Jyväskylä Human Tech Center Finland 1/2014

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JYVÄSKYLÄH U M A N T E C H C E N T E R F I N L A N D S P R I N G 2 0 1 4

www.humantechnology.fi

u IN THIS ISSUE: FOCUS ON SMART SOLUTIONS

18Talented Tytti Hongisto, WorldSkills gold medallist

121420

Producing biofuelsfrom waste Romance and shrek’n’roll

Northern gardensand city lights

2 H U M A N T E C H C E N T E R F I N L A N D

S P R I N G 2 0 1 4

ISSN 2342-1002 (Online)

Editorial Office in this issue

City of Jyväskylä,

P.O.Box 193, 40101 Jyväskylä,

[email protected], www.jkl.fi

Editor-in-chief

Helinä Mäenpää

City of Jyväskylä

Editorial staff and layout

Viestintä-Paprico Oy, www.paprico.fi

This publication is brought to you by

The City of Jyväskylä, with a population of 135 000, is

one of Finland’s centres of growth. Recognised as a city

of high-quality education, Jyväskylä is also internation-

ally 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 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 multidisci-

plinary institution of higher education with a strong

international orientation and a student enrolment of

8 000. Our strengths are workplace-driven learning,

close cooperation with the labour market and busi-

ness, as well as extensive international contacts.

www.jamk.fi

Jyväskylä Educational Consortium provides vocational

and general upper secondary education to young

people and adults. The consortium’s educational insti-

tutions are attended by over 22 000 students.

www.jao.fi

Published twice yearly, Human Tech Center Finland magazine

showcases the expertise, culture and people to be found in

the Jyväskylä Region.

Printed by Kirjapaino Kari Ky Circulation 7 600 Cover photo by WorldSkills. Tytti Hongisto, Finland’s first WorldSkills gold medallist in the Fashion Technology category.

Editorial board

Satu Heikkinen (City of Jyväskylä), Miikka Kimari

(University of Jyväskylä), Taija Lappeteläinen

(Jyväskylä Regional Development Company Jykes Ltd.),

Niina Luttinen (Jyväskylä Educational Consortium),

Heli Toivola (JAMK University of Applied Sciences)

English translation

Peter Gregory

and Tony Melville

Contents

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4 Information is the crude oil of the future

4 Master’s in cyber security boosts career prospects

6 Repelling cyber threats at new trade fair

7 Companies have to withstand

even the worst of threats

8 Superhero tempts new heroes to Jyväskylä

10 Smart Kangas

11 Ideas quickly put to the test

12 Producing biofuels from waste

13 Impetus for growth from Kasvu Open

14 Romance and shrek’n’roll

18 World championship sewing skills

20 Northern gardens and city lights

22 Entrepreneurship studies from

service park to chequered flag

24 One picture > a thousand words

of marketing copy

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FIRST WORDS

JANUARY 2014

WESTERN SOCIETY IS GOING THROUGH a far-reaching

change which is forcing us to examine the basic structures of

business and industry from a completely new perspective. The

role of those branches of industry which flourished for over a

hundred years, such as the metal, forest and paper industries, is

declining as a source of livelihood.

During a time of change the pressure to react quickly is acute.

The old saying, the early bird catches the worm, applies equal-

ly well to urban regions. We must look to the future and formu-

late a clear vision of what sort of expertise will be needed in the

years to come and which factors will serve to boost the appeal

of such regions.

According to forecasts in future years the Jyväskylä Region

will continue to be one of Finland’s centres of growth. We have

boldly embarked on a variety of investment projects, the im-

pacts of which will extend decades ahead. We regard change as

an opportunity.

Construction of the Kangas area of the city is a major under-

taking which will have a positive influence both on the urban

landscape and on Jyväskylä’s image and appeal as a city. The

Kangas area, which is set to become home to roughly 5 000 peo-

ple and provide over 2 000 jobs, is situated just a stone’s throw

from the city centre.

The transformation of the Kangas area is an urban develop-

ment project stretching over several decades, the aim of which

is to create city dwelling based on an ecologically sustainable

lifestyle. The energy and ICT solutions to be implemented in

the area will permit research and development projects involv-

ing an entire city suburb. In this ambitious undertaking the city

is working in close partnership with Sitra, the Finnish Innova-

tion Fund. The second major project with impacts extending

long into the future is the new central hospital, where a whole

raft of leading-edge technological solutions will be employed.

EXAMPLES OF NEW CONSTRUCTION will already be promi-

nently on display at next summer’s Housing Fair in Jyväskylä.

This national event will attract an estimated 150 000 visitors to

the city. Located in a beautiful, quintessentially Finnish lake-

side setting just a 10 minute drive from the centre of the city,

Change also presents an opportunity

the Äijälänranta Hous-

ing Fair area will show-

case the latest trends

in housing and home

decoration. Jyväskylä’s

compact structure per-

mits solutions for liv-

ing in which nature,

human-centred tech-

nology and an urban

milieu combine harmo-

niously, offering oppor-

tunities for different

kinds of experiments

linked to green and en-

ergy efficiency.

EVEN JUST A FEW YEARS AGO the expression ”cyber securi-

ty” did not arouse a huge response. Now cyber threats are part

of everyday life. Attacks on data systems belonging to various

countries and banks have demonstrated how vulnerable a soci-

ety that relies on data networks can be without adequate cyber

security expertise.

Jyväskylä has responsibility for national-level coordination of

the cyber security expertise component of the Innovative Cities

2013–2020 programme. There is strong belief that perhaps even

thousands of new jobs will be created in this branch over the

next few years. The education and research knowhow found at

JAMK University of Applied Sciences and the University of Jy-

väskylä forms a powerful cyber security infrastructure to serve

both private companies and public sector organisations. The Jy-

väskylä Region has everything it takes to develop into a centre

of excellence, both nationally and internationally, in cyber se-

curity expertise. n

Markku Andersson

Mayor

City of Jyväskylä

PHOTO: PETTERI KIVIMÄKI


FOCUS ON SMART SOLUTIONS, 4–11


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JUST AS THE DIGITAL SOCIETY has increased prosperity,

on the flipside of this development lurks the risk of different

threats in the cyber operating environment. In addition cyber

threats present an opportunity for those people willing to work

hard to combat them.

Jyväskylä is rapidly making a name for itself in Finland as

a pioneer in this work. In 2013 the Jyväskylä Region was des-

ignated in Finland as the national cyber security coordinator

for the Innovative Cities (INKA) programme covering the years

2014–2020.

The Jyväskylä Region has acquired development environ-

ments that permit research, product development and testing.

IS THE CRUDE OIL OF THE FUTUREThe Jyväskylä Region is now among Finland’s frontrunners where education and

development work linked to the blocking of cyber threats is concerned. Jyväsky-

lä can offer both education and research that have attracted international interest

as well as exceptional development environments. In order to succeed companies

must take increasingly strict care of their most valuable asset, information.Words by Tommi Salo Photos by Petteri Kivimäki and Shutterstock

For companies these form a common ecosystem in which firms

can develop business based on cyber security.

“For companies a loss of reputation due to a data system

break-in, for example, is nowadays a big threat. Information

is the crude oil of tomorrow in terms of value,” emphasises Jar-

mo Siltanen, Head of Department, ICT, JAMK University of Ap-

plied Sciences.

