The Aurora - Issue one

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EDITORIAL. Dear readers, The first day is nearly done, and I can only imagine how tired you are. Believe me, I am as well, along with my entire team, who were up most of the night to write the articles. I hope you have had fun in your Committees so far, becuase tomorrow is when the hard work starts.

I hope that you are full of excitement and joy for the next few days, and me and my team will do the best to capture all the moments - good as well as bad. Take good care of them, because they are doing their best to make you feel good.

Another little thing we have for you is the videos that will be made by the Video Editor, Anu Pekkerainen.

Right now, it is time for be to go to bed, alongside my Editorial Assistant Cat Noonan.

Sleep tight!

Christina Daubjerg Newman
 Editor of Vantaa 201

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THE AURORA IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY Editorial Assistant:

Jenni Röynä (FI)

Catherine Noonan (IE)

Katariina Suorsa (FI) Kristin Verpe (NO)

Video Editor:

Lira Loloci (AL)

Anu Pekkarinen (FI)

Natalie Dyvesether (NO) Saara Rissanen (FI)

Journalists:

Zephyr Brüggen (NL)

Christopher Nölte (DE) Emily Smith (UK) Iina Lappalainen (FI) 2

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THE NIGHT WATCH

BY KATARIINA SOURSA

What is special about the National Selection Conference of EYP Finland in Vantaa 2014 is that, for the first time in the history of EYP Finland’s Sessions, there is an official night watch guarding and making sure the delegates are safe. We got the opportunity to interview this extraordinary guy, named Juho Nikko.

Why did you apply for the role of Night Watch?

“I've never been a fan of hang-arounds in EYP Sessions. So, what does a former Board Member, with no role in the Session, do when he wants to become one? He invents the position of Night Watch, where his sole responsibility is to hang around and drink coffee. Of course, I'm going to try my limits like any proper EYPer. This time, I'm going to stay awake all the way to breakfast.”

What is the craziest thing you have seen happening in an EYP session during night?

“One night, in the International Session in Helsinki in 2009, I walked into my room in Omena Hotel to find a banana war being fought on my bed. People were literally throwing bananas at each other. The ammunition came from one of our sponsors, Chiquita.”

“Oh, and those of you who were in Kuopio RS 2013 will know of the unappealing object that appeared in the staircase of the first floor during the night before GA. I was on night watch at the time, but to this day, I haven't got the faintest clue of how it got there...”

What is your biggest fear for the Night Watch, what w o u l d p o s s i b l y g o w r o n g ?

“That the night post will be swarming with delegates from dusk to dawn. That I won't have a second of time alone. That my hands will hurt from playing too much ninja. That I start hallucinating from too much caffeine.

No, wait, wasn't this about my biggest hopes?”

Any words of advice for the Delegates?

“Delegates, do join me in the evenings if you don't have anything else to do! I'll help you with speeches.

I'll play ninja with you. I'll teach you dance moves. I'll tell you all about applying to sessions abroad and continuing in EYP. Juho is my name and chatting over coffee is my game.”

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CLOSING CHAPTER 2013

BY LIRA LOLOÇI

2013 saw it all - bloody uprisings, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, achievements and deaths of international icons. Now that 2014 is officially here, a little retrospect on the year that we left behind may perhaps remind us all how close we were to the brink of a new international conflict. USA was going to declare war to on Syria as it was discovered that the government had been using chemical weapons on civilians. There was a lot of scepticism towards the role of USA in foreign conflicts, especially regarding Obama, who earlier in the year swore in as US president for the second time.

Also this year, meetings that ran parallel to official negotiations helped achieve the most significant Washington-Tehran agreement since 1979. The deal released just over $4bn in Iranian oil sales revenue from frozen accounts and suspended restrictions on the country’s trade in gold or petrochemicals. In return Iran has agreed to restrict its nuclear activity by suspending enriching 5

uranium beyond levels needed for use in power stations.

We should not forget those who lost their lives due to terrorist attacks in the year we left behind.

