VASEK - Vaasa Region, Thousands of Happy Stories

THOUSANDS OF

The Vaasa Region

UNESCO Nature Heritage Site Korsholm

Vörå

Vaasa Vähäkyrö

Isokyrö

Laihia Malax

Korsnäs

© Vaasa Region Development Company VASEK Vaasa Region: Thousands of Happy Stories Production: Mantra Communications, C2 Advertising, Katja Lösönen Oy Print: Fram 2012 First edition ISBN 978-952-6622-02-6

020765

THOUSANDS OF

IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE SEA

The sea has left a stronger stamp on the Vaasa region

It may seem paradoxical that water levels along the

than any other element. Only 500 years ago much of

coast are declining at a time when much of the world

today’s Vaasa was still covered by water.

is concerned about rising sea levels due to climate

A region that emerged from the sea has foreign

change. Both a political and a technological campaign

trade in its blood. The sea laid the foundation for to-

have been launched to curb global warming. The Vaasa

day’s exceptionally high export figures and dynamic

region, home to numerous developers of wind and solar

business activities.

power, energy efficiency and smart grid technology, is a

A century back, it transported

numerous emigrants to North America. The sea also

global key player in technological efforts.

brought many of them back, equipped with new know-

Just like the nature around Vaasa is in constant

ledge and skills that generated fresh business ideas.

fluctuation because of the land rising, residents in the

The view over the sea around Vaasa reveals a geo-

region have it written in their DNA to adapt to a chang-

logically speaking newborn landscape. The rapid land

ing environment. This may also be the reason for their

rise following the last Ice Age has formed a natural en-

ranking among the world’s happiest people.

vironment so unique it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

FINE FISHING. With the number of professional fishermen on the decline,Tom Blom seems to be moving against the trend. He began fishing professionally a few years ago and these days he sells his catch on the shore in Vaasa every Saturday. “I’ve kept my old job in a printing house, but this way I also get paid for my dearest hobby. Maybe some day I can provide for myself with fishing alone, now that nearly all the major investments are out of the way.”

CONTENTS Happiest people in the world

10

Why do residents in the Vaasa region have it so good?

Pacesetter in the energy sector

32

Why did the foremost Nordic energy-technology cluster emerge in the Vaasa region?

Rocks on the roll

54

How come Finland’s first natural heritage site expands by an area equivalent to 150 soccer fields a year?

9

Residents in the Vaasa region rank as some of the world’s happiest people. A self-confident claim, perhaps, but one that is also supported by statistics.

CONGRATULATIONS! Rimma Heinonen, a newborn Vaasa resident has a good and long life ahead of her. Women along the west coast have the longest life expectancy in Finland. Rimma will also get two mother tongues for free: her mother, Petra, is a Swedish-speaker and father, Arto, a Finnishspeaker. “It was important for us to come up with a name that works in both languages,” says Rimma’s mother, Petra Sten-Heinonen.

The networks here are close-knit, and it is easy to find contacts and connections.

What makes people happy? It is a question that

What makes this list interesting is that it portrays life

philosophers, scientists and ordinary human beings have

and reality in Finland and especially in and around Vaa-

pondered throughout the times. The OECD has also

sa. The region boasts one of the country’s highest em-

given this thought and come up with statistical vari-

ployment rates, securing a job for most people in the

ables to explain what makes people satisfied with life.

area. Since 2009 Ostrobothnia, where Vaasa is located,

For decades, the GDP has been used as the primary in-

has recorded the lowest unemployment rate in all of

dicator of successful countries and regions, but it alone

Finland (with the exception of the Åland islands) and

says little about our general happiness.

prior to that, it had placed second in national statistics

After all, money doesn’t bring you contentment.

for several years.

There is, of course, a correlation between income and

There are two main explanations for this. In the

happiness, but only to a certain extent. In its Better Life

21st century, the Vaasa region has experienced much

Initiative project, the OECD has listed a number of fac-

stronger economic growth than the rest of the country,

tors measuring well-being. According to them, people

mainly thanks to the dynamic energy technology sec-

tend to be happy if they have:

tor. This has translated into a great number of jobs on offer. What is more, if Ostrobothnians cannot find a job

– a job

they simply go ahead and create one. Ostrobothnia has

– a short way to work

Finland’s highest business density with more compa-

– many close social relationships

nies per capita than any other region on the mainland.

– an opportunity to spend time in nature

►

– a chance to influence their community

13

However, a job as such is only one element of well-being.

actually point to the region’s population running less of a

What is crucial to everyday life satisfaction is that the

risk of being left alone. The networks here are close-knit,

daily commute remains reasonable. Less than a third of

and it is easy to find contacts and connections.