Jobs on the increaseIn Jyväskylä information security research and education have

furthered scientific breakthroughs, the birth of innovations and

technological progress. In Central Finland thousands of people

Why did you opt for an English-medium Master’s programme in cyber security at JAMK University of Applied Sciences?”The degree will undoubtedly help me to progress in my career. A Master’s degree is a common requirement for many government jobs.”

MASTER’S IN CYBER SECURITY BOOSTS CAREER PROSPECTSHow in particular will the programme equip you to take on future tasks?”The programme offers new perspectives on cyber security and provides an opportunity to familiarize oneself with different teaching methods which could possibly be used for internal training. What’s more, the programme presents a great chance to extend one’s personal network.”

What has been the most interesting aspect of your studies?”The biggest benefit lies in discussions covering a whole variety of topics and group work sessions involving experts from different companies. In ad-dition it’s been interesting to see what kind of teaching methods related to cyber security are used on the courses. It will also be fascinating to see how the final field exercise will be arranged in practice.” n

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At the beginning of 2013 Juha Saarisilta, who works for the Finnish Defence Forces in an information security capacity, began his stud-ies towards a Master’s degree in cyber security at JAMK Universi-ty of Applied Sciences. It is his intention to graduate from Finland’s only Master’s programme in cyber security offered by a university of applied sciences in the course of 2014.

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are already employed in a branch with a connection to

security.

“The employment prospects in the field of security

are constantly improving. By the year 2018 it is estimat-

ed that approximately 500 new jobs in this field will

have been created in Central Finland and that the value

of the business will have grown by roughly 60 million

euro,” Siltanen continues.

Development work has been boosted by the

JYVSECTEC project, coordinated by JAMK University of

Applied Sciences and financed by the European Regional

Development Fund, which has provided Central Finland

with a research, education and development centre in

cyber security.

“The prospects are such that the number of students

currently admitted to the programme will not be suf-

ficient to satisfy future labour needs. Education for its

own part is rapidly becoming an export product in high

demand internationally”, Siltanen underlines. n

REPELLING C YBER THREATSAT NEW TRADE FAIR

In September 2014 Jyväskylä Paviljonki International Congress and Trade Fair Centre will host Finland’s first fair on the theme of cy-ber security.

The cyber security branch fair will showcase solutions to infor-mation and cyber security challenges facing companies and other organisations. The focus will be in particular on data security and cyber threats in industry and at other establishments responsible for maintaining infrastructure.

”The idea of the fair is to boost awareness of the risks currently being faced and to provide guidance on how to anticipate and eliminate them”, says Managing Director Leo Potkonen, Jyväskylä Fair Ltd.

According to Potkonen there is now a clear need for such a fair, since security matters are a hot topic almost everywhere. Kyber-Turvallisuus (Cyber Security) will be staged simultaneously at Jy-väskylä Paviljonki alongside the traditional Tekniikka (Technology) and Turvallisuus (Safety, Security and Rescue) events. n


• In January 2013 JAMK University of Applied Sciences launched a Master’s degree programme, the core element of which is cyber security. The two-year programme develops the capability to test cyber security as well as to anticipate and combat cyber threats. The next programme will begin in the autumn of 2014. The degree programme has also sparked international interest.

• An RGCE (Realistic Global Cyber Environment), isolated from public networks and intended for educational, research, simula-tion and testing purposes, has been built at JAMK University of Applied Sciences’ Dynamo facility. Services produced by the RGCE are offered to companies and other parties for training purposes and testing their own information systems.

• The University of Jyväskylä’s Master’s programme in Information Security offered by the Faculty of Information Technology has two lines of study. The cyber world is examined from a societal, functional and technological perspective.

• The CAP (Cyber Attacks Protection of Critical Infrastructures) research project begun at the University of Jyväskylä in autumn 2012 is developing an innovative method of protecting informa-tion systems. In the course of the project various technologies will be examined by means of which different forms of malware can be automatically detected, identified and classified. The aim of the Truly Protect project, on the other hand, is commercializa-tion of a protection system for new innovative media.

TOP-FLIGHT EDUCATION AND RESEARCH ON OFFER IN JYVÄSKYLÄ


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Experts versed in cyber threats pose the essential question for any

business: what is the worst thing that could happen to the company?

COMPANIES HAVE TO WITHSTAND EVEN THE WORST OF THREATS

In addition Elisa has conducted method development

work with the University of Jyväskylä.

“Companies need information in order to make risk

assessments, for example. Company personnel need to

be trained in cyber security,” Peltomäki emphasises.

No sign of white flagElisa’s specialists point out that each company decides

for itself how much it is ready to invest in risk man-

agement.

“This is not simply a matter for the IT department,

the impetus has to come from senior management,” Pel-

tomäki continues.

Although cyber threats are commonly associated

with global activities conducted by professional organ-

isations, Korhonen is not prepared to wave the white

flag.

“Management of equipment, data protection and as-

sessment of the worst case scenario constitute a good

basis for developing one’s own activities and anticipat-

ing risk factors,” outlines Korhonen. n

THE REASONS FOR the increase in cyber threats and

cyber crime are relatively simple. Since productivity and

money have shifted to the online world, that’s where

crime is also to be found.

“For companies the most important business asset is

information. What are the consequences, for instance,

if a company’s customer and invoicing data are stolen,”

asks Pasi Korhonen, Director, Security Services, Elisa

Oyj, a major Finnish telecoms company.

“Reliability is nowadays essential in all forms of busi-

ness. Companies have a fear of losing their reputation.

Risks are not thought through with sufficient care in all

firms, and a clear picture of the whole, from devices to

network interfaces, is often lacking,” adds Juha Peltomä-

ki, Regional Manager of Central Finland, Elisa Oyj.

Elisa is a telecommunications and ICT service compa-

ny. Elisa has itself been involved in different cyber se-

curity exercises. It has also engaged in cooperation with

JAMK University of Applied Sciences where testing of

its own concepts and services in a genuine environment

is concerned.

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TIMO KOMPASSI IS the Jyväskylä Re-

gion’s new superhero. His adventures

and stories have already proved irresisti-

ble to several thousand people.

Timo Kompassi is the swashbuckling

character in the Mighty Jyväskylä game

now used to market the Jyväskylä Re-

gion. The game was published in Octo-

ber 2013 and immediately during the

first few weeks sparked great interest

amongst online players. What is more,

it was downloaded frequently as a mo-

bile game.

“We were looking for a non-stan-

dard way to market the Jyväskylä Re-

gion. By means of the game and the

website related to it the intention is

Superhero tempts new heroes to JyväskyläDeveloped in Jyväskylä, the Mighty Jyväskylä game underlines two

things. First of all, that an urban region can market itself successfully

using the less rigid methods of the gaming world. Second, it is also

a concrete demonstration that Jyväskylä wants to be involved in the

games industry and generate new games-related companies and jobs

in Central Finland.

Words by Tommi Salo Photos by Petteri Kivimäki and Mighty Jyväskylä

Illustration by Martti Hänninen

“Mighty Jyväskylä was a major challenge for those who produced it, since usually no game sees the light of day in just three months,” explains the chair of Expa’s board Jonne Harja.

TIMO KOMPASSI IS THE JYVÄSKYLÄ REGION’S NEW SUPERHERO.


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Superhero tempts new heroes to Jyväskyläto boost Jyväskylä’s image as a youthful

city which has its finger on the pulse.