The Boston bombing shocked the world by injuring as many as 264 people. Bloody conflicts took place across the planet in Egypt, Turkey, Ukraine and Thailand as people wanted changes in their governments. The situation in Syria still remains unresolved and the death toll has climbed up to 130,000. Many were killed due to natural disasters, especially from Typhoon Haiyan that hit the Philippines leaving as many as 6000 dead and 3.9 million homeless.

For the first time in 600 years, the Pope resigned in 2013 and Pope Francis from Argentina replaced him. Pope Francis is leader of 1.2 billion Roman Catholics all over the world – that’s three times as many Catholics in the world than there are citizens in the United States. Like

it or not, what he says makes a difference, so when he expressed lenient views towards homosexuality, the world was stunned.

The last goodbyes were given to political icons such as Margaret Thatcher and Nelson Mandela in 2013. They will both be remembered, not only as leaders who changed the history of their respective countries, but as icons who had an international impact and inspired masses. As the natural cycle has it, a new member was added to the royal family in UK in 2013, making him the third in line to the throne. He has not turned one yet and has already had his face printed on post stamps across the world, in New Zealand.

Surprisingly enough, Miley’s twerk made it to the top moments of 2013 as well, adding more colours to the entire miscellany of events that happened (but we will just have to wait and see how long this one is going to last for).

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5 TIPS TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE SESSION

BY KRISTIN GRAF VERPE

We are already one day into the session, and I hope that you are enjoying and embracing every single moment. As you should have noticed, there are many people working to make this a good experience for you. However, believe it or not, you are the ones this depends on, and it takes a big personal effort to make this a good session. Here are five things you should do to make this session the best; 1." Stay focused Oh, so you are tired already? Well, it will get worse. But as the real EYPer you now are, you will manage to cope with it. Drink coffee, even if you do not like it. You will realize that coffee is a crucial part of staying awake. Moreover, it is important to drink lots of water in order to stay focused and hydrated. And please, do not try to survive the session with no sleep - you will regret it during GA… 2." Be active during committee work and GA Working during committee work is the key to success. How good can your committee make the resolution? After all the hard work, GA will be the moment to show the rest of the session the result of your work. This is your time to shine, use it.

3." Listen Equally important to being active, and making your opinion count, is to listen. What the other delegates (and officials) have to say is usually quite smart, and you will gain massively from paying attention to them.

4." Socialize: Put away your phones, and leave what’s happening at home at home for a couple days. This is not the time for playing candy crush in a corner, or staying updated on the party you are missing out on.

This is the time to enjoy what is happening here in Vantaa, and all the wonderful people at this session. This is a unique opportunity for you to get to know people from all over Europe, and all parts of Finland. How many EYPers can you talk to before the session ends?

5." Smile Last, but not least; remember to smile. Studies have shown that increased productivity and success are some of the benefits of smiling. Smiling is also contagious, so it is safe to say that if you smile, the session will smile back.

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INTERVIEW WITH THE EDITORS

BY CHRISTOPHER NÖLTE

Short introduction I am Christina; I am half Danish and half Irish - both identities are equally important to me because I was raised with both nationalities. I am 20 years old now and I currently live in Denmark. On a day to day basis, I try to establish EYP Denmark.

My name is Catherine, but most people call me Cat. I am Irish and nothing else. I am one of those awful native speakers who only speak English - English and Irish are the only two languages I know.

In my daily life, I study Illustration, and I am also 20.

What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever experienced at an EYP session?

Cat: I don’t have a most embarrassing thing. I just accept the embarrassing things that happen.

Christina: Cat herself is one big awkward moment, an embarrassment to everyone. The beautiful thing with Cat and I is that I am always embarrassed on her behalf, while she does not get it. Then I always feel awkward because I have to take care of her. We nearly only see each other’s at EYP sessions and there is always something happening.

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When did you start with EYP? Christina: I started in April, 2011 at the 21st National Selection Conference of EYP Germany in Schwerin.

Cat : I started 2009/ 2010 Regional Selection Conference in Ireland, if that even counts as a session.