Europeans are satisfied with their work-life balance, and

many people feel the way to and from work consumes

centred around ice hockey and soccer clubs, which unites

a large share of their free time. That is not the case in

people across language and municipal boundaries. The

the Vaasa region, where the majority get to work in 10

audience numbers of Vaasan Sport, an ice hockey club,

to 15 minutes and even those who choose to live in rural

are at a level that other clubs outside major cities can only

settings usually reach their workplace in less than 30

dream of. The atmosphere at home games is legendary,

minutes (this being during rush hour for that matter).

and when it comes to deciding games away from home,

the fans charter dozens of buses to head off and support

Despite the region’s population numbering 110,000,

Take, for example, the incredibly strong fan culture

it is spread over such a wide area that one rarely feels

their team.

cramped. Few places worldwide can offer as easy a way

to combine an exciting job in an international company

other ways to meet like-minded people. The vibrancy of

with life in the middle of an outstanding natural environ-

the countryside around Vaasa is no cliché. The town is

ment. Vaasa also has excellent travel connections: the

surrounded by many vital villages with strong traditions

strong export industry has led to bustling air traffic, with

of community, exhibited, for example, in revue perfor-

direct flights to many European capitals.

mances and at markets and fairs. A few years ago, MTV3,

Should sports not be your thing, there are also many

a Finnish commercial television channel, named the

14

Loneliness and isolation are big concerns for Westerners

village of Solf, south of Vaasa, Finland’s happiest village.

today, making frequent and close social relations a central

The choice was based on statistical facts, such as high

component of well-being. It may seem rather bold to

employment and low crime rates. The residents of Solf, of

claim that people in the Vaasa region have more friends

course, felt the nomination was obvious to say the least.

than people elsewhere in Finland, but many indicators

►

COMFY AND COZY. Few TV programmes succeed in creating all new linguistic concepts. “Not exactly like Strömsö” has become a catchphrase in Finnish for things gone less than perfect. It refers to Strömsö, a lifestyle TV programme shot in Vaasa since 2002, where everything – whether cooked, built or assembled – always turn out superbly. The Swedish-language programme has achieved near cult status.

15

People in the Vaasa region speak Finnish, Swedish and

ever, speak or understand both languages, and it is

whole range of other languages. The share of immi-

perfectly normal to see people chatting away each in

grants is one of the highest in all of Finland, and foreign

their own mother tongue. The Vaasa region is one of the

citizens are well integrated in business and labour.

few truly bilingual places in Finland.

Should you come across an Indian on the street, he or

16

she is more than likely an engineer at ABB, Wärtsilä or

So what conclusions can one draw from all this?

any of the other energy technology companies in town.

Perhaps that happy people do not live in their own

Excluding foreign residents, who account for some

bubble. One of Finland’s lowest racist crime rates surely

five per cent of the population, the region is half Finnish-

means that people in the region are open and tolerant

speaking, half Swedish-speaking. Most people, how-

towards the outside world. Perhaps bilingualism has

Traditionally open to the world. also made it more difficult for hostile attitudes towards

number of people moving to Vaasa has by far exceeded

strangers to take root in the region.

the number leaving the region. This was not as big a

The Vaasa region has traditionally been open to the

surprise to the region’s residents as it seems to have

world. A century back, much of the population emigrated

been to many others. Statistics Finland, for example,

to America, and after the World Wars many people

has repeatedly had to upgrade its growth forecasts for

left for Sweden to seek their fortune. More than a few

the population of Vaasa. â–ş

later returned, equipped with new skills and ideas that translated into new business ideas.

In the latter years, the flow has moved in the opposite direction. Thanks to the buoyant economy, the 17

VILLAGE COMMUNITY. Every year, thousands of people find their way to the classic Christmas market in Stundars, which has been organised for more than 30 years. Stundars is a living outdoor museum and culture centre, located in Finland’s happiest village, Solf.

Well-being is about nourishing both the body and soul.

20

The possibility to spend time outdoors also contributes

city centre, and in the winter people enjoy skiing on the

to happiness. Nature is always easily available, just

ice. It isn’t uncommon for city dwellers to simply carry

around the corner in the Vaasa region – even in the capital

their skis down to the shore for an outing.

itself. In Vaasa, a town with a dense population and clas-

Well-being is not only about nourishing the body but

sic grid street plan, you can truly sense nature in the

also the soul. Of Finnish towns, Vaasa is the one that

form of a fresh sea breeze when walking along any of the

invests most in culture. It offers two professional

town’s numerous wide boulevards. (In the aftermath of

theatres, both a Finnish and a Swedish one, with annual

the disastrous fire that ravaged the town in 1852, town

audiences totalling around 100,000. This means that

planners wanted to minimise the risk of fire, which is why

every resident from infant to centenarian visits the

Vaasa now has so many boulevards.)

theatre once a year. Vaasa also has a symphony orches-

To go boating, you simply walk down to the harbour

tra and several galleries and museums. The art scene

and if you feel like a walk in the woods, head off in the

is one of the most vibrant in Finland, largely thanks to

opposite direction. In the summertime, several beaches

three major patrons: Frithjof Tikanoja, Simo Kuntsi and

offer a welcome respite at a walking distance from the

Karl Hedman. ►

GENEROUS PATRON. Businessman Simo Kuntsi was a passionate art collector, who accumulated a large number of works during his lifetime.