The website combines entertaining con-

tent with matters that are important and

of topical interest,” says Taija Lappeteläi-

nen, Marketing Manager at Jyväskylä Re-

gional Development Company Jykes Ltd.

In addition to the actual game the

Mighty Jyväskylä website showcases

among other things vacant jobs in the

ICT branch and games-related educa-

tional programmes in the Jyväskylä Re-

gion. It also aims at making the games

and ICT industries better known.

“Using a game set in Jyväskylä it’s pos-

sible to attract students interested in the

games and ICT branches to Jyväskylä

and provide local companies with new

talent. The objective is also to put suc-

cessful games companies in motion,”

Lappeteläinen continues.

The Mighty Jyväskylä campaign was

implemented jointly by Jykes, the City

of Jyväskylä, educational institutions in

the Jyväskylä Region as well as numer-

ous private firms.

When the time for playing Mighty Jy-

väskylä came to an end in December par-

ticipating players were entered into a

draw to decide the winner of the 5 000

euro first prize.

Games experts not left aloneResponsibility for practical implementa-

tion of Mighty Jyväskylä was taken by

Peliosuuskunta Expa (Game Business Co-

operative Expa). Expa is a novel kind of

open community in Central Finland for

all those interested in the games branch

– makers of games, researchers, students

and even teachers.

“The game was a major challenge for

those who produced it, since usually no

game sees the light of day in just three

months. The stipulation was that the

setting for the game should be Jyväsky-

lä, but otherwise we were given a pretty

free hand to come up with a good game,”

explains the chair of Expa’s board, Jonne

Harja.

Harja, who acted as project man ager

for the game, points out that in addition

to marketing efforts at national level the

Mighty Jyväskylä project was an im-

portant message to the games industry

globally that serious development work

in the branch is being conducted in Jy-

väskylä.

Expa develops and published games.

Its purpose is to serve in particular as a

network for individual games develop-

ers and companies in the branch. Expa

also arranges courses and other forms of

training according to demand.

Expa is a local hub of the Internation-

al Game Developers Association (IGDA),

which offers game developers not only a

local community but an extensive nation-

al and international support network.

Expa Game Lab is an experimen-

tal game development club which com-

menced a number of game projects dur-

ing the autumn of 2013. At the weekly

meetings experiences are exchanged and

solutions to problems found in a joint

manner.

“During the early part of 2014 we’re

planning to work part-time on polishing

a proof-of-concept or demo which we

then intend to show to financial back-

ers and publishers. Our sights are set

on four new funded games businesses

via the Lab or at least funded projects

within the cooperative,” Harja reveals. n

www.mightyjyvaskyla.fi



DEDICATED FOR OVER 100 years to the paper indus-

try, the Kangas area situated within a stone’s throw

of Jyväskylä city centre is being shaped into a suburb

where smart megatrends in urban design and local in-

novation will enjoy pride of place.

“The aim is to build to a measuring capacity into Kan-

gas. With the help of the latest technology we have the

opportunity to gather data about what’s happening in a

complete area of the city to serve as a basis for develop-

ing services and new innovations,” reveals Anne San-

delin, Director of Urban Planning Projects, City of Jy-

väskylä.

Tracing causes and effectsNot only the City of Jyväskylä and the University of Jy-

väskylä but also numerous companies are involved in

the planning of Smart Kangas.

Pasi Tyrväinen, Professor in Digital Media at the Uni-

versity of Jyväskylä, explains that the fibre optic net-

work to be installed in Kangas already at the municipal

engineering stage will provide the foundation for data

collection. Mobile technology as well as sensors fitted

to streets and buildings will allow a large volume of data

on everyday existence in the suburb to be collected.

Open Data Living Lab is the name given to this method.

“For instance we can study what kind of weather and

humidity conditions increase the risk of falling over,

which factors increase energy consumption in homes

or how housing for senior citizens can be improved,”

Tyrväinen lists.

Smart KangasOver the next few decades Kangas will be Jyväskylä’s most important

development project. Formerly the site of a paper mill, the area will be

transformed into a cluster of new homes, jobs and services that will

make use of the latest technology and solutions based on sustainable

development.Words by Timo Sillanpää Photos by City of Jyväskylä

According to Tyrväinen the most important thing is

to discover different cause and effect relationships in the

urban surroundings which can benefit those entrusted

with developing services and the urban structure. With

the help of the data collected we can study, for exam-

ple, what kind of services can be produced in an eco-

nomically sustainable manner, what kind of new ser-

vices townspeople need, how quality of life and energy

efficiency can be improved and what kind of smart so-

lutions can be dreamed up for waste management, say.

Also involved in the planning of Smart Kangas is the

Jyväskylä-based company Firstbeat Technologies. The

method developed by this firm generates personal data

on the effectiveness of physical recreation, stress man-

agement and the restorative effects of rest, for instance.

“Thanks to Firstbeat’s solutions Kangas can be used to

study the impact of different environmental factors on

people’s well-being, to quote just one example. Aware-

ness of the factors affecting one’s level of stress can as-

sist with making the correct choices from a well-being

point of view,” Tyrväinen underlines.

Cyber-secure suburbJyväskylä’s strong cyber security expertise will also be

made use of in the Kangas area. A large quantity of data

will be collected for research purposes and the idea is to

protect it in the best possible way.

“We have every chance of turning Kangas into the

world’s most cyber-secure suburb,” says Director of Ur-

ban Projects Anne Sandelin. n

Jyväskylä’s Kangas area

• Covers about 30 hectares and lies close to the very centre of the city• The winner of the architecture competition for the Kangas area

“Hjalmar’s Dream” was chosen in 2012• Construction of the Kangas area will begin in 2014–2015• The first residents will arrive in 2016• Forecast for 2025: 3 000 residents, 2 100 jobs

Planned for the Kangas area

• Development of culture and communality• A strong role for light traffic, an environment that

supports an ecological lifestyle• Resource-wise solutions for parking and waste management• Use of smart solutions and measuring data • Utilization of solar energy

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The old paper mill buildings form the heart of the area. Roughly 30 000 floor square metres of existing buildings will remain in the area. Around the old paper mill milieu a new heart – a concentration of homes, services and jobs – will arise, one that captures the identity of the Kangas area.

Outside the heart there will be a green zone, ”Kangas’s lungs”.

The outermost ring is reservedfor residential buildings.

Surplus school food to be put on sale. Solu-tions for cutting hot water consumption. Ser-vices to meet the everyday needs of people liv-ing in remote areas. These and other solutions were tried out in the Jyväskylä Region in autumn 2013 on the basis of ideas put forward by ordi-nary citizens. The trials form part of the Towards Resource Wisdom project which the Finnish In-novation Fund Sitra launched in spring 2013 in partnership with the City of Jyväskylä.

The objective of resource wisdom is to create solutions which provide a response to the chal-lenges posed by dwindling natural resources, population growth and climate change.

The goal of these experiments is to establish replicable models to serve as the basis of an ecologically resource-wise life style in urban settings.

IDEAS QUICKLY PUT TO THE TEST“At a brainstorming event open to all we re-

ceived over 200 suggestions, of which fifteen or so were tested straight away in the autumn of 2013. The threshold for starting these trials was low, which really helped people to get think-ing. Ideas which did not receive funding at the experimental stage were gone over again at an ideas jam session organised in the late autumn,” explains Timo Rusanen, the City of Jyväskylä’s Development Director.