Were you interested into politics from the beginning?

Christina: I have not once in my life been interested in politics. I see why some people find it fascinating, I just don’t.

Cat: I’m kind of interested. My parents are quite engaged with Irish politics; therefore I have a basic interest in politics, (even though it is more of a passive interest).

Christina: I guess the thing is that we both have a lot of opinions about things, but we do not want to change them by getting politically involved ourselves. So we are basically just giving out about everything, but we don’t really want to go through with changing things.

Do you have any wise words for the delegates?

Christina: You should never do EYP if it is forced or if it gets to a point where it’s getting ridiculous.

I have been there and that is not fun. Go with the flow as long as it is fun and you’re enjoying it, because that is, in the end, the most important thing. I would never stay up all night to do something that I really hate; I do it because I love it.

Cat: Being yourself is important. I annoy everybody because I do not wear dresses and

wear Doc Martens as formalwear, but it is important to me to feel confident.

How many times have you edited so far?

Christina: This is my 3rd time editing. The first time was in Poland in June, then the Norwegian Nationals and now Vantaa. But it is the first time together with Cat. How have you met each other?

Cat: There are two sides to the story and I am going to tell you my point of view - the right one.

It was on my way to my first International Forum in Ghent. The Irish delegation was traumatised because of our teacher/chaperone, as he was absolutely useless – he was so late to our flight that we had to convince the airhostesses to keep the gate open, and he was staying in the airport hotel! We were really late because of him and we had to keep running the whole time. So, as we finally reached the drop-off point, where we had to walk up to the hotel, Christina was standing there in front of it and greeting us, (her task was to guide us to the hotel). She was in a hurry, and kept telling us to speed up, which was extremely difficult for us. I was telling her the story of our trip while she was forcing us to hurry up the whole way, even though it was impossible since we had heavy bags. Her way of being understanding was to say that she could sympathise with how useless Irish people are because her dad is also Irish. So that is how we first met, and the beautiful relationship started.

Christina: That is not how the story went. I went to pick them up from the bus, I introduced myself, and asked them for their names and so on, and Cat was not keeping her mouth shut for a second. She is always like that when she 10

becomes really tired. I walked at normal speed and they were walking 30 meters being me and all I could hear was her voice. I thought, “I am going to hate this girl”. The thing is, if there are 200 people in the room, Cat is the one you can hear talking. At Euro Village, she was standing there, once again being the loudest person in the room. After that, Cat had a speech go viral, which was talked about everywhere - even in the newspapers in the Netherlands and Ireland. So I sent her a friend request on Facebook and thought, “Maybe she is useful”. When I got selected to edit in Poland, I saw her application was there. She submitted it three hours late, and did not answer half of the questions. The selection panel did not want to have her, but I said, “We have to take her”. And we were just best friends from the moment we have met.

If there would be one thing in your life that you could change what would it be?

work on important university projects earlier than two hours before the deadline.

Christina: I am currently working on all things that I wanted to change in my life. One that I would like to change is my time management. For instance, because of Vantaa, I have not focussed on school the last two months at all, which is not good.

What’s the part you like most about an EYP session?

Christina: It differs from role to role. But as an editor, my favourite moment is when the last issue is printed. But I also get really emotional be prepared.

Cat: The start is the best for me, when everybody is thrown together and it feels kind of weird. I like that initial sensation of being surrounded by people you don’t know and you have to quickly figure out what people are like

Cat: My life has been pretty awesome. The only thing I would like to change would be for me to

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TODAY IN HISTORY: 10TH JANUARY

BY EMILY SMITH

1863: The first line, (just under 4 miles of track), was opened of the London Underground - the world’s oldest underground railway system. When first opened, the line carried about 26,000 passengers a day, but now hosts around 3 million daily.

1920: The Treaty of Versailles officially came into effect, and consequently ended the First World War. Whilst the fighting actually ended in November 1918, the treaty was not signed until June 1919 - 5 years since the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which sparked the war.

