Professionals Q4 2016

PROFESSIONALS Professionals is a commercial supplement produced by Editor Helsinki | December 2016 | www.editori.fi

MARTELA BELIEVES IN HYBRID SPACES

Is the industrial internet of things Finland’s new competitive advantage?

Carbon-neutral circular economy in Lappeenranta

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page 6

page 12

Aava Mobile – Oulu area’s strongest pos electronics company | page 7

Thriving business ecosystems | page 8

ANT Plant brings new era to manufacturing | page 10

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Would you be interested in spreading the news of Petra´s Planet in your home market?

3 Forsman Tea – tea lover’s paradise 4 The workplace as a service 5 Save time and experience more

with Event Tracker 5 Sensationally good chocolate

– Finnish Leader raw chocolate 6 Is the industrial internet of things

Finland’s new competitive advantage?

7 Aava Mobile – the strongest pos electronics company within

the Oulu area

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“With ANT Plant you don’t even have to be an automation specialist to produce competitively priced, high-end products locally.“

8 Thriving business ecosystems

PROFESSIONALS is a publication produced by Editor Helsinki. Editor Helsinki is an independent expert in business communications. We work in close co-operation with the leading media houses and reach the business decision makers in Finland.

10 ANT Plant brings new era to manufacturing 11 Aditro challenges the routine of payroll 12 Carbon-neutral circular economy

in Lappeenranta

For additional information, please contact Valtteri Rantalainen | +358 40 561 7703

13 Industrial nitrogen oxide emissions

under control through Yara’s expertise

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14 Efficient portfolio managers master

risks in the electricity market 15 Renewable energy generation and the importance of energy storage 16 Excellence in high tech drawing

companies to Tampere

THIS ISSUE OF PROFESSIONALS gives you an insight into companies active in international markets. They will tell customers about their solutions and services. Innovations, competence, products and processes are all aimed at bringing state of the art solutions and services to the global market.

“We must be alert at all times in order to identify changes in trends.“

PRODUCTION TEAM: Managing producer: Valtteri Rantalainen Layout: Hanna Voutilainen Editors: Mia Heiskanen (MH), Eila Lokka (EL) Cover photo by Martela Printed by PunaMusta FEEDBACK TO EDITOR HELSINKI tuotanto@editorhelsinki.fi | +358 40 561 7703 www.editori.fi

WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN SPREADING THE NEWS OF

PETRA´S PLANET IN YOUR HOME MARKET? Petra’s Planet is a children’s brand, whose products encourage a child’s curiosity in a safe environment. The family of products it belongs to has already gained a foothold around the world, but it still offers interesting opportunities for new licencing partners.

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ehind the Petra’s Planet product family, is Finnish Dramaforum Oy. ‘’Petra’s Planet is a children’s brand that is just a little bit different, which has attracted wide international interest’’, says Managing Director Kimmo Kärpijoki.

The business activity of Petra’s Planet is largely based on the core value of a safe childhood. “Petra’s Planet empowers children to be active global citizens by offering products and experiences which engage children to learn through their natural curiosity while having fun and staying safe.”

Petra’s Planet provides a platform for its licencing partners, who have a strong foothold in their own market. It is also important to share the same vision in the growing industry of children’s products and services.

GROWING PRODUCT PORTFOLIO

New products are being created at a steady pace around the Petra’s Planet brand. ‘’Everything was started with the books, which are in printed as well as electronic versions. The virtual world of Petra’s Planet provides, in its turn, a safe environment in which there are already 2 million registered users. In addition, we have Bella’s Baking Blast mobile game, e-learning solutions, and the latest newcomers are Petra’s Planet magazine and a music album.’’ MH Want to learn more? | www.dramaforum.fi | | www.petrasplanet.com | kimmo.karpijoki@dramaforum.fi

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Ari Santamäki, CEO of Forsman Tea

Explore the taste of Forsman Tea at the airport and in the Tea Stall!

FORSMAN TEA

– TEA LOVER’S PARADISE Many people may be surprised that close to Helsinki-Vantaa airport they can find the Finnish Forsman Tea’s international tea factory and fabulous Tea Stall.

Yet, this is no coincidence. An uncompromising quality has been the recipe for Forsman Tea’s success for nearly 40 years.

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orsman Tea is an exceptional Finnish company, as Finland is not traditionally known worldwide as tea country. Despite this, Forsman Tea has managed to build a strong Finnish tea brand, which has participated in international trade among the finest teas for over 40 years.

Forsman Tea’s quality is also known worldwide. The CEO Ari Santamäki says, as a quickfact, that the company has provided tea for many years – for example to the best of Moscow hotels, restaurants and specialist teashops.

