Blue Wings Innovation issue November 2015

INNOVATION ISSUE TRENDS, DESTINATIONS AND INSIGHTS FOR TRAVELLERS

NOVEMBER 2015

Your personal copy THE WORLD’S BEST

AIRPORT LOUNGES MAGNIFICENT

MALAYSIA

LAS VEGAS MINIBREAK

Behind the perfect pitch

at Slush

This is not rocket science

...it’s print meeting digital. Together they can be an effective solution for targeting your customer or just having fun.

This magazine cover is printed on Stora Enso LumiArt paper.

Check out our full selection of sustainable papers at www.storaenso.com/paper

EDITORIAL

BY PEKKA VAURAMO CEO OF FINNAIR

WWW.FINNAIR.COM

HEAD OFFICE FINLAND CONTENT DESIGNER Amanda Soila VISUAL DESIGNER Sirpa Ärmänen SUB-EDITOR Shelly Nyqvist VISUAL ASSISTANT Iris Mark ENGLISH EDITING Silja Kudel REPROGRAPHICS Faktor Oy ON THE COVER Camilla Tuominen, CEO of Emotion Tracker, by Susa Junnola BEHIND THIS ISSUE Daniel Allen, Tim Bird, Laura Iisalo, Nora Krevneva, Markus Kuokkanen, Silja Kudel, Mirva Lempiäinen, Jorma Leppänen, Tanja Mikkola, Ville Palonen, Katja Pantzar, Anu Piippo, Päivi Ristell, Minna Takkunen and Fran Weaver SUBMISSIONS bluewings@headofficefinland.fi BLUE WINGS ONLINE www.issuu.com/headofficefinland EDITORIAL OFFICES Porkkalankatu 20 A, 00180 Helsinki, Finland, Postal address P.O.Box 100, 00040 Sanoma, Finland, tel. +358 9 1201, firstname.lastname@headofficefinland.fi ADVERTISING SALES Media Assistant Sirkka Pulkkinen tel. +358 9 120 5921 PUBLISHER Head Office Finland PRINTED BY Hansaprint, Turku, Finland 2015 PAPER UPM Valor 61g Cover paper Stora Enso LumiArt 200g CIRCULATION 60,000 ISSN-0358-7703

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Arja Suominen arja.suominen@finnair.com FINNAIR HEAD OFFICE Tietotie 9 A, Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, 1053 Finnair, Finland, tel. +358 9 81881, Postal address: P. O. Box 15, 01053 Finnair, Finland CUSTOMER FEEDBACK www.finnair.com > Information and services > After the flight or by mail: Customer Relations, SL/08, FI-01053 FINNAIR. www.finnair.com, www.finnair.fi www.finnairgroup.com

Finnair firsts

T

his autumn has been a very exciting time for us, as Finnair is the first European airline to fly the new A350 aircraft. The unique Nordic experience on board is incredible and I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy it.

To further improve our passengers’ journeys we are developing and enhancing the digital travel experience.

We have updated mobile apps for android and iOS, including the Apple watch. Our website, finnair.com, is being re-designed to become faster and more functional.

The A350 aircraft also features a stateof-the-art Nordic Sky entertainment system with Wi-Fi to keep passengers entertained and better connected. Passengers will be

able to purchase Finnair’s products and services on all of these channels and manage their travel experience every step of the way.

The theme of innovation also runs throughout this issue of Blue Wings. You can read about the eventful journeys that three startups have made since last years’ Slush festival in Helsinki. Slush is one of northern Europe’s largest tech events and naturally Finnair will be there.

We also have stories about the new direction of Baltic fashion, how top Finnish health-tech companies are shifting from software to services, and the blooming of an innovation garden in Espoo.

What will inspire you this month?

Pekka Vauramo

November tips

1

3

At this year’s Slush, Finnair will be taking part in a hackathon that gives computer programmers the chance to create travel tech innovations.

Did you know that Finnair flies Norwegian salmon to Tokyo for top sushi restaurants? See page 84 for the full story.

2

Take a winter break in the sun – Finnair flies nonstop to Miami three times a week.

NOVEMBER 2015

BLUE WINGS

3

THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO EVERY RULE.

MILLENARY IN PINK GOLD.

IN THIS ISSUE Slush brings startup buzz to Helsinki in November.

NOVEMBER 2015 BUSINESS THE PERFECT PITCH Behind the scenes at Slush

DESTINATION MALAYSIA’S EAST COAST

Handicrafts, mosques and some of the world’s best diving

TOP 5 LUX AIRPORT LOUNGES

The world’s best places to wait for your flight

DESTINATION WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS It’s bright, brash and never boring

34

LIFESTYLE THE NEGOTIATORS

Finnish CMI celebrates 15 years of innovative peacebuilding

DESTINATION THE NEW BALTIC COOL

Unearth local fashion treasures in Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius

44

DESTINATION MEET THE GIANT PANDAS

China’s Chengdu Panda Base offers cute creature comfort

BUSINESS TECH MEETS DESIGN

Meet the game-changers in the health-tech sector

LIFESTYLE FROM SEA TO SUSHI Beach life on the east coast of Malaysia

Get a sensory overload in Las Vegas.

How the world’s tastiest salmon flies from Norway to Tokyo

TAKEOFF STARTERS

Singapore turns 50.........................9

NEWS

Nordic design in Nagoya........... 10

BUSINESS

Espoo Innovation Garden......... 12

CULTURE

Nordic tunes in Europe.............. 14

55

34 44 51 55 63 66 73 76 84

FOOD AND DRINK

Artisanal rye whisky ........................16

STYLE

Smart travel accessories ......... 18

WORLD

Artistic rain in Shanghai ........... 20

FINLAND

Northern Lights spotting.......... 22

DESIGN

A wooden high-rise.....................24

DESTINATION

Moscow’s Red October............. 26

FAMILY

Healing hockey...............................28

FOOD

The broken lemon tart.............. 30 NOVEMBER 2015

BLUE WINGS

5

IN THIS ISSUE

73 Chengdu Panda Base is the best place in China to see the cuddly creatures.

84

Japan’s favourite sushi salmon grows in the cool ­waters of northern Norway.

66

The Baltic fashion scene is bubbling with creativity.

REGULARS

Alexander Stubb.....................................32 Tiina Rosenberg......................................60

Finland in figures................................ 114

FLY FINNAIR

Tips for takeoff........................................ 96 Inflight wellbeing.................................... 97 Entertainment.......................................... 98 Shopping..................................................... 99

Sustainability......................................... 100 Border crossings................................. 101 Helsinki Airport ................................... 102 Maps and destinations..................... 104 Fleet.......................................................... 108 Frequent flyer benefits.................... 110 6 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

Nagoya, p. 10 Lapland, p. 22 Moscow, p. 26 Malaysia, p. 44 Las Vegas, p. 55 Tallinn, p. 66

This action camera is one of this month’s PlusShop offers — see p. 113.

Riga, p. 66 Vilnius, p. 66 Chongqing, p. 73 Norway, p. 84 Tokyo, 84

Special Edition 2015 Hästens Ocean Blue Hästens beds have been sold in Finland for 20 years. To mark the occasion, we are offering Hästens Ocean Blue beds at a special price – with a saving of up to €1,000. The design, inspired by the archipelago, is harmonious and fresh. Every bed is bespoke and hand-made using only the best natural materials.

HÄSTENS STORE HELSINKI Mannerheimintie 8, 00100 Helsinki Tel. 020 780 1370

hastens.com

Perinnän suunnannäyttäjä 100% kotimaista perintää vuodesta 1985

Cash-In on suomalainen perintäalan asiantuntijayritys.

Hoidamme saataviesi perinnän ammattitaidolla, henkilökohtaisesti ja tehokkaasti.

Cash-In erbjuder indrivningstjänster även på svenska. www.cash-in.com | cash-in@cash-in.fi | +358 (0)207 701501

TAKEOFF

NEWS / BUSINESS / CULTURE / FOOD AND DRINK / STYLE / WORLD / FINLAND / DESIGN / DESTINATION / FAMILY

SIN

to ies mes fl r i nai ix t Fin ore s . gap eekly m Sin w .co air n n fi

SINGAPORE

Surreal fantasyland TEXT BY SHELLY NYQVIST

Singapore’s golden jubilee comes into full bloom at Gardens by the Bay, a 101-­hectare urban oasis on Singapore’s south side. ­Eighteen supertrees, ­varying in height between 25 to 50 metres, are scattered throughout the botanical ­gardens. Twelve of these tall beauties are located at Supertree Grove in Bay South ­Garden. The supertrees come to life every evening in a ­dazzling light and sound show at 7.45 pm and 8.45 pm.

Singapore celebrates its 50th anniversary throughout 2015. The last months of the year will see the opening of the National Gallery, the Jubilee Walk and the ASEAN Para Games. gardensbythebay.com.sg

NOVEMBER 2015

BLUE WINGS

9

TAKEOFF NEWS

NAGOYA CALLING Finnair flies five weekly flights from Helsinki to Nagoya in central Japan.

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY MIRVA LEMPIÄINEN

The TRAVELLERS fair brings Nordic design and culture to Japan, including Costo’s ­sustainable designs.

Helsinki’s new home of hygge

Wooden Horse Museum of Sweden and the Finnish design brand Kauniste. There will also be ­appearances by the Moomins, and Nordic DJ club nights.

Nordic design products were a big hit at last year’s fair, which received loads of positive feedback, says Bengs.

“We expect this year’s event to be similarly warm-spirited and we’re hoping for even more visitors. It would also be great to see some familiar faces from last year,” he says.

Supported by the embassies of Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, the fair is also sponsored by Finnair.

The Nagoya TRAVELLERS fair runs from October 31 to November 23.

The Danish word hygge refers to pleasant, comfy things: Eating with friends, laughter and warming up by the fireplace. You no longer need to go all the way to Copenhagen to experience hygge, as Helsinki now has Lilla Roberts, a cosy new boutique hotel. After two years of renovation, Kämp Group’s ninth hotel opened this August in a historic Art Nouveau building formerly housing a police station and an energy company. It now features 130 hotel rooms, two conference rooms and an outdoor garden terrace. The restaurant Krog Roba draws inspiration from the latest Danish and Icelandic culinary stylings, with a strong Helsinki twist. The stylish lilla e. bar brings fresh creativity to the Finnish cocktail scene with its drinks. Rooms start at €131.

travellers.voyage

lillaroberts.com

Northern exposure in Nagoya

If you stroll through Nagoya’s Yaba Park in November, you might find yourself in the middle of a Nordic wonderland.

The TRAVELLERS event, stretching from Yaba Park to the Sakae-Minami areas, is a three-week cultural fair.

“It offers a cross-section of Nordic design and food,” says Anders Bengs, whose Finnish ecological design company Costo is among the exhibitors.

This is the second annual fair. The first was a major success with more than 75,000 visitors flocking to learn more about ‘HOKUO’, as the Nordic countries are called in Japan.

“The Japanese find the Nordic countries intriguing because of our nature, design, architecture and culture,” says Bengs.

The two dozen exhibitors include the

Moooi means beautiful Dutch luxury design brand Moooi is expanding its repertoire from furniture and decorative items to beauty products for high-end hotels. In keeping with its name – mooi means beautiful in Dutch – the

brand’s shampoos and conditioners are made from all-natural, nourishing ingredients and come in pretty O-shaped bottles.

10 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

moooi.com

HOLLYWOOD TM & Design© 2015 Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. The Hollywood Sign and Hollywood Walk of Fame TM are trademarks and intellectual property of Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. All Rights Reserved.

A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME – WITH RIMOWA The 1920s marked the beginning of modern air travel and the golden age of Hollywood.

In 1919, Hugo Junkers presented the world’s first all-metal commercial aircraft. It was made using the aircraft aluminum alloy discovered by Alfred Wilm in 1906. In 1950, RIMOWA presented its suitcase with the unmistakable grooved design made of the same material – at the time, it was the lightest suitcase in the world. RIMOWA was a real pioneer in the sector, starting the trend for lightweight luggage back then.

RIMOWA Store Suomi: Helsinki

www.rimowa.com

TAKEOFF BUSINESS

FINNISH FAVES Finnair’s PlusShop stocks a wide range of Suunto watches. You can pay with points, money or a combination of both! www.finnairplusshop.com

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY SILJA KUDEL AARO KEIPI

EntoCube’s insect farms can produce up to five kilograms of food a day.

Clock up your miles

INNOVATIONS

Bug apetit!

If chowing down on a plate of crispy creepy-crawlies isn’t your idea of ­gourmet fare, chew on this: “Edible insects can ­revolutionise our food system. They’re a protein-rich, nutritious and a very delicious food source that can be utilised sustainably anywhere in the world,” says ­Robert Nemlander, co-founder of ­Finnish start-up EntoCube, inventors of a modular shipping container system for mass-producing insects.

“Our insect food farms operate off-grid powered by food waste and solar energy.

These technologies can lift entire communities out of poverty by creating thriving local businesses. Welcome to 21st century agriculture!” says Yichen Wu, EntoCube’s head of business and strategy.

EntoCube is among the start-ups to grow out of the Espoo Innovation ­Garden, Northern Europe’s hottest and largest innovation hub.

The Garden is based in the Otaniemi area, home to Aalto University and top Finnish companies such as Kone and Rovio. Fostering serendipitous cross-fertilisation, it encourages local researchers 12 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

and entrepreneurs to team up and make their ideas “bloom and grow.”

Another of the Garden’s winning ideas is Catchbox, a soft, cube-shaped microphone that can be tossed to audience members to ensure that even the shy guy in the back seat gets his question heard.

This cuddly ice-breaker is the winner of the International Red Dot Product Design Award for 2015.

Expanding at a rate of one new startup per week, the Espoo Innovation Garden made the finals of the European Capital of Innovation Award last year and will vie for the title again next year. espooinnovationgarden.fi/en

The new Suunto Adventure ­Traveller’s Watch, Kailash, is a clever companion for frequent flyers on the go – and that’s the official word of true denizens of the skies. The Finnish innovation was field-tested for eight weeks this autumn by Finnair pilots, cabin crew and 25 Platinum-level Finnair Plus members. The software was tweaked based on their feedback.

Unlike other smart watches, this self-reliant timepiece is no slave to any mobile device. It has its own inbuilt system that automatically recognises your location and time zone. It also keeps a log of the countries you visit, flights you take and distances you travel.

“The watch is very light and rapidly finds the GPS signal. The best feature for me is that I can easily check how far I am from home. I’ve set my home location to my front door so I always know how far I am from my ­family,” says Harri Kajanne, one of 12 Finnair pilots who tested the watch.

‘Home’ can alternatively be set to your destination hotel.

The watch comes with a step counter that reminds you to move around after a long-haul flight, and you can even wear it in the shower: All Suunto watches are water-resistant to 100 metres. suunto.com

Driving in Finland?

You can now fill up your car with diesel that stems from the Finnish forest.

UPM BioVerno is suitable for all diesel engines. An award-winning, thoroughly tested renewable diesel that cuts down greenhouse gas emissions.

Powered by UPM BioVerno UPM is the frontrunner of the new forest industry. UPM BioVerno is based on UPM’s own innovations. It is derived from tall oil, a residue of our pulp production. UPM BioVerno is produced in Finland completely outside the food value chain.

UPM BioVerno is now available from St1 and ABC service stations.

More fuel for thought at www.upmbiofuels.com

#UPM #BioVerno

Blue Wings is printed on UPM Valor paper.

TAKEOFF CULTURE

GET CULTURED Use your Finnair Plus points to pay for tickets from Lippupiste. There’s a great variety of events to choose from. lippu.fi/finnairplus

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY SILJA KUDEL

3 Finnish acts to catch

No frosty vibes here: The Lexington in London hosts JJJ’s monthly ­Nordic club nights.

They might look more like clean-scrubbed engineers than rock stars, but this fourpiece outfit is one of Finland’s leading indie exports. Satellite Stories offers upbeat, feel-good melodies minus the angst. Their third album Vagabonds was produced by Simon ‘Barny’ Barnicott, the name behind Arctic Monkeys. satellitestories.com The award for goofiest band name of the year goes hands-down to Have You Ever Seen The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS?. Combining catchy riffs and bubble-gum garage, their new debut album Teenage Sweetheart has an infectiously danceable groove.

MUSIC

Say ‘Ja Ja Ja’ to Nordic beats

It’s no news that Sweden churns out hits like fast fashion, but music mavens are now waking up to the fresh line-up of experimental bands popping up like runaway daisies all over Scandinavia.

The space to watch for the hottest newcomers and gigs is Ja Ja Ja – A Nordic Affair, the definitive website celebrating the best music emerging from Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Denmark.

JJJ also spotlights hand-picked Nordic talent at its monthly club nights. The club was founded in London in 2009 in response to growing interest in Nordic music, which 14 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

often struggled for visibility due to meagre marketing and badly chosen venues.

“For the last six years we have managed to fill the Lexington in London every last Thursday of the month, always making sure we have a killer line-up of the best new artists the Nordics have to offer. We try to keep it relevant,” says Nina Finnerud, project manager for JJJ London.

From London, JJJ has expanded to FluxBau in Berlin, and last month also to Hamburg’s Molotow club. jajajamusic.com

soundcloud.com/ janefondaaerobicvhs

If floaty, haunting vocals and raw, atmospheric guitar is your idea of the perfect soundtrack for a wintry evening, then Cats of Transnistria is just the ticket. The Helsinki-based duo will release their debut album early in 2106. catsoftransnistria.tumblr.com/

Elämäsi unet Jenseniltä.

Säädettävä vuode TAVALLISEN VUOTEEN HINNALLA!

Jensen on perinteikäs laatupatjojen valmistaja. Jensen Original -vyöhykejärjestelmä ja yksilöllinen säädettävyys tarjoavat ainutlaatuisen nukkumismukavuuden. Nyt sinulla on mahdollisuus nauttia elämäsi unista. Jensen Limited Edition Diplomat Dream -säätövuode, norm. 5.040,- NYT 2.990,-.

Vuoteen koko 180 x 200 cm. www.jensen.fi

www.vepsalainen.com

TAKEOFF FOOD & DRINK

STRESS-FREE SHOPPING Pre-order before your flight and have your purchases delivered to your seat.

Finnair’s web shop includes a wide range of design and gift items. www.finnairshop.com

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY ANU PIIPPO

CHOCOLATE

Kyrö Distillery’s awardwinning whisky is made in an old cheese factory.

Autumn temptations

Nothing beats the November blues like chocolate. The Blue Wings team share their top picks of delectable favourites from Finnair’s inflight selection.

Oreo Oreo is quickly becoming the world’s favourite cookie. This playful gift box contains the original Oreo coated in milk chocolate.

Available for pre-order and onboard European and intercontinental flights.

Price: €8

In rye we trust Send a group of young Finnish men into a sauna and they might just come out as business partners. This is how Miika Lipiäinen and friends founded Kyrö Distillery, producers of fine artisanal rye beverages. After only two years in business, their rye gin was selected as the world’s best at the UK International Wine & Spirit Competition.

Their artisanal rye whisky has been very well received, and their real whisky, aged in American oak barrels for three years, will be available in 2017, just in time to celebrate Finland’s first centennial.

Lipiäinen, the CEO, reveals the secret to their success. “Everything we do we do with a personal twist. We’ve spent a lot of time

finding the flavours we want. The key ingredients of our gin – birch leaves, c­ ranberry, sea-buckthorn and meadowsweet – come straight from the ­Finnish wilds. When we had the products we wanted, it was time to build an honest brand and share it with the world,” he says.

Though Finnish to the core, the ­company has had help from across the globe. “We’ve had advisers and mentors from as far afield as the US and Japan, some of whom we ran into in a place where true enthusiasts meet: a whisky store,” says Lipiäinen, with a laugh.