1946: The United Nations held their first General Assembly in Westminster Central Hall, London. It was comprised of 51 nations. A week later the UN Security Council met for the first time and established its rules of procedure. The GA’s first resolution was adopted on January 24th concerning the use of atomic energy and weapons.

Births and Deaths:1945: Born - Rod Stewart, British rock singer-songwriter. One of his biggest achievements was achieving 6 consecutive number one albums in the UK. 1971: Died - Coco Chanel, French fashion designer. She was the only fashion designer to appear on Time magazine’s list of ‘100 most influential people of the 20th century’.

European News - 2014 Environment: A shortage of honeybees in European countries is threatening crop pollination. The recent boom in biofuels has sparked a massive increase in the need for pollination. Steps are being taken at EU level to protect the bees, for example, introducing a suspension on the use of pesticides.

However, it is thought that other European legislation is exacerbating the problem.

Labour: The British Prime Minsiter, David Cameron, is trying to provoke a change in the law regarding benefits for migrant workers and is encouraging other EU countries to do the same. Cameron is calling for migrants in the UK to lose their child benefit, which they have been allowed previously, as he believes the system is unsustainable and the high benefits encourage more migrants.

And in Finland…

Sport: As the Winter Olympics in Sochi approach, it is confirmed that star ice hockey player Teemu Selanne will return for his sixth Olympics, becoming only the second person ever to do this in ice hockey!

Legal: A Sikh bus driver from Vantaa is fighting for his right to wear a turban to work. He has filed a criminal complaint against his employers, Veolia Transport, who have banned the use of the traditional headgear.

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VANTAA – A GATEAWAY TO THE WORLD

BY IINA LAPPALAINEN

And so it begins! The circus named EYP Finland has landed on the fascinating city of Vantaa, and is about to start its 20th National Session. The delegates have made their ways here through Regional Sessions held in Kuopio, Turku, Tampere, and for the first time, in Oulu. Of course, not forgetting all the foreign delegates and all the officials' team.

But what do you know about the city called Vantaa? Most Finnish people mention the airport as the first thing that comes to mind - indeed, the biggest airport in Finland, the Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport, is located here. Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport has gained positive reputation internationally, so it is no surprise that in 2012 there were over 19.2 million passengers travelling through the airport. It is commonly known as a gateway from Europe to Asia. In the airport's proximity there is a huge amount of different companies and their headquarters - for example, Finnair has its headquarters near the airport. The airport, various companies located next to it, and also the leisure time services (such as airport hotels), provide many jobs in Vantaa.

Located so near to the capital city, Vantaa can quite often lie in the shadows and not be considered as a ‘proper’ city, in comparison to Helsinki. Vantaa doesn't have city center as clear and easily recognizable 13

as Helsinki does, but still, Vantaa is the fourth biggest city in Finland with the population of 206 960 inhabitants. Accordingly, there has been habitation in Vantaa since the Stone Age. The earliest written mention of Vantaa is from 1351, when a king wrote about the area and the river (nowadays known as the River Vantaa) in a letter to Estonian monks. That was also the year Vantaa was established, but it officially became a city in 1947.

Although famous for its airport, Vantaa is the crossroad for many railroads and highways – for example, the trains heading to Russia make a stop at the Tikkurila railway station.

they are not the only things Vantaa is well-known for. The science center, Heureka, is one of the must-see places during a stay in Vantaa or nearby. In Heureka, you can see different exhibitions and also try some interesting tricks and experiments - a paradise if you are interested in science or extraordinary things in general.

So, in conclusion, Vantaa is must more than just the city next to the capital city. It provides international and cultural surroundings for the 20th National Session of EYP Finland, and it seems that Vantaa is ready for this session!

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PROCRASTINATE NOW- PANIC LATER!

BY JENNI RÖYNÄ

Thinking back to the moment you were given your committee topic, you probably felt rather excited about it, and ready to do all the research possible in the time given. Once you actually started working, doing hundreds of things suddenly seemed more desirable - going on Facebook, watching a couple of YouTube videos, eating, having a walk. The same phenomenon may occur in other situations, (for example, when it’s time to do your homework.)