THE BEST RAW MATERIALS IN FINLAND, WITHOUT MIDDLEMEN

Nevertheless, what is Forsman Tea’s secret recipe? “Quality. It is imperative for us to get the tealeaves into consumer’s cup when they are as fresh as possible, as the best flavour steeps from fresh tea leaves. That is why we purchase teas directly from tea-growing countries, and from the best plantations. We do not buy raw material through intermediaries, because we want to prepare tea from new yields that are as fresh as possible.”

The company’s approach is also rewarding local producers. “It has always been important

for us to act fairly towards tea farmers. For the farmer, it means that when he delivers a quality product meeting the Forsman criteria, we are a faithful companion to him for many years to come. A good relationship with producers, in turn, ensures that we always get the best raw materials in the world.”

PRODUCTION ACCORDING TO DEMAND

The reason why Forsman Tea always tastes at least one degree better than other teas, in the consumer’s cup, is ensured at Forsman tea factory under the strict control of Finnish experts.

“Tea flavours do not come to our tea factory as ready-made mixtures, but they are created at the Vantaa factory according to distinct recipes and with the help of the professional manner of Finnish experts. We have been refining tea recipes for over 40 years and have turned seasoning into a noble skill. Raw materials are stored under optimal conditions and we produce tea blends in instalments of 300 kilograms as the orders leave the factory. Thus, we can always be sure that the flavour of Forsman Tea tastes equally good in each and every cup.” MH

You can explore Forsman Tea’s selection of teas in shops situated at the Airport’s Non-Schengen-area pop-up and the 2A arrivals hall!

The tea lover’s paradise is open in the Forsman Tea Stall near the Airport, where you can find a selection of 500 different Forsman Teas, and you can dive deeper into the essence of tea.

Taste it, smell it or, even buy a beautiful teapot gift.

Forsman Teashop Suokalliontie 7 01740 Vantaa Opening hours Mon 11–16.30 Tue–Fri 11–18 Sat 10–15 December Sundays 12–17 Check opening hours from our website! | www.forsman-tea.com | | www.forsman-tea.ru |

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WORKPLACE AS A SERVICE According to Eeva Terävä, Workplace Consultant at Martela ”the workplace should be seen as a service platform offering us a freedom of choice for the new kind of hybrid work we do today”. The planning of today’s working environments must therefore be based on user-centricity and the way of working.

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erävä explains the idea behind the Workplace As A Service like this. “For the workplace to be a service, the workplace planning must start from understanding the nature of work and the different roles within the organization. This means that before the actual planning work, one must survey the employee types and the kind of work they do as well as study which kind of work activity areas are really needed.”

After all, it is quite often the case that everyone in the office has their designated workstation or a private office but only works there for 20 % of the time. A properly sized and planned workplace supports the working optimally.

mote work and office work, concentration and collaboration or different kinds of knowledge areas. Hybrid work doesn’t mean that you sit at your desk or work just with your own team day after day.

Different needs and tasks may take the knowledge workers to different workspaces best suited to the task at hand. People value a diversified work environment and having the freedom to choose how they want to work. This is why the organization’s requirements for agility, activity and continuous change are also taken into account when planning environments that support hybrid work.”

HYBRID WORK ACTIVATES EMPLOYEES

Another interesting point of Terävä’s is that the work environment can also be used for managing. “When the employees are given the freedom to choose the way they work, the work environment becomes a source of creativity and a tool for

It pays off to have a closer look at the ways of working since the job roles we have today are increasingly some type of combination, in other words hybrids. “It can mean a combination of re-

WORKPLACE THAT BREAKS DOWN SILOS

New working environments are designed to support hybrid work, productivity and employee wellbeing.

self-management. On the other hand, it promotes natural ad-hoc encounters and makes the managers easier to approach.”

When a colleague from another function sits next to you, interesting opportunities for communication and collaboration arise. In the beginning, this certainly calls for courage, but it is worth it.

At best, an activity based office supports the company’s business by driving its employees to be creative and excel. MH Interested? Read more | www.martela.com |

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SAVE TIME AND EXPERIENCE MORE

WITH EVENT TRACKER

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housands of events take place around the world, from concerts to sports, from art exhibitions to nightlife. The trick is to find the best ones without wasting extra time, not only in your home town but in any city you visit. Event Tracker App has you covered.

“We make people’s lives easier by offering them local events, all in one place,” says Event Tracker CEO Stefan Berner.

“The app will use a unique algorithm to personalise events,” explains COO Erik Back.

“It will learn as you go: the more you use it the better it gets!”

Simple and elegant, Event Tracker cuts out clutter and provides the best user experience.

You tap to get more information and use an intuitive swipe gesture to skip or save events. You can even purchase tickets with just a few clicks.