Museum mugshots The Ateneum Art Museum in the heart of Helsinki is home to Finland’s most important art collection.

A new arrival in the museum shop is the Ateneum Details collection, which features adorable kitchenware items from tea towels to coasters and mugs.

Designed by Annamari Lahtinen, the prints are inspired by the museum’s wall reliefs, door handles and other architectural features. museoshop.fi

16 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

kyrodistillery.com

Lindt, Diva Collier Pamper your inner diva with these golddusted truffle pralines with creamy fillings. The package resembles a jewellery box, making it the perfect gift. Available for pre-order and onboard intercontinental flights.

Price: €15 Godiva Mousse Meringue Godiva’s new limited edition Mousse Meringue collection combines delicious Belgian chocolate, light mousse and sweet meringue, all in one luxurious mouthful. There are six different flavours in the box. Available for pre-order.

Price: €17 Finnair.fi

www.kia.fi

Kia Sportage Active Design ja huippuvarustelu vangitsevat huomiosi.

Sportage Activen varusteina mm.: • • • • •

Automaattinen kaksialueilmastointi 17” kevytmetallivanteet Lämmitettävä ohjauspyörä Automaattisesti himmentyvä taustapeili 6 turvatyynyä

• • • • •

Pysäköintitutka takana LED-päiväajovalot Audiojärjestelmän säätimet ohjauspyörässä Vakionopeussäädin ohjauspyörän säätimin Bluetooth hands-free ääniohjauksella

Rajattu erä huippuvarusteltuja katumaastureita alk. 25.390 € Koe tyylikkyyden ja taidokkuuden palkittu yhdistelmä nyt entistä paremmin varusteltuna. Pysäyttävän komea Kia Sportage Active herättää taatusti intohimoja. Sen huippuluokan ajo-ominaisuudet ja innovatiivinen teknologia ovat suunniteltu häikäisemään. Tietysti 7 vuoden takuulla.

Varuste-edun arvo 2.600 €

Kia Sportage 1.6 ISG Urban Active Ecodynamics autoveroton hinta 19.225,02 € + arvioitu autovero 6.164,98 € = kokonaishinta 25.390 €. Vapaa autoetu alk. 585 €/kk, käyttöetu alk. 405 €/kk. EU-yhd. kulutus 6,4 l/100 km, CO2-päästöt 149 g/km. Kia-takuu 7 vuotta tai 150 000 km, kolme ensimmäistä vuotta ilman kilometrirajaa. Kia 24h tiepalvelu vuodeksi veloituksetta. Kuvan auto erikoisvarustein.

TAKEOFF STYLE COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY MATTIAS LINDSTRÖM

LIQUIDS RULE Passengers are allowed to bring liquids through security. These are limited to containers (max 100ml) that must be packed in a single, ­transparent and re-sealable one-litre plastic bag.

THE ART OF TRAVEL COMFORT AND STYLE BLEND WITH DESIGN INNOVATION IN THE SMARTEST NEW TRAVEL ACCESSORIES.

Backpacks are back More comfortable and ergonomic than a shoulder bag, a good backpack makes an excellent travel companion. One of the most sophisticated backpacks available for grown-ups is Chapman’s new ­Ribble.

Manufactured in British dyed canvas, the bag is durable, waterproof and lightweight. Measuring 30 cm x 40 cm x 12.5 cm, it fits a 15-inch laptop plus folders and accessories. (€390) chapmanbags.com

A 75 to 80 litre suitcase is the ideal size for a longer trip. Finished in durable ballistic nylon, TUMI’s Alpha 2 line has two handy compartments: a main section and a top compartment for blazers and suits. What’s best, this clever case performs an added magic feat: its depth is expandable by 5 cm. Dimensions: 66 cm x 48.5 cm x 33 cm. (€875) tumi.com

Kill the noise Muffle unnecessary noise while you travel. Earplugs from Killnoise ­differ from traditional foam earplugs by filtering only the most damaging noise without fully blocking other sounds. (€6) killnoise.com

Foldable fit

It’s what we all hanker for: robust, completely foldable over-ear headphones that offer great sound quality. Crossfade M-100 from V-MODA ticks all the boxes. The earphones come with two cables: a regular audio cable and another with a microphone for phone calls and skyping. Personalise yours with ­customised logos and colours. (€249 ) v-moda.com

18 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

Go ballistic

Get organised

A good travel organiser is indispensable for holding boarding cards, passport, currency, credit cards and small items such as keys and SIM cards. Find them all in one place in the Montblanc organiser, a structured beauty in soft grain leather. Dimensions: 12 cm x 22 cm. (€460) montblanc.com

TAKEOFF WORLD

DID YOU KNOW? The Finnair mobile app can be used to check in, select seats, purchase upgrades, receive news, and view point balances.

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY MIRVA LEMPIÄINEN STUART WOOD

CALENDAR

November events

SHANGHAI

Hard rain in China

OCT 30 – NOV 23 NAGOYA. The Yattokame Festival showcases the culture and history of the Japanese industrial metropolis with 100 free and low-cost activities. On the agenda are theatre performances, lectures, traditional dances, tea ceremonies, workshops and sightseeing tours.

TO DEC 31 The Random International art collective brings its Rain Room installation to Shanghai following a hit tour of London and New York. The experimental exhibit invites visitors to step into a torrential downpour of 1,800 litres of water per minute. No umbrella needed: the motion sensors stop the flow just in time. yuzmshanghai.org/rain-room

yattokame.jp

NOV 20–22 VIENNA. While 15,000 entrepreneurs attend Slush, Helsinki’s mammoth start-up event from Nov. 11 to 12, Austria hosts a more intimate creative gathering.

Startup Live Vienna #12 aims to create new business concepts and present them to a panel. startuplive.in/vienna

NOV 19 – JAN 3, 2016 CHICAGO. Continuing a tradition started in 1942, the Museum of Science and Industry puts up 50 trees decorated by members of Chicago’s ethnic communities. Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light also includes performances on the Holiday Stage. msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/ christmas-around-the-world

20 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

SINGAPORE

Sentosa sings NOV 20–22

National karaoke champions from 40 ­countries will be belting out their favourite tunes at the 13th annual Karaoke World Championships. Sponsored by the KWC parent organisation in Finland, the contest is the world’s biggest gathering of amateur singers. This grand celebration of friendship, music and community will be streamed online from Sentosa Island. karaokeworldchampionships.com

Asian tiimoilta voisi puhua pitkäänkin, mutta todetaan se, että yhä turbulentimmaksi muuttuvassa maailmassa olemme se varainhoitaja, jolta löytyy näkemystä niin mikro- kuin makrotaloudestakin.

Tunti ei ole aika eikä mikään silloin, kun puhutaan pitkäaikaisesta varainhoidosta.

Meidän tehtävänämme on olla selvillä joka hetki siitä, mitä maailmalla tapahtuu.

Sinäkin voit olla siitä kiinnostunut, mutta yhtä hyvin voit olla kiinnostumatta.

Tärkeintä sinulle on tietää, että varasi ovat meillä parhaissa käsissä.

Ja tämän kaiken me toteutamme ylivertaisella näkemyksellä. Posteljooniakin uutterammalla jalkatyöllä sijoituskohteissa. FIMiläisellä intohimolla.

Maailmallakin palkitulla osaamisella. Tervetuloa.

fim.com

Private banking & Instituutiot

puh. (09) 6134 6250

Palveluntarjoajat: FIM Sijoituspalvelut Oy ja FIM Varainhoito Oy

TAKEOFF FINLAND

VISIT SANTA CLAUS Finnair flies four times daily to Rovaniemi, the hometown of Santa Claus.

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY LAURA IISALO VISIT FINLAND

HELSINKI

At the Arctic Snow Hotel in Rovaniemi, an Aurora alarm lets guests know when the magic is starting.

November events KAISU JOUPPI

NOV 15 The Kids’ Fashion Fair is a new pop-up event held in the cosy Helsinki neighbourhood of Kumpula. All items are designed and made in Finland.

Open 10 am–3 pm lastenvaatekarnevaali. wordpress.com

LAPLAND

Chasing the Northern Lights

22 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

when the magic happens. “Our guests have been pleased with the service. If they’re staying in the glass igloo, all they have to do is open their eyes when the Aurora alarm goes off,” Haavikko says.

To make the chase a little more predictable, there is also a free mobile app called Ylläs Aurora which allows users to notify each other when the northern lights appear in the Ylläs area. The app shows the location on a map, inviting others to come and join in. Throughout the season – which lasts from September until March – travellers to Lapland can also join a guided Aurora Borealis Adventure arranged by Lapland Safaris, which includes a riverside walk and a hot cuppa by the campfire.

With a little luck, the arctic fox will reward patient audiences by swishing its magical tail across the sky. arcticsnowhotel.fi

TANI SIMBERG

The Northern Lights – also known as the Aurora Borealis – have fascinated people throughout the ages. Many travel across the world for a glimpse of the dazzling light show which the Finns call ­revontulet (fox fire), as legend claims the coloured light is created by an arctic fox setting the sky on fire with its tail. Many believe the northern lights even bring good fortune – it’s just that nobody can accurately predict when they will show up or how long the appearance will last.

Spotting the Aurora Borealis requires luck, but also darkness. The best time for Aurora-spotting is when most of us are asleep. When Arctic SnowHotel manager Ville Haavikko noticed that some of his guests were worried about going to sleep because they didn’t want to forgo their chances of seeing the show, he came up with a novel solution. He hired two guards to stay up all night and notify visitors

NOV 7–28 Suomenlinna Island is a UNESCO World Heritage site with many secrets. Its tales of misery, murder, betrayal and restless souls are shared during a 90-minute walking tour around the island.

For over 18s only. suomenlinna.fi/en/tapahtumat/ dreadful-suomenlinna/

NOV 10–14 The Baltic Circle annual contemporary theatre festival hosts the work of Japanese director and playwright Toshiki Okada and Swedish choreographer Mårten Spångberg. balticcircle.fi Events subject to chance

TAKEOFF DESIGN

DESIGN DEALS This month’s inflight shopping offers on Finnair flights include an adorable Finlayson Moomin make-up bag. See page 99 for more details.

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY AMANDA SOILA MIKKO AUERNIITTY

Timber-framed Puukuokka building won the 2015 Finlandia Prize for Architecture.

Looking hot in the kitchen Home in the woods Finns have always had a way with wood, but new building regulations and technologies have widened the horizons of wooden construction way beyond the average log cabin.

A great example is a new high-rise residential building in the central Finnish town of Jyväskylä, which scooped the 2015 Finlandia Prize for Architecture this September. One of the tallest wooden buildings ever constructed in Finland, timberframed Puukuokka is praised for combining affordable housing with new, sustainable technologies.

The winner was chosen out of five finalists by composer Kaija Saariaho.

“I selected Puukuokka as it represents

Design lovers are in for a treat in downtown Helsinki with Vallila Interior opening its first brick-and-mortar store on Kluuvikatu street this autumn.

This 80-year-old Finnish textile design institution is known for its playful prints available in many well-stocked stores around Finland and the world, but the new shop brings a wider offering under one roof. vallilainterior.fi

24 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

arkkitehtuurinfinlandia.fi

VALLILA

Vallila goes to town

things I value both in architecture and life. It is a bold and ambitious work that explores something new, combining ecological concepts with improved quality of life,” says Saariaho.

Designed by OOPEAA Office for Peripheral Architecture based in Seinäjoki, Finland, the 58-unit block of flats was completed in 2014.

“My goal was to create a clearly identifiable design idiom for large-scale timber construction that combines comfort and cosiness with an exciting experience,” says Anssi Lassila, the building’s chief architect.

While highly functional, the uniforms worn in the Finnish resto business aren’t usually praised as particularly stylish. Helsinki-based Touchpoint decided to change this by creating a new collection that infuses fashion savvy into the world of catering.

Touchpoint’s Rafla collection, unveiled this autumn, was created by two young designers, Sirpa Anundi and Piia Emilia, in cooperation with head chef of the Savoy, Kari Aihinen.

“We wanted to bring the uniforms closer to casualwear and create clothes that you could also wear in your free time,” says Anundi.

Featuring a selection of jackets and aprons, the collection also includes less conventional garments such as boyfriend jeans.

Touchpoint is known for its creative use of ecological materials and the Rafla collection is made from surplus textiles, recycled SecondLife fabrics and organic cotton. Production happens in Estonia.

Consisting of 50 comfortpromising, colourful and distinct pieces, the Rafla collection will be available in Touchpoint’s web store later this year. touchpoint.fi

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IT’S SIMPLE. THE ANSWER IS SAP HANA. NOW WHAT’S YOUR QUESTION? Companies everywhere are using SAP HANAʯ to answer questions that haven’t even been asked yet. To predict the future. And to totally reimagine the very nature of their business.

Huawei and SAP are dedicated to helping enterprises transform their business operations by combining SAP HANA in-memory computing platform and Huawei’s innovative hardware solutions. It is the perfect way to accelerate mission-critical application development.

Find out how simple at sap.fi/saphana or e.huawei.com

TAKEOFF DESTINATION

VISIT RUSSIA Finnair flies to Moscow once daily and offers additional flights two times a day with codeshare partner Aeroflot.

TEXT BY SILJA KUDEL PHOTOS BY OLYA IVANOVA

Moscow’s Red October As if thumbing its nose at the Kremlin across the river, the rebelliously named Red October arts factory is the place to rub shoulders with Moscow’s relaxed in-crowd. Smelling more like hipster spirit than confectionary, the former chocolate factory is now a cluster of cool watering holes, fancy restaurants, art galleries, studios and showrooms.

You can while the entire day away on this island of culture, starting with a workout at the boxing or yoga club, a visit to the Red October Exhibition Hall, or a concert in the amphitheatre. Catch an old-school Soviet elevator to the rooftop bars and enjoy a scenic meal at the Strelka Bar, followed by a wild night out at Gipsy, one of Moscow’s hottest clubbing spots.

The Lumière Brothers Photography Centre is not to be missed this November. Highlights include a fourdecade retrospective featuring the wry wit of US documentarist Elliott Erwitt, himself of Russian descent.

Lumiere Brothers Photography Centre Elliott Erwitt on Colour To November 29, 2015

26 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

Above: Arthouse films are screened in the Strelka Institute’s open-air cinema.

Top right: The building’s intriguing details hark back to its ­former life as a chocolate factory.

Strelka bookshop ­specialises in architecture and design.

The Lumière Brothers ­Centre is a must-see for photo buffs.

DNV GL Taking a broader view Tomorrow’s successful companies will create value by meeting the world’s social, economic and environmental needs.

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TAKEOFF FAMILY COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY KATI HEIKINHEIMO

BABY BAGGAGE Regardless of travel class, an infant’s baggage allowance includes one piece of baggage weighing a maximum of 23 kg, as well as a folding stroller and safety seat.

Active tots

ADVENTURE@HOME Children these days don’t get enough exercise. Gymi has designed a versatile furniture series that inspires kids to spend less time glued to screens and more time exploring their kinesthetic skills. gymi.co/furniture/

FAIRYTALE TAKEOFF

Icehearts helps disadvantaged kids become compassionate, self-reliant members of society.

Melting the ice What can be done to reach out to boys at risk of becoming marginalised? Take them to an ice hockey rink, recommends Icehearts, a Finnish early intervention programme.

“We become what our environment makes us,” says Ville Turkka, executive manager of Icehearts. This is also the founding principle behind the programme.

If a six-year-old is so emotionally damaged that he is no longer able to cry, it is very likely he will never learn the necessary skills for leading a healthy, responsible life.

This is where Icehearts comes to the rescue. Working together with municipal services, they identify kids at risk and offer them the opportunity to join a sports team – ice hockey, football or 28 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

the like – and receive intensive support at school.

“Perhaps the most important thing is that Icehearts provides a long-term adult relationship for boys who might totally lack any kind of reliable father figure,” says Turkka.

The sports team provides these kids with a long-standing support net for 12 years. A core team of ten youngsters is gradually expanded with ten to 15 more children with less severe socio-economic difficulties.

Launched in 1996, the programme can be easily modified for any other activity or country. There are currently 28 teams active at ten different locations across Finland. Public-funded Icehearts is also supported by private and corporate partners, including Finnair.

This upcoming book compiled by Finnair crew members and customers features endearing tales about flying – with imaginary and real wings.

Part of the proceeds will be donated to the new children’s hospital under construction in Helsinki.

Lennokas (in Finnish) is published by Lasten Keskus and launches this month. lastenkeskus.fi

SUSTAINABLE SANDBOX Finally! Parents can buy their kids durable, weatherproof toys without adding to the world’s growing plastic problem.

Green Toys manufactures 100 per cent recycled and toxin-free playthings for kids aged 0 to 5 years. greentoys.com

For those who go with the flow and those in full swing

PUNTA CANA HAS IT

Dominican Republic Tourism Office Kungsgatan 37, 8th floor . 11156 Stockholm . Sweden Tel: (46) 8 120 205 37 . scandinavia@godominicanrepublic.com

www.GoDominicanRepublic.com

WORLD ON YOUR PLATE TEXT BY MIKKO TAKALA PHOTO BY TOMMI ANTTONEN

OOPS!

I DROPPED THE LEMON TART

“I

taly is a very conservative country when it comes to food. Tradition dictates what you cook and how you cook it,” says Massimo Bottura, chef-owner of the renowned Osteria Francescana. Bottura opened his restaurant in Modena in 1995, and the first few years were not easy. Influenced by elBulli chef Ferran Adria’s avant-garde approach to cooking, Bottura started serving radically different food from what at the time was considered proper.

“I didn’t make any money and was about to close many times but carried on regardless. People called me crazy. ‘Where’s the proper Italian food, Massimo?’ they complained. Back then, even one of my most famous and loved dishes – five ages of Parmigiano Reggiano in five different textures and temperatures – was blasphemy,” says Bottura.

Eventually, the sceptics came around. In 2002, Osteria Francescana was awarded its first Michelin star, followed by a full threestar rating in 2012. Osteria Francescana now holds the number two spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

Bottura says he wanted and still wants to shake up Italian cuisine, drop it on the floor and put all the pieces together, rebuilding it from scratch. Bottura’s worldfamous dessert ‘Oops, I dropped the lemon tart’ reflects this ideology, wonderfully. The dish is indeed made to look like someone dropped it, literally served on a plate resembling broken china. On the plate you’ll find small cubes of different jellies, foamy and lemony limoncello zabaglione, or sorbet of lemongrass, and a broken biscuit... a perfectly imperfect and playful dessert by a man who held his ground and dared to be different. l

Osteria Francescana, Via Stella 22, Modena, Italy Tasting menus €170–195 osteriafrancescana.it

30 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

Four components, one system: New Automation Technology.

Motion Servo Drives Servomotors

IPC Industrial PCs Embedded PCs Motherboards

I/O EtherCAT components IP 20 Bus Terminals IP 67 Fieldbus Box

www.beckhoff.com Setting standards worldwide: PC- and EtherCAT-based control solutions from Beckhoff.

As renowned specialists for open automation systems, Beckhoff offers components for IPC, I/O, motion and automation applications that can operate individually or integrated as a precisely adapted control system. New Automation Technology from Beckhoff represents versatile automation solutions that are used in a wide range of applications worldwide. The growing presence of Beckhoff in more than 70 countries ensures consistent support around the globe.