Procrastination, pro-cras-ti-na-tion |prəˌkrastəˈnāSHən, prō-|, noun; the action of delaying or postponing something.

Usually, the longer one keeps putting off doing something, the bigger the task feels. Once something is done, however, we usually get a feeling of relief and success. So why do we still procrastinate so much, and is there a way out of this tricky habit?

Based on personal experience, I have learnt that the amount of procrastination increases whilst growing up and gaining freedom. In elementary school, I can’t remember consciously not doing my homework, but once I went into upper secondary school, the situation was pretty much the opposite.

Another factor for increased procrastination is definitely the Internet, and its wide availability. Doing tasks online, (the same place where endless amounts of cat-videos and juggling-tutorials are found), provides a strong temptation to postpone the work itself. It can sometimes feel like you’ve achieved something, when really you just haven’t watched videos for ten minutes.

Procrastination can be explained by looking at our brain. It is a battle between the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system. The prefrontal cortex is in charge of cognitive behaviour, like getting stuff done, but gets tired rather easily, whereas the limbic system is directly connected to the brain’s

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“pleasure center” and therefore aims to do things that give us immediate satisfaction, e.g. eating or going on Facebook.

even though hitting level 320 in Candy Crush Saga feels like an amazing achievement, it really does not improve the quality of one’s life.

Even though unfinished tasks may cause anxiousness and guilt, we still prefer the quick pleasure. Are we supposed to be victims of our vicious brain? Luckily, there is a way out, but it requires effort. The limbic system gets more powerful whenever exposed to a stimulus of an activity - smelling food makes you want to eat it, the sound alert of a new text message makes you want to check it and so on.

By the time you are reading this, there is probably not much left to do when it comes to preparation for your topic, but nevertheless, bear this in mind next time you have deadlines.

The simple way to beat procrastination is to eliminate stimuli as much as possible when there is work to be done. Turn off your phone and the Internet when it’s time to type, and don’t work in the kitchen. Also, it ought to be kept in mind that,

Editors note: Jenni handed this article in 4 minutes before the deadline.

Says it all.

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The Committee on your Hopes and Dreams In light of the new year, more people are comitting promises to themselves that they are not going to be. How is THE AURORA going to help set realistic goals for Delegates?

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Submitted by: Zephyr Brüggen

The European Youth Parliament, A) Fully aware that these resolutions will last for approximately a week, B) Realising that high extreme fatigue levels unavoidably lead to a deterioration of General Assembly, caused by the following factors: i) The lack of daytime allocated to resolution typing and speechwriting ii) The youthful inclination to party wildly, regardless of obligations and responsibilities the next day (more commonly known as ‘the YOLO-sentiment’) C) Taking into account the underlying social pressure created by the organization as a result of a network of international friendships being made at Sessions, and the difficulties of keeping up with such long-distance friendships or relationships, D) Deeply concerned by the economic issues arising from extreme EYP-enthusiasm, such as: i) A generation of juvenile Europeans spending all their money, earned with blood, sweat and tears, on flights to random destinations throughout the European Union, ii) Which subsequently creates a vicious circle of booking even more flights, E) Further alarmed by the health issues arising from EYP sessions, such as i) An excess of caffeine, ii) High stress levels, iii) Aching backs from sleeping in classrooms for four consecutive days, Calls upon delegates to; 1.

Go to bed earlier to ensure a creative and critical debate, instead of pondering upon how to phrase your speech, and reading the same lines over and over again without understanding any of it until 5 AM, 2.

Write Christmas cards to all your international EYP friends, but to not forget about your friends in your more direct environment; don’t go on and on about that one time you had an awesome sauna party in bikini with champagne in some exotic country to your non-EYP friends, 3.

Calls upon all participants of the session to add each other on Facebook

4.

Further calls upon delegates to skip less school for a session or stop falling asleep in school afterwards.

5.

Wishes everyone here at Vantaa a splendid 2014!