Event Tracker launches in December for Helsinki and Stockholm, and will take America by storm next year. It is now available in the App Store.

Erik Back (left) and Stefan Berner.

“Simple and elegant, Event Tracker cuts out clutter and provides the best user experience.”

| www.eventtrackerapp.com |

SENSATIONALLY GOOD CHOCOLATE – FINNISH LEADER RAW CHOCOLATE

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e have enjoyed chocolate for about 4,000 years, but much of modern chocolate has drifted from its roots. Packed with additives and highly processed, many chocolates today only contain a tiny fraction of actual cocoa.

This isn’t the case with Leader Raw Choco products. Leader’s chocolate is created using the finest organic and unroasted Criolla raw cocoa beans from Peru or Ecuador. We make the products ourselves in our modern Finnish facilities, where we control the process and all the ingredients to guarantee the highest quality.

Available on Finnair European and intercontinental flights and in retail stores, our Raw Choco comes in a variety of tasty flavours, such as Almond & Sea Salt and Lemon & Ginger.

Raw chocolate is packed with nutrients and antioxidants but we don’t just make chocolate in a bit healthier and natural form; we make chocolate which also tastes great. | www.leader.fi |

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IS THE INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS

FINLAND’S NEW

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE? Solutions for the Industrial IoT are developing rapidly. Nodeon Oy’s Director Timo Majala sees great potential in the field, but, in addition to innovativeness, advocates the security of the solutions.

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he Industrial IoT is one of the most prominent digitalization-related global transformation trends occurring today. The elusive concept refers to the rapid and continuous growth of network-connected sensors, devices and services enabling new, smart ways of exploiting collected information.

Industrial IoT technologies allow real-time monitoring of devices, services and processes, bringing more opportunities to anticipate, automate and streamline, for example, factory production lines, road systems, and manufacturing and business processes. At best, by measuring and collecting – and especially by analysing and refining – collected data, companies can provide new smart technology and service innovations. According to Timo Majala, the Director of Nodeon Oy, a company specializing in Industrial IoT solutions, we are moving to a new era. Information is more and more automatically generated by sensors and devices for data analytics and decision-making is based on predictive algorithms.

The sphere of influence of the Industrial IoT, and more generally, of digitalisation, extends to all industries. You can see terms relating to it everywhere. People talk about big data, artificial intelligence, automation, robotics, geographic data and

cyber security. According to Majala, each of these has its own important role in the development of the Industrial IoT. In the field of technology specifically; Finland is seeking to gain a new competitive edge, and to have leading positions in the global digital economy.

traffic management and safety devices accordingly. The system reacts to changes and ensures the safety of those in the tunnel, by, for example, warning signs, lane signals, speed limits, impulse blowers and access control.

THE INTELLIGENT TRANSPORT SYSTEMS

The risk related to the Industrial IoT is a constantly growing topic of discussion. According to Majala, this is important, as it is easy to imagine threats arising from the activity, how autonomously functioning, network placed sensors, and artificial intelligence-based systems could be threatened by the means of cybercrime.

Majala knows what he is talking about. Nodeon has been involved in several projects where people’s lives have depended on the operation of the systems. “In the current year, we have also been developing a cyber security simulation environment used, among other things, in Finland’s national cyber security exercises. Developers of applications for the Industrial IoT have a great responsibility for information security and robustness of the systems”, says Majala.

According to Majala, Industrial IoT related innovations can be seen around all industries. As an example, Majala mentions intelligent transport systems, one of the key expertise areas of Nodeon, which has been very active in adopting Industrial IoT technologies. New, sophisticated applications are being developed for real-time situational awareness of traffic conditions, traffic safety, new service models, automatization, and maintenance areas.

As an example of the development of traffic infrastructure, Majala mentions Finland’s most advanced traffic-tunnel control system just commissioned by Nodeon in Tampere, the size of which is comparable to the size of an automation system in a medium-sized industrial plant. The control system detects, with the help of sensors and measuring devices, the changes in traffic situations and conditions as well as hazardous situations inside the tunnel, and controls the tunnel

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

| www.nodeon.com |

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Kari Räisänen, COO, Aava Mobile

AAVA MOBILE – THE STRONGEST

POS ELECTRONICS COMPANY WITHIN THE OULU AREA Already the leading technology company in the Oulu area, Aava Mobile is truly strong due to its products and vision. The future looks bright and the company is now calling for the best people available to join its team.

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he core business of Aava Mobile is the development of mobile platforms for original design purposes, and equipment manufacturing. “Meaning that our mobile platforms allow equipment manufacturers and service providers to incorporate their own identity, user interface, content, and services into mobile devices”, says COO Kari Räisänen.