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EUROPEAN VOICES

BY ALEXANDER STUBB

How to give a good speech

M

y job is about other words, it’s a means of convincing speaking, listening someone of your character or credibiland taking deciity as a speaker. This, according to Aristosions. Some might tle is the most important part. If the audiargue that I do too ence does not trust you, they won’t listen much of the first, to what you have to say. And trust me...as not enough of the second and make the a politician I can relate to Aristotle’s thesis. wrong ones in the case of the third. Be In preparing a speech you need to take that as it may, I do give a lot of speeches. all of these three things into account. You The art of giving a good speech is not should appeal to rationality, emotion and easy. I was reminded of this when reading character. To put it simply, you need to be Juhana Torkki’s latest book on how to prepersonal. Too many speeches are mechanpare a good speech (Available in Finnish ical slide shows. only: Puhevalta käyttöön! Näin valmisteTorkki’s book gives you good advice let elämäsi parhaan puheen, Otava 2015). on how to prepare a speech on all three Torkki, who holds accounts. His a PhD in Theoladvice is to use IN PREPARING A SPEECH YOU ogy, is one of the the following nine SHOULD APPEAL TO most respected questions as a prep speech-coaches in tool.

RATIONALITY, EMOTION AND Finland.

On logos CHARACTER. The book is ask the followwritten in the ing: What is the form of a Socratic dialogue, a format one thing you want your audience to which brought me back to my uniremember? How can you make your mesversity years in the US. That’s where sage understandable, crystal clear? What I learned the basics on how to give a kind of a personal story can you tell the speech. And that’s where I fell in love audience? with ancient Greek philosophy, espeOn ethos ask this: What has excited cially Aristotle. you lately? What are you afraid of? How As an academic, civil servant and will your speech improve the world, or at politician I have given several thouleast the life of your audience? sand speeches over the years. My two And on pathos: What should you be cents worth are simple: have a clear thankful for in your audience? What is structure (preferably three points), never your audience afraid of? What is your read a speech (speak freely) and try to audience proud of? avoid PowerPoint (do I need to say why?).

So, the next time you have to give a But a good speech is naturally much more speech remember to start preparing on than that. time. It just takes a few minutes here and In Rhetoric, Aristotle reminds us of there. You do not have to do it in one go. the power of persuasion. It has three Try the nine questions above and rememelements: logos, pathos and ethos. ber the most important thing: every Logos is an appeal to logic. It is the way speech needs to have an aim, a key mesyou persuade the audience by reason. sage and a clear structure. l Pathos is an appeal to emotion, and is a way of convincing an audience of an Alexander Stubb is Finland’s Finance argument by creating an emotional Minister. response. twitter.com/alexstubb Ethos is an appeal to ethics. In

32 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

www.turoshop.com

34 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

PITCHING PERFECT Helsinki-based Slush has quic kly grown into one of the world’s largest startups event We follow up w s. ith three entre preneurs from last year ’s event: Did they reach the ir goals?

TEXT BY MIN

NA TAKKUN EN

PHOTOS BY

PÄIVI RI STEL

L

NOVEMBER 2015

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Camilla Tuominen knows that identifying your emotions leads to a more balanced life.

36 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

TRACKING EMOTIONS

H

elsinki in November is a dark, cold, dreary place, but the temperature is definitely rising inside the Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre. Hopeful startup founders are sweating it out, feverishly pitching their business ideas to investors.

For Camilla Tuominen, CEO of Emotion Tracker, Slush is all about mingling – you never know who might end up spreading the word to about your business.

Tuominen and her team have created a mobile app called Emotion Tracker that helps you identify, track and analyse your emotions. Before taking the leap she worked at Accenture.

Today at Slush, she has experienced a whole gamut of emotions from raw fear to pure elation.

“Another startup entrepreneur asked me whether I’m mind-numbingly scared.

I’m trying to remind myself that everyone here, including the investors, are ordinary people with human emotions,” she says.

Her company has already won the hearts of six angel investors. Recent funding has enabled the company to employ two people. But there’s still a long way to go before Tuominen’s grand vision becomes a reality: people and organisations feeling and performing better thanks to a deepened awareness of emotions.

At times, developing the software is painfully slow.

Tuominen is surrounded by a flurry of media attention on her first day at Slush.

Around 9 pm, she is interviewed live by a national current affairs television programme side by side with Slush CEO Miki Kuusi.

The second day brings an emotional hangover.

“I feel like a nobody today. I’m comparing myself to others who look so dazzling on stage,” says Tuominen.

Some startups follow a strict linear plan at Slush, but Tuominen prefers to stay true to her own bubbly, spontaneous ways.

At the beginning of an investor meet-

ing, she offered her listeners a choice: she could either give her presentation in the average ‘10-point font’ consultant style familiar from her previous life at Accenture, or she could rock the stage with all she has. And rock it she did.

At the end of Slush, Tuominen comes up with a great new idea. At next year’s Slush, she plans to have the app available to all participants. Their tracked emotions could be anonymously projected onto a big screen in real time. “We could see the whole wide spectrum of their emotions.

This event isn’t all about euphoria,” she says. → HOW IS EMOTION TRACKER DOING IN NOVEMBER 2015?

A renewed version of the app is being tested, with plans to develop emotion tracking for new tech platforms such as watches. The team is also launching emotion-related training for companies.

Tuominen’s book on emotions, which she has illustrated, will be published in April.

Jaakko Lehtonen is keen on shaping the property business into a more sustainable direction.

38 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

RETHINKING SPACES

J

aakko Lehtonen, geography graduate and startup entrepreneur, is not your typical Slush attendee.

Just a stone’s throw from Slush, there is an old railway yard where Lehtonen has been working for years on an urban gardening project. What started as activism has grown into a fully-fledged business.

Now he’s the CEO of Hukkatila, a two-year-old property development startup whose name translates roughly as ‘waste of space’. Hukkatila’s founders have a background in architecture and energy-efficient solutions.

The idea behind the company is to create sustainable business around under-used urban spaces in both new and old properties. Any space can offer commercial and non-commercial potential for energy-efficient reuse.

Hukkatila has already launched projects together with companies such as Nokia, with whom they created roof gardens for employees to enjoy.

At Slush, the company is looking for socially oriented investors that would be interested in funding the initial stages of a startup. It’s the second day of the event, and Lehtonen has one more meeting arranged with an interested investor.

Hukkatila’s radar is focused on resource-smart companies keen on shaping real estate and online companies within the sharing economy.

So are there potential investors around at Slush for a property startup like Hukkatila?

“There is competition in this type of business, but the field is much more scattered than for instance the gaming industry,” Lehtonen says.

There are a few cleantech startups at Slush, but there could easily be more, given how important the sector is in Finland, notes Lehtonen.

Currently, Hukkatila is developing a prototype for a ready-to-assemble office space, utilising temporary elements or renovating existing spaces based on users’ needs.

“What we need most right now is strategies for setting up well-organised teams. A good team is the most important thing for a startup,” says Lehtonen. → HOW IS HUKKATILA DOING IN NOVEMBER 2015?

The company has received funding for their office space concept. They are planning to test the prototype in downtown Helsinki early in 2016, with an eye to begin manufacturing later in 2016.

NOVEMBER 2015

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Mikko Petäjä brings wellbeing to people’s daily lives through a live online yoga service.

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ONLINE OMMMMS

M

ikko Petäjä confesses to being slightly nervous, as he doesn’t have a background in business or international commerce – yet these are his main focus at Slush.

Petäjä’s startup Yoogaia enhances everyday wellbeing by bringing live online yoga classes to people’s living rooms.

For him, Slush is above all about networking. The timing of the event is handy, as Yoogaia is currently recruiting software engineers. The CEO has two investor meetings booked for today, but he also wants to leave room for spontaneous encounters.

Yoogaia was born one morning in 2013 when Petäjä was driving to yet another early morning yoga class. The marketing professional and father of three took up regular yoga to help relieve serious back problems.

Stuck in traffic, he wondered whether there was a way to attend a live yoga class

without spending all that stressful time in rush hour traffic. When it turned out there wasn’t, he decided to create one himself.

The uniqueness of the startup has been noted. One year after its launch, in November 2014, Yoogaia has 5,000 users and their Hong Kong location is opening next month.

After angel investors gave the green light, the four-person Yoogaia team has worked long hours. Hungry for ideas, they are willing to grow and grow fast. There are so many things going on at any given moment that Petäjä tries to follow the advice he recently heard: stop starting and start finishing.

“We need to gain understanding on how an international service like this functions. As well as technological expertise, we also need help with recruiting, presentations and pitching. Inspiring investors help us build Yoogaia into what we want it to become,” says Petäjä.

And to find such investors, Petäjä finds it crucial to get to know people personally. During his three-minute pitch on the open stage at Slush, he tries to keep it simple.

“Pitching is a bit of a handicap for us Finns,” says Petäjä. But he must have done something right, as a new investor tapped him on the shoulder right after he left the stage. → HOW IS YOOGAIA DOING IN NOVEMBER 2015?

The users of the service have increased tenfold to 50,000 and the Yoogaia team has grown from four to 15. The company received 3 million euros in seed funding in the summer. An iOS application launch was featured on the front page of Apple in over 100 countries. CEO Mikko Petäjä has moved to London with his family to support the company’s international growth. l

BEHIND THE SCENES

Minna Takkunen

Helsinki-based freelance journalist Minna Takkunen is excited to see the inspiring chain reactions Slush causes. “I was positively surprised by how well organised the event is. And the magnetic atmosphere lingers.”

WHAT THE SLUSH?

Slush is not your ordinary tech conference. The enthusiasm, energy and tech fairyland atmosphere of the event is contagious. There are product launches, demos, talks and breaking news on four large stages – not forgetting the parties. What started out as a get-together for a couple of hundred attendees in 2008 has grown into a huge event bringing together 14,000 attendees, 3,500 companies, 750 investors and 700 journalists. Carefully organised ‘matchmaking meetings’ ensure that 1,400 startups from 74 countries get friendly with potential investors. And it’s all set to get even bigger in 2015.

Slush 2015: November 11–12 in Helsinki slush.org

BEHIND THE SCENES

Päivi Ristell

Helsinki-based photographer Päivi Anita Ristell had never heard of Slush before she was assigned to take pictures for this Blue Wings article. “I found the atmosphere very exciting and electrifying. The fair centre was transformed from its normal setting.”

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Agility of an SME,

range of a large company IT DEVELOPMENT TEAMS HAVE BECOME THE RIGHT HAND OF CFOS TO TACKLE THE CHALLENGES OF DIGITALIZATION. IT OUTSOURCING COMPANY JAVERDEL AND SOLUTION PROVIDER VINCIT SEEK TO OFFER THE DECISIVE EDGE IN COMPETITION THROUGH A MERGER.

M

r. Jussi Haverinen, CEO of IT outsourcing company Javerdel, observes that the trend is such that IT solution providers have assumed the role of strategic partners for many aspiring companies.

“More often than not, IT development teams find themselves collaborating with CFOs and other chiefly financial instances. In such an environment, the ability to exceed expectations and come up with ideas out of the box is emphasized.“ Such is the formula for success both for IT providers and their clientele.

Through visionary moves and hard work Javerdel and IT solution provider Vincit have shown impressive growth figures over many consecutive years.

In August, a merger was announced between the two.

“The merger has spirited forward a company more intensely geared towards meeting the buzzing IT services market for SMEs”, mr Haverinen comments.

“The new company combines the agility of a smaller business to the wide selection of services and solutions more typical to the largest IT corporations. Our unparalleled ability to assign dedicated professionals to each project gives our customers the extra edge in competition.”

After the merger has been completely seen through, the newly founded company is preliminarily scheduled to enlist in the First North exchange of the Finnish Stock Market Exchange (NASDAQ OMX).

“The enlistment will most likely take place in Q2 next year”, mr Haverinen estimates. ●

“Our unparalleled ability to assign dedicated professionals to each project gives our customers the extra edge in competition”, mr Jussi Haverinen, CEO of Javerdel, comments.

PROMOTION PRODUCED BY TAKEOFF VIDEO MEDIA OY

DESTINATION MALAYSIA

N I S

s to flie imes r i na ix t Fin ore s . gap eekly Sin w om ir.c a n fin

Pulau Redang and neighbouring Pulau Pinang islands have Terengganu’s prettiest beaches. Most visitors combine sunbathing with snorkelling or scuba diving.

44 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

TERENGGANU TRULY MALAYSIA

Authentic Malay culture, a glimpse of Islam and some of the world’s best diving – the proverbial mixed bag is offered by Terengganu state on the east coast of Malaysia.

TEXT AND PHOTOS VILLE PALONEN

NOVEMBER 2015

BLUE WINGS

45

L

ooms click frantically as two women weave fine threads into a length of silk brocade.

Weaving traditions are alive and well at the Nur Zahirah handicraft centre on the outskirts of Kuala Terangganu, the largest city on Malaysia’s east coast.

Besides being a popular tourist attraction, the centre is also a foundation preserving indigenous crafts and improving the livelihood of weavers and artisans from rural areas.

The women are working on a songket, a ceremonial two-metre silk sarong embroidered with fine metallic threads. Once a royal tradition, songket–weaving is still practiced with great patience and diligence. Two trained and experienced weavers average only a couple of inches of cloth per day.

“It takes a month to finish a two-metre piece,” explains one of the weavers, Siti Zurina binti Rozak, 28.

Malay heritage is strong in Terengganu, a state proud of its traditions: dances and silat martial art, top spinning and kite flying, and handicrafts like painted batik fabrics and ornate kriss daggers.

Songket-weaving is among the most famous traditional handicrafts. This particular type of brocade is distinguished by the gold and silver threads that are hand-woven into silk (or sometimes cotton) yarns, forming intricate patterns. Typical motifs are leaves and flowers.

46 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

Songkets are traditionally women’s attire: In Muslim culture, only women wear silk. Indeed Islam has a strong influence on everyday life in Terengganu. Strict hudud laws allow harsh punishments and alcohol can be purchased only in Chinese restaurants. While the rest of Malaysia follows a regular workweek, the weekend in Terengganu falls on Friday and Saturday.

ISLAM MEETS DISNEY? One of Malaysia’s somewhat bizarre tourist attractions is the Islamic Civilization Park. Located on an island just a 20-minute taxi ride from Kuala Terengganu’s centre, the place is like an amusement park – only without the rides.

Part of the island, Monument Park, is crammed with samples of the finest Islamic architecture from around the world, complete with two dozen miniature mosques, a restaurant and a souvenir shop. Visitors can stroll the grounds or bike it, but in the 35-degree Celsius heat a sightseeing tour on a tram that looks like a toy train seems a more welcoming option.

One of the attractions is a copy of the Taj Mahal, India’s world-famous monument of love – minus the usual hordes of camera-touting tourists. Another world-class landmark, Al-Haram Mosque of Mecca, is just a stone’s throw down the road. It, too, is completely deserted.

Visitors wanting to catch a glimpse of Terengganu’s authentic Islamic heritage should visit a real mosque,

Left: Nurul Atirah Abdul Samad, 22, paints batik fabrics at the Noor Afra Craft Complex. Visitors can also watch batik pressing and songket-weaving.

Right: Despite its showy exterior, Crystal Mosque is surprisingly calm and traditional inside. Non-Muslims can enter the mosque if they cover their arms and legs.

Rush hour at Pulau Pinang beach.

not a religious amusement park. Near Monument Park lies Crystal Mosque, a futuristic-looking building made of steel and glass. At the door visitors remove their shoes and borrow a jubah, a light brown robe to cover bare legs and arms.

The hall is almost empty. Near the front a lone man bows his head towards Mecca in earnest, silent prayer.

After he has finished praying he breaks into a wide smile as he pauses for a chat outside.

Zuherry bin Zulkifli, 24, is a devoted Muslim who prays five times every day. He has come to Terengganu for a holiday with his family of nine.

“Every year we spend our holiday in a new place in Malaysia,” says bin Zulkifli. “My grandma insisted on visiting Islamic Park. Of course I wanted to pray at Crystal Mosque, it’s such a beautiful building. I always feel more excited when I pray in a mosque. A couple of days ago we spent the night at Pulau Perhentian, where we had to pray in our bungalow,” he says.

SNORKEL WITH SHARKS Terengganu’s top tourist attractions include Perhentian and Redang Islands, less than a couple of hours’ boat ride from the coast.

One of the most popular current tourist magnets is Pulau Pinang, at least judging by the overcrowded beach packed with hundreds of tourists wearing bright yellow life jackets.

Pinang and its Marine Park are just a kilometre

Malay heritage is strong in Terengganu, a state proud of its traditions.

Fish for sale at Kuala Terengganu’s wet market.

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47

HOW TO GET THERE Terengganu’s capital, Kuala Terengganu, is easy to reach from Singapore where Finnair flies six times weekly, or from Kuala Lumpur where Finnair flies in co-operation with Malaysia Airlines via Bangkok or Singapore.

A SLICE OF CHINA The local Chinatown centres on Jalan Bandar Street, which has a Taoist temple, several small shops and a couple of restaurants selling Tiger beer.

Clown fish is a common find on snorkelling and diving trips around Pulau Redang.

Spiky durian fruit has an acquired taste: its strong smell makes many foreigners feel sick, but most Malays love it.

from Pulau Redang, a larger island recently made overwhelmingly popular by the Hong Kong film Summer Holiday (“Ha yat dik mo mo cha”), which was set on Redang’s dazzling beaches. After the release of the romantic comedy in 2000, thousands of Chinese tourists started pouring in.

Eventually the crowds grew too massive for such a small island, and especially for its marine life.

Since then, Redang has gradually resumed its former quiet existence as the tropical paradise it must have been before the tourist invasion.

The life-jacketed crowd seems to enjoy wading in knee-deep water, but those preferring an underwater adventure are advised to rent snorkelling or diving equipment. Only a hundred metres from shore, the reef drops to a sandy depth of 20 metres.

Hard corals and fishes are abundant around the rocky outcrops of the reef: parrot fish, clown fish, titan trigger fish, trumpetfish, and even a small grey reef shark. Clearly Redang and Pinang deserve their reputation as two of Malaysia’s best diving and snorkelling destinations.

After exploring the waters, it’s time to head back to shore. But not before an elusive creature glides by.

Slowly, almost majestically, a huge green turtle passes just a couple of metres away and then disappears into the depths like a ghost. l

ISLAND LIFE Perhentian and Redang Islands are a short boat ride from the coast. They offer accommodation for all budgets, along with restaurants and bars. Diving and snorkelling around the islands is highly recommended. The best time to visit is from March to October – almost all hotels are closed between November and late January.

DARE TO TRY DURIAN Kuala Terengganu’s wet market is a great place to try Malay specialties like teh tarik, a milky ‘pulled tea’, and durian.

Some people can’t stand the smell of the peculiar, spiny fruit, but most locals consider durian to be a delicacy.

SONGKETS AND BATIK Visit a handicraft centre to see artisans working on traditional Malay crafts. Yayasan Tuanku Nur Zahirah specialises in songkets, while Noor Afra is famous for its batik printing.

Both have shops. www.yayasantnz.org www.noor-arfa.com.my

BEHIND THE SCENES

Ville Palonen

is a photojournalist who loves adventures and the great outdoors. His most memorable experiences in Malaysia include climbing Mount Kinabalu – the highest mountain of Borneo.

48 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

ELEPHANT CAMP Kenyir Lake is part of Taman Negara National Park, one of the oldest rainforests in the world. The lake has an elephant camp where you can swim in waterfalls or go fishing, trekking, and paddling. www.kenyir.com.my

Qvantel changes the game For operators With 20 years of experience, Qvantel helps operators and communication service providers focus on the essentials, to provide a pleasant user experience to their customers. Our BSS Private Cloud maintains the agreed service level in all situations, says Chief Executive Officer Liisa Grant.

These days, it’s Internet rules for telecommunication operators. Consumers choose to use their preferred Internet services over mobile data, which has become the pivotal point for operators’ business. This is where Qvantel Ltd from Finland steps in. This company changes the game for telecommunication operators with a unique cloud service strategy.