Culture of experimentation called forMany good ideas fail to make it because citizens are afraid that their innovations will get caught up in a jungle of bureaucracy and red tape.

“What we need now in the public sector is a culture of experimentation, by means of which we can quickly discover which ideas work and

which don’t,” Rusanen ventures.Companies in the Jyväskylä Region have been

issued with the challenge of creating industrial symbioses, in which businesses make use of each other’s spare capacity, waste products or raw material derivatives.

For instance, the production of biofuels from different forms of waste could be one way of re-placing fossil fuels.

In the course of 2014 the most promising ex-periments will be refined into 3–5 projects with the aim of turning these into permanent opera-tional models and new business activity.

“An experiment in practice can serve to re-inforce civic activity, reshape the city’s ways of working and highlight the opportunities for new business – in the best case all at the same time,” Rusanen claims . n

RESOURCE WISDOM BRINGS A CULTURE OF EXPERIMENTATION

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PRODUCING BIOFUELSfrom waste

BioGTS launches new waste recovery technology

Founder and CEO of BioGTS, Mika Rautiainen and Director, Business Development, Annimari Lehtomäki check a sample of biodiesel produced with the new technology. Mr Rautiainen has been involved in developing biorefinery technology since 2009.



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LARGE AMOUNTS OF WASTE oil and grease that are currently

sent to landfill could be converted into biofuel using technol ogy

developed by BioGTS. Several countries will prohibit landfill

disposal of organic waste in the near future, which will increase

demand for biorefineries based on new technologies.

“The wastes needed as raw material for the process are avail-

able, and there’s plenty of demand for the refined product,” says

Annimari Lehtomäki, Director, Business Development at Bio-

GTS Ltd.

The company’s own biorefinery is scheduled for comple-

tion in spring 2014. It will serve as a test and demonstration

unit for the technology, converting one million kilogrammes of

waste oils and greases into biodiesel and biogas each year. The

raw materials will be cooking oils from restaurants, industrial

greases and fat-containing wastes recovered from sludge wells.

“One million kilogrammes of waste oils and greases yield

around 850 000 litres of biodiesel, the equivalent of the annual

fuel consumption of about 700–800 cars,” Lehtomäki explains.

Main product: technology know-howThe main business idea of BioGTS is not to become a biodiesel

producer. Instead the company aims to build and develop bio-

refinery technology that can be easily replicated and scaled to

meet local needs.

“The new biodiesel production method even makes it pos-

sible to use fats, oils and greases that are mixed with water.

The refining process consumes no clean water at all, mak-

BioGTS received an hon orary mention in the 2013 Kasvu Open competition for growth companies. Developed in Jy-

väskylä, Kasvu Open is a growth enterprise competition and

sparring process intended to generate new company start-ups and accelerate growth in existing businesses. Com-

panies invited to take part re-ceive sparring, free of charge,

from experienced growth enter-prise experts as well as the op-portunity to make contact with investors and board-level part-ners.

“For us, Kasvu Open hap-pened at just the right time – our technology was ready for

launching in the marketplace. We received valu-able expert advice on sales, marketing, interna-tional expansion and ways to further develop the business,” says Annimari Lehtomäki.

BioGTS also took part in the Kasvu Open St Petersburg Runway-to-Growth event in October 2013, where companies from Central Finland had the chance to meet Russian investors and market experts.

Creating new success storiesIn the 2013 Kasvu Open competition, winner of the Start Again category was VRT Finland Oy. Winner of the Start Up category was Music.in-fo Finland Oy.

“New success stories are created when en-trepreneurs boldly challenge themselves and receive sparring from experienced business lead-ers. New financing, distribution and networking opportunities also give businesses the incentive

to grow,” says Matti Härkönen, Coordinator of the Kasvu Open method.

Kasvu Open was created some four years ago, inspired by the ideas of Marko Seppä, Professor of Growth Venture Creation. The growth venture mission was selected for further development by the Growth Enterprise Board of the Central Finland Chamber of Commerce.

“In 2014 the fourth Kasvu Open competition will take a major step forward. We will have a big increase in the number of competition finalists, with one hundred finalists from around Finland.”

“We want to challenge businesses from across Finland to go for growth. We will be organising sparring events in different parts of the country. The year will culminate with a major Kasvu Open event at Jyväskylä Paviljonki,” Härkönen says. n

www.biogts.comwww.kasvuopen.fi

IMPETUS FOR GROWTH FROM KASVU OPEN

ing it suitable for use in regions where water is scarce.”

BioGTS supplies its biorefineries on a turnkey basis and en-

gineering know-how from Central Finland plays an important

part in the production of the components. The reactors are

built from modules which are shipped to the receiving coun-

tries in containers. Installation and start-up takes only a cou-

ple of months.

Biodiesel can be used in regular diesel engines, but it can also

be mixed with fossil diesel. It has zero greenhouse gas emis-

sions and up to 90 per cent lower particle emissions than fos-

sil transport fuel.

Worldwide interestBioGTS announced its technology in summer 2013. In the lat-

ter part of the year the company submitted quotations to supply

biorefineries to different countries around the world, including

Brazil and Asian countries.

The company is also developing new biogas production tech-

nology. Traditionally, biogas production has involved the use of

agricultural sludges with a high water content, making for an

inefficient process. The BioGTS process is particularly suited for

handling drier waste fractions. The new technique also offers a

better energy balance than traditional methods.

“The water content of household biowaste, for instance, is

around 70 per cent. Composting yields no energy at all, but our

technology can convert it into renewable energy in a cost-effi-

cient manner.” n

Jyväskylä-based BioGTS has developed a new technology for cost-effective production of biodiesel and

biogas from organic waste. The potential raw materials for the process include biodegradable wastes from

municipalities, industry and agriculture.

Words by Timo Sillanpää Photos by Petteri Kivimäki

13


Finnish premiere for Shrek the Musical at Jyväskylä City Theatre

ROMANCE AND SHREK’N’ROLL

Shrek the green ogre has his own kind of courage. The team who adapted Shrek the Musical for Finland also needed plenty of courage. They translated the successful Broadway show into Finnish and brought it to Jyväskylä City Theatre.Words by Tommi Salo Photos by Jyväskylä City Theatre and Petteri Kivimäki


15

Shrek the Musical is a story of friendship and love. In the morning Fiona (Maria Lund) dances with the rats, happy

that she’s turned back into a beautiful princess.

uu15


SHREK IS NOT JUST a green ogre created for children. And he’s not just an anti-hero who

tells adult-oriented jokes. He’s both, and more besides.

Since autumn 2013 Shrek has been starring on stage at Jyväskylä City Theatre. The

world-acclaimed musical comedy had its Finnish premiere in Jyväskylä on September 7th.

“I was actively looking for new musicals for the stage. I saw Shrek in London a few years

ago and I got the idea of bringing it to Finland,” says Kari Arffman, who not only directs

the musical but also translated it into Finnish. Arffman, who is Manager of Jyväskylä City

Theatre, admits that the new musical was a risk.

“I was afraid people would see Shrek as a children’s musical. There’s always a tremen-

dous lot of work goes into a musical, but with Shrek we additionally had to do the trans-

lation first.”

Great feedback and big audiences have shown there was no need to fear that Shrek

would be seen as a show for children only.