Aava Mobile is a company with a unique strategy. “Aava is specialized in composition of design, id, manufacturing and long-term experience within vertical tablets and handhelds. Aava is, in fact, one of few companies with such experience and with so many mobile devices in the field for point of sales and retail. The company vision is that, soon, mobile devices will replace traditional cash register systems. It means that the retailer would use portable devices for sales, that will change and improve the customer experience both ways – for the sales person and for the customer.”

AAVA IS ON A STABLE GROWTH TRACK

Aava Mobile has used its many years of design know-how on mobile devices for manufacturing and accessorizing companies with viable mobile hardware solutions for their specific needs. Part of the business also comes from licensing of Aava IP and the technology. The company delivered tens of thousands of Inari tablets and accessories to end users – either under partner brands or under the Aava Mobile brand name. Thanks to the competence and innovations of its employees, the company’s turnover is expected to continue its strong growth in the years ahead.

GREAT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

However, like many other growing companies, Aava Mobile is also facing the challenge of finding the right people. “Therefore, we want to invite experienced professionals to come on board. We are a solid European company which sells more

than just dreams. We can offer a good prospective for the future, and a serious intention to stay in business.”

“Rapid growth will continue in the upcoming years.”

Kari Räisänen mentions that Aava Mobile has already been nominated as the biggest exporter within the Oulu region. “Our company has had rapid growth that, according to our projections and plans, will continue in the upcoming years.

We will also invest in new products and areas with focus on point of sales offerings, as well as expanding into new territories to become a global player. Plans that will create great career possibilities for our present and future personnel.” MH Find out more at | www.aavamobile.com |

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THRIVING BUSINESS

ECOSYSTEMS

Industrial companies have been developing from simply seeking costeffectiveness to the service business in order to bring added value to customers, and improve the customer experience. The next step is building a functioning ecosystem.

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hat is an ecosystem then? Picture companies that have already been working together in some form of cooperation, perhaps called subcontracting, a value chain, clustering or value networks; and now ecosystems.

Which begs the question; does this ‘favourite child’ of the industry simply have a new name?

It is certainly true that all of these forms of cooperation have a great deal of similarity, but there is also a variety of characteristics. Perhaps the biggest difference between an ecosystem and the other forms of cooperation is transparency. In all of these forms of cooperation, most often, there is a party that can be identified by the dominant element of cooperation, a ‘rule maker’, for the needs of which, rules and the approaches for cooperation are created. Ecosystems also have leaders, but the leader of an ecosystem must understand their role as an enabler and not as a controller. The role of enabler, again, means an environment of

“The builder of an ecosystem is a challenger who has a strong level of expertise and a desire to discover something new.”

much greater transparency and empowerment than other forms of cooperation. Transparency and authorization frequently lead to a situation where the products and services of the ecosystem driver become a part of something that previously did not exist, and that would never be seen in the controlled and closed product development, or in value chain thinking model. “Industries as we now know them in value chain centred thinking will recede”, states Tieto Corporation’s Director of Industrial Ecosystems Joni Lehtonen.

ECOSYSTEM BUILDER CHALLENGES NORMAL MODELS

Only rarely does the industry’s largest or second largest player become the ecosystem driver. They are satisfied with the current state of affairs. The builder of an ecosystem is a challenger who has a strong level of expertise and a desire to discover something new. The desire to change the rules of an industry where competition has occurred in the past. “This is a good opportunity for companies that have been training for international competition, have developed wonderful products, but nevertheless remain in the shadow of a few international giants,” states Joni Lehtonen.

Tieto builds road maps on how a company can develop from the product business to the service business, and continue to drive the ecosystem. The concept of the development of a service business and ecosystem is based on customer experience and changes in value chains.

Many companies have identified that the coming of an ecosystem would be a game changer in their industry. Companies are focusing on how to create ecosystems, and how to take the driver’s role in the ecosystem, rather than just being a singular ecosystem player. “There is an ongoing running of the gauntlet, where the winner could come from a totally surprising industry branch,” says Reetta Ruusunen, Head of Manufacturing Industry Consulting at Tieto. Also, in the industrial environment, it is necessary to look around, iden-

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tify potential gamblers and think about one’s own role in this context. However, the most important thing is to put the customer at the centre. The ecosystem will be started by the one who is best at understanding the customer’s real pain points and needs.