F

or 20 years Qvantel has helped European operators to thrive, and recently the company has begun to expand also to South America. Chief Executive Officer Liisa Grant believes strongly in the company’s success.

- We focus strongly on people-centered service design, which sets us apart from our competitors and at the same time produces good customer experiences to our customers, summarizes Grant. In addition, our unique technology differs from the traditional companies’ solutions in the industry. Qvantel implements effective Business Support Solutions (BSS) as a secure private cloud service, in which Qvantel is the industry pioneer and leader.

- We help our customers to understand how business can be changed so that they are able to focus on the essentials and become more efficient than their competitors. First, we analyze our customer’s needs and in a second phase, we convert the requirements to our private cloud solution to enable efficient and flexible operations, clarifies Grant. Customers’ business transformations are also implemented swiftly, because every customer is assigned a dedicated Qvantel task force.

Qvantel’s values are trust, commitment, care and competence.

Photo: Qvantel

Qvantel has a strong track record of successful operator business transformations, where the number of different information systems used by the customer for business support solutions have been reduced drastically. Transformations happen on the fly, as the operator’s service for millions of customers needs to operate uninterrupted, when data has been transferred from the legacy systems to the Qvantel private cloud.

Once the cloud based solution is taken into use, Qvantel’s customers reach a new level of speed and flexibility.

Grant shares two examples that operators value. In retail environment, user centered design helps in getting operator’s customer service employees up to speed with the system. An intuitive system makes it possible for a new employee to learn the ropes and start working with only a short brief instead of lengthy system training. In the back office, operator’s business management will benefit of the speed and flexibility when designing service offering and campaigns. What previously took weeks or months can now be rolled out to consumers in a matter of days.

These kinds of game changing capabilities Qvantel’s operator customers are using to their advantage.

- We are totally committed to our customers’ success.

When our customers succeed, we succeed. Our business model is designed so that we can share the risk with our customers. We are radical, reliable Finns and we will change the game for our customers in order to succeed, assures Grant. www.qvantel.com TEXT: Maija-Liisa Saksa

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Genuine buzz, real opportunities

THE LARGEST INLAND CITY OF THE NORDIC COUNTRIES, CENTRALLY LOCATED TAMPERE OFFERS A VIBRANT ENVIRONMENT FOR ASPIRING NEW BUSINESSES.

“The region has a very significant industrial history, the first GSM phone call was made in Tampere!”

“T

here’s a genuine buzz in the high tech sector in the Tampere region, and it offers real opportunities for new business”, ventures Mr Petri Nykänen, in charge of business development and investment promotion in the Tampere Region Economic Development Agency, Tredea.

Mr Nykänen lays down compelling figures to back the case for Tampere. The population of the city is expected to grow 20 per cent by 2030. Tampere attracts ample development investments from both public and private sector, second only to the Finnish capital Helsinki.

The city is home to three internationally competitive university-level institutions.

One in five people in Tampere is a student, which directly reflects on the availability of highly skilled work force.

“Due to Microsoft´s recent changes in their mobile phone business, there are now intact teams of high-level professionals available, capable of developing products and services for example in automotive industry, entertainment industry, industrial automation, wearables, and health technology.”

Latest era of re-invention creates the buzz The entrepreneurs in Tampere region testify to Nykänen´s views on the growing number of opportunities in Tampere region.

“The atmosphere is very positive for startups. There is a lot of collaboration between the network of companies, which is mostly due to the legacy of Nokia. The region has a very significant industrial history, the first GSM phone call was made in Tampere!”, says Risto Kivipuro from PiceaSoft.

Also Teppo Hemiä, CEO of Wirepas, praises Tampere region. “The Tampere startup scene is still quite young, and in that sense it is easy to stand out. The location of Tampere is excellent for companies aspiring for internationalization; from TamperePirkkala airport you can get anywhere in the world, and even Helsinki-Vantaa is only 90 minutes away”, he says.

Tampere grows and innovates According to Veli-Pekka Vatula, Manager, Ideation & Innovation and Site Manager for Intel Tampere, there is a very positive environment for startups. “The region has a positive determination to grow and innovate, and the environment is very diverse.”

Mariina Hallikainen from Colossal Order points out the development of Tampere region. “As the news of the Tampere startup scence spreads, also recruiting a skilled work force from abroad becomes much easier. There is actually nothing missing from Tampere, and everything is located in a very compact area”, she says. ● PROMOTION PRODUCED BY TAKEOFF VIDEO MEDIA OY

Oula Välipakka, Petri Nykänen and Oliver Hussey from Tredea. You also find us from the www.tredea.fi personnel page.

TOP5 For the love of lounging

1

STEAM WHILE YOU WAIT A good sauna relaxes both muscles and mind. A visit to the steam room in the Finnair Premium Lounge at Helsinki Airport (In between Gate 36 & 37) is a great way to cure any pre-flight jitters. The Scandinavian-style main lounge designed by Helsinki-based dSign Vertti Kivi & Co. features special mood lighting, iMacs, comfy recliners and Finnish gourmet snack specialities. Access is reserved for oneworld Emerald and Sapphire cardholders and Finnair Plus Platinum and Gold members on oneworld flights.

Finnair Premium Lounge in Helsinki Finnair.com

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Looking for a fun antidote to boredom as you wait for your flight to board? Here are five spectacular lounges that will make you actually look forward to spending time at the airport.

TEXT BY MIRVA LEMPIÄINEN PHOTOS BY TANJA MIKKOLA, MIRVA LEMPIÄINEN AND THE LOUNGES

2

TAKE CARE OF NUMBER ONE Time flies almost too quickly in the No. 1 Traveller Lounge at Heathrow (T3) and three other UK airports. In addition to plush couches, a ten-seat cinema, billiards, foosball and spa services, there are also quiet nooks for napping, with private en-suite bedrooms available for €27 per hour. The entry fee (€41 online, €47 at the door) includes alcoholic drinks, an unlimited salad buffet and a hot à la carte meal.

No. 1 Traveller Lounge at London No1traveller.com

3

LIVE LIKE A SHEIKH Accommodating up to 1,000 guests, Qatar Airways’ latest flagship facility at Hamad International Airport in Doha is the world’s largest lounge – though only oneworld business and first-class flyers are invited. The Al Mourjan Business Lounge (Level 3) screams extravagance: a fourtiered chandelier suspended over an infinity pool lights up the spiral staircase between the two levels.

There are à la carte gourmet and buffet dining options, private quiet rooms, and game rooms with PlayStation pods and a F1 driving simulator.

Qatar Airways Lounge in Doha Qatarairways.com

52 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

4

TANDOORI OR WHISKY? Oozing warm Indian vibes with chandeliers, Jali screens and a glass peacock, the new GVK Lounge at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (T2) is dubbed the world’s first non-airline affiliated true luxury lounge. The gold-themed pay-peruse Premium Lounge comes with Tandoori kitchen, juice bar and whisky lounge. A 30-minute free massage is among the goodies offered in the quaint Business Lounge and silver-themed First Class Lounge. Designed by award-winning architect Alfaz Miller, the two-level lounge accommodates 440 guests.

GVK Lounge in Mumbai Csia.in/atcsia/gvk-lounge.aspx

5

MOVE IN TOP-DRAW CIRCLES Everything is high-end, yet nothing is flashy in Cathay Pacific’s newly renovated Pier First Class Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport (Gate 63). Brown is the dominant colour, with accents of bronze, wood and limestone. The dining room imitates a European bistro, and the bar could be in any fancy London hotel. The spa offers a free 30-minute foot massage and a food cart makes rounds serving snacks. There are also eight private day suites with beds. The Pier welcomes oneworld Emerald members, First Class passengers and Marco Polo Club Diamond members.

The Pier First Class Lounge in Hong Kong Cathaypacific.com

The 50-year old Tampere University of Technology (TUT) is at the leading edge of technology development and enjoys a reputation as a sought-after collaboration partner among the scientific and business communities.

Our leading-edge fields of research are signal processing, optics and photonics, intelligent machines, biomodelling, and the built environment.

TUT started operating in the form of a foundation in 2010. The capital campaign conducted in 2009–2012 raised a total of 137 million euros.

Income from the capital investment goes towards supporting TUT’s work for the benefit of Finnish industry, business and the broader society now and in the future.

TUT contributes to the world’s most ambitious neuroscience project Revenue from the Foundation’s capital has supported the groundbreaking research carried out by the Computational Neuroscience Laboratory at TUT. The group participates in Europe’s multidisciplinary Human Brain

Project (HBP) that aims to improve our understanding of the structure and functions of the brain and unravel the underlying biology of neurological and psychiatric disorders.

First test site for mobile machines in Europe The TTY Foundation awarded 500,000 euros to fund the construction of a unique new test site for mobile machines. The site operated by the Department of Intelligent Hydraulics and Automation allows researchers to test the properties and control systems of heavy-duty vehicles and analyse their fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. A similar test site is not found in any other university in Europe.

Join us in developing tomorrow’s technology!

TUT welcomes both private and corporate donations. The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture supports the fundraising efforts by matching all donations made to the TTY Foundation.

Donations ranging from 850 to 250,000 euros are tax-deductible for communities and corporations.

Further information: www.tut.fi/fundraising www.tut.fi/varainhankinta

For the benefit of people and the environment

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Leading the World in Waste Logistics

Evac on land and sea: Architectural treasures and modern cruise ships alike use Evac waste disposal technologies from Finland.

The world’s most innovative solutions provider in waste logistics calls Finland home.

W

hether it’s a 17th century Italian architectural masterpiece or a modern cruise vessel carrying 8,000 passengers and crew, the technology of Finland’s Evac is behind them both.

Maritime independence, architectural wonders

Evac’s advanced wastewater treatment technologies match municipal wastewater treatment systems for effluent quality, making large maritime vessels sustainable operations, giving them freedom to operate totally independently of port facilities.

On land, the compactness of Evac technology makes it ideal for the preservation of historic structures, as well as enabling maximum flexibility in the design and construction of lightweight modern architectural wonders.

Evac products serve Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy’s oldest bridge, yet they are also found in ultra-modern, energy-efficient structures like Sydney, Australia’s new Cbus Property flagship office.

Evac products are currently utilized on more than 20,000 marine projects and in more than 2,000 land-based projects.

Pioneers in waste treatment

Evac, a 40-year-old, Finland-based international cleantech company with a presence on four continents and over 100 patents or patents pending, is a pioneer of vacuum technology and total waste management. ”Evac is an innovative cleantech solutions provider, “says Mika Karjalainen, Evac’s COO,

“We develop and provide the best technologies and engineer them to meet our customer’s demands for marine vessels or special buildings.”

Membrane Bio Reactor (MBR), and Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR), are two key components of Evac technology. When one of these is employed on a maritime vessel, it enables the purification of 99 percent of all wastewater generated on a cruise ship, the rest treated by Evac’s wet waste system, making a vessel truly sustainable. Evac also offers fresh water generation systems, vacuum systems (vacuum toilets, vacuum food waste systems, gray water- and condensation collection), waste recycling systems, incinerators and waste system automation.

We enable sustainable

“Our mission,” says Karjalainen, “is to have the broadest product offering, cover all environmental needs in one single package, and offer the largest international service base with great after-sales service.”

As environmental legislation to protect the oceans becomes stricter, and as the building industry seeks new possibilities in lightweight construction, Evac expects to see even more growth.

“Order backlog is three times bigger than a year ago,” says Evac Group CEO Tomi Gardemeister, “and the company is approaching 100 million euros in turnover.”

Gardemeister says the growth speaks to the fact that Evac is serving a critical market need.

“But more than that,” he adds, “I’m pleased that our technology serves the environment and contributes to a truly sustainable future.”

Evac CEO Tomi Gardemeister and Oasis of the Seas. Evac’s total waste management system can be found aboard the world’s largest cruise vessels like the Oasis. The systems include vacuum systems, wastewater treatment, dry- and wet waste treatment, fresh water production, and automation systems.

DESTINATION LAS VEGAS

Las Vegas is bright, brash and can be brutish on your wallet, but it’s never boring.

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY TIM BIRD

Sensory overload on

The Strip NOVEMBER 2015

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C

onsidering the reputation of the place, the compact layout of Las Vegas comes as a surprise. Most hotels are barely a 15-to 20-minute drive from the airport and visitors are unlikely to wander far from Las Vegas Boulevard, commonly known as The Strip, a couple of miles from end to end.

Just the same The Strip is lined with immense hotels, each designed to out-do its neighbour in kitschy in-your-face brash modernity, Disney references or mock-classical colonnades. This is over-the-top America where everything is several times larger than life, yet irresistibly good-humoured and welcoming. A bottomless wallet helps, of course.

If you tire of the glitz, the natural wonders of the Nevada desert are within easy reach – with Death Valley National Park to the west, Mojave National Preserve to the south, and Grand Canyon National Park to the east. In typically ostentatious Vegas style, you can head out for an outing to the Grand Canyon by helicopter and still be back in plenty of time for Black Jack and dinner. l

S A L

s to flie ily in r i na da ith Fin gas w e V ion ys t s a a r a L e irw op co- tish A com Bri nair. fin

WORLD PARTY

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Or Paris. Or Venice. Or New York. Mini replicas of all three are landmarks on The Strip.

A faux Manhattan skyline, complete with Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building, distinguishes New York. A half-scale Eiffel Tower soars over Paris, rivalling the Bellagio’s fountains for attention. The Venetian comes complete with a Grand Canal and gondola rides. The splendidly tacky Caesar’s Palace is supplemented by The Forum Shops mall, sheltering Vuitton, Versace, Dior, Gucci and a variety of Italian eateries. Who needs Europe when you’ve got Vegas?

56 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

Statue of Liberty reproduced to scale in Vegas.

The Bellagio fountains: spectacular views are free in Vegas.

FUN FOUNTAINS ‘Hotel’ isn’t an adequate word for the mini-cities dotted along The Strip. In Vegas, a 30-year-old building is considered ancient and ripe for demolition, and the Bellagio resort is an institution at just 16. In addition to a dazzling glass flower installation gracing the ceiling in the reception area, the Fiori de Como

by Dale Chihuly, the Bellagio boasts about 30,000 square metres of gambling floor with 2,400 slot machines; many of them fed 24/7 by guests staying in its nearly 4,000 rooms. It also has one of the more innocent attractions on The Strip, in the form of an absorbing fountain show, set to music and repeated in the evenings with variations every 15 minutes. Enjoy a brunch at the Jasmine restaurant for a lakeside view of the show on Sundays when the fountain action starts at 11 am.

STRIP POKER Las Vegas – ‘the meadows’ in Spanish – boomed in the 1930s with the building of the nearby Hoover Dam, and the gambling tradition followed on the heels of the largely male population seeking entertainment. An unlikely combination of Mormon and Mafia money laid the foundations for a gaming industry that continues to thrive on the occasional fortune, and more common misfortune, of the throngs that flock to the tables. If you can unravel the mysteries of Roulette, Baccarat, Let it Ride, Craps and Poker, you’ll be on a roll in Vegas.

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SHOW TIME

Elvis Presley, Céline Dion, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Junior, Donny and Marie Osmond, Rod Stewart… All are synonymous with Las Vegas and you’ll still stand a chance of being able to check out the last two. Crooners and balladeers have always made themselves at home here, but more offbeat options are also available. Check out the fabulous and flamboyant Cirque de Soleil productions, including Love, based on The Beatles’ catalogue, at The Mirage, or the aquatic spectacle O in the specially built theatre at the Bellagio. And be sure to check out Liberace’s rhinestone-encrusted car in the lobby at The Cosmopolitan.

DEADLY DINING

It has to be admitted – Las Vegas is a veritable beacon of overconsumption. One unverified but often-quoted statistic puts the total of shrimp consumed daily at about 30,000 kilos. Like everything else, the rumours are exaggerated in Vegas, but an awful lot of food is both consumed and wasted, that’s for sure. All tastes are catered for, but for an all-American steak fest, head for Strip House in the Planet Hollywood resort. It’s just one of many steakhouses but typical in terms of high quality fare and attentive service.

There’s even something for the veggies: try Slice of Vegas vegan pizzas at Mandalay Bay Place.

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Port of Jakobstad / Pietarsaari can fit five or even six ships simultaneously.

Ongoing loading of pulp to a ship headed to China pictured behind of the Port Director Kristian Hällis, Euroports Pietarsaaris personnel Pauli Rautiainen, Tarja Malén and Joonas Juntunen.

Port of Jakobstad / Pietarsaari - ready for bigger shipments

AFTER OVER TEN YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT, PORT OF JAKOBSTAD / PIETARSAARI IS NEARLY READY. THE FAIRWAY THAT LEADS TO THE PORT HAS BEEN RECESSED FROM 9 TO 11 METERS, ROAD TO THE PORT IS BEING RECONDITIONED AND ELECTRIFYING OF THE RAILWAY STARTS IN OCTOBER.

P

auli Rautiainen, Operative Director for Euroports Pietarsaari, the company producing the port services is pleased.

“Port of Jakobstad / Pietarsaari has excellent possibilities for being in the competition”, says Rautiainen.

Recessing the fairway doubles the loading

capacities. It’s essential as the shipowners are decreasing port visits on a quest for profitability. The ship has to be loaded with more cargo at once.

Reconditioning of the road and electrification of the track enhance the logistical connections of the Port of Jakobstad/ Pietarsaari. Director Kristian Hällis says that, there are future plans to grow the land area of the port by 14 hectares.

Customer service with flexibility and efficiency Euroports Pietarsaari provides forwarding, shipsclearance and port operations. Port of Jakobstad/Pietarsaari offers a competitive framework.

Rautiainen says that- “We have modern cargo handling equipment and a staff of PROMOTION PRODUCED BY TAKEOFF VIDEO MEDIA OY

trained, motivated experts”. Euroports Pietarsaari has approximately 50 employees.

The expertise at Port of Jakobstad / Pietarsaari is especially in the loading of pulp and timber.

The safest fairway in Finland leads to the Port of Jakobstad / Pietarsaari Both Hällis and Rautiainen praise the fairway that leads to the Port of Jakobstad / Pietarsaari being the safest in Finland.

“It is the first intelligent fairway. Buyos collect various data for the use of shipping lines”, says Rautiainen.

There are more efforts for safety with transport arrangements: light and heavy traffic would have their own routes at the waterfront. ●

EUROPEAN VOICES

BY TIINA ROSENBERG

Empathy is the new disobedience

O

ver the last four enough, because people want to interact years I have been with each other directly. involved in a The European Cultural Foundation research project organises workshops in various locations looking at our tranaround Europe inviting people to think sition from a DIY about questions related to democracy in (do-it-yourself ) everyday life, culture, and urban planning. to a DIT (do-it-together) society. Many This democratic movement is gaining industries still apply the old 20th cenground not only in Europe but also globtury model of highlighting IT people and ally. Democracy, however, requires empafocusing on exceptional individuals. But thy. Martin L. Hoffman, a professor of they are doing this in a new society that psychology, writes in Empathy and Moral longs for empathy and altruism, a society Development (2000) that empathetic peothat no longer revolves around individualple work for the common good rather than ism. Leading trend for a competitive and fashion anasociety. According lyst Li Edelkoort to the influential THIS SOCIETY IS NOW ABOUT says that “we still psychologist David educate our young Coleman, empaEXCHANGE AND WORKING people to become thetic individuals TOGETHER IN TEAMS AND catwalk designers, are characterised GROUPS. unique individuby compassion, als, whereas this understanding of society is now diversity, a sense about exchange, of responsibility the new economy and working together and justice, and they make an active conin teams and groups.” tribution to society.