Today, the Vaasa museum of modern art carries his name.

STREET JAZZ OR SHOW DANCE. A few years back, Ida Jousmäki and Jenna Koivuranta won the Finnish Championship performing a hiphop duet. After time spent both abroad and in the Finnish capital, the two moved back to their home town and set up a dance school. “In its second year of operations, our school already had one thousand students and twenty teachers. We knew there was a demand, but never expected things to turn out this well.”

The opportunity to spend time in nature contributes to happiness.

24

FESTIVE. Vaasa is a genuine old town with a classic grid street plan. The grand city hall was built in 1879 – 1883.

DENSE WITH STUDENTS. If you find the street view in Vaasa to look exceptionally young, you’re quite right: one in five residents is a university student.

12,000 students studying in three languages at seven different institutions of higher education.

Last but not least, people get satisfaction from the

Finland. Ostrobothnian women look forward to an ave-

ability to play a role in their community, for example,

rage of 83.8 years of life, which is the Finnish record.

by participating in politics, writing letters to the editor,

Moreover, people in the region are healthier than their

rallying and demonstrating, or choosing any which way

counterparts elsewhere in the country.

to express their opinions. A sign of the political life in and around Vaasa being exceptionally active is the

In summer 2010, Newsweek chose Finland as the

voter turnout, which has been one of Finland’s highest

world’s best country based on a number of factors,

in recent elections.

such as the education system, healthcare, quality of

A full one-third of residents hold a higher academic

life, economic dynamism and the political environment.

degree. Vaasa is a lively educational centre, with one

This was by no means the first time Finland topped a

in every five people studying at college or university.

list of this kind. Along with its Scandinavian neighbours,

The campuses are located close to the centre, giving a

Finland often ranks high in surveys of competitiveness,

characteristic look to the entire city. Vaasa is a univer-

equality and other similar matters.

sity town in the truest meaning of the word.

So, just to be clear: what is the Finnish region with

Although we said in the introduction that money

the lowest unemployment rate, the greatest longevity

does not make people happy, it hardly makes them

of its inhabitants and one of the most dynamic econo-

unhappy either. The average Vaasa resident earns

mies? Whatever positive statistical variable you choose

about the same as the average person in the country’s

to highlight, the Vaasa region always places among the

capital, Helsinki, but has much more money left over.

very best. If it is one of Finland’s strongest regions and

The price of housing, for example, is only half of that

Finland is one of the world’s best countries, what is the

in Helsinki.

conclusion? Nothing less than this: the Vaasa region is

Another sign of people in the region doing well

definitely one of the best places in the whole world. ●

is that they have the longest life expectancy in all of 27

A RIDING PROFESSOR. Pirjo Laaksonen is professor of marketing at the University of Vaasa. She lives in the country 20 minutes from the centre of Vaasa, together with her family and her horse, Leroy.

Laaksonen rides practically every day. "Here it is possible to combine an ambitious riding hobby with other aspects of life. Many of our neighbours also have horses. I’ve been involved in dressage since I was 11, and the great thing is that you can still develop at this age."

PACESETTER

IN THE ENERGY

SECTOR

A Nordic leader in energy technology, the Vaasa region is home to companies producing everything from cuttingedge power plants and energy-efficient electric motors to wind and solar power components. All this thanks to an emigrant to America called John Wickstrรถm.

Every day 10,000 people in and around Vaasa head off to work to literally help save the world. They are employed

EnergyVaasa

by the region’s 120 companies specialising in energy

•

120 companies

technology. Of them, some 800 work in research and

•

10,000 employees, ¼ of Finland’s

development focused on energy efficiency or renewable

overall workforce in the energy

energy, and many of them are considered the foremost

sector •

Overall turnover ca. €4 billion

The Vaasa region houses the largest cluster of

•

Share of exports over 70%

energy technology competence in the Nordic countries

•

12% of Finland’s total technology

experts in their niche worldwide.

– one that is growing rapidly for that matter: in 2020

exports (the population in the

the companies are expected to employ as many as

Vaasa region accounting for 2%

20,000 people.

of Finland’s population) •

The 2010s is a decade characterised by global efforts

motors, power plants,

to curb climate change.

components for wind and solar

The battle isn’t getting any easier, with the world needing more and more energy while existing energy resources dwindle and prices keep rising. The challenges are partly political, but they also involve a search for technological solutions.

Development in the 2010s will be driven by global development in urban environments, which function more or less independently of nations and their capitals.

At the intersection of these two trends – increasing global demand for energy technology and the emergence of urban settings – the Vaasa region took a huge leap in the 21st century. ► 32

Examples of sectors: electric

power, electricity distribution, smart grids

Energy-cluster employees help save the world from the greenhouse effect.

