and be selfreflective about research. The conference will be organized by the Cultural Policy unit of the University of Jyväskylä, in collaboration with the International Journal of Cultural Policy. n
• http://eu.baltic.net/
• www.jyu.fi/en/congress/iccpr2010
Jyväskylä • Human Technology City
10.6.–5.12. The Best of Finnish Wood • The best ideas and objects in Finnish wood. In cooperation with Lusto, the Finnish Forest Museum. Venue: Craft Museum of Finland www.craftmuseum.fi 13.–18.7. Jyväskylä Festival • Jyväskylä Festival is a warm-spirited urban festival that offers concerts, non-verbal theatre, seminars, clubs, a children’s programme, free events and even instruction. www.jyvaskylankesa.fi 16.–18.7. Kihveli Soikoon festival (skiffle festival) • The world’s only annual international skiffle music festival. Venue: Hankasalmi railway station www.kihvelisoikoon.com 29.–31.7. Neste Oil Rally 2010 Venue: Jyväskylä Region www.nesteoilrallyfinland.fi 23.–28.8. Athenis Finlandiae culture event Venue: Musica, University of Jyväskylä, Seminaarinmäki Campus • The idea of Athenis Finlandiae event is to provide a forum for anyone who is interested in classical culture and its languages to gather together and enjoy learning and exchanging ideas. www.athenisfinlandiae.com 23.–29.9. EUPRERA Congress 2010: Communication in a changing society; dynamics, risks and uncertainty Venue: University of Jyväskylä, Agora www.jyu.fi/en/congress/euprera 5.–7.10. Tekniikka 2010 Exhibition • Comprehensive View of Automation and Product Technology International Exhibition. Venue: Jyväskylä Paviljonki – International Congress and Trade Fair Centre www.jklpaviljonki.fi 20.–23.10. Kone Agria 2010 • Exhibition of Agricultural Machinery and Equipment. Venue: Jyväskylä Paviljonki – International Congress and Trade Fair Centre www.koneagria.fi 24.–25.11. FinnMateria 2010 • Special fair and congress in ore prospecting, mining industry, ore and mineral dressing Venue: Jyväskylä Paviljonki – International Congress and Trade Fair Centre www.jklpaviljonki.fi 25.–27.11. IFME 2010 • Invent the future – opportunities for mechanical engineering in renewable energy technologies. www.ifme.fi
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Welcome to Central Finland, the Human Technology Region! The Human Technology Region combines top-flight information technology with the human perspective in a unique trailblazing manner. Pooling our strengths and knowhow makes for a varied, flexible and idea-rich platform generating new leading edge technologies and services for an ever more successful future!
The new Jyväskylä is a strong centre of education and technology • The new City of Jyväskylä started work at the beginning of 2009. The city is made up of the old City of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä Rural Municipality and the Municipality of Korpilahti. • New Jyväskylä has 130 000 inhabitants and ranks as Finland’s seventh largest city. • After the merger Jyväskylä is an even stronger centre of education, culture, urban design and new technology. Its position at the head of developing urban regions in Finland will enjoy extra emphasis. Central Finland • Central Finland has a population of over 271 000. The region’s location in the very centre of Finland is a big advantage for visitors to con gresses and fairs
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Jyväskylä • Human Technology City
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