Creating the illusion on stageShrek the animated movie wowed cinema audiences in the early 2000s. Then it was adapt-

ed into a successful Broadway musical. But bringing the show to theatre audiences in Jy-

väskylä still involved a lot of challenges.

“The question was: how do we create the illusion on stage? The musical had to pay

homage to the movie in its colour themes and characters. The aesthetics come from the

film,” Arffman explains.

From the director’s point of view the biggest challenge in the musical is coordinating all

the different elements. A lot of work has to be done behind the scenes with very precise

timing.

“Everything has to work off-stage, from changing costumes to raising stages. We timed

all the technical details. When you put on a big musical it’s essential that there’s open com-

munication between everyone involved,” Arffman states.

Songs with feelingShrek is a romantic musical comedy that speaks out in favour of friendship, acceptance of

differences and true love. The story appeals to children but also contains adult-oriented hu-

mour. Shrek the green ogre sets off with his companion, Donkey to rescue Princess Fiona,

who has been languishing in a tower for twenty years.

“Fiona is basically a nice, well behaved princess, but every now and then she’s really rude

and bad mannered,” says Maria Lund, the actress and singer who plays Fiona.

“It was a really great honour to be involved in the Finnish premiere of Shrek. And espe-

cially as it’s being put on in Jyväskylä rather than Helsinki, for example,” Lund adds.

She says that being part of the musical is just as entertaining for her as it is for the audi-

ence. A versatile performer, Shrek enables her to combine singing, acting and dance.

“Singing lets you show feelings just as acting does,” Lund states.

She admits that she is always moved when Shrek interrupts Fiona’s wedding and pro-

claims his love for her.

“The most fun part of the musical is the rat dance – dancing together with the rats. Even

though you’re out of breath you still have to be able to sing and dance.”

Risk takers neededSuccessful musicals from My Fair Lady to West Side Story and from Fame to The Phantom

of the Opera are well-known the world over. And new musicals are being composed all the

time, especially in the USA and Britain.

Kari Arffman believes the main difficulty in bringing them to the Finnish stage is that the

story is often built around a very local phenomenon.

“Who will take the risk and produce a new Finnish musical? Actors in Finland have really

developed in terms of the skills that are needed to put on musicals,” Arffman says.

Until the next new musical comes along, theatre audiences in Jyväskylä can enjoy the

green-themed tale of bold friendship and true love, accompanied by beautiful ballads and

the rhythms of shrek’n’roll. n

uu


17

Directing a musical is a big job in itself. But how much bigger is it when you have to translate a famous Broadway musical into Finnish before you can even start to tackle any other tasks?

“It is a big job. For example, it’s quite a challenge to match the syllables in Finnish. There are also a lot of American expressions which I had to find good Finnish translations for,” says Kari Arff-man, who both translated and directed Shrek the Musical.

Arffman points out that in a musical the songs have to be integrated into the plot. The lyrics and dialogue are not sepa-rate elements. The audience have to feel that characters in the musical are singing to them.

“The lyrics have to be understandable and easy to sing. I sat at a piano and sang all the songs as I worked on them.”

Approved by AmericaShrek is originally a computer-animated film created by DreamWorks in America. It was only natural that DreamWorks was interested in the Finnish translation of the musical. The translation, as well as Shrek’s masks and the set design had to be ap-proved in the USA.

“Getting the translation approved by a major studio gave my own professional confidence a boost. The most important thing for them was that the Finnish dia-logue sounded right for the characters. I didn’t have to go and meet any lawyers,” Arffman says with a smile. n

FINDING THE RIGHT WORDSIN FINNISH

PHOTO TOPFiona, played by Maria Lund (left), has a contest with Otto Kanerva’s Shrek to decide whose childhood was more difficult.

PHOTO BOTTOMSinger and actress Maria Lund says it was a great honour to be involved in the Finnish premiere of Shrek in Jyväskylä.

17

Performances of Shrek at Jyväskylä City Theatre will continue until 17.5.2014.


NOT MANY YOUNG professionals can call themselves

the best in the world, but Tytti Hongisto (22) has a

gold medal to prove it. Last summer Tytti competed

in WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 in Germany and returned

home with Finland’s first ever gold medal in the Fash-

ion Technology category.

The key to Tytti’s success was a combination of focus

and concentration, fast sewing skills and broad practi-

cal experience. Tytti is also quick to mention the skills

she has learned in her formal training. She graduated in

dressmaking and tailoring from Jyväskylä College and

qualified as a dressmaking apprentice at the Jyväskylä

Institute of Adult Education.

“Training in Finland is very broad-based, and that’s its

strength. We study everything from design and pattern-

ing to producing the garments. In other countries they

tend to focus on just one area.”

Ahead of WorldSkills Leipzig, Tytti spent six months

in intensive training with coaches to help her improve

her skills, and she attended a training camp for the Finn-

ish national team. At the same time she worked at Jy-

väskylä City Theatre during the day and continued with

her design work and training at home in the evenings.

Getting it right the first timeAt Jyväskylä City Theatre, Tytti joined a fascinating pro-

duction – the Finnish premiere of the popular Broadway

musical Shrek. The theatre’s wardrobe team had to pro-

duce more than one hundred costumes for the show.

“The stage costumes were completely different from

the WorldSkills competition entries, of course, but this

job helped me get into the rhythm and routine of sew-

ing and it gave me new ideas for my design.”

In particular, Tytti says this interesting and challeng-

ing job taught her a lot about working with special ma-

terials.

“There were also some special structures built into the

costumes, and many of them consisted of several parts.

And then there’s the added challenge of ensuring that

“I get excited about recycled materials and clothes that have a special twist to them,” says Tytti

Hongisto, Finland’s first WorldSkills gold medallist in the Fashion Technology category. A focused

and determined young woman, Tytti has made great progress in her career and is now designing

her own fashion collection.

Words by Pia Tervoja Photos by WorldSkills and Petteri Kivimäki

the performers can change their costumes very quickly.”

At WorldSkills Leipzig the contestants had to create

a three-piece Military Chic themed costume for women,

including trousers, a blazer or coat, and a blouse or top.

“If there’s no time limit you can go all out and make

something really nice, but in a competition the biggest

challenge is to complete the assignment within the time

allowed. There’s no time for mistakes or to undo your

sewing. You have to get it right the first time.”

The WorldSkills competition attracted some 200 000

visitors, but Tytti says she felt no extra pressure from

the spectators.

“I put in my earplugs and just concentrated on the job

I was doing. To be honest I didn’t really even notice the

audience.”

Working on her own collectionTytti says that for her, the competition was most of all

about challenging herself and making a good job. Win-

ning came as a pleasant surprise, because the contes-

tants were not told their intermediate scores.

Tytti Hongisto currently lives in Denmark. She moved

to Copenhagen more or less by chance but enjoys living

in this design city with its numerous fashion and cloth-

ing businesses.

“I had no work when I moved to Copenhagen, but I

soon got a job at a local dressmaking business. Right

now I’m working with men’s suits.”

In her free time Tytti works on her own collection.

This talented young woman dreams of starting her own

company, and she is now working towards that goal.

Tytti does not yet want to reveal where she is heading

with her first collection, but says she feels comfortable

working with recycled materials.