THE BACKBONE OF THE NEW APPROACH CAN BE FOUND IN DIGITALISATION

Today, all business is highly digitalized and therefore, it is natural to think that the ecosystem driver must also be able to co-ordinate its own ecosystem through a variety of digital platforms, which would be the backbone of the ecosystem’s operation. Often, identifying this technological need could drive the focus of the attention of companies; it would then follow that it would be necessary to select the tools for these needs, which may not yet have properly taken shape. It is at least important to understand how one’s own activities, one’s own products and services offered, will change. Ask, who is the future customer, who will be serving the customer, and what is the customer willing to pay for. This will also provide a basis to think about what kind of partners one must have, how one’s organization is changing, and what kind of people and services should be available so that the member of the ecosystem facing, or perhaps serving, the customer can create a good perceived value.

Therefore, in ecosystem thinking, as in other technology development, it can be seen that tech-

“The company must have the desire to form a path to the future between its strategic intent and the prevailing current state.” nology is a good servant but a bad master. Technology is an enabler on the one hand, but also an essential requirement in any business transformation on the other. Each company has its own developmental path. The company must have the desire to form a path to the future between its strategic intent and the prevailing current state.

You have to choose waypoints, at which the capability needed in the future is created gradually.

Although you’d wish this path or road map would be formed in a planned and determined manner, you must be prepared for the fact that various changes, new opportunities or outright adversity will change the alignment of your path many times along the way. You can be prepared for these changes with the help of flexibility, which means modularity at all levels; in business models, service practices, human multi-skills, organization structures, and technology platforms. | www.tieto.com |

Reetta Ruusunen, Head of Manufacturing Industry Consulting at Tieto

Joni Lehtonen, Director of Industrial Ecosystems at Tieto

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ANT Plant is fully automated micro-factory.

ANT PLANT BRINGS NEW ERA TO MANUFACTURING How about taking manufacturing into your own hands instead of shifting it to overseas? With ANT Plant microfactory manufacturing is effortless and profitable – even in your own backyard.

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nfortunately most companies are turning to low-cost overseas manufacturers to produce their goods. ANT Plant offers an appealing, cost-effective alternative to traditional manufacturing – one that can be built in your own backyard. “Each ANT Plant microfactory is fully scalable and monitored remotely by EID Tech for data tracking, analysis for preventive maintenance, and supported by a centralized regional parts hub to keep production levels running smoothly”, Paavo Käkelä, EID Tech Chairman of the Board explains.

Founded in 2009, EID Tech is a company that designs and sells automation and robotics solutions for small- and large-scale applications.

“We take pride in working together with our clients to find the most cost-effective solutions to any automation challenges that they may face. After several years of development work we´re now ready to introduce a concept that will disrupt industrial automation as we know it.”

BRING YOUR PRODUCTION CLOSER

Most companies are thrilled at the prospect of bringing manufacturing closer to home, especially if it saves time and money.

“With ANT Plant you don’t even have to be an automation specialist to produce competitively priced, high-end products locally. You only need to focus on your own business development and ANT Plant handles the rest. It´s a full-service concept that includes everything from the automated assembly line to quality testing and packaging”, EID Tech CEO Jari Helminen adds.

And since the ANT Plant microfactory is located where your products are needed, it allows companies to save on energy and distribution costs and reduce the time it takes to deliver their goods to market.

ALL-INCLUSIVE SERVICE CONCEPT

What does it mean that ANT Plant is an all-inclusive service concept? “We monitor the produc-

tion line remotely 24/7 via a secure network, and provide on-line and on-site support services as needed. We develop and pre-test the final product to ensure quality. Our centrally located, fully stocked regional parts hub guarantees the flow of manufacturing materials to keep your micro-factory performing at its best”, Käkelä says.

PROVEN CONCEPT WITH GREAT RESULTS

ANT Plant has already proved to be the brightest way to manufacture LED lighting at Valtavalo ANT Plant. “This particular ANT Plant shows that it can deliver high-quality products to market faster, and provide high-production success and competitive profit margins”, Helminen states. MH Learn more at

| www.antplant.fi |

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ADITRO CHALLENGES THE ROUTINE OF PAYROLL Aditro boldly searches for the next-generation of total solutions for outsourcing payroll services.

At the heart of this change are the re-design of work duties, robotics, and an excellent customer experience.

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ditro offers outsourced payroll services to its customers. At the core of the company’s operations is continuous development, which means that when the time comes for reinvention, Aditro is ready to take responsibility and deepen its partnerships. Against this background, the company has initiated an extensive payroll change project, involving the thorough scan of the processes, procedures, tools, and support channels of payroll. “This change is made with the customer and staff first in mind. The objective is that when we have reached our goal, our results will be seen by the customer as being more efficient, of better quality and with an even better ability to serve customers in challenging everyday situations, says the director responsible for Tallinn’s outsourcing services”, Outi Sivén.

“Technological development and digitalisation contribute to our ability to serve a wider customer base with Aditro’s business models, and to freeing the expertise of our specialists for the purposes of customer support and consulting, the director responsible for Finnish outsourcing services”, Hanna Mattinen adds.