According to Edelkoort, “trend If you need any help learning the basics forecasting is much like archaeology of social engagement, head for Kiasma, but to the future.” By this she is referHelsinki’s Museum of Contemporary Art, ring to the importance of recording which is currently hosting ‘The School and refining information. Forecasting Disobedience’, an installation by the Finnis not fortune-telling or a collection ish artist Jani Leinonen. Once you get of prophetic thoughts, but observathere, you realise that what the artist tions based on what genuinely intermeans by ‘disobedience’ is being kind and ests people. Engaging in artistic and empathetic to all people regardless of their cultural projects has many benefits religious or ethnic background, gender or because culture has huge potensexual orientation. It means opening your tial for uniting people. It is all about heart and home to the needy. In other the common good, for which we words, love and empathy are the new disoall need to take responsibility: we bedience. It may sound like a cliché, but all have to remember that there is there’s a reason why some truths turn into such a thing as ‘society’ out there. clichés. It’s because they’re true. l People have realised that the market economy and the government cannot provide the solution to eveTIINA ROSENBERG is chair of Finland’s rything. We all need to be involved Arts Council and professor of performance in societal and cultural processes. studies at Stockholm University.

Dialogue through politicians is not

60 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

ENTERTAINMENT ON THE

SILVER SCREEN – 297 OF THEM TO BE PRECISE The incredible new Finnair Airbus A350, with a personal entertainment system boasting a bigger screen and a wireless network connection. Finnair is Europe’s first airline to fly the new Airbus A350. Experience a new sense of flying at A350.finnair.com

Finnair flies to 15 destinations in Asia and over 60 destinations in Europe.

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A port in every storm MACGREGOR SHAPES THE OFFSHORE AND MARINE INDUSTRIES THROUGH THE MOST VALUE-CREATING SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS. WORKING DAILY TOGETHER WITH OWNERS, OPERATORS AND SHIPBUILDERS, MACGREGOR INNOVATES, DESIGNS AND ENGINEERS SOLUTIONS THAT LAST FOR A LIFETIME.

M

acGregor focuses on handling of marine cargos and offshore loads. MacGregor is one of the three business areas of the Finnish company Cargotec. Cargotec’s business areas MacGregor, Kalmar and Hiab are all recognised leaders in cargo and load handling around the world.

The MacGregor portfolio has grown significantly through acquisitions to include Hatlapa, Porsgrunn, Pusnes, Triplex and Woodfield products, and its divisions already work together in marketing, sales, sourcing, R&D and engineering.

MacGregor´s new division Global Lifecycle Support is a commitment to offering more comprehensive packages and boosting the development of new shiptype-specific solutions.

“Customers may want spare parts in a day, a week, or a year, and our task is to deliver the parts on the requested date. In the same way, the term ‘available’ should mean the part is on the shelf, not that it can be ordered”, John Carnall, Senior Vice President for MacGregor Global Lifecycle Support, comments.

Mr Carnall maintains that harmonising the customer interface and internal processes will be the key to safely providing the fastest possible supply of spare parts, maintenance activities and technical support for customers in the marine and offshore industries wherever they operate.

“For MacGregor to achieve its twin objectives of being a world-class service organisation that also drives profitable growth at group level, our focus needs to be external as well as internal; offering frontline experience and understanding key customer touchpoints will be critical.”●

“MacGregor helps our clientele to avoid equipment downtime that risks costly vessel off-hire“, says John Carnall of MacGregor Global Lifecycle Support.

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UKRAINE

MOLDOVA

CMI’s main focus in conflict-torn Ukraine is to build trust and facilitate confidential exchanges of views between members of a dialogue group coming from different parts of the country. Participants meet regularly, striving to find ways out of the crisis currently afflicting the country.

Since a short but traumatic war in 1992, the Republic of Moldova and the self-declared authorities of Transnistria have been in conflict over the Transnistrian territory’s political status. CMI has worked since 2011 to foster dialogue and build trust between both sides.

IRAQ

Since 2003 there has been growing distrust between Sunni and Shia Muslims in Iraq. CMI is working to build trust between the Iraqi government, the political opposition and other unrepresented parties in Iraq, aiming to help them improve their capacity to unite against common threats such as the spread of IS (Islamic State).

YEMEN

CMI has been working in Yemen since 2011, bringing together a group of influential women to informally discuss critical issues and share their views. This women’s forum aims to promote the wider participation of women in political decision-making.

The Helsinki-based conflict resolution specialists CMI have been working to build peace in many parts of the world over the last 15 years, including these countries.

INDONESIA

In August 2005, following intense negotiations mediated by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari and CMI, representatives of the Free Aceh independence movement and the Indonesian government met in Helsinki to sign a peace agreement ending a civil war of almost 30 years. The subsequent peace has lasted for ten years.

FINNISH PEACE BROKERS

IN DEMAND

Conflict resolution specialists CMI celebrate 15 years of innovative peacebuilding.

TEXT BY FRAN WEAVER

NOVEMBER 2015

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S

ome 60 million people are fleeing violent conflicts around the world today – more than at any time since the Second World War. In addition to helping these refugees, it is essential to find ways to resolve the conflicts that are forcing so many people to leave their homes.

The Helsinki-based independent conflict resolution specialists Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) have been working for 15 years to resolve conflicts around the world. Their success stories include helping to end a 30-year civil war in the Aceh region of Indonesia.

CMI’s executive director Tuija Talvitie explains that the most important steps in conflict resolution are often achieved away from the media spotlight, to let parties make compromises without losing face.

“CMI’s role as an independent mediator is to work behind the scenes, bringing people together around the same table to find common ground for building peaceful solutions,” she says.

TRAVELLERS FOR PEACE Everyone can contribute in a small way to promote peace around the world. Here are three tips for travellers interested in peacebuilding schemes and organisations.

1

S upport the work of organisations who strive to find peaceful solutions to conflicts. ● Crisis Management Initiative: cmi.fi

● Conciliation Resources: c-r.org

● The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue:

hdcentre.org D iscover how travel and personal encounters between people from different cultures can promote international understanding. ● The International Institute For Peace Through

Tourism: iipt.org ● The Servas International network of hosts and travellers: joomla.servas.org Join activities run by volunteer schemes aiming to break down barriers and promote peace. ● Service Civil International: sciint.org ● Service Civil Finnish branch: kvtfinland.org ● Volunteers for Peace: vfp.org

2

3

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THE KEY ROLE OF THE MEDIATOR Being based in a country that does not have its own geopolitical interests to drive gives CMI credibility as an impartial go-between. CMI was founded in 2000 by former Finnish president and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Martti Ahtisaari, who still chairs its board.

An authorised English biography entitled The Mediator, reviewing Ahtisaari’s career as a world-renowned peace broker, was published in London in September 2015.

Though Ahtisaari is not so actively involved in CMI’s operational work today, his continuing role enhances the organisation’s profile.

“We still very much work according to his vision that all conflicts can be resolved – and that what people have started, they can also end,” says Talvitie. “Our Finnish roots are also an asset, since Finns are widely seen as trustworthy, pragmatic and solution-oriented.”

More than 20 nationalities are nevertheless represented among CMI’s staff of about 70, including experts in conflict analysis as well as professional mediators. “In resolving conflicts it’s vital to sensitively use trusted local experts who understand local contexts. Having a bunch of white European faces walking into a room to tell everyone how to sort things out just doesn’t work,” says Talvitie.

MEETING THE NEEDS OF ALL SIDES The local ownership of conflict resolution processes is a cornerstone of CMI’s work alongside impartiality and inclusiveness. Outcomes must preserve human dignity among all affected parties, communities and minorities. Thanks to CMI’s reputation and achievements, the organisation is regularly invited to mediate in conflicts around the world.

CMI are currently working in hotspots including Iraq, Yemen, South Sudan, Ukraine and Moldova, acting as alternative mediators in circumstances where more prominent global powers and organisations have been unable to act effectively.

The future scope of CMI’s work is currently in doubt, however, due to funding cuts planned by their main financial backers, the Finnish government. “The cuts mean we’ll need to broaden our funding base while increasingly focusing on the conflicts where we can best make a difference,” says Talvitie.

Even in apparently intractable crises Talvitie believes there are windows of opportunity that must be seized. “Modest investments in conflict prevention and peaceful resolutions can make huge differences – especially when you think about the massive military, economic and humanitarian costs of the violent conflicts afflicting the world today,” she says. l

MAINOS Lamican Oy:n uusi aseptinen nestepakkauslinja perustuu Beckhoff Automation Oy:n toimittamaan PC-pohjaiseen automaatiokonseptiin.

Lamican Oy – PC-pohjainen automaatio vaativassa aseptisessa nestepakkauslinjassa Valkeakoskelainen Lamican Oy valmistaa aseptisia nestepakkauslinjoja erilaisille kuluttajapakatuille juomille. Lamicanin pakkauskonseptin erikoisuus on kartonkipohjaisen pakkauksen muoto, joka tekee pakkauksesta tyylikkään ja käytännöllisen, mutta asettaa mm. koneautomaatiolle haasteita.

Lamicanin, erityisesti automaation osalta uudistettu, pakkauslinja muodostaa ja täyttää 7200 pakkausta tunnissa. “Sen lisäksi, että saimme kasvatettua linjan kapasiteettia 20%, syntyi merkittävää kustannussäästöä uuden PC-pohjaisen automaatiojärjestelmän käyttöönoton myötä”, toteaa Lamican Oy:n automaatiopäällikkö Jussi Eskola.

Lamicanin uusi aseptinen nestepakkauslinja asettaa automaatiolle kovat vaatimukset. Dynaamiset liikkeet toteutetaan 28 servomoottorilla, I/O-pisteitä on kaikkiaan yli 1000 ja noin 100 000

prosessimuuttujan tietoja kerätään tietokantaan myöhempää tarkastelua varten nopeimmillaan 4 kertaa sekunnissa. Nopeimmat servokäytöin toteutettavat liikkeet tehdään 100 ms liikesykliajalla. Logiikan, liikkeenohjauksen ja EtherCAT -kenttäväylän sykliaika on 1 ms.

PC-pohjainen ohjaus Muutama vuosi sitten Lamican teki päätöksen linjan automaatiokonseptin uudistamisesta. Eri järjestelmien vertailun jälkeen Lamican päätyi Beckhoff Automation Oy:n toimittamaan PC-pohjaiseen ohjausjärjestelmään. “Beckhoffin toimittaman järjestelmän etuja ovat avoimuus, skaalautuvuus, liitettävyys ja suorituskyky”, kertoo Lamican Oy:n automaatiopäällikkö Jussi Eskola. “Myös diagnostiikka on helppoa, koska kaikkia tapahtumia on mahdollista ohjata samalla CPU-yksiköllä. Tämä on huomattava etu myös loppukäyttäjälle, koska yhdellä automaatio-ohjelmistolla voidaan hoitaa laaja kokonaisuus. Erillisiä ohjelmistoja sähkökäytöille, turvatekniikalle ja liikkeenohjaukselle ei välttämättä tarvita. PC-pohjaisessa järjestelmässä myös etätuki koneen loppukäyttäjälle on helposti järjestettävissä.”, toteaa Eskola.

Vaativa liikkeenohjaus

Aikaisemmin liikkeenohjaus oli toteutettu erillisellä liikkeenohjausyksiköllä, joka keskusteli PLC:n kanssa väylän avulla. PC-pohjaisen ohjauksen myötä liikkeenohjaus integroitiin samaan teollisuus-PC:hen PLC:n kanssa. Järjestelmän rakenne yksinkertaistui ja ohjelmoinnin tehokkuus kasvoi.

Ratkaisu mahdollistaa nopean ja reaaliaikaisen tiedonsiirron PLC:n ja liikkeenohjauksen välillä.

Dynaamisesta servojen paikoituksesta vastaa Beckhoffin AX5000-vahvistinsarja. “Haastavin yksittäinen servokäyttö on ollut tuurnapöydän kääntö. Raskasta pöytää käännetään 36 astetta alle 100ms liikeprofiililla. Liike pystyttiin toteuttamaan graafisen CAM-taulun avulla ja optimoidulla sini-muotoisella liikeprofiililla.” sanoo Eskola

Jatkuva kehitys Linjan kehitystä on tarkoitus jatkaa nyt tehdyn suuremman automaation kehitysloikan jälkeenkin.

Yhden kaapelin tekniikalla (OCT) varustettujen Beckhoff AM8000-sarjan servomoottorien käyttöönotto on seuraavana listalla. “Säästämme huomattavasti kaapelointi kuluissa kun erillistä takaisinkytkentäkaapelia ei tarvita. Myös laaja valikoima ruostumattomasta teräksestä valmistettuja automaatiotuotteita luo mahdollisuuksia uusille ideoille tulevaisuudessa”, kertoo Eskola.

Aseptinen nestepakkauskone pitää sisällään 16 servovahvistinta ja 28 servomoottoria. Liikkeenohjauksen turvaominaisuudet on toteutettu Beckhoffin integroidulla turvaratkaisulla, jossa turvasanomat kulkevat suoraan osana EtherCAT-väylää. Näin säästytään ylimääräiseltä johdotukselta ja diagnostiikka saadaan osaksi PLC-ohjausta.

Integroitu turvatekniikka lisää myös järjestelmän läpinäkyvyyttä.

Lamicanin pyöreä aseptinen kartonkipakkaus.

Tilaa ilmainen näytetölkki osoitteesta www.lamican.com

Beckhoff Automation toimittaa myös EHEDG sertifioituja ruostumattomia näyttöjä, moottoreita ja IO-tuotteita.

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to ies es fl r tim nai Fin three a ly.

Rig dai om .c air finn

Agnese Kleina is a Latvian visual journalist, blogger and publisher of Benji Knewman magazine.

66 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

Coolhunting the Baltics The Baltic fashion scene is bubbling with creativity. Intrepid coolhunters can unearth some edgy local treasures – you just need to know where to find them.

TEXT BY MARKUS KUOKKANEN PHOTOS BY NORA KREVNEVA AND OHMY

W

hat’s the story behind the anonymous bear with a black censor bar over its eyes?

The printed photo of the bear appears on leggings by Qooqoo, a Latvian brand known for its quirky patterns and crazy prints.

These are among the zany surprises offered by the Paviljons concept store in the centre of Riga, which also sells eccentric unisex jeans by One Wolf and bow ties made of wood.

There are unique fashion treasures to be found all over the Baltic capitals – provided you know where to look. Many small local fashion labels are virtually unknown abroad, but have a growing fanbase among the trendsetter crowd.

In Latvia, “the big bang moment” was 2009, according to visual journalist Agnese Kleina. That’s when the first concept store opened and fashion bloggers swung the spotlight on up-and-coming designers.

“A new generation took over the scene, among fashion design teachers, students, buyers in the stores, everywhere,” she explains.

COLOURFUL, CRAZY STUFF When local hipsters discovered those Qooqoo leggings, suddenly the Riga streets seemed to be bursting with colour.

“They are quite non-Latvian in the way they use colour. Qooqoo is loved in places like Hong Kong or Taiwan, where people wear bright, colourful, crazy stuff,” Kleina says.

Talk to anyone who knows anything about Latvian fashion, and One Wolf is a brand that comes up every time. Kleina describes the brand enthusiastically: “It has a Scandinavian kind of style, this unisex unsexiness.”

And she means that as a compliment.

“Lately One Wolf has really taken off creatively,” says Kaisa Kahu, an Estonian art and fashion manager living in Latvia.

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BALTIC FASHION DESIGN ONLINE SWÄRK The Estonian menswear brand produces button-up shirts with a playful twist. swarkshirts.com

USCHANKA Estonian luxury clothing for women inspired by Siberian traditions. uschankacollection.com

REET AUS This Estonian fashion brand ‘upcycles’ leftover materials from the textile industry. reetaus.com

The Latvian One Wolf label produces unisex collections for the trendy urbanites.

Kahu works for the Latvian fashion designer Keta Gutmane, whose style she describes as “urban avant-garde.”

“The clothes are like wearable architecture, wearable art,” says Kahu.

“I have some coats by her and I feel like a big black armoured tank when I’m walking down the street,” she adds with a grin.

Kahu is also impressed by what’s happening south of the border, in Lithuania.

“Many brands there have a very modern exciting visual vocabulary,” she says.

The best place to see new Lithuanian fashion is the Mados Infekcija fashion festival – that’s Lithuanian for ‘fashion infection’. The festival, organised every spring, casts the spotlight on new local talent like OHMY, creators of offbeat street fashion.

The OHMY look is both familiar and strange: it oozes street credibility, but seems to represent some fictional subculture from the future.

MARIT ILISON The Estonian designer’s new collection uses vintage Soviet wool blankets.

TALLINN CHIC In Tallinn, too, you can find some exciting local fashion design. A must-see is the Estonian Design House in the Kalasadama district, which offers a selection of

LIINA VIIRA The Swedish-born designer with Estonian roots designs quirky, colourful knits.

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maritilison.com

ONE WOLF This Latvian unisex label does magic with denim. Their new collection includes bow ties that look like real butterflies. onewolf.lv

KETA GUTMANE This Latvian designer creates “urban avant-garde” fashion for women in white, grey and black, black, black . ketagutmane.com

liinaviira.com

MALVINE Malvine Mennika is a Latvian designer who started out making beaded jewellery, but later added clothing to her range. malvine.lv

QOOQOO Latvian brand known for its bold and witty prints. beqooqoo.com

ELĪNA DOBELE Dobele has a shoe store in Riga.

She describes her style as “laconic.”

L L T

to ies es fl r tim nai Fin n six n li ly.

Tal dai om .c air finn

elinadobele.com

Showroom Zero in Tallinn’s startup incubator.

OHMY Lithuanan fashion inspired by futuristic subcultures. ohmy.lt

KRISTINA KRUOPIENYTE Eye-catching clothes and leather accessories for men and women from Lithuania. kristinakruopienyte.com

D.EFECT Lithuanian luxury clothes for women. defectonline.com

Malvine Mennika’s new collection spreads feminist slogans to the streets.

PANIIKKI?

PUNASTUTKO? SYMPAATTINEN SALPAUS,

Liina Viira reimagines knitting.

LILIJA LARIONOVA Men’s wool coats are the highlight of the latest collection by this Lithuanian designer. lilijalarionova.lt

PANIC?

BLUSHING?

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apu ilman lääkkeitä

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Warm caps by Liina Viira.

The Estonian Design House in the old fishing harbour of Tallinn.

O N V

to ies ily. fl a r nai ice d Fin w t m s niu air.co Vil finn

The Lithuanian OHMY is black and white and bold.

everything cool and Estonian. You’d never guess, but the earthy coats by Kairi Lentsius are made of old military tents and uniforms.

In the old town, Liina Viira is a boutique offering a fresh take on knitwear. They sell delightfully quirky pullovers and other colourful things to keep you warm in winter.

Another little fashion oasis is Zero, a concept store hidden in Tallinn’s start-up incubator outside of the city centre. There you will find Uschanka, a design brand that connects two worlds in a fascinating way, taking the magical flower patterns of old Russian scarfs and smuggling them into contemporary women’s fashion.

On the men’s side, browse through the racks of Swärk shirts and you’ll find a smile tickling the corners of your mouth.

Swärk produces classic shirts with deliciously outrageous details. Who wouldn’t want a shirt adorned with a collage of naked ladies from 18th-century paintings!

Kaisa Kahu says that the local fashion scene in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is still small and only just getting off the ground. It’s a struggle to survive for small brands, she says, because people don’t necessarily appreciate edgy local design.

But the culture is changing.