“I get excited about materials and clothes that have a

special twist to them. It doesn’t really matter what gar-

ment I’m working on. Every item can be interesting.” n

www.worldskills.org

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SEWING SKILLS

“I PUT IN MY

EARPLUGS AND

JUST CONCEN-

TRATED ON

THE JOB I WAS

DOING. TO BE

HONEST I DIDN’T

REALLY EVEN

NOTICE THE AU-

DIENCE.”

19

WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 drew more than 1 000 contestants from 52 countries to show off their skills in 46 categories. Team Finland returned home with six medals. Jyväskylä College graduate Tytti Hongisto was Finland’s only gold medallist and the country’s first ever world champion in the Fashion Technology category.

19


JYVÄSKYLÄ WAS THE home town of world-renowned archi-

tect Alvar Aalto (1898–1976). Aalto’s legacy will occupy a prom-

inent place at the Finnish Housing Fair, which will be held in

Jyväskylä in 2014. One of the themes of the Fair, Innovative Ar-

chitecture alludes to Alvar Aalto’s life’s work. Aalto is known as

a functionalist who strove for simple, geometric and beautiful

but practical buildings.

“Functionalist influences can be seen in the way many of the

single-family homes on the Fair site are designed. Several of

the houses have their own atrium, which was typical of Aalto’s

work. The internal finishing materials he favoured are also pop-

ular with the builders here,” says project manager Anu Hakala.

One of Aalto’s characteristics was detailed design which ex-

tended right down to the finishings. Hakala says that some of

the Housing Fair projects also feature the same level of design

detail.

Garden and WoodThe Housing Fair site at Äijälänranta shows how a compact city

like Jyväskylä makes it possible to build single-family homes

Alvar Aalto’s architectural idiom, experimental

initiatives in energy technology and landscaping

efficiency, new ideas for housing and living.

Jyväskylä’s Housing Fair will attract around

150 000 visitors next summer. The essence of the

event is captured in the Fair’s slogan, Northern

gardens and city lights.

Words by Timo Sillanpää Photo by Petteri Kivimäki

NORTHERN GARDENSAND CITY LIGHTS

HOUSING FAIR IN JYVÄSKYLÄ 2014

ILLUSTRATION: CITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ

Located some 5 km from the centre of Jyväskylä, Äijälänranta will eventually look like this.

21

that are close to nature and yet

are only five kilometres from the

heart of the city.

The other central theme of the

Fair is Garden and Wood, which

not only refers to the area’s his-

tory but also conveys what the

homes at the Fair are about. The

site was first used for agriculture

around the 16th century and in

the first half of the 20th century

it was home to a number of nurs-

ery gardens.

One of the blocks at the Fair

site will feature Finland’s first pilot implementation of the

Green Factor scoring tool for landscapes.

“One housing block will be constructed so that the Green Fac-

tor score of the individual plots exceeds a predetermined tar-

get. The objective of the Green Factor concept is to ensure there

is more vegetation on plots, because planted areas improve the

diversity of the urban environment, filter out airborne pollu-

tion and improve the quality of runoff water,” project man ager

Hakala says.

From low-rise homes to apartment blocksThe diversity of the Fair site offers housing for different stages

of people’s lives. The homes range in size from 76 to more than

300 square metres. The site also has its own landmark – Maail-

manpylväs (“Axis mundi”), a 13-storey, 44-metre high tower

block. Each of the tower block’s apartments will have its own

cooling system and under-floor heating. The balconies will fea-

ture sliding glass doors that integrate the balconies more close-

ly into the apartments than can be achieved with traditional so-

lutions.

Contrasting the tower block are the site’s smallest single-

family homes, two 76 square metre cubic “dice” homes. These

minihouses are prototypes for small homes that are expected to

be in demand in future. n

www.asuntomessut.fi/en/

THE HOUSING FAIR AS AN EVENT• The principal function of the Housing Fair Finland Cooperative is to

improve the quality of housing and living conditions in Finland• Organised as a joint project between the Housing Fair Finland

Cooperative, the host municipality, developers and clients, and construction companies.

HOUSING FAIR IN JYVÄSKYLÄ 11.7.–10.8.2014• At the heart of the Housing Fair are 37 low-rise homes and a 13-storey

tower block. • In future Äijälänranta will be home to 800–1000 residents.• Accessibility will be highlighted as a housing quality factor.• The environmental planning process was mainly inspired by the site’s

natural surroundings and the visible legacy left by the earlier nursery gardening activities.

• The Fair’s central themes, ‘Garden and Wood’ and ‘Innovative Architecture’, are also reflected in the site’s public art. The main piece, Puutarhurin taivas (“Gardener’s Heaven”), was designed by sculptor Pekka Jylhä. The area’s history can be seen in the design of the park benches and lighting bollards, and in the graphic art. These features have been planned by graphic artists Tuomas Hallivuo and Jyrki Markkanen, and by designer Jonas Hakaniemi.

• Planning of the local play park involved children from the nearby Väinölä day-care centre.

• The Housing Fair’s low-rise block no. 222 has been designated a Green Factor block.

• The site features low-energy led lighting and a detailed lighting plan.

t Construction of the HauHaus single-family home was completed in November 2013. The house was finished with materials specially selected to cope with the family’s energetic pets – Spanish Water Dogs Turca and Carlos. The fenced backyard was also designed with the dogs in mind. Turca and Carlos will be sharing the house with Liisa Kuparinen and her partner.

Maailmanpylväs (“Axis mundi”).

CITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ


Hairdresser Diana Pimanova says that Seppä Enterprise Centre was the right place to start her own business. “I’m not very fast at learning and doing things. Here at Seppä I’m able to concentrate on develop-ing my skills and serving my customers, and the coopera-tive looks after the finances and bookkeeping.” Diana’s customer is student Vilma Hassinen.


The courses at Entrepreneurship School

Turning Point follow a rally theme. All

the young people entering the school

spend some time in the service park to

see if they are interested in becoming

entrepreneurs. Those who are really

keen on owning their own business go all

the way to the chequered flag. Jyväskylä

College teaches entrepreneurship in a

way that young people can relate to in

their everyday lives.

Words by Pia Tervoja Photos by Petteri Kivimäki

23

UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ: FULL PALETTE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP STUDIES

The University of Jyväskylä has collected together entre preneurship studies that are optional for all stu-dents and created a palette of career and employa bility studies. Students can select courses from the palette to gain credits up to almost the same total as a minor subject.

“The majority of academic students do not actively think about entrepreneurship, but we want to encour-age them to see entrepreneurship as a career alterna-tive,” says Niina Pitkänen, Coordinator, Career Services.

Entrepreneurship is a major subject at the University of Jyväskylä. Basic Business Studies are open to all stu-dents as a minor. These courses provide tools needed by students who wish to become entrepreneurs. In spring 2014 the University will launch its Intrapreneur-ship course. This takes a broad view of entrepreneur-ship as entrepreneurial activities and attitudes that can be applied by both entrepreneurs and employees. n

SERVICE PARK TO CHEQUERED FLAG

ENTREPRENEURSHIP STUDIES FROM

u (L to R) Saara Jussila, Janette Jutila and Ronja Ratilainen recently graduated as beauticians and are now entrepreneurs at Seppä Enterprise Centre. “Entrepreneurship teaches self-motivation. I’ve gained the courage to present my own ideas and opinions, and to put what I’ve learnt into practice,” says Ronja Ratilainen.

AT THE SEPPÄ Enterprise Centre there’s a smell of hair spray and nail polish

in the air. The hairdressers and beauticians are getting ready for their next cus-

tomers and checking their bookings.