33

Thanks to its energy cluster, the region boasts Finland’s

25 minutes the motorboat had travelled a distance that

highest employment rates and its economy and exports

would have taken one and a half hours to row.

are also experiencing fastest growth in the country.

The driver was the engine constructor – the 36-year-old John Wickström. Similar to many other

For a historical overview, let’s go back over one hundred

Ostrobothnians of the time, he had emigrated to

years in time. Vaasa has always been one of Finland’s

America as a young man and learned a great deal about

foremost industrial towns, housing everything from

new technology and engines, among other things, by

cotton plants and steam mills to sugar mills and soap

being involved in the construction of one of the world’s

factories.

first cars in Chicago. Upon returning to Vaasa as an

One of the first bricks in energy technology competence was laid back in the 1880s when Wasa Mekaniska

engineer in 1906 he established an engine factory with his brother Jakob – the first of its kind in Finland.

Verkstad began manufacturing water turbines. Even more important was an incident that took place in the

In many ways, John Wickström is a typical represen-

early 1900s.

tative of the Vaasa region. The sea has ferried people

One beautiful summer day in 1906 Vaasa residents

out into the world and brought them back again when

flocked to the beach to gaze at a radically novel idea: a

homesickness grew too much to bear. The sea has

fisherboat equipped with an engine and propeller.

brought in people with fresh ideas and conveyed export

People in the Vaasa region, and in Ostrobothnia in general, are not easy to win over. They are sceptical

The story about John Wickström and his engine

about authorities and orders from above. Novelties are

factory tells a great deal about the entrepreneurial spirit

not accepted until they have been proved to work. In

and people in the Vaasa region. It has clear parallels

other words, it was a doubtful crowd that stood looking

with current circumstances. Today, demand focuses on

at the motorised fisherboat. Could an engine really

solutions that save energy. A century back, society was

make the boat go faster than a pair of oars?

in need of solutions that increased the mobility of people

Half an hour later their doubts had evaporated. In 34

products to new markets.

and replaced muscle power with engine power. ►

FROM MOTORS TO SOLAR POWER. Vacon, which has been manufacturing variable-speed AC drives since 1993, has found new business in solar power. Ari-Jussi Uunila assembled solar panels on the roof of Vacon’s plant.

GLOBAL WORK. Katariina Pukkila-Palmunen is one of the many technology experts who has chosen to move to the Vaasa region. Transferring from a top-notch position in Helsinki, she first took up duties as a director at Wärtsilä and today works as the CEO of KGN Tool – one of over 100 globally oriented companies belonging to the region’s energy cluster. "I’d always dreamed of heading my own factory, and now that dream has come true."

TAILWIND. The Switch is one of the latest companies to join the energy cluster. Wind power is an important new sector that already accounts for a turnover of â‚Ź400 million in the Vaasa region.

Thanks to an attitude of this kind, new ideas often

engineers soon began developing their own models.

enter Finland via the Vaasa region – and not only in

The new Wärtsilä diesel engine was characterised

industry. Fur farms and greenhouses are examples of

by high energy efficiency. The ultimate international

former novelties that Ostrobothnians imported into the

breakthrough came with the legendary Vasa 32 engine.

region and that now ensure continued vitality for the

In contrast to most other engines, it ran on heavy fuel

countryside.

oil, which was inexpensive and helped shipping companies save money after the 1970s energy crisis.

There are other explanations, as well, for the energy

These days, one in every three vessels sailing

cluster springing up in the region. Vaasa is a deep-rooted

the seas around the world are powered by Wärtsilä’s

industrial town: its skilled artisans and craftsmen, along

equipment. The company’s fastest growing segment

with the relatively safe location on the west coast, made

consists of engine-driven power plants, which offer a

the town a sought-after location in the turbulent years

perfect complement to wind and solar power.

of the 20th century. The two major companies in the region today – Wärtsilä and ABB – grew up in Vaasa after

The way in which Wärtsilä developed its own engine

World War II.

is typical of the way in which things work in the Vaasa

In 1936, Wärtsilä acquired Metvikens Mekaniska

region. While major inventions have rarely been made

Verkstad, an engineering workshop, and during the war

here, the region is a global leader in adapting new

years decided to invest more in western Finland. ABB’s

technology – which is exactly what John Wickström did

predecessor, Strömberg, manufactured electrotechnical

back in time.

equipment in Helsinki at the outbreak of war. In search

of a strategically safer place of manufacture during in-

nies relocating core elements of their product develop-

tense warfare, Strömberg moved part of its production

ment to Vaasa. One such company is Wärtsilä, another

to Vaasa, to an area now known as Strömberg Park.

ABB, both of them trailing only Nokia as the companies

A major turning point took place in 1954 when

investing most in research and development in Finland.