“Now new brands are springing up all over the place. People are starting to understand that commercial success is possible, but it just takes a lot of work,” says Kahu. l 70 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

WHERE TO FIND HOT LOCAL FASHION TALLINN Estonian Design House, Kalasadama 8 Zero, Veerenni 24 Liina Viira, Muurivahe 36 Nu Nordik, Vabaduse Väljak 8 Les Petites, Telliskivi 60A

RIGA Paviljons store, Terbatas iela 55 8 Rooms and OskaR, Dzirnavu iela 67, in Galerija Rīga shopping mall Elīna Dobele shoe store, Valnu iela 12 Taste Latvia, Audēju iela 16, in Galerija Centrs shopping mall VILNIUS Moustache Boutique, L. StuokosGucevičiaus gatvę 3 Decolte, Stiklių gatvę 6 V2 concept store, Dominikonų gatvę Lilija Larionova fashion studio, Klaipėdos gatvę 4

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Factory 4.0

THE NEXT GENERATION OF INDUSTRIALIZATION MAKES USE OF SMART DATA TO OPEN UP NEW AVENUES OF EFFICIENCY. A VANGUARD OF NOVEL APPROACHES TO ENGINEERING, SIEMENS WORKS TO BRING BACK PRODUCTION ALREADY DEEMED LOST IN SOME DEVELOPED COUNTRIES.

O

“User-specific Smart Data signals the next generation of factories”, Mr Teemu Pajala of Siemens maintains.

ne of the largest engineering companies in the world, Siemens works to create new solutions for various industries.

“Siemens has accumulated many generations worth of detailed knowledge as to how various technical solutions work. Now ubiquitous Bid Data is analyzed and forged into value adding, user-specific Smart Data”, Mr Teemu Pajala, Business unit head with Siemens Finland, explains.

Along with the exponential growth of computing power, it has now become feasible to design complete factories virtually. Virtual factories are a huge step forward from the traditional approach. Combine virtual models with Smart Data, and it becomes possible to design production units and complete factories in greater detail, and simulate them before actually making any major investment moves.

“With Smart Data you have an unprecedented insight into the possible bottlenecks of production which until now have had to be discovered after starting production.

Even more importantly, virtual models open up completely new avenues of efficiency.”

Mr Pajala gives an example of new opportunities for enhanced productivity with new industrial solutions.

“In dairy industry production lines may be altered on the fly if demand in the market changes abruptly.”

Mr Pajala believes that the new generation of factories may be the answer to the shrinking production in developed countries. In fact, fourth generation of industrialization may reintroduce some of the jobs already deemed lost. ”The next generation of industrialization is already well on its way. We can either be the pioneers, or be overrun by them.”●

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The handprint of designer Harri Koskinen is an applicable part of Genelec’s brand.

The core values of the company

DRIVE GENELEC’S BRAND

DEVELOPING AND PRODUCING MONITORING SPEAKERS, GENELEC OY COMBINES HIGH-TECH, KNOWHOW OF SOUND QUALITY, FINNISH DESIGN AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. THE COMPANY’S BRAND IS BASED ON THESE CORE VALUES.

O

perating out of Iisalmi, eastern Finland, Genelec, founded in 1978 is a leading international developer and producer of the professional audio industry. Studio monitoring speaker techniques and quality thinking are utilized also within the models designed for domestic use.

“As the sonic reference for audio

professionals the superiority of our speakers is based on active speaker technology together with an uncompromising design philosophy among other things. Every speaker driver has it’s own amplifier which is optimized and integrated to the speaker cabinet.”-CEO Siamäk Naghian presents.

“Monitoring speaker reveals the truth about audio recordings, so ensuring the wholeness of the sound quality is essential to us”- Naghian is pointing out.

Design that supports quality is a natural part of Genelec’s brand identity and soul as it unites artistic intelligence, usability, minimalism and acoustic functionality. Head Designer Harri Koskinen is an internationally awarded professional in his field.

Genelec uses speaker cabinets produced from recycled Finnish aluminum and injection PROMOTION PRODUCED BY TAKEOFF VIDEO MEDIA OY

molded natural composite among others. The company’s products are durable and they can be serviced, or even updated to the current levels. Spare parts are available at least ten years after the discontinuing of an old model.

Genelec is constantly investing on product development and brings new innovations of audio solutions to the market. All development and production is done localy in Finland.

The competition on the global marketplace is very hard but the company has survived as a pioneer and the development looks very bright.

The company itself has around 130 employees and in addition, a significant number of other professionals throughout the World. The success is based on the continued enthusiasm of the staff and on encouraging, renewing corporate culture. ●

Chengdu is located some 350 kilometres from Chongqing, which is the closest Finnair ­destination.

G K C

s to flie our r i na gf .

Fin gqin eek n o Ch es a w m o tim nair.c fin

The two-tone inhabitants of the Chengdu Panda Base offer creature comfort.

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY DANIEL ALLEN

IT’S A BLACK AND WHITE THING NOVEMBER 2015

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A keeper at the Chengdu Panda Base handles a ten-month-old panda cub.

Home to some colourful birdlife, the lake at the Chengdu Panda Base is always a hit with the kids.

T

here’s bamboo growing everywhere at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

Lucky, really, when you consider the hefty adult residents can chew their way through 60 kilogrammes a day. Home to well over 100 giant pandas, this is the best place in China to see the country’s most famous indigenous species up close.

Wild pandas are thankfully now on the increase, with an estimated 1,800 living in various reserves across the central Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu. Trekking to see them, however, is a demanding proposition, while the bears themselves are notoriously reclusive.

Around ten kilometres from Chengdu city centre, the Panda Base opens daily at 7.30 am. Arrive early to see animals at their most active (this is usually when they are fed). The bottle feeding of newborn babies in August and September is particularly popular, but make sure to avoid visits on Chinese national holidays.

The site also houses a collection of red pandas and has a large lake with local birdlife.

For those looking to channel their inner panda further, a panda-themed hotel recently opened its doors at the foot of Mount Emei, about 90 minutes south-west of Chengdu. Bamboo features heavily on the restaurant menu. l panda.org.cn

The Chengdu Panda Base is also home to a population of distinctive red pandas.

74 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

Adult pandas can munch their way through 60 kg of bamboo a day.

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SAY GOODBYE TO HAIR LOSS How a pill can boost your hair and self-confidence “We’re proud of our product.

Finally there’s a formula to easily help maintain your healthy hair.”

Thomas Whitfield, DPhil, biochemist.

ven though over 100 million people worldwide are affected by different forms of hair loss, thinning hair is a significant source of insecurity for many people. Observing this stark sign of ageing in the mirror, cleaning dozens of hairs from the bathtub, failing to style your hair well for the day ahead…

These daily reminders of ageing lead to loss of self-esteem and confidence.

Scientists in Oxford promise that they can help keep your hair thick and healthy. Their pill TRX2® is currently one of Europe’s best-selling hair supplements and is sold in over 90 countries. TRX2® is a food supplement based on organic compounds and, compared to medicinal products, has no side effects whatsoever. Also it does what it says.

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been thoroughly tested. Three of the key ingredients in TRX2® – zinc, selenium and biotin – are officially recognized by the European Commission as contributing to the maintenance of normal healthy hair. The effects can be impressive. According to a pre-clinical study* conducted by scientists, TRX2® works for 87% of men and women.

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www.trx2.com contact@trx2.com Oxford Biolabs Ltd., The Oxford Science Park, Oxford, United Kingdom

➊➋➌➍➎

A350 XWB FINNAIR’S AIRBUS A350 XWB aircraft sets new standards for passenger experience and environmental performance. In this series, we explore how noise reduction, good lighting, cleaner air and a better digital experience – all distinctive in the A350 planes – have significant impact on your wellbeing.

Designs for health

In order to make best use of digitality to promote wellness, businesses and governments have shifted their focus from software to services. Good service design is also the secret weapon of top Finnish health-tech companies.

TEXT BY JORMA LEPPÄNEN PHOTOS BY GETTY IMAGES, ISTOCKPHOTO AND MANUFACTURERS

76 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

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inland has the highest number of digital health startups per capita in the world, with health-tech comprising almost half of all Finnish high-tech exports.

“We will see some major advancements in the area of healthcare, wellbeing and wellness in the next couple of years. Mobile solutions, the internet of things, digitalisation and data security will play a major role in this transformation,” says Mirja Kaarlela, director for large companies and public organisations at the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation, Tekes.

Noona Healthcare and Combinostics are among the leading Finnish health-tech startups that combine software savvy with great service design.

Noona is a mobile service that provides cancer centres with a holistic, real-time view of their patients’ wellbeing. Patients report their condition via a mobile device and the medical team can then identify acute symptoms and target patients in need of immediate care. Noona’s unique operating concept is based on smart algorithms and automation.

Combinostics provides tools for Alzheimer’s disease diagnostics. The tools compute a profile for the patient using advanced imaging biomarkers combined with other clinical data. The profile is then compared to a database of patients with a known outcome. The tools thus help clinicians diagnose patients at an earlier stage, supporting a staged approach to diagnostics.

TECH MEETS EMOTION Some of the most successful Finnish entrepreneurs have gone straight to the US to start their businesses.

Such was the case with BetterDoctor, which was founded by ex-Nokia employees Ari Tulla and Tapio Tolvanen in San Francisco three years ago. The concept is simple: the company helps people connect with the best doctors through its consumer app, marketing services and app programming interface (API). BetterDoctor has helped 20 million Americans find the right doctor and access good care.

“Our mission is to increase transparency in healthcare and help consumers make better decisions,” says Avesta Omar, designer at BetterDoctor.

78 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

Omar adds that the designer’s role has changed drastically as businesses have started to see technology as only a small part of the total service offering. “Designers have their say in the whole process of product and service development. Both strategic and systems thinking is needed. In order to provide the best user experience we have to understand both technology and the emotions of the people we help.”

Good service design is the first step to success, but – here’s the rub – BetterDoctor would not have been able to develop its business in a highly regulated European healthcare environment. The US offers companies more room for innovation.

GOOGLE IS THE COMPETITION “New technologies do not shape the world – people with new technologies do,” says Marco Steinberg, CEO of Helsinki-based Snowcone&Haystack, a company specialising in helping governments tackle complex challenges from sustainability to healthcare.

Prior to kick-starting his company two years ago, Steinberg was strategic design director at Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund. Before that, he worked as an

Ex-Nokia employees Ari Tulla and Tapio Tolvanen founded BetterDoctor in San Francisco three years ago.

The designer’s role has changed drastically as businesses have started to see technology as only one small part of the total service offering.

In the UK, the government digital services team set out by analysing the typical questions citizens have, rather than starting with ICT solutions and servers.

associate professor at the Harvard Design School.

During his ten years at Harvard, starting from 1999, Steinberg saw how American businesses started to shift their focus from ICT to service design. “User needs, interface, and experience became the leading drivers. As we can see, the same shift is now happening in Finland and other European countries right now. Healthcare, for example, is a great field for innovations combining ICT with service design,” Steinberg says.

Good design adds transparency, and many public services would work much better if designers had more influence in public administration, says Steinberg.

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In order to provide the best user experience we have to understand both technology and the emotions of the people we help.

“Governments have a lot of important information. But when we meet them online they’re only keen on telling us how they’re structured, rather than connecting us with what is relevant to us. That logic has to be inverted: Don’t tell us how you are organised; help us get to what we need in the easiest and fastest way possible,” says Steinberg.

In the UK, the Government Cabinet Office founded the government digital services (GDS) team

three years ago with the aim of radically improving public online services.

“The government saved well over half a billion euros in direct costs, and radically improved service efficiency and citizen satisfaction. Their success was based on the realisation that this was a user-centred challenge, not an ICT challenge. They built a design organisation to serve this need and in so doing helped create better government at lower cost,” he says.

Rather than starting with ICT solutions and servers, the team set out by analysing the typical questions citizens have. Only then did they attempt to define the best technical solution.

“The most important thing any organisation going digital should understand is that a certain standard of quality has already been set. People don’t come back if you don’t provide them with the same user experience as Google, Facebook and other online leaders.

The UK’S GDS team understood that their competition was Google, not another government department,” says Steinberg. l

A350 XWB DIGITAL DESIGN ABOARD FINNAIR IS THE FIRST European airline to operate the next-generation Airbus A350 XWB aircraft, the first of which joined the fleet this autumn. In addition to a spacious, modern cabin and state-of-the-art lighting, the aircraft features a new world-class inflight entertainment system called Nordic Sky, complete with Wi-Fi access on long-haul flights.

“The new A350s are synonymous with the future of flying. We want to offer our passengers a truly unique experience, and Nordic Sky does that by providing a userfriendly interface and a host of great digital services throughout the flight,” says Finnair’s chief commercial officer Juha Järvinen.

Designed by Helsinki-based creative technology companies Reaktor and Fjord, the Nordic Sky touchscreen system provides a complete blueprint of the inflight schedule as soon as you reach your seat, telling you exactly what time meals will be served and lights will be dimmed.

“It helps you plan your rest, sleeping, shopping and entertainment time. Wireless and internet

80 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

connection options are available, with silky reactions to match any personal digital device,” says Ville Valtonen, Head of Marketing at Reaktor.

Passengers can also access the Nordic Sky Wi-Fi portal with their own devices, providing free access to Finnair’s website and a range of services including a preorder shopping channel. A wide range of music and viewing options are offered, including top movies, BBC, Discovery Channel and National Geographic programmes.

The Nordic Sky entertainment system complements a new Finnair mobile app also created by Reaktor.

“The idea was to create and deliver a personal travel companion that keeps you on track in real time throughout your travels. The mobile app provides useful features such as constant boarding time countdown,” Valtonen says.

The Finnair mobile app can be used on all Finnair flights.

The first A350 flights are on sale now.

See the destinations and dates at: finnair.com/us/gb/a350

The Nordic Sky touch-screen system provides a complete blueprint of the inflight schedule.

WELLNESS WIZARDS FROM FINLAND Finland boasts high standards of medical research and world-class companies in the health and wellness sectors. Over the recent five-year period, Finland’s health-tech industry and exports have seen an average growth of eight per cent annually – despite the recession.

Finnish companies such as Fifth Corner, HeiaHeia and Omegawave offer wellness solutions that are both fun and useful.

In January 2015, Fifth Corner launched YOU-app, a new innovation combining social media features and wellbeing. The application suggests daily micro-actions that users complete by simply taking a picture and sharing it with their friends and followers. The actions celebrate food, mindfulness, movement, actions such as “Take a moment” and “Meatfree Monday meal”. The YOU-app team works with celebrity chefJamie Oliver’s team on content and user experience.

HeiaHeia is a social wellness solution that encourages healthy lifestyles through social engagement and gamification. It lets employers and other organisations create communities that are accessible online via any mobile device.

Omegawave is the leading provider of training and performance optimiser solutions.

It helps sports enthusiasts, professional athletes, teams and coaches to measure and maximise their training and performance.

Omegawave Team empowers athletes to assess their training readiness at their preferred location, and coaches to access the results in real-time.

Omegawave Personal allows individual athletes to easily assess their readiness using a mobile app and sensor belt, and to receive guidance for upcoming training.

IRTIOTTO

arjesta

JÄTÄ KIIREET TAAKSESI Syksyn pimenevät illat ja talven paukkupakkaset kutsuvat kylpylän lämpimiin vesiin, hemmotteleviin hoitoihin ja makuelämysten äärelle.

Irrottaudu arjesta - nauti elämästä.

Katso päivän hinta netistä ja varaa www.naantalispa.fi tai myyntipalvelu p. 0600 555 100 (0,79€/min + pvm)

be privilegedċ be oneċ Introducing new oneworld benefitsċ Finnair Plus Platinum and Gold members both now enjoy additional baggage allowances on all oneworld airlines ġ and their baggage also receives priority handling from aircraft to carouselċ Learn more at oneworldċcom/benefits

member of

be connected Welcome to oneworldČ an alliance of the worldĚs leading airlines committed to providing the highest level of service and convenience across more than āČĀĀĀ destinations worldwideċ Whenever Finnair canĚt take you to your final destinationČ we encourage you to travel with our oneworld partner airlinesċ Enjoy an array of special privileges and rewards ģ which include earning and redeeming Finnair Plus points on all oneworld airlines andČ for Finnair Plus Platinum and Gold membersČ access to some ćĆĀ premium airport loungesċ

oneworld alliance members

be recognised As a oneworld travellerČ satisfaction awaits you around the globeċ Your Finnair Plus status is recognised across all member airlinesċ And you are entitled to a range of benefitsČ which are provided according to the following oneworld tier levelsČ no matter which cabin class you are flying inč

*Access to preferred or preġreserved seating is in accordance with the individual policy of the oneworld member airline operating the flightċ First and business class checkġin desks and lounges are not available at all airportsċ Fast track is not available at all airportsċ Priority baggage handling is not available on flights operated by British Airwaysċ Extra baggage allowance benefits differ for Sapphire and Emerald level membersċ oneworld benefits are available only to passengers on scheduled flights that are both marketed and operated by a oneworld member airline (marketed means that there must be a oneworld member airlineĚs flight number on your ticket)ċ airberlinČ American AirlinesČ British AirwaysČ Cathay PacificČ FinnairČ IberiaČ Japan AirlinesČ LANČ Malaysia AirlinesČ QantasČ Qatar AirwaysČ Royal JordanianČ SĈ AirlinesČ SriLankan AirlinesČ TAM Airlines and oneworld are trademarks of their respective companiesċ TAM Airlines (Paraguay) is currently not a part of oneworldċ Some limitations and exceptions may applyċ For more informationČ visit wwwċoneworldċcom/benefitsċ

be global Roundġtheġworld travel is easyČ flexible and affordable with oneworld Explorerċ Fares are based on the number of continents you visit or pass throughČ and class of travelċ Select your routeČ plan your stopoversČ even adjust your itineraryċ oneworld Explorer means ultimate flexibility and valueċ

To bookČ or to discover more multiġcontinent and singleġcontinent optionsČ visit wwwċoneworldċcom/flights

AN EPIC FISH JOURNEY 84 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

Top quality Norwegian salmon flies in Finnair’s cargo hold to Japan.

Blue Wings follows their journey from salmon farm to sushi restaurant.

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY TIM BIRD

NOVEMBER 2015

BLUE WINGS

85

Renate Larsen, managing director of Lerøy Aurora.

Salmon are carefully monitored at the Aurora fish farm.

I

’m sitting in the Choushimaru sushi restaurant in Chiba, just outside Tokyo. I’ve reached the end of a journey from one side of the globe to the other in pursuit of the exquisite sliver of raw salmon glistening on a neat tube of rice before me. I think back to the beginning of my quest, on a crisp March morning in a fjord just west of Tromsø with the snow-specked Norwegian mountains reflected in a breezeless sea.

My little culinary moment is the culmination of a complex trail that has led from the cool waters of northern Norway, over the fells of Finnish Lapland to Finnair Cargo’s freight terminal at Helsinki Airport.

Packed on pallets in the belly of a Finnair Airbus, the salmon has crossed the Siberian tundra before being taken to Tokyo’s sprawling Tsukiji Fish Market. From there, sold under the Aurora brand, it has made its way to the conveyor belt of the Choushimaru restaurant and my grateful taste buds.

FIRST SIGHTING My voyage starts with a 30-minute motorboat ride to the seaward end of the fjord in the company of Håvard Hårstad and Renate Larsen, respectively production manager and managing director of the Lerøy Aurora seafood company. Our destination is the Lerøy salmon farm on the leeward shore of Sessøy island. As we approach, silver darts shoot out of the water within the giant hoops marking the enclosures.

This is my first sighting of the salmon, whose numbers in this fish farm, Hårstad assures me, total around 1.86 million.

The fish are monitored on TV screens located in the adjacent barge. “Our main aim is good produc-

Less than 2.5 per cent of the Aurora farm enclosures is occupied by salmon.