ROBOTICS PERFORMS MANUAL TASKS

The world is changing, technological tools are evolving and digitalisation will inevitably, also be reflected in the world of payroll administration and payroll processes. “We, as a pioneer company, wanted to take the digital leap towards the future.

The aim is that when we’re at our journey’s end, we can use robotics for manual payroll work processes, and direct Aditro’s specialist knowledge in payroll administration to tasks that demand a deeper level of expertise. For Aditro professionals, this means the ability to develop and create a totally new kind of job description”, explains Mattinen.

WORK DUTIES TO BE REDESIGNED

Mattinen and Sivén have the opinion that the digital revolution also means a re-designing of tasks.

“It will enrich the job descriptions of our experts, and free-up resources for customers’ personal services and the delivery of the customer experience. Customers are operating in an increasingly networked manner. It frequently becomes necessary in everyday life, where there are exceptional situations that require an external service pro-

vider with a strong knowledge base, and support.

We also have taken a position with the company’s management because we want, by an orderly change in leadership, to coach and motivate our skilled employees. This is so that we will soon be ready to provide a partnership with our customers, as well as the next-generation of total solutions of payroll management using digitalisation and robotics”, Mattinen and Sivén state. MH | www.aditro.fi |

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Lappeenranta wants to be a model city for sustainable activities.

CARBON-NEUTRAL CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN LAPPEENRANTA Lappeenranta has chosen a philosophy and approach, which aims at a green future – greenreality.

It arises from responsible choices, ecological thinking and green research. Cooperation between the city, its university and companies has elevated Lappeenranta into one of the leading ‘Earth Hour’ capitals of the world.

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appeenranta is working to achieve a more sustainable future. The WWF has, for the second time, selected Lappeenranta as a National Earth Hour Capital. “We want to be a model city for sustainable activities. Our objective is to be energy self-sufficient, and a waste-free city in the future”, says Lappeenranta’s Development Manager Markku Heinonen.

The Lappeenranta University of Technology is internationally renowned for its expertise in energy and environmental technology. The university and companies are cooperating with each other, and the city is also striving to create ideal conditions. “We wanted to do everything to completion. The university’s efforts have also gone beyond simply “the study” of potential, meaning that many innovations are being brought forward towards implementation, together with companies”, Heinonen tells us.

A good example of one cooperation is the project carried out together with Wimao and Kompotek, involving the construction of a pilot plant connected with regional waste management. The

plant is able to process different recyclable materials that can be manufactured into bio-composite products.

“This pilot plant is the first of its kind in the world. The project strengthens the circular economy and in the future, will put landfill waste volumes under control”, says Ville Immonen, the Managing Director of Wimao.

COOPERATION PARTNERS ARE WELCOME

The city and local entrepreneurs are welcoming new cooperation partners to take part in the activities. “We are actively looking for new cooperation partners and we are facing new ideas with eagerness”, says Immonen.

As an export industry city, Lappeenranta Airport has its sights set on direct flight connections to Europe and, maybe, Asia. With regard to leisure flights, the airport has been popular – especially among travellers from St. Petersburg.

The City of Lappeenranta wants to make a concentrated effort to advance Finland’s implementation of the business opportunities offered by the

Paris climate agreement. Along with the state’s growth agreement process, companies are being offered cutting-edge research and piloting environments in the environmental business sector.

“Interesting targets can be found, for instance, in the storage of renewable energy, production of new fuels, intelligent steering of consumption, handling of sludge, and recycling of nutrients”, describes Heinonen. | www.greenreality.fi/en |

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Business Director Juha Sarlund and Sales Manager Rikhard Blomqvist

INDUSTRIAL NITROGEN OXIDE EMISSIONS UNDER CONTROL THROUGH YARA’S EXPERTISE Legislation requres industrial plants to clean flue gas emissions laden with nitrogen oxides, which deteriorate air quality and cause pulmonary diseases.

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or the purpose of cleaning nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, There are highly-efficient solutions in which ammonia water, or urea solution, is used as a transmitter. A similar technology is also used for diesel-fuelled vehicles. ”Amongst the flue gases you spray a reagent, which breaks down the nitrogen oxides responsible for deteriorating air quality and harming the lungs, into nitrogen and water vapour”, says Sales Manager Rikhard Blomqvist from Yara. “It is also possible to restrict these emissions by using higherquality fuel or by the under-utilisation of plants, but the cleaning method developed is clearly the most advantageous. ”We have extensive expertise in cleaning nitrogen oxides fromflue gases , covering different technologies and chemical products, specialising in reagents. We create the solutions that are the most suitable for the individual needs of each customer. These can be implemented in new plants as

well as retrofitted into existing ones”, Business Director Juha Sarlund continues.