Wärtsilä began manufacturing diesel engines in the

This must say something about the significance of the

town. Operations first took place under licence but,

Vaasa region. ►

This has led to several energy technology compa-

unhappy with the technological quality, the company’s 39

The sea has ferried people out into the world and brought them back again with fresh ideas.

The global ABB Group established itself in Vaasa in

Vaasa has always been entrepreneurially oriented. The

1988 by acquiring the operations of Strömberg, which

threshold for setting up your own company is low and

had already undergone a number of mergers in the

people are hard-working by nature.

preceding years. This gave Strömberg’s factories in Vaasa access to a global sales network.

VEO, a supplier of automation and electrification solutions, was founded in 1989, and a real success story

ABB is one of the world’s leading developers of

saw daylight in 1993 with the establishment of Vacon.

smart grids and its global product development in the

In twenty years, the company has grown into a globally

field is located in Vaasa.

significant manufacturer of variable-speed AC drives

ABB is also a key manufacturer of electric motors,

– devices that boost the energy-efficiency of electric

which are of major importance in view of the EU’s

motors. Vacon is now a listed company and a major

energy-efficiency targets. No less than a third of the

player in both the wind and solar power industries.

worldwide electricity consumption is used to power electric motors. In other words, making them more

Business development in the 2000s has been driven

energy-efficient is a great contribution to the combat

by environmental policy demands and an increasing

against the greenhouse effect.

global need for energy. Whereas traditional companies, such as Wärtsilä and ABB, have gradually changed

In the 1990s, energy-technology competence in

direction, new start-ups have immediately set their

the Vaasa region reached such heights that it began

sight on renewable energy production or energy

spawning new companies developing their own tech-

efficiency. ►

nology. Ostrobothnia has the largest number of companies per capita in Finland, and the area around

MODERN TECHNOLOGY. Finland’s first motor was manufactured in Vaasa a century ago, and the region is still active in engine manufacture. Pictured here is ABB’s new flagship product, an energy-efficient motor of 11 kW, which can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.1 tonnes annually.

History and regional characteristics of energy technology “In the 18th century, tar was Finland’s primary and most important export commodity. It was exported from Ostrobothnia, where it gave birth to a culture of trade, shipping and shipbuilding. Forest industry, important to Finland as a whole, never became dominant in the Vaasa region, since the forests had been chopped down for tar and wood products. Instead, a whole range of other industry sprouted up in Vaasa, while a robust tradition of small companies and agricultural industries took root in the surrounding villages. The tar-burning period was the first extensive wave of development in Ostrobothnia, and the set-up of small companies and industrial activities in many different sectors was the second wave. The increasing global demand for energy technology is making energy the foundation of the third wave for many decades to come.”

Hannu Katajamäki, professor in regional studies, University of Vaasa.

1880 Wasa Mechanical workshop manufacture water turbines

1906 The Wickström brothers’engine factory in Vaasa launched motor manufacture in Finland

1880 Inception of energy technology.

The region’s strength comes from its innovative and entrepreneurial residents.

In the 1940s, the manufacture of Strömberg’s generators, motors and transformers was transferred to Vaasa.

1936 Metvikens Mekaniska Verkstad in Vaasa became a part of Wärtsilä.

1954 Wärtsilä begins manufacturing diesel engines in Vaasa.

1940 The region draws its strength from competence and efficient production.

1988 Strömberg becomes a part of the global ABB Group.

Forecast: 20 000 jobs

10 000 jobs

5 000 jobs

The early 2000s see heightened global awareness of energy efficiency and clean energy production, as well as a stronger move to combat climate change.

1993 Vacon begins manufacturing variable-speed AC drives.

2000 The region’s strength lies in efficient technology use.

2006 Three innovative companies (Rotatek Finland, Verteco and Youtility) join forces to create The Switch, a company supplying technology for wind and solar power plants.

Over 20,000 jobs in the energy technology cluster

In 2004 – 2010, the number of employees in the energy technology cluster goes from 5,000 to 10,000. Most of them work in technologically oriented professions.

The cluster has: • over 120 companies • an overall turnover of over €4 billion • an export share in excess of 70% • exports accounting for some 12% of Finland’s • overall exports in the technology industry.

2010 Solutions to global climate change and increased energy needs.

2020

INDIAN IMMIGRANTS RETURN. Munish Maggon from India originally came to Vaasa to study in his youth. Having worked in other countries for several years, he and his wife Manu decided to move back to Vaasa, where both of them are now employed by ABB. “We value the safety and peacefulness here – and the fact that our son can bike to school on his own. Of all the towns and cities we’ve lived in, this is the only one we’ve bought a home in, and that is telling.”

The share of export companies per capita is the highest in Finland, with 70% of production being exported.