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A BUCKET OF WIZENED FLOWERS SAARA RISSANEN

Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth the swing goes. The soft breeze of wind on an old man’s wrinkled face. Back and forth. Back and forth. This is what his life is like: everyday the same.

“Mary, I wish you could be here with me, to share this moment, to bring delight to my grey days.” The gravestone stands, hard as iron, in the back of the garden. By the stone, there is a bucket of wizened flowers; daisies, roses - flowers of every kind. They once bloomed beautifully in the colours of rainbow, but now they have turned to grey and brown, as the colours have faded away, and the summer has turned into autumn.

The old man’s cat meows by the veranda, insisting him to let her in. It is suppertime. The old man stands up from his wooden swing that he once shared with his beloved wife. Now, he has a new mission to accomplish: to feed the cat and to cook something for himself. His day-to-day life is full of missions. In the morning, his mission is to wake up, eat breakfast and get dressed. In the afternoon, he needs to clean the house and take a nap. In the evening he cooks, eats and goes to sleep. And repeat.

By ten o’clock in the evening, he has accomplished everything he needed to. He rests peacefully on his bed, fully fed, planning his schedule for tomorrow. Wake up, eat breakfast, get dressed, clean the house, take a nap, cook, eat, take a shower and go to sleep.

By twelve o’clock, he cannot sleep. His mind travels over the heathlands of Ireland, the grape fields of France, the deserts of Africa and the outbacks of Australia. When his mind finally gets back home, he suddenly stands up. He has a strange feeling, as if something was calling him by the window like a whisper calling his name repeatedly. He slowly, but steadily walks to the window.

Siberia is very quiet place in the autumn. Everything that used to have life is dead and silent: the playground, the park, the forest. The silence is all around. It is unavoidable. But the beauty of it is breath taking! The sun colouring the leaves in trees, the morning dew, the crisp breeze of air. Ah, the old man loves it! He loves it more than anything. Thus, when he, in this particular night, looks at the sky, he forgets everything else, including his loneliness and daily rhythm. All he can see is the northern lights, or Aurora Borealis, (as he like to call them), glowing brightly, painting the whole sky with different colours. Suddenly, he feels like a young boy again.

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WHO ARE THE CHAIRS?

BY NATALIE MAHMOOD DYVESTHER

1.

3.

If there was one animal you could be, which would you choose?

2.

If you had to be a planet in the solar system, which one?

Which book tells the story of your life, or your life as you wish it was?

Hauke Sommer, DE, AFCO

1.A humpback whale, because they are huge and ´majestic.

2.Jupiter. It is also very big, and in addition, it is full of gas.

3.“The Unbearable Lightness of Being” by Milan Kundera.

Sabrina Mellerowic,DE,EMPL

Tom Wagenhammer, DE, ECON I

1.I spent so much time in the water when I was little, that my parents started to call me a sea lion. I would definitely pick that!

1.Cats live lucky, lazy lives. All they do is to eat, sleep and play.

2.Earth.

3.Harry Potter.

2.Venus.

3.I wish I was Hermione in Potter!

Anna Pusa, FI, AFET

Juan Amaya, ES, CULT

Saga Eriksson, FI, TRAN

1.I would love to be a bird, and

1.I want to be an elephant.

1.Oh, so many options! Probably

be able to fly!

2.Pluto, and only because it has a

Nobody messes with elephants.

a dog… Yeah, I like dogs.

2.Earth has got a nice distance from the Sun. 3.Abraham Lincoln’s biography.

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good name.

3.To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee.

2.Venus. It sounds … interesting.

3.“Tropic of Cancer” by Henry Miller.

1. The killer whale would beat any other animal in a fight. Or maybe an ostrich? No, a killer whale!

2. If Venus was a band name, it would be the name of an indie band. I think Venus is the indie planet.

3. “The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakov, because a lot of people think I am the Devil.

Michael Rozhkov, UA, FEMM I

1.

An elephant is able to eat without its hands, I love that!

2. I want to create my own planet.

It would have an average of 22 degrees Celsius, with a sea shore like in Tallin service level.