The salon looks like a genuine hair and beauty care business, but in reality it

is a place where Jyväskylä College students learn about entrepreneurship. The

young professionals are real entrepreneurs, however. They are members of a co-

operative which operates within Jyväskylä College.

Since summer 2013 young people graduating from Jyväskylä College have been

able to work as team entrepreneurs at the Seppä Enterprise Centre. After two

years they leave the centre and become independent.

“There’s a good fit between the cooperative model and the world of education.

It provides a community way of learning entrepreneurship. In particular, people

who own hair and beauty care businesses work on their own. Here they get the

chance to learn team entrepreneurship and build networks,” says Satu Mursula,

Entrepreneurship Development Manager.

Building initiative and confidenceJyväskylä College regards entrepreneurship as so important that it has built its

own systematic entrepreneurship education track, which is known as Entre-

preneurship School Turning Point. The various parts of the track take their

names from the world of rallying.

“The aim of the first phase, the service park, is to stimulate students’ self-

motivation and inner entrepreneur. All students take this five study-week entre-

preneurship course,” says Satu Mursula.

During their second year the students progress to the warm-up stages, and

they can set up a practice company for the year. In their third year the stu-

dents reach the special stages, when they can join the cooperative as team entre-

preneurs.

The chequered flag is the stage after the students complete their studies,

when they can continue working within the

cooperative either at Seppä or other premises

of the College’s Enterprise Centre.

“Not all the young people who start here

can or even need to become entrepreneurs,

but workplaces always need employees with

an entrepreneurial mindset,” Mursula ex-

plains. n

JAMK UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES:GIVING STUDENTS A TASTE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

At JAMK University of Applied Sciences all new stu-dents take entrepreneurship courses. Entrepreneurship and innovation studies are worth five credits and give the students a taste of entrepreneurship.

“All our students have the chance to see what kind of opportunities the world of entrepreneurship can offer them. At the same time all our members of staff come into contact with entrepreneurship and can think about incorporating new elements into their own work,” says Lecturer Juha Hautanen.

The students complete the entrepreneurship and business sections in their own units. Innovation studies are taken in multi-disciplinary student groups.

“We follow the Design Thinking method, where everything starts from the real customer and his or her needs. The students leave the classrooms, go to the customer’s and create new ideas and concepts to solve the customer’s problem. The customer gets to keep the ideas, but the students can also further develop them and consider whether the idea could lead to a product or even be the basis for a company,” Hautanen states. n

23


JYVÄSKYLÄ-BASED HAPPEE has the

biggest following of any floorball club in

the world judged by the number of fol-

lowers on Twitter and Facebook.

In the autumn of 2013 the number

of people following Happee on various

channels of social media climbed well

over the 10 000 mark.

“It is essential to find the channel that

works best in any one situation. Young

people, for instance, also shift to those

channels which their parents don’t fol-

low. Nowadays a brand can be built

through social media,” emphasises Hap-

pee’s marketing and communications co-

ordinator Lasse Riitesuo.

Riitesuo maintains that the interest in

social media also boosts the number of

live spectators at Happee’s matches.

“After all, people are at bottom so-

cial animals who want to be in the same

place as everybody else.”

The former Happee and national team

player has a particular preference for

Twitter due to its speed and real-time-

liness. The microblogging service offers

an opportunity to bring floorball players,

for example, even closer to spectators.

“Nowadays players use Twitter reg-

ularly as their normal selves, which

means that their private and profes-

sional identities become even more con-

Social media offers businesses immense marketing opportunities especially when

the funds available for creating public awareness are limited. In a visual world the

photos taken by product users are powerful messengers.Words by Tommi Salo Photo by Petteri Kivimäki

fused. When it comes to social media it’s

the one who has the best personalities

on offer that wins”, Riitesuo suggests.

Instagram photos have a market valueSocial media has brought the superstars

of sport closer to the spectators, but it

has also brought ordinary users close to

sports clubs and businesses.

Riitesuo is an entrepreneur with an in-

terest in the Jyväskylä-based com pany

Zero Point Finland Oy. The business,

which commenced operations at the

start of 2010, has a product range that

includes compression calf sleeves and

socks.

Zero Point’s products are used by peo-

ple at the very top of the sporting world.

The firm’s marketing and brand recogni-

tion efforts, however, have largely been

made in social media via the user experi-

ences of ordinary consumers.

“Social media is a good channel when

you set out to build a brand without sub-

stantial marketing resources. Awareness

is created by means of users’ stories and

recommendations,” Riitesuo continues.

Zero Point makes use of Facebook,

Twitter and Pinterest among others. Rii-

tesuo claims that photo-sharing and so-

cial networking service Instagram is

>A THOUSAND WORDS OF MARKETING COPY

however the most social of the social me-

dia when it comes to certain specific sub-

ject areas.

“For instance in fitness sport many

things are based on pictures. On the Zero

Point website the Meet Our Heroes sec-

tion has been created for ordinary users

on the basis of Instagram photos.”

Entrepreneur committedto development workRiitesuo graduated in 2011 with a Bach-

elor’s degree in Business Administra-

tion from JAMK University of Applied

Sciences. The ideas for marketing Hap-

pee in a completely new manner came

to him during the time he was studying.

“JAMK University of Applied Sciences’

Team Academy was first-class as a learn-

ing environment and Happee a suitable

test laboratory where I could try out all

kinds of new things.”

After obtaining a degree Riitesuo, bub-

bling with ideas, sees a future for him-

self as an entrepreneur. Riitesuo, who in

addition to Happee and Zero Point also

works for Espoo-based Entetrainer Ltd,

says he wants to commit himself to all

that he is involved in via ownership, too.

“Compression products are used in a

variety of sports, so Zero Point has a con-

stant opportunity to increase its reper-

toire of disciplines and its business. In

addition to Finnish the online store al-

ready functions in English and German.

In the future we also want to incorporate

French, Italian and Russian.” n

ONE PICTURE

“After all, people are at bottom social animals who want to be in the same placeas everybody else.”

25

Lasse Riitesuo, Marketing and Communications Coordinator of floorball club Happee, dreams of touring Asia with his team. It is precisely in Asia that floorball is growing most rapidly as a sport.

25


IN BRIEF ARCHITECTURE • ART • CULTURE • DESIGN • ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE • EVENTS • NEWS • SPORT • LIFE • EDUCATION

By Timo Sillanpää

Boosting employment and well-being among young people is one of the key challenges facing western society. Ten Finnish cities belonging to the Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC) have formu-lated an action programme complete with con-crete proposals and examples which is aimed at promoting youth employment and well-being.

“The world has become a more complicated place and for many young people it is much more difficult than earlier to enter employment and find the building blocks of a good life. For this reason it is vital that different urban regions use their networks to share the details of prac-tices that have proved successful with as many professionals as possible who are involved with young people,” emphasises the City of Jyväsky-lä’s representative in the UBC working group, Research and Development Manager Pirkko Korhonen.

Published in the autumn of 2013, the pro-gramme contains 17 proposed measures which have been divided into six separate themes. The proposals and examples will serve as the basis when municipalities and organisations draft their own plans of action for improving employ-ment and well-being among young people.