Yara is one of the world’s leading operators in the field of reagent technology. Yara delivers reagents for all of manufacturers’ systems. The company has a strong local position in Finland. Here Yara has ammonia water and urea solution factories of its own.

A FORERUNNER IN CLEAN TECHNOLOGY

”We offer quick, reliable and secure overall service.

We study the unloading places of every customer’s tankers in advance, for example. As part of our service concept, we monitor the surfaces on behalf of the customer and deliveries are automated. Everything is taken care of, from the customer’s point of view”, Blomqvist promises. ”Our nitrogen oxide cleaning solutions are in use all around the world. Energy and emissions policies influence how quickly these possibilities will be taken into use in society. We have the readi-

ness to serve our customers as their needs grow and emissions requirements tighten. We want to be a forerunner in clean technology in the future as well as today, and we are continually advancing our technologies and services in order to keep up our position”, Sarlund says with pride. | www.yara.fi |

• Yara’s nitrogen-oxide cleaning technology and reagents are known under the name NOxCare.

• Yara is a forerunner in clean technology and one of the world’s leading-edge companies in the field.

• Out of the cleaned nitrogen-oxide (NOx) emissions in Europe, approximately 50% are processed using Yara’s reagents. This emission reduction equals the annual NOx emissions of France.

• Yara has invested approximately EUR 600 million in Finland alone in one decade.

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“Through strategic planning and execution, as well as close communication we are a committed partner of our customers.”

Risto Kinnunen (in front), Matti Palosaari and Juha Keski-Karhu provide customers with information about spot and derivatives markets, the phenomena behind market changes, price forecasts, and recommendations for action.

EFFICIENT PORTFOLIO MANAGERS MASTER RISKS IN THE ELECTRICITY MARKET

Price fluctuations in power market can be very large. Savon Voima Salkunhallinta Oy is well versed in managing electricity purchasing policies and risks, but also covers the broad business environment and market, on behalf of its customers’ best interests.

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he prices of wholesale power market are impacted by many factors – from weather conditions, up to the EU support systems.

In addition, market psychology affects prices like in any other trading.

Savon Voima Salkunhallinta Oy has been providing portfolio management services for institutions and utilities over fifteen years. The company has extensive and customized services, which is based on the best electricity market analysis, and strong expertise with many years of experience.

The company is licensed by the Financial Supervisory Authority.

COMMITMENT TO PARTNERSHIP

“Through strategic planning and execution, as well as close communication we are a committed partner of our customers. We provide active monitoring, efficient analytical tools and in-depth

knowledge of the industry,” says Juha KeskiKarhu, CEO of Savon Voima Salkunhallinta Oy. The company’s customer range is from listed companies, such as Olvi, Ponsse, and SSAB, to smaller companies and SME groups. The hedging strategy depends on each customer’s business; after all, vegetable growers have different needs from those in the processing industry.

“A company or organization with an annual electricity consumption of at least 100–300 megawatt hours, should definitely consider portfolio management services,” states Portfolio Manager Risto Kinnunen.

Consultative portfolio management means that the customer makes the final decision based on the recommendations by Portfolio Manager. With full-service portfolio management, the Portfolio Manager implements the hedging strategy, agreed in partnership with the customer.

ATTENTION TO THE TRENDS

Portfolio management is a challenge because the operational environment is constantly changing and the political risks have increased. In addition, changes in the level of customer’s business activity affect portfolio management.

Portfolio Manager Matti Palosaari says, “We must be alert at all times in order to identify changes in trends. Our customers need to know the risks associated with their activities and the price of electricity now and in the future are important issues when planning investments.” | www.savonvoima.fi |

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RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION AND THE IMPORTANCE OF ENERGY STORAGE Fluctuating availability of Renewable energy requires energy storage to be able to maximize the efficiency of green power.

T

he world’s consumption of electricity is growing regionally. Our society is already fully dependent on the availability of reliable access to electricity. Thus, we should favour renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, wave and waterpower. However, these renewable energy sources might not be equally available when needed. Many countries are investing in renewable energy, which plays an increasingly significant role in the global power supply. Due to this, energy storage has become a key factor in helping countries manage grid stability as renewable energy sources continue to be integrated into the grid, as well as during peak demand, limiting the need to build dedicated peaking power plants, providing significant financial benefits, and minimizing CO2 emissions. Therefore, the energy storage market has entered a new growth phase.

Parker has delivered power conversion equipment for energy storage projects spanning North America, Europe, Latin America and the Asia Pacific regions, bringing its cumulative worldwide deployment to over 225 megawatts of energy storage as a more efficient way to deliver grid scale energy. Parker is able to offer a superior energy

storage product by leveraging cutting-edge control, advanced cooling technologies, as well as applied engineering, commissioning, and expertise at the system level.