3. The Lost Symbol” by Dan

Bernet Meÿer, NL, FEMM II

1. An eagle.

2.Like Saturn, I have many companions around me.

3.“Candide” by Voltaire, which is a parody of all sorts of possible societies and peoples.

Martin Ellingsen, NO, ITRE

1. A cock, because it takes leadership responsibility and leaves no one behind.

Maximilian Richter, SE, ECON II

1. A dolphin, since it is intelligent, social and playful.

2. Probably Earth or Mars.

2. Which planet? I think that is a stupid question.

3. One Day” by David Nicholls.

Oscar Stenbom, VP, SE, ECON I

3. “Crime and Punishment”

by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Deep inside and well concealed, I can

Sophie Duffield, VP, UK, EMPL

1.Ideally an eagle, since it is on

1. I would like to be a panda, as

top of the food chain.

2.I pick Pluto, simply to annoy everyone who knows that it is not a planet.

3.My autobiography, which will come out next month!

they get to be really lazy.

2. Saturn, thanks to its rings.

3. Harry Potter, obviously, because it would be really cool to 20 go to Hogwarts.

VANTAA INNOVATION INSTITUTE ACCELERATES THE SUCCESS AND GROWTH IN VANTAA

Figure 1 Vantaa Innovation Institute Ltd is a city-owned development company striving to increase the appeal of the Vantaa region, developing business environments and supporting the growth and internationalization of local companies. Vantaa Innovation Institute’s actions aim to create business opportunities and help companies to drive for success. The mission of the company is to create new business opportunities for the area – leading to more jobs, new international companies and increased tax revenue to Vantaa.

Vantaa Innovation Institute gathers together companies, universities and other organizations from within the same industry to reach a common goal. These are called innovation clusters. These innovation clusters help companies to internationalize and to bring foreign companies closer to our markets. Vantaa Innovation Institute has founded an Airport Cluster Finland with 30+ companies aiming to grasp more of the international airport industry.

The Vantaa Innovation Institute’s demonstration environments offer companies a place to test their products and services in practice by real end-users. They shorten the time to market for new 21

technologies and help companies to come together to collaborate. The Relaxation Area at Helsinki Airport is one example of these demonstration environments. Vantaa Innovation Institute gathered the players together to realize this demonstration environment. And now it is a calm and peaceful space where passengers can relax, rest and even sleep (see Figure 1).

Helsinki Airport driving Vantaa and Finland to success Finland's biggest international airport is located in Vantaa, offering the quickest routes from Europe to Asia. The Aviapolis area, which is located around the international airport, is the fastest growing business environment in the metropolitan area. Vantaa generates more new jobs per capita than any other major city in Finland. The Vantaa Innovation Institute was established to accelerate the transformation of Vantaa and the Aviapolis area in particular, into an even more dynamic and innovative business hub.

% of Finnish GDP [1]. In addition the flight connections measure the importance of air travel. Thirteen Asian cities are paired with Helsinki Airport with a direct flight. This Via Helsinki strategy enables numerous other connecting flights to Europe and North America.

The connectivity of Helsinki Airport can be seen in Figure 2. Due to the geographical location of Finland and Vantaa direct round-trip journeys can be made from Finland to Asia within a 24-hour turn-around period with current passenger airplanes. This competitive advantage enables 15 million passengers at Helsinki Airport for a Finnish nation of only 5,4 million inhabitants. In Vantaa you are just a walking distance away from the rest of the world.

The Mayor of City of Vantaa, Mr. Kari Nenonen, has several times emphasized the importance of Helsinki Airport and the whole Aviapolis area to the City of Vantaa and to its development. Flight connections between cities and markets create an important infrastructure asset. This connectivity is critical for enabling foreign direct investment, business clusters, specialization and movement of goods and personnel on an economy’s productive capacity.

GDP, jobs and tax revenues generated by air travel are the usual measurement of its importance. The aviation sector supports 104,000 jobs in Finland which contributes to 3,2

Figure 2

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