“In tough economic times decision-makers have a responsibility to ensure that services

YOUNG PEOPLE’S WELL-BEING DEMANDSEXTENSIVE COOPERATION IN THE BALTIC REGION

related to the education and upbringing of chil-dren and young people remain available. For so-cially alienated youngsters and those in danger of becoming so there should be more services than at present working on the one-stop-shop principle, through which they could easily find guidance and support to inform and aid impor-tant choices at crucial points in their lives,” Kor-honen continues.

The Union of the Baltic Cities consists of over a hundred cities from ten countries in the Baltic region. Promoting the well-being of young peo-ple has emerged as one of the pivotal themes of the UBC’s development work.

Successful practices contributed to the ac-tion programme by Finnish cities in the network have also been shared with other members of the UBC. n

By Pia Tervoja

The health and social welfare fields are facing great changes. Economic resources are decreas-ing and the population is aging. There is a need for new types of services which use mobile and other technologies.

”In addition to technical solutions, there’s a need for new approaches, knowledge, and a change in attitudes. Patients and clients should be supported on a path towards self-motivated health and well-being,” says Eila Latvala, Director,

NEW LEARNING METHODS IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL STUDIES

Boosting employment and well-being among young people is one of the key challenges facing western society. Pictured here, trainee catering chef Annukka Haukkala.

School of Health and Social Studies at JAMK Uni-versity of Applied Sciences.

As working life changes, education must also reinvent itself. This autumn JAMK’s School of Health and Social Studies introduced a team learning model for first-year students. The model highlights the students’ own responsibility for learning, interactivity and multi-professional teamwork.

“Nursing, physiotherapy and social services students, for example, previously studied in their own groups. In the new model they study

in mixed groups and take a multi-professional approach to solving practical cases. We’ve also remodelled our premises to support teamwork and dialogue.”

The team learning model incorporates meth-ods developed at the Team Academy, JAMK’s centre of excellence in entrepreneurship. Stu-dents at the Team Academy learn about entre-preneurship by setting up a cooperative-based business at the very start of their studies. n

PETTERI KIVIMÄKI

27

ARCHITECTURE • ART • CULTURE • DESIGN • ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE • EVENTS • NEWS • SPORT • LIFE • EDUCATION

HOUSING FAIR IN JYVÄSKYLÄ 11.7.–10.8.2014Architect Alvar Aalto was masterful in his ability to combine classical themes with modern construction. Aalto’s spirit is carried on by Äijälänranta where di-versified present-day housing is united with bold, innovative architecture.

21.–22.1. Winter Road Congress in FinlandVenue: Jyväskylä Paviljonki – International Congress and Trade Fair Centrewww.tieyhdistys.fi

5.–7.2. Electricity Telecommunications Light and Audio Visual 2014Venue: Jyväskylä Paviljonki – International Congress and Trade Fair Centrewww.jklpaviljonki.fi

7.2. Martti Ahtisaari lectureVenue: University of Jyväskylä, Agora Center,Martti Ahtisaari hall

14.–16.3. Building Trade and Home Renovation 2014Special exhibition for constructional engineering and professional repair building.Venue: Jyväskylä Paviljonki – International Congress and Trade Fair Centrewww.paviljonki.fi

26.–27.4. Vapaalla 2014Vapaalla 2014 is Central Finland’s largest leisure fair. The fair consists of four areas where visitors can examine free time from different angles.Venue: Jyväskylä Paviljonki – International Congress and Trade Fair Centrewww.ainavapaalla.fi

12.–14.5. AILA-Europe/AFinLA: The 6th Junior Research meeting in Applied LinguisticsThe conference will focus on first and second/ foreign language learning and teaching.Venue: Vesala Camping Centre, Vesalantie 136, Vesankawww.jyu.fi/hum/laitokset/kielet/tutkimus/hank-keet/jrm2014/

22.–23.5. EJTA conferenceHow to teach for the new social media environ-ment of journalism?Venue: University of Jyväskyläejta.eu/events

12.–14.6. Parliaments and Methodology: Anthropological, Discourse-Oriented and Digital Approaches to Parliamentary HistoryThe 3rd International Conference of the European Information and Research Network on Parliamen-tary History.Venue: University of Jyväskylä

EVENTS

By Pia Tervoja

JAMK University of Applied Sciences is enter-ing into cooperation with Beihua University in China . A European type international nursing education programme is being established at the Chinese university. Beihua University was es-tablished in 1906. It is located in Jilin City, on the banks of the Songhua River in northeast China.

“Beihua University is buying expertise from JAMK. We already have more than 20 years of ex-perience in international nursing education. The main focus of the programme will be on areas like family wellbeing, health promotion and new generation online learning technologies,” says Eila Latvala, Director of JAMK’s School of Health and Social Studies.

She states that Finnish nursing education is well regarded internationally. In Finland, too, nursing education is seen as being of high qual-ity and the profession is respected. JAMK’s qual-ity system has been audited both nationally and internationally.

The ten-year educational export agreement is an important opening for JAMK in China. Under the terms of the agreement the cooperation can be extended in future. One objective for a later stage is to offer nursing students at Beihua the opportunity to study in Jyväskylä for a year.

Students at Beihua will additionally be of-fered other courses at JAMK as well as Master’s degree courses at the University of Jyväskylä. Educational export company EduCluster Finland Oy is responsible for packaging educational ex-ports and creating new openings. n

Nursing education looks towards Asia

C H I N A

Jilin City

SonghuaRiver

15.–18.6. Sociolinguistics Symposium 20Venue: University of Jyväskylä, Agorawww.jyu.fi/en/congress/ss20

7.–10.7. European Conference on Research in Chemical Education 2014 (ECRICE2014)Venue: University of Jyväskylä, Agorawww.jyu.fi/kemia/en/research/ecrice2014/

8.–13.7. Jyväskylä FestivalFinland’s longest established city festival. Venue: Jyväskyläwww.jyvaskylankesa.fi

11.7.–10.8. Housing Fair in Jyväskylä 2014 Venue: Äijälänranta Housing Fair areawww.asuntomessut.fi/en

31.7.–3.8. Neste Oil Rally FinlandVenue: Jyväskylä Regionwww.nesteoilrallyfinland.fi

25.–27.8. EARLI SIG 5 ConferenceChallenges for the Future in Early Childhood Education.Venue: University of Jyväskyläwww.jyu.fi/edu/en/earli-sig5-2014

3.–5.9. Cyber Security, Technology and Safety, Security and Rescue fairsCyber Security will be held for the first time in Jyväskylä. Venue: Jyväskylä Paviljonki – International Congress and Trade Fair Centrewww.jklpaviljonki.fi

9.–12.9. CILC II 2nd International Conference on Interactivity Language and CognitionVenue: University of Jyväskyläwww.jyu.fi/hum/laitokset/kielet/en/research/cilc2014

8.–11.10. KoneAgria 2014The biggest and most comprehensive event for agribusiness professionals.Venue: Jyväskylä Paviljonki – International Congress and Trade Fair Centrewww.koneagria.fi

12.–14.11. The Nordic Interdisciplinary Conference on Discourse and Interaction (NorDIsCo)The theme of the conference is discourse, com-munities and identities in the north.www.jyu.fi/en/congress/nordisco2014


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Through Jyväskylä Regional Development Company Jykes Ltd you’ll also gain access to contacts beyond Finland’s borders – in Saint Petersburg and Shanghai, for instance.

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Read more: htjyvaskyla.fijykes.fi

Jyväskylä Human Tech Center Finland 1/2014

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