The Switch, which makes generators and converters for

which is desperately looking for a new Nokia.

the wind and solar power industries, was set up in 2006, while 2008 saw the birth of Mervento, which provides

Similar to the rest of Ostrobothnia, the Vaasa region is

next-generation direct-drive wind turbines.

characterised by a strong trust between individuals, as well as companies. Customer relations and partnerships

It is no exaggeration to say that the Vaasa region is a

often develop into long and stable ones, providing a fruitful

Finnish leader in exports: 70 per cent of the products and

environment for the networks typical of today’s industry.

services it produces are exported. What is more, the per

One of the prevailing management paradigms is

capita share of export companies is the highest in Finland

based on the idea of companies focusing on their core

and the value of exports also ranks among the best in the

competence and outsourcing all other activities. Thanks to

country.

the deeply rooted entrepreneurial spirit in the Vaasa region,

All of the leading companies in Vaasa have a strong presence in China, where the market is currently booming.

New product development in fields such as wind and solar power is fully focused on global markets.

production can be outsourced to neighbours, which makes for flexible cooperation.

Large companies, such as Wärtsilä and ABB, have also boosted the establishment and internationalisation of

A stunning 12 per cent of Finland’s overall technology

noteworthy subcontractors. Clients pose tough demands,

exports originates in the Vaasa region, despite only two

and the supplier that can meet them is well positioned to

per cent of the population living here. The region accounts

find other global customers. Today, many of the energy

for nearly a third of the country’s energy technology ex-

cluster’s subcontractors are export companies with

ports. It is safe to say that Vaasa and its surroundings have

their own merits, such as Mapromec, Leinolat Group and

become a driving force for exports in current-day Finland,

Österberg Group.

►

45

One of the companies exhibiting robust growth since its

package, that is. According to it, in 2020 greenhouse gas

establishment in 1984 is Citec, which started off as a

emissions must have decreased by 20 per cent com-

technical design supplier for Wärtsilä, but has developed

pared to 1990, renewable resources must account for

into a supplier of engineering services and technical

20 per cent of energy consumption and energy efficiency

documentation, serving many global major customers. A

must have increased by 20 per cent. By no means do the

wide subcontractor network is also a great asset for new

requirements stop here: even more ambitious targets

companies looking to establish themselves in the region.

are in the planning.

Irrespective of how the climate policy develops in

46

Every day 10,000 experts in and around Vaasa work

the next few decades, advanced energy technology

on solutions to the big challenges facing modern-day

will continue to be in high demand. The price of oil

people. The demand for energy-technology compe-

continues to rise, as does that of electricity. The world

tence will continue to be big, driven by a political agenda

needs improved solutions to raise energy efficiency and

spelled out as “20-20-20” – the EU climate and energy

new sustainable ways to produce energy.

Vaasa’s strength lies in numerous medium-sized com-

families with children attract commercial services and

panies working together around a single knowledge

appealing shops, which make the region ever more

and technology base, further boosted by the region’s

interesting.

colleges and universities. This sets Vaasa off from most other urban areas in Finland, which either rely on a single

A region that helps to save the world from global

large company or have a fragmented competence base.

warming must obviously base its own energy provision

The clustered business structure, consisting of a

on sustainability. At the 2008 housing fair arranged in

dozen or so companies big enough to survive on their

Vaasa, the city introduced a unique environmentally

own, makes the Vaasa region well equipped for cyclical

friendly heating solution for the new residential area.

changes. The city’s universities – both academic and

Heat is collected from the seabed, while gases from the

of applied sciences – focus more and more on energy

nearby old dump are used to produce energy.

technology, and as a rule, their graduates quickly find

work in the region.

plunge when Westenergy’s Waste to Energy plant will

Vaasa has one of Finland’s highest student densities,

begin to produce electricity and district heating. At the

and growing international companies bring in young

same time, the world’s first gasification facilities for bio-

people from other countries and Finnish regions. This

fuel will also come on line at the local Vaskiluodon Voima

leads to a positive demographic trend. Young adults and

power plant. ●

In 2013, the region’s carbon dioxide emissions will

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Half the world can be found in the Vaasa region: it is home to people from over one hundred countries.

The Vaasa region grows by an area corresponding to hundreds of soccer fields a year thanks to one of the world’s fastest land rises. The archipelago is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The first thing visitors to Vaasa often pay attention

Ostrobothnia. After the ice melted around 10,000 years

to is the open and flat landscape, resembling some-

ago, the land crust, long depressed by the bed of ice,

thing levelled by a gigantic steamroller. Turning to

gradually began to rise.

the sea, the visitor notices its stoniness. It may seem

incredible that anyone could navigate the waters with

the land continues to rise 8 – 9 millimetres a year.

the thousands and yet thousands of rocks. Many rocks

This may not sound all that much, but for flat land it

are moved by the ice every winter and show up in

translates to several new hectares annually.

unexpected places in the spring. Fairways and nautical

The phenomenon, called post-glacial rebound,

charts grow outdated quickly and need to be constantly

makes the Kvarken archipelago one of the youngest

redrawn and updated. The frightful reputation that the

in the world. Most of the islands and islets in the sea

Kvarken strait had among former seamen wasn’t wholly

are geologically speaking so young they can be charac-

unfounded.