86 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

The Aurora Borealis over the Norwegian mountains – an appropriate name source for a salmon brand.

tion,” says Hårstad. “If we don’t have good animal welfare, we don’t get a good product. Government regulations are quite strict and we have to make sure we follow the correct procedures. We take a lot of trouble to make sure that farms are located at optimal sites where conditions are best.”

The giant hoops on the water’s surface, covered in winter for storm protection, are actually the uppermost rims of 55-metre-deep cages, and regulations require no more than 2.5 per cent of their volume to be occupied by fish. “We give them even more space than that,” says Hårstad. Lerøy is also one of the few Norwegian producers at present that can meet strict ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) environmental certification for salmon farming, he adds.

Salmon are processed at Lerøy’s fish farm at Skjervøy in northern Norway.

FEED EFFICIENCY “Salmon farming is sustainable in various ways,” explains Larsen. “Firstly, feed efficiency – it only takes 1.05 kilos of feed to raise each kilo of fish. Compare that with an eight to one ratio for cattle and three to one for pigs. No extra heating is required since the salmon are farmed at their natural temperature.”

Speed of delivery to consumers in Japan is crucial, since salmon obviously needs to be served fresh. Pacific salmon native to Japanese waters is perfectly edible, but discerning customers point out that its texture and flavour is not ideal for the purposes of raw sushi.

NOVEMBER 2015

BLUE WINGS

87

FINNAIR CARGO IN A NUTSHELL • Largest Nordic air cargo carrier • Transports 149,000 tonnes of freight and mail annually • Cargo revenue 17% of turnover on long-haul routes • Expanding soon into new state-of-the-art terminal at Helsinki Airport •B enefitting from new wider, more fuel efficient Airbus A350 aircraft

Less than 36 hours after swimming off the Norwegian coast, the salmon are unloaded near Narita airport.

“When mature, our salmon has the right level of oiliness and marbling, and actually a less ‘fishy’, cleaner flavour, with the kind of ‘melt in the mouth’ texture that people like in sushi,” says Larsen.

SALMON’S PLIGHT The second phase of my salmon odyssey takes me on Norway’s coastal ferry, the Hurtigruten, for a fourhour voyage north to the small town of Skjervøy, the site of Lerøy’s fish farm. Site manager Jan-Børre Johansen joins me for the cruise, which passes the snowy peaks of the Lyngen Alps, draped in a magical pink setting sunlight.

Later he keeps his promise of a drive into the mountains and a viewing of the phenomenon that gives the salmon brand its name: the Aurora Borealis. Doubly appropriate, since one of the ancient anecdotal explanations for the Northern Lights is that the shifting curtains of colour reflect from giant shawls of fish in Arctic waters.

The salmon follow me the next day in a state-ofthe-art ‘well boat’, a special vessel containing vast fish tanks. The fish are directed into the tanks at the fish farm through wide pipes that are also used to trans-

Speed of delivery to consumers in Japan is crucial, since salmon obviously needs to be served fresh.

88 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

fer them into enclosures at Skjervøy’s quayside. The workflow is designed to cause the salmon as little stress as possible.

Inside the factory, I don rubber boots, head cap and a disposable gown; cleanliness and hygiene are strictly observed. Then I watch a glittering procession of plump salmon launch through the different stages of processing. The fish are quickly stunned before being slaughtered, then graded and gutted. Some of the fish are filleted, others dispatched whole.

“The Aurora salmon for the Japanese market are packed with four kilos of ice per box in sealed boxes,” explains quality manager Katrine Bones Enger. She guides me to a control room where computer monitors confirm that 61,000 kilos of salmon, with an average weight of 5.2 kilos, has been processed in the last 3.5 hours.

At the transport bay Finnish truck driver Joakim Haga watches with me as the polystyrene boxes are lifted into the refrigerated container. The drive passes through Norway and Sweden to the Finnish border and along the Tornio river valley to Oulu where another driver takes the wheel. From there the road trip to Helsinki Airport is completed, and the salmon boxes packed onto pallets and loaded into the cargo holds of a scheduled Finnair flight bound for Tokyo.

FLYING FISH Sitting on the flight to Tokyo, I wonder if the other passengers realise they are sitting above several tonnes of top quality salmon, Finnair’s most volu-

Tokyo’s sprawling Tsukiji Fish Market.

NR T

Fin na To ir flie ky s finn o dai to ly. air .co m

minous cargo from Finland to Japan. We arrive at Tokyo’s Narita Airport in the morning 15 minutes ahead of schedule and Koki Yotsui of Lerøy Japan is there to take me to the nearby Nippon Express perishable storage terminal. An hour or so later, the truck from the airport arrives carrying two pallets piled high with boxes of Aurora salmon. Less than 36 hours earlier the fish were swimming in the Norwegian fjords.

“Normally imported goods are not passed through customs until 4 pm on the day of arrival, but there is a fast track for the salmon,” says Masahiko Sugimura of importer Ocean Trading Co. Ltd as the warehouse handlers get to work unloading the pallets. The body temperature of the whole fish is tested and found to be a satisfactory 2 degrees centigrade.

Then the boxes are drained and replenished with fresh ice.

My next appointment with the salmon is at 4 am the next morning. Still slightly shaken by the earthquake that disturbed my afternoon nap – “nothing to worry about,” says the quake-hardened Koki-san – I arrive at the famous Tsukiji Fish Market at dawn.

Boxes of Aurora salmon are transported here from the storage at Narita a few hours earlier, and the first buyers have arrived, including Yuichi Sato of the Kakujo Gyorui fresh fish store chain. “Aurora salmon is a popular brand,” he says. “But maybe our customers don’t know much about Norway. They might know something about the fjords.”

Koki Yotsui of Lerøy Japan: “Aurora is a popular brand.”

Yuichi Sato of Kakujo Gyorui presides over his fish store’s Aurora promotion.

NOVEMBER 2015

BLUE WINGS

89

眀眀眀⸀琀甀渀琀甀爀椀渀氀愀椀琀愀⸀昀椀 䬀漀攀 洀漀渀椀瀀甀漀氀椀渀攀渀 䰀攀瘀椀渀 氀甀漀渀琀漀 樀愀 栀愀爀爀愀猀琀甀猀洀愀栀搀漀氀氀椀猀甀甀搀攀琀 栀攀琀椀 氀漀洀愀栀甀漀渀攀椀猀琀漀猀椀 甀氀欀漀ⴀ漀瘀攀氀琀愀⸀

Finally, ready to eat: Aurora sushi at the Choushimaru sushi restaurant in Tokyo.

A SPECTACULAR AUCTION We explore the market, and our passes allow us to witness the spectacular sale where plump tuna, lined up in their hundreds, as big as human bodies and weighing more than 200 kilos, are bartered by bellringing, yelling auctioneers. We dodge the chaotic traffic of ‘turret trucks’ and wooden carts, passing pungent pails of shrimps and crabs, and slabs of fish of every size and colour.

Later that morning we drive out to a suburb of western Tokyo to visit one of Kakujo Gyorui’s 22 stores where an Aurora promotion is in progress.

“Japanese people can tell the difference between deep frozen salmon and salmon that’s fresh,” explains Koki of Lerøy Japan. “But traditionally sushi has been considered as affordable food and Aurora is a high-end brand. We’re focusing on freshness and quality, so the more discerning customers enjoy it,” he says.

The last stop of the day is the Choushimaru sushi restaurant. I’m distracted for a moment by the cheery greetings of the chefs and other staff directed at a family entering the restaurant. Then I arrange my chopsticks and at last I can pop that salmon in my mouth and savour its texture. It tastes good to me, but how about my fellow customers? I turn to a lady dining with her family. “I see the brand name whenever I come here and I love this salmon, it’s delicious,” says Yuki Kawano. “I can’t really say more than that.” l

BEHIND THE SCENES

Tim Bird

A Helsinki-based English journalist and photographer, Tim Bird is a long-term contributor to Blue Wings.

吀愀猀漀欀欀愀愀琀 吀甀渀琀甀爀椀渀氀愀椀搀愀渀 氀漀洀愀栀甀漀渀攀椀猀琀漀琀 䰀攀瘀椀琀甀渀琀甀爀椀渀 氀愀椀搀愀猀猀愀Ⰰ 氀愀琀甀樀攀渀Ⰰ 爀椀渀琀攀椀搀攀渀 猀攀欀 欀攀猀欀甀猀琀愀渀 瀀愀氀瘀攀氀甀椀搀攀渀 瘀氀椀琀琀洀猀猀 氀栀攀椀猀礀礀搀攀猀猀⸀ 嘀愀爀愀愀 漀洀愀猀椀 渀礀琀⸀ 䴀愀氀氀椀栀甀漀渀攀椀猀琀漀樀攀渀 攀猀椀琀琀攀氀礀 樀愀 欀漀栀琀攀攀渀 洀礀礀渀琀椀㨀 吀甀渀琀甀爀椀渀氀愀椀搀愀渀 刀愀欀攀渀琀愀樀愀 伀礀 洀礀礀渀琀椀䀀琀甀渀琀甀爀椀渀氀愀椀琀愀⸀昀椀 ⬀㌀㔀㠀 㐀 㔀㄀㌀ 㐀㜀㈀㜀 眀眀眀⸀欀椀椀渀琀攀椀猀琀漀洀愀愀椀氀洀愀⸀昀椀⼀氀攀瘀椀

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Please contact: sales@kuusamohouses.com

FINNAIR NEWS

GET CONNECTED The Nordic Sky Wi-Fi, available on the A350, can be accessed with your own devices.

COMPILED BY KATJA PANTZAR ISTOCKPHOTO

TOP3 SKI DESTINATIONS

Lapland

LEVI

Levi. Finland’s biggest ski resort offi-

cially opens its winter season during the first weekend of November (6-8), while the following weekend (November 13-15) it hosts the World Cup Levi.

ISTOCKPHOTO

More Miami and Chicago In April 2016, Finnair will extend its Miami service to be year-round, with three weekly frequencies during summer 2016.

“The new schedule will enable excellent connections from Miami to our Asian destinations. Our oneworld partner, American Airlines, has a large hub in Miami, which enables good connections to the Caribbean, Central and South America,” says Juha Järvinen, Finnair’s Chief Commercial Officer.

Introducing Norra

Nordic Regional Airlines, known as Norra, has a bright new look to reflect its rebrand.

Formerly Flybe Finland, Norra operates a significant number of Finnair’s domestic and European traffic with more than 50,000 flights yearly.

“Our new name, Nordic Regional Airlines, perfectly describes our company’s core business: regional flying,” says Maunu Visuri, Norra’s managing director.

“The northern dimension to the name

92 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

Finnair also adds frequencies to its Chicago service, increasing weekly flights to five in summer 2016. This will further improve connectivity beyond Chicago to American Airlines’ extensive network in the Americas.

In addition to Miami and Chicago, Finnair operates a daily nonstop service to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. finnair.com

Ruka. In addition to downhill skiing,

Ruka boasts 500 kilometres of crosscountry ski tracks and has one of Europe’s longest ski seasons – October through June.

ISTOCKPHOTO

emphasises the most important tasks of Norra’s employees – the safe, high-standard and quality production of flight operations for other airline companies, in an agile, environmentally friendly and costeffective manner,” says Visuri.

Owned by Finnair, the company flies a fleet of 26 aircraft. Its headquarters are at Helsinki Airport.

Pyhä. Located beside Luosto National Park, Pyhä bills itself as an “authentic Lappish ski resort” and is the first ski resort in the Nordics to announce that it will go totally carbon neutral.

flynorra.com

finnair.com

EDESSÄ ELÄMÄN ENSIMMÄISET 5 METRIÄ.

H ETK I Ä , J OTK A JÄ ÄVÄT E L Ä M Ä Ä N .

aurinkomatkat.fi

FINNAIR NEWS

LEGROOM DONE RIGHT Finnair’s new A350 XWB aircraft feature comfortable seating arrangements in both classes. a350.finnair.com

COMPILED BY KATJA PANTZAR

Finnair crew tips Cabin Attendant and former Beijing resident Sari Lukkaroinen shares her top must-sees in the Chinese capital city.

1 London cargo capacity upped FINNAIR RECENTLY established its third cargo hub in London to better connect the United Kingdom with its Asian network, and to offer improved connections for Finnair Cargo customers to North America utilising the network of its partner IAG Cargo.

Finnair has also added additional cargo capacity on the Helsinki Airport-London Heathrow service with three weekly frequencies on the route being operated by a

wide-body aircraft to facilitate increased cargo demand.

With cargo hubs in Brussels and Helsinki, Finnair is the largest Nordic air cargo carrier, transporting nearly 150,000 tonnes of freight and mail annually. Specialised in air cargo traffic between Europe and Asia, Finnair Cargo connects 13 cities in Asia with more than 60 destinations in Europe and North America. finnaircargo.com

FINNAIR IN

The first A350 Finnair test flight: take-off and landing.

2

youtube.com/user/finnair

94 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

blog.finnair.com/en/

fter visiting the Forbidden A City, cycle to the Drum Tower through the hutongs, peaceful small alleys where locals go about their daily lives.

3

FEELFINNAIR ON INSTAGRAM

A selection of Blue Wings stories is published on the Finnair Blog each month.

he Great Wall’s Badaling T section is closest to Beijing, which means it’s the busiest.

Mutianyu has been restored and boasts a cable car, handy for those with accessibility issues. Simatai, about 75 km from Beijing, is my favourite section and features a five-kilometre walk from Wangjing Tower to Chuanhoukou, with spots to stop for lunch along the way.

feelfinnair#Love at first sight!

Welcome onboard our #A350Finnair soon! instagram.com/feelfinnair

atching people do their W morning exercises in Ritan Park or any of Beijing’s parks is a great way to start the day.

online in issuu.com

Read Blue Wings online at issuu.com issuu.com/headofficefinland

FLY FINNAIR

Your complete guide to travelling with us

WELCOME ABOARD We want you to enjoy your flight. This guide contains all the information you need for stress-free travelling. We have even included tips for inflight wellbeing and entertainment.

So sit back, relax and enjoy your travel experience.

NOVEMBER

In this guide 96 TIPS FOR TAKEOFF 97 INFLIGHT WELLBEING 98 ENTERTAINMENT 99 SHOPPING 100 SUSTAINABILITY 101 HELSINKI AIRPORT 104 MAPS 108 FLEET 110 FREQUENT FLYERS 114 FINLAND IN FIGURES NOVEMBER 2015

BLUE WINGS

95

FLY FINNAIR TIPS FOR TAKEOFF

FINNAIR

TRAVEL TIPS CARITA SAARI­ Marketing Manager, Finnair Travel Retail

in a nutshell

Established in 1923, Finnair is one of the world’s oldest operating airlines.

“Why rush to buy last-minute gifts when you have a web shop at your fingertips?

Finnair’s pre-order shopping catalogue and web shop carry a wide selection of unique p ­ roducts all of which can be purchased before your flight. In addition to s­ hopping convenience, you also enjoy significant savings of up to 60% compared to city prices. What’s best is that your purchase will be waiting for you on your next flight.”

Finnair’s route network includes more than 50 international destinations.

In 2014, Finnair carried 9.6 million passengers.

Psst: In addition to our pre-order selection, we just launched a new a­ ssortment of onboard shopping must-haves. So take a look at your seat pocket and treat yourself to some retail therapy!

More than 1.5 million passengers fly between Asia and Helsinki each year.

finnairshop.com Preview some of our onboard ­shopping products on page 99.

SAFETY

IN YOUR POCKET THE FINNAIR MOBILE APP is ­available for iOS and Android devices. The app ­provides up-to-the-minute flight information and ­e-boarding pass storage.

Check-in on your mobile to avoid the queues, upgrade your travel class and view Finnair Plus point ­balances.

Simply log in with your Finnair Plus member ID. Go to finnair.com to learn more and see all the ­features.

96 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

SMOOTH JOURNEY SAFETY INFORMATION is presented by the cabin crew at the start of each flight. This information is also listed on the safety instruction card in your seat pocket.

Safety belts must remain fastened when the “Fasten safety belt” sign is on. For safety reasons we recommend keeping them fastened even when the sign has been switched off.

Handheld devices can be used throughout the flight (including takeoff and landing) in airplane-mode.

Laptops and larger devices must be stowed away during takeoff and landing, but can be used when the “Fasten safety belt” sign has been switched off.

FLY FINNAIR INFLIGHT WELLBEING

FOOD AND DRINK

Business Class passengers can now savour a gourmet dining experience in the clouds.

Signature Menus created by top Finnish chefs are available on long-haul flights throughout the autumn.

EAT WELL

Foods to fuel on European flights MIX AND MATCH WITH SKY BISTRO! Arrive at your destination ­restored and ­energised. For a little extra money, you can choose from a tasty ­selection of food and drink. You will find the Sky Bistro menu card in your seat pocket. Coffee, tea, water and Finnair’s signature blueberry juice are served free of charge on all Finnair flights.

WELLBEING

MINDFULNESS Sit back and relax

INFLIGHT EXERCISES

These moves keep you fit while flying. Hold each movement for a few seconds and repeat five times per side.

Mindfulness instructor Aleksi Litovaara's exercises will help you feel calm and rested during your flight.

1

BE AWARE: The basic idea of mindfulness is that you have arrived. The aircraft is already taking you where you need to be so just sit back and relax. Watch, listen and feel your present environment.

CIRCLES

LIFT

RAISE

LOWER

Lift one foot and draw circles with your toes.

Reverse direction.

Lift one knee up and then lower your foot back down to the floor.

Keep heels on the floor and lift your toes upwards, then release.

Keep toes on the floor and lift your heels upwards, then release.

2

TACKLE ANXIETY: If you experience nervousness or restlessness, try holding an object in your hand. It will help bring your attention to that simple physical sensation instead of getting caught up in your own thoughts.

3 SHRUG

NOD

ROTATE

TURN

Lift your shoulders up towards your ears and release.

Lower your chin slowly towards your chest and lift back up again.

Gently rotate your head from side to side. Keep your shoulders relaxed.

Slowly lower your left ear to your left shoulder and then back up again.

THINK POSITIVE: This is a good ­moment to choose nice words towards yourself and other passengers — if only in your mind. You can also ask yourself: what do I need right now? It may well be reading a book or getting some rest instead of working on your computer. aleksilitovaara.com

NOVEMBER 2015

BLUE WINGS

97

FLY FINNAIR ENTERTAINMENT

BE ENTERTAINED AND CONNECTED Finnair’s inflight experience has come a long way.

This November, Finnair introduces its N ­ ordic Sky entertainment system available on A350 XWB aircraft.

THE A350s state-of-theart Nordic Sky inflight entertainment system offers ­passengers ­individual screens with ­audio and video on demand throughout the cabin.

The onboard Wi-Fi portal connects to your personal devices and gives you access to finnair.com and Finnair services including pre-order shopping.

Music playlists for longhaul flights have been ­created exclusively for Finnair by MixRadio. You can even tune into an audio flavour of the ­destination city before landing!

The Nordic Sky entertainment system and ­ Wi-Fi keeps you entertained and connected throughout your journey.

NOVEMBER

ON SCREEN Latest films and TV series

MOVIE THE ANT BULLY. A bully takes out his frustrations on an ant hill, but the ants retaliate by using a magic potion to shrink him down to ant size.

MOVIE THE END OF THE TOUR. The story of the five-day interview between reporter David Lipsky and acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace. (R) DEPARTURE The on-screen display guides passengers from departure throughout all stages of their journey. Cabin crew ­announcements appear at the top of the display and inform passengers of events such as flight schedule and meal delivery. These are updated in real-time throughout the flight.