OUTLOOKS FOR THE FINNISH INDUSTRY

The use of renewable energy resources for electricity production opens up the market for Finnish companies as well. Finland has a strong expertise in power plant design and project planning, as well as energy production and power grid management.

This expertise allows Finnish companies to expand their offerings to new areas, both in Finland and abroad. An ongoing investment is experimental installations, which explore the best ways to take advantage of battery technology for the management of an electricity grid.

The solutions provided by Parker are very suitable to these needs, and Parker has gained international experience that can easily accelerate the entry of Finnish operators into new markets. It is also important to customers operating in the global market that we are able to support their business locally, anywhere in the world, says Ari Vuorinen, Global Account Manager, Parker Hannifin.

The Parker Hannifin Corporation has recently had a 13 billion sales year (for the fiscal year 2015) and is the world leader in the manufacture of motion control technologies and systems, and produces professionally designed solutions for many different market areas.

Parker Hannifin Oy is the market leader in Finland. The company offers high-quality hydraulics, filtration, sealing and automation solutions for its customers in Finland and the Baltic countries. The Finnish sales company is headquartered in Vantaa, Finland. Its manufacturing units, in turn, are located in Tampere, Urjala, Forssa and Ylöjärvi.

Our global and local success is based on a simple equation. An empowered workforce operating in an environment that is open and friendly that breeds ideas and solutions. We encourage and trust our employees to pursue ideas, and more importantly, we listen to them.

Join the Parker team and realize your future in solving the world’s greatest engineering challenges. We’re looking for communicators, problem solvers, inquisitive thinkers and dedicated professionals who want to win.

Learn more about our career opportunities at | www.parker.com/fi |

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Companies and experts met at the Tampere Polku Job Fair event at Tampere Hall in August. Hannu Sauvala shared his own expertise with Evermore Global‘s Jean-Paul Ashby, who was in town familiarizing himself with the opportunities in the Tampere region. Oliver Hussey and Oula Välipakka from Tredea introduced the two to each other and made sure that the company will get all the information it needs on the Tampere region for the future.

EXCELLENCE IN HIGH TECH

DRAWING COMPANIES TO TAMPERE The layoffs by Microsoft Mobile and Nokia in Tampere have created a unique opportunity for global high-technology companies to recruit top brains and experienced teams in an innovative business environment. This opportunity has been seized by, among others, Huawei and Swiss u-blox, which have opened research and product development units in the city.

W

hile there may be a shortage of IT experts in other countries, they can easily be found right here in Tampere at this moment – and for very competitive wages.

“It’s worthwhile to act quickly, because last year 40 start-ups were founded, and this year 20–30 have emerged, started by the laid-off Microsoft professionals”, Antero Aalto, head of Microsoft‘s TamperePolku programme points out.

“Tampere is the birthplace of the smart phone and industrial Internet.“ “Microsoft has a very generous incentive system for start-ups. Everybody does not, however, become an entrepreneur, so there are also entire teams of extremely competent IT professionals with several decades of international experience in their own fields on the labour market. It is important for companies to act quickly. The salary

level of engineers is also not as high as in Central Europe”, he states.

The international expert teams that Microsoft has released into the workforce specialize, for instance, in communications, antennas, displays and advanced touch-screen technology.

INDUSTRY AND UNIVERSITY COOPERATION

Oliver Hussey, Senior Manager responsible for the promotion of international investments in the Tampere Region Economic Development Agency – Tredea – tells us that big companies in particular have enjoyed a wide-ranging and very close cooperation with the universities in Tampere.

“The hi-tech field is at a stage of transformation in Tampere. Instead of two dominating giants, there is now a multitude of companies from several different IT branches. For example, the Chinese company PowerVision, which produces drones, opened a research and product development centre in the city this autumn. Companies in industrial Internet and the automotive industries

are the others most interested in what Tampere has to offer”, he adds. Thanks to the brisk start-up activities, Tampere has become an interesting hub for investors.

Nokia at its height employed over 5000 people in Tampere alone and most of those people continue to work in Tampere’s ICT cluster. Nokia today still employs over 650 people in Tampere mostly in its Networks and Technologies divisions and continues to innovate in cutting edge technologies such as the world’s first 360 degree video camera – The Nokia Ozo, which is designed in Tampere. EL | www.investtampere.fi |

Tredea Oy promotes international investments in Tampere. The firm assists companies in finding partners, in starting research cooperation and finding top experts. The services are free of charge and confidential.

Oliver Hussey, Tel: +358 40 679 4142, oliver.hussey@tredea.fi