terised as still being wet behind the ears. The terrain is in

What makes this phenomenon fascinating is that

continuous transformation, with new rocks rising from Similar to the open and flat landscape, the rock activ-

the sea, islands merging into the mainland and bridges

ity is the result of the last Ice Age, which covered all

having to be moved further out. In one generation, the

of northern Europe by a thick layer of ice, at its thick-

landscape changes to such a degree that it may be

est (2 – 3 kilometres) over the area today known as

difficult to recognise in old photographs. ►

OPEN LANDSCAPE. The vast fields find a wide range of alternative use in the winters. This time it’s snowkite on Söderfjärden, a plain that came into being 500 million years ago as a result of a meteorite fall.

NEWBORN. The islands in the Kvarken archipelago are so young they can be characterised as still being wet behind the ears. This little island is called Nippon, named by the sailor who built a cabin on it. He came by the idea when working in the Japanese waters.

The Kvarken archipelago • Accepted on the UNESCO World

Heritage list in 2006

• Unique landscape formed by the

Ice Age

• One of the world’s fastest rates of

postglacial rebound: 8 – 9 mm

annually • The region annually expands by an

area equivalent to 150 soccer fields

55

This unique phenomenon awarded the Kvarken

rocky section and Thorsell suddenly stood up, took out

archipelago a place on the UNESCO World Heritage

his binoculars and after a long silence exclaimed, “It’s

List in 2006. It is the only Finnish natural site on the list,

like another planet!”

in good company with the Galapagos islands, the Great Barrier Reef and the Teide volcano on Tenerife.

The Raippaluoto island, home to a large share of the World Heritage site, is linked to the mainland by

Getting the Kvarken archipelago on the list was a

Finland’s longest bridge. This makes it fully possible

long process spanning nearly twenty years. The final

to live right in the middle of a World Heritage site and

success was partly due to the region sharing its dis-

also work for an international major company in Vaasa.

tinction with the High Coast on the Swedish side of the

Lookout towers, guided tours and outstanding hiking

gulf of Bothnia, which had previously been accepted

trails are offered to those looking to make closer

on the UNESCO list. The Kvarken–High Coast is one of

acquaintance with the site.

the few natural heritage sites crossing the boundary of two countries. If the post-glacial rebound continues at

The rocks and open landscape give a characteristic

the same rate the two regions will grow together in two

touch not only to the Kvarken World Heritage site but

thousand years or so. Today, the World Heritage site

to the entire Vaasa region. Just like the rocks, the

is growing annually by an area corresponding to 150

flatness is also an outcome of the Ice Age. Swedish-

soccer fields.

speaking Finns often call Ostrobothnia Pampas after the renowned La Pampa in Argentina. Travelling along

56

We may also have the rocks to thank for Kvarken finally

highway 8 from Pori in the south to Vaasa you can drive

getting its World Heritage status after many ifs and

for miles and miles without really having to touch the

buts. The person in charge of evaluating the area was

steering wheel – that’s how straight the roads are.

Jim Thorsell, a Canadian representative of the inter-

The flatness of the land makes for enormous fields,

national union for the conservation of nature. He is told

which are also fertile since the soil was the seabed not

to have been ferried around the archipelago for days,

too far ago. The land has been cultivated for centuries

with the hosts trying in vain to guess at his impressions.

and continues to be so today. Far from an extinct

Thorsell’s face, however, gave nothing away – until the

industry, agriculture provides an income to four per

last day when the boat ploughed through a particularly

cent of the region’s population. ►

The flat landscape makes for majestically large and fertile fields.

VITAL COUNTRYSIDE. Ostrobothnia is one of Europe’s leading exporters of cumin, the spice plant. The long and light summer nights give the spice a unique aroma.

58

Apart from the ice, the landscape has also been formed

The beaches and shores in Vaasa are full of boat places

by the Söderfjärden crater south of Vaasa, which came

and when the weather gets warm in the spring, leisure

into being over 500 million years ago as a result of a

boaters begin to cruise in the evenings and on weekends.

huge meteorite fall. Back then, the area was located in

To unwind, people take off to their summer cabins and

the southern hemisphere: the continental plates have

cottages. Just like most northerners, Vaasa residents are

moved a long way since. Söderfjärden is six kilometres in

extremely attached to their cottages and eagerly spend

diameter and clearly visible from the sky since it is used

time there even in the winter. Many live close to their

as fields. The plain is also a popular resting place for

cottages, some only a few kilometres away, but it does

migratory birds.

not prevent them from switching into the holiday mode

Funnily enough, despite the landscape being so flat,

during the journey out. A nearby holiday home also

some of Finland’s most successful alpine skiers come

makes it possible for people to extend their holidays by

from the Vaasa region. This is a good example of the

commuting to work in the spring and autumn.

results achieved with resolution and hard work even when the external conditions aren’t the best possible.

Five hundred years ago much of today’s Vaasa was

The same attitude has given rise to several prosperous

covered by water, and the sea continues to characterise

companies.

the region. The sea and nature are written into the population’s DNA, whether talking about a farmer or an

While downhill skiing may be difficult on a flat terrain,

engineer travelling around the world 200 days a year.

cross-country skiing is all the more enjoyable. On a sunny

Nature makes itself seen in daily life – as a fresh

Sunday in early spring, skiing tracks can get crowded.

breeze from the sea or a glimpse of sun in the dark

Many people describe skiing on ice as being purely medi-

winter months. At times it seems as if this place had been

tative. Those who prefer more intense activities (and

blessed by a higher power. Not only are the residents

there are more than a few of them!) can journey across

extraordinarily happy, but the Vaasa region is also one of

the ice on a snowmobile. Snowkite has also become very

Finland’s sunniest locations. ●

popular in recent years.

59

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Jo sef i na

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AT THE TOP. Funnily enough, Finland’s flattest region has produced some of the country’s best alpine skiers, with Andreas Romar at the helm. In fact, the Vaasa ski club has been number one in all of Finland more than once. A big thanks for this goes to the Ostrobothnian attitude of everything being possible – the same attitude that has given rise to several prosperous companies. When the home slope becomes too small, parents begin driving their kids to bigger mountains to train.

YET ANOTHER RECORD. Finland’s longest bridge, Raippaluoto, leads to the Kvarken archipelago. Sweden is just a stone’s throw away, and if the land continues to rise at the current rate, the two countries will have grown together 2,000 years from now.

SOURCES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The articles in this publication are based on several books, articles and websites. Some of the main sources include the following: •

The Kvarken Archipelago World Heritage Site – Echoes from the Ice Age, by Tiina Hietikko-Hautala

•

Tillverkat i Vasa, Industri under fyra århundraden (Made in Vaasa, Four Centuries of Industry) by Kari Leinamo

•

Professor Hannu Katajamäki’s articles about the region’s economic history

•

Rector Tauno Kekäle’s articles in the Vasabladet newspaper on 31 October 2010 and 21 November 2010

•

Coastline 2008: “When energy took the lead”

• www.oecd.org

64

•

A great deal of inspiration in terms of perspectives and themes was obtained from the Vaasa region Christmas calendar at livochlust.fi

•

energyvaasa.fi, a remarkable database, has been of great help

•

Kimmo Saraste and Jonas Kommonen from the Vaasa urban development agency have contributed with invaluable information

•

A big thanks goes to the Regional Council of Ostrobothnia, the Ostrobothnia Chamber of Commerce, as well as municipalities in the

Vaasa region

•

Thank you to the following people for their support and assistance in the creation of this book and for their active involvement in

regional communications: Veli-Matti Laitinen, Tarja Gromov, Matti Jakobsson, Ulla Mäki-Lohiluoma, Sture Udd, Juha Häkkinen, Mia

Brännbacka, Markus Jussila, Katarina Heikius, Stefan Råback, Eva Swanljung, Maria Backman, Rita Kuha, Marko Honko, Maria Mäkelä,

Varpu Rajaniemi, Irina Nori, Heli Haapamäki, Tauno Kekäle and Sari Mäkisalo.

•

Thank you to all of you who contributed to this publication: Tom Blom, Petra Sten-Heinonen, Rimma Heinonen, Ida Jousmäki, Jenna

Koivuranta, Pirjo Laaksonen, Katarina Pukkila-Palmunen, Ari-Jussi Uunila, Manu och Munish Maggon, Josefina Långström, Matias

Koivula, Akseli Puijola, Calle Laakso and Lisa Boström.

•

Last but not least, we wish to thank all the companies, decision-makers and residents who each in their own way made this book possible.

WORK GROUP Suvi Markko, Robert Olander, Pekka Haapanen, Mari Kattelus, Johanna Hietikko-Koljonen, Päivi Elina Alasjärvi, Riitta Björkenheim, Tuukka Turunen, Anna Jeanne Söderlund (text), Lars Rosenblad (text), Linnéa Sjöholm (layout), Katja Lösönen (photos)

PHOTOS Katja Lösönen: pages 1–15, 22–23, 25–29, 36–37, 44–47, 50–55 and 58–61.

Pages 16–17 Mikko Lehtimäki, 21 Kuntsi/Lehtimäki, 30–31 VEO/Lehtimäki, 35 Roaming Oy/Lehtimäki, 38 The Switch, 41 ABB, 42–43 Mapromec Oy/Lehtimäki, 48–49 Vasa Elektriska/Lösönen, 52–53 Juha Ojanperä, 54 Mikaela Jussila, 57 Anni Kiviniemi, 62–63 Marko Kauppi.

65

ISBN 978-952-6622-02-6