MOVIE AMY. A documentary on the late singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, who died of alcohol poisoning in 2011. (R)

MOVIE VACATION. Rusty Griswold takes his family on a road trip to “Walley World” in order to reconnect with his sons. (R)

ENTERTAINMENT Passengers can watch even more ­Hollywood classics and blockbuster ­movies. Branded channels include programmes from the BBC, the National Geographic Channel and the Discovery Channel.

PICK OF THE MONTH Action adventure

MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE — ROGUE NATION. Ethan and the team take on an international rogue organization.

(PG-13)

TV SERIES SELFIE. After being the subject of an embarrassing viral video, a self-involved 20-something enlists the help of a marketing expert.

RADIO SOUNDS OF CHINA. Sit back, relax and immerse yourself in the beautiful sounds of China. Enjoy more music at mixrad.io.

PLUG IN! Most Airbus A340 aircraft and all Airbus A330 aircraft are equipped with an electricity socket, which you will find under your seat.

98 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

FLY FINNAIR INFLIGHT SHOPPING

TIS THE SEASON

ESTEE LAUDER, ­VITALITY 8 RADIANT MOISTURE CREME 50ML Sold on European and Intercontinental flights €48.50

SHOP NOW New collection onboard

A350 MODEL AIRPLANE Sold on Intercontinental flights €20.00

FINLAYSON, MAKE-UP BAG, FINNAIR ­EXCLUSIVE COLOUR Sold on Japan and China routes €23.00

It’s not too early to start thinking about gifts for the upcoming holiday season.

Have a look at the onboard shopping catalogue for the latest must-haves. We’ve just updated the collection!

FINNAIR CARRIES a wide selection of cosmetics, fragrances, gift items, confectionary and jewellery, all of which can be ­purchased before your flight. On most Intercontinental flights and flights to and from destinations outside the EU, wine and spirits are also available for purchase. You also earn Finnair Plus points with every purchase.

GODIVA, MOUSSE MERINGUE 110G Sold on Intercontinental flights €17.00

PRE-ORDER

for stress-free shopping SIBELIUS 5 SYMPHONY PENDANT Sold on Intercontinental flights €99.00 TH

Ordering in advance is always a good idea.

You can save up to 60 per cent compared to city prices. There’s no minimum order and your ­purchase will be waiting at your seat on your next flight! www.finnairshop.com

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FLY FINNAIR SUSTAINABILITY

NOVEMBER

BETTER PLANET A few examples of Finnair’s societal involvement in action:

THE UNITED NATIONS Global Compact is a ­corporate responsibility initiative aiming to make human rights, fair labour standards, ­environmental responsibility and anti-corruption core parts of the participating companies’ operations. Finnair has been a member since 2013.

The airline company has also signed the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles in 2011.

CLEANER JOURNEYS WITH THE A350 XWB THIS MONTH marks the ­inaugural longhaul flight — from Helsinki to Shanghai — of Finnair’s first brand-new Airbus A350 extra wide body aircraft. The aircraft has been serving European routes for the month of October.

Maintaining a modern fleet is a key element of Finnair’s environmental strategy: the A350 is more fuel-efficient, cleaner, lighter and quieter than its predecessor, the A340, and thus helps Finnair lower fuel consumption, noise and nitrogen oxide and CO2 emissions.

By replacing the A340 with A350s the airline can reduce its average CO2

WORK WITH US

DO GOOD Finnair makes it even easier to donate to charity. Passengers can now make a donation to UNICEF Finland when they book their flights on the Finnair website. Donations are possible in sums of one, five or ten euros.

Finnair also collaborates with many other environmental and ­humanitarian organisations.

100 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

emissions by 20 per cent. Selecting an airline with a new fleet is also the most notable way for airline passengers to reduce their individual carbon footprints.

Finnair is committed to the sustainable growth of the aviation industry, which is a significant and dynamic driver of the global economy.

The airline supports the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) pledge to improve fuel-efficiency industry-wide between 2009 and 2020, and achieve zero-emissions air travel by 2050. finnair.com/INT/GB/a350

­Members of Finnair’s frequent flyer programme can donate points to the following charities at pointshop.finnair.com: • The Finnish association for Nature Conservation • The Association of Friends of the University ­Children’s Hospitals • The Cancer Society of Finland • The Finnish Red Cross • UNICEF Finland • The Baltic Sea Action Group • Hope

IN FALL OF 2015 Finnair received the first of 19 forthcoming Airbus A350 aircraft, which cut back on fuel consumption and emissions by 25 per cent.

FINNAIR is one of the first airlines in the world to receive an IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) certification; this environmental management system is designed to assess an airline’s environmental management.

THE AIRLINE supports the International Air ­Transport Association’s (IATA) goal of zero ­emissions trading scheme. Finnair is dedicated to reducing its carbon dioxide emission revenue as much as 20 per cent per tonne-kilometre from 2009 to 2017. Another ambitious goal is to reduce the total amount of de-icing fluids by 40 per cent from 2006 to 2016.

FINNAIR CONDUCTS an annual employee well-being survey, participates in campaigns promoting equal opportunities at the workplace and places a strong focus on occupational safety and continuous training.

FINNAIR WAS INCLUDED on the Carbon Disclosure Project's (CDP) 2014 A List: The 2014 Climate Performance Leadership index for its efforts to reduce emissions and slow climate change. Among the 187 businesses included, Finnair was the only airline.

FLY FINNAIR HELSINKI AIRPORT

HAPPY LANDINGS Arriving and departing Helsinki Airport

PASSENGERS at Helsinki Airport can use the 30 automated border control gates. Fifteen of these are located in the departure hall. The Finnish Border Guard’s automated border control helps serve growing passenger volumes at Helsinki Airport.

EU, EEA, Japanese and Swiss nationals with biometric passports can take advantage of the automated border control gates.

Other foreign nationals, who are exempt from the visa ­requirement and hold a biometric passport, may also use the automated border control upon departure.

This service is available for ­Australian, Canadian, Japanese, New Zealand, South Korean and U.S. citizens. The automated border control is monitored by a border guard ensuring secure border crossings.

Please note that passengers travelling with an infant, baggage trolley or wheelchair must use the manual border control lane.

AUTOMATED BORDER CONTROL Place your passport with the info page face down on the reader. Please wait while your passport is being read for biographical and biometric data. When the scan is complete, the gate will open. ヘルシンキ・ヴァンター空港シェンゲンエリアで は、入出国審査の際に自動化ゲートをご利用頂けま す。対象となるのはICパスポートをお持ちのお客様 です。

대한민국 전자여권을 소지한 승객께서는 유럽에서 한국으로 입국 시, 헬싱키 공항에서 자동출국심사 서비스를 이용 하실 수 있습니다.

① パスポートの顔写真ページを読み取ります。該当 ページを読み取り機の上に置いて下さい。個人情報 と生体認証データを読み取ります。

우선, 전자여권의 사진 페이지를 인식장치에 올려주시기를 바랍니다. 이 과정에서 여권정보가 시스템에 자동 인식됩니다.

② ゲートが開いたら中に入り、右を向いて下さい。 パスポートの顔写真と照合します。バックパック・ 帽子・眼鏡などは外して下さい。足跡マークの上に 立って画面を正面からまっすぐに見て下さい。 ③ 二番目のゲートが開いたら、入国審査官のカウン ターにお進み下さい。パスポートを確認した後、入 国または出国スタンプを押印致します。シェンゲン エリア居住許可証をお持ちの方は、入国審査官にご 提示下さい。

finnair.com/jp

첫 번째 게이트가 열리면 안으로 들어가 오른쪽에 위치한 카메라로 안면인증을 거치게 됩니다. 이후 마지막 게이트에서 출입국관리 직원의 출국확인도장을 받으시면 됩니다. 보다 간편하고 빠른 본 자동시스템의 많은 이용 바랍니다. 대한민국 전자여권은?

2008년 8월 25일 이후 발급된 여권으로 표지 하단부에 전자칩과 안테나가 내장 되어 있는 여권입니다.

finnair.com/kr

Enter through the gate and turn right. Please remove your backpack if you’re wearing one and stand on the footprints on the floor. Remove your glasses and hat. Stand still and look directly at the screen keeping your face visible. The camera will compare your facial image with the biometric feature scanned from your passport. Wait until the second gate opens.

The border check for EU, EEA and Swiss nationals is completed when the gate opens. Other foreign nationals must move towards the border guard, who will check your entry stamp and mark your passport with an exit stamp.

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FLY FINNAIR HELSINKI AIRPORT

WELCOME TO HELSINKI AIRPORT HOW TO TRANSFER Check your gate and departure time on the airport monitors. All Finnair and Nordic Regional Airlines (Norra), formerly Flybe Finland, departures are located in the same terminal.

If you do not have a boarding pass for your connecting flight, please contact the transfer service desk.

Most passengers transferring from non-EU countries to EU countries must go through security and passport control. Please note that liquids are restricted in carry-on baggage.

If your baggage has not been checked through to your final destination, collect it from the baggage claim area and go to check-in and security control.

Border control

34 35

Border control

SHOP

SHOP

Bo con

2ND FLOOR

FINNAIR LOUNGE FINNAIR PREMIUM LOUNGE

38

102 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

Security control

SHOP

31a-e 30

31x 31

36

FINNAIR TRANSFER SERVICE desks in Helsinki Airport T2 ­terminal are ready to help you with any inquiries related to your connection flights.

TRAIN CONNECTION The Ring Rail Line connects Helsinki Airport to downtown Helsinki. The terminal entrance at the airport opens later this year and in the meanwhile there are free shuttle buses operating from terminals T1 and T2 to the Tietotie entrance of the Airport station. The route takes three to five minutes and the buses run at five minute intervals.

32a

TRANSFER SERVICE 3

37

BUS CONNECTION The Finnair City Bus to the Helsinki Railway Station leaves from Terminal 2 every 20 minutes, stopping also at Terminal 1.

Travel time is about 30 minutes.

Price: €6.30

32

LONG-HAUL AREA NON-SCHENGEN

AUTOMATED BORDER CHECKS are available to passengers with biometric passports. The service is available for ­Australian, Canadian, EEA, EU, Japanese, ­New ­Zealand, South Korean, Swiss, and U.S. citizens. See more ­information on page 85.

TRANSFER SERVICE

SHOP

33

2ND FLOOR

37a-d

GROUND FLOOR

CHECKING IN Checking in to your Finnair flight is easy. You can save time by checking in at a self-service stand at the airport, online 36 hours before departure or by text message.

FLIGHT DISRUPTIONS In case a flight is delayed or cancelled, Finnair will make every effort to keep you updated. Please make sure that you have provided Finnair with your email address and phone number.

SERVICES AND FACILITIES SHOP SHOPPING Receive special offers for airport services when you show your Finnair Plus card. You will recognise our partners by the Finnair Plus symbol. Helsinki Airport features more than 30 shops and boutiques and various restaurants and cafés.

WIRELESS INTERNET is available free of charge. An eService Bar is located across from gate 21.

CHILDREN Children’s playrooms offer videos, microwave ovens and baby care facilities.

NON-SMOKING Smoking at Helsinki Airport is prohibited outside of designated smoking rooms.

SHOP

FLY FINNAIR HELSINKI AIRPORT WALKING TIME GATE 24-30: 7 MIN

T2 29

28

LOST AND FOUND Restaurant & Deli Fly Inn

27

26 SHOP

SCHENGEN AREA

SHOP

SHOP

GATE AREA

Security check

24

25 TRANSFER SERVICE 2

SHOP

23 SHOP

FINNAIR LOUNGE

Security

order ntrol

CHECK-IN 240–270

P

SHOP

SHOP

FINNAIR check CHECK-IN/ SERVICE DESKS 201–232

22

GROCERY

INQUIRIES Lentäjäntie 1 (next to T2, street level) Open Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00 and Sat 09:00–15:00 Tel 0600 41006 (1,97€/min + local network charge)

3RD FLOOR

21

SH

OP

20

1ST FLOOR

SHOP

19

TOURIST INFO

18

PHARMACY

17 16

TRANSFER SERVICE 1

15

TANJA MIKKOLA

CHECK-IN 101–114

GROUND FLOOR

T1

14

Security check

BAGGAGE STORAGE

13 LOUNGE

THE PREMIUM LOUNGE celebrates its first anniversary! Designed by Helsinki-based dSign Vertti Kivi & Co., the lounge showcases Finnish nature and colours. Perks include a relaxation zone, ­private shower suites and a Finnish sauna! The lounge is located near Gate 36 in the non-Schengen terminal and is open daily to Finnair Plus ­Platinum and Gold card members as well as to oneworld top-tier members.

GATE AREA

2ND FLOOR

12

11

SHOP

1ST FLOOR NOVEMBER 2015

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FLY FINNAIR FLIGHTS WITHIN EUROPE KARTAT Great Circle Estimated FROM HELSINKI AMSTERDAM ALANYA/GAZIPASA ARRECIFE ATHENS BARCELONA BERGEN BERLIN BIARRITZ BILLUND BRUSSELS BUDAPEST CATANIA CHANIA COPENHAGEN DALAMAN DUBLIN DUBROVNIK DÜSSELDORF EDINBURGH EILAT EKATERINBURG FRANKFURT FUERTEVENTURA FUNCHAL GDANSK GENEVA GOTHENBURG HAMBURG HERAKLION INNSBRUCK KAZAN KOS KRAKOW LAS PALMAS LISBON LJUBLJANA LONDON MADRID MALAGA MALTA MANCHESTER MILAN MINSK MOSCOW MUNICH MYTILENE NAPLES NICE OSLO PALMA DE MALLORCA PAPHOS PARIS PISA PRAGUE PREVEZA PULA RHODES RIGA

Distances km

Great Circle Estimated Distances Flight km Times

Flight Times

1525 02:35 2722 03:45 4518 05:55 2490 03:40 2632 03:55 1112 03:30 1123 02:00 2581 03:45 1060 01:50 1651 02:40 1481 02:20 2636 03:45 2756 03:50 895 01:40 2639 03:40 2030 03:10 2027 03:00 1512 02:25 1717 02:40 3457 04:45 2098 03:05 1543 02:35 4578 06:05 4310 05:45 768 02:00 1994 03:00 785 01:25 1172 02:00 2777 03:55 1701 02:35 1521 02:30 2620 03:45 1186 02:00 4700 06:10 3369 04:50 1713 02:40 1863 03:10 2950 04:25 3357 04:35 2822 04:15 1817 03:00 1953 03:05 740 01:25 876 01:40 1577 02:30 1471 03:35 2283 03:25 2202 03:25 766 01:30 2777 04:00 2898 04:00 1900 03:05 2093 03:20 1322 02:10 2397 03:25 1865 02:55 2668 03:45 382 00:55

RIMINI ROME SALZBURG SAMARA SANTORINI SKIATHOS SPLIT STOCKHOLM ST. PETERSBURG TALLINN TARTU TEL AVIV TENERIFE NORTE TENERIFE SUR VARNA VENICE VERONA VIENNA VILNIUS VISBY WARSAW ZAKYNTHOS ZÜRICH

1993 03:00 2235 03:25 1592 02:30 1698 02:35 2660 03:40 2353 03:30 1956 02:55 400 01:00 301 01:00 101 00:30 245 00:50 3230 04:25 4691 06:10 4745 06:10 1911 02:55 1847 02:55 1903 02:55 1462 02:30 633 01:15 481 01:25 940 01:40 2526 03:55 1781 02:45

SCHEDULED DESTINATIONS LEISURE DESTINATIONS PARTNER-OPERATED CODE-SHARE OR MARKETING DESTINATIONS SEASONAL ROUTE EW SCHEDULED N SEASONAL ROUTE NEW SCHEDULED DESTINATION IN 2015 AND 2016

Atl Oc antic ean

TÄHÄN KARTTA

8 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2014 104 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

DOMESTIC FLIGHTS New

FROM HELSINKI IVALO JOENSUU JYVÄSKYLÄ KAJAANI MARIEHAMN KEMI/TORNIO KITTILÄ KOKKOLA/PIETARSAARI KUOPIO KUUSAMO OULU ROVANIEMI TAMPERE TURKU VAASA

quay

931 01:35 360 01:00 235 00:50 464 01:20 282 00:55 609 01:35 823 01:25 391 01:10 335 01:00 667 01:15 514 01:05 697 01:20 143 00:35 150 00:35 348 00:55

Bay of B isca ya

Arct ic

Ocea n

FLY FINNAIR IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Nor weg ian S ea

Nort

h Sea

on

on-D

tov-

Ros

Heraklion

Medit erranea n Sea DECEMBER BLUE WINGS105 8 NOVEMBER 20152014 BLUE WINGS

rctic

Arctic Ocean

FLY FINNAIR FLIGHTS INTERCONTINENTAL Circle Estimated KARTAT Great Distances Flight FROM HELSINKI

km

Times

BANGKOK 7912 09:45 BEIJING 6325 07:55 CHICAGO 7139 09:15 CHONGQING 6736 08:40 DELHI 5229 06:50 DUBAI 4537 05:55 FUKUOKA 8060 09:30 GOA via Sharjah 6739 10:15 GUANGZHOU 7693 09:30 HAVANNA 8718 12:05 HÔ CHI MINH CITY (Saigon) 8510 10:50 HONG KONG 7821 09:35 KRABI 8350 10:20 MIAMI 8342 11:10 NAGOYA 7780 09:40 NEW YORK 6626 08:45 OSAKA 7751 09:30 PHUKET 8312 10:05

PUERTO PLATA 8417 11:15 SEOUL 7050 08:40 SHANGHAI 7410 09:05 SINGAPORE 9272 11:30 SVALBARD 2015 03:10 TOKYO 7849 09:45 TORONTO 6619 08:50 XIAN 6421 07:50

Atlantic Ocean

Havanna

FINNAIR PLUS members earn Plus points from travelling on any ­scheduled flight with a oneworld airline.

The oneworld alliance flies to more than 1,000 destinations.

Pacific Ocean

Ocea n Atlantic Ocean

8 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2014

Arctic Ocean

FLY FINNAIR IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Nizhniy Novgorod

an

Agadir

Taiwan

Pacific Ocean

Indian Ocean

n

DECEMBER 2014 BLUE WINGS 8

FLY FINNAIR FLEET

AIRBUS A350-900 (NEW IN 2015) Number 19 in order Seating capacity 297 Length 66.8 m Wingspan 64.75 m Cruising speed 903 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 13,000 m AIRBUS A340-300 Number 7 Seating capacity 266/263/257 Length 63.6 m Wingspan 60.3 m Cruising speed 870 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,500 m AIRBUS A330-300 Number 8 Seating capacity 289/263 Length 63.6 m Wingspan 60.3 m Cruising speed 870 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,600 m AIRBUS A321 (ER) Number 11 Seating capacity 136–209 Length 44.5 m Wingspan 34.1 m Cruising speed 840 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 11,900 m AIRBUS A320 Number 10 Seating capacity 110–165 Length 37.6 m Wingspan 34.1 m Cruising speed 840 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 11,900 m AIRBUS A319 Number 9 Seating capacity 105–138 Length 33.8 m Wingspan 34.1 m Cruising speed 840 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 11,900 m EMBRAER 190/170 Operated by Flybe Number 12/2 Seating capacity 100/76 Length 36.2/29.9 m Wingspan 28.7/26 m Cruising speed 850 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,300 m

108 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

FLY FINNAIR FLEET A350

IT’S HERE! AIRBUS A350 XWB – THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL A SNEAK PEEK: THE MAKING OF A350 XWB Text by Mirva Lempiäinen Photo by Tanja Mikkola OVERSEEING THE PRODUCTION of a new aircraft type is challenging in the best of situations. But trying to simultaneously increase production speed by threefold takes the game up another notch.

That’s the level of Jérôme Courregelongue, head of Airbus A350 XWB’s Final Assembly Line Operations, in Toulouse.

“Thanks to an optimised production process on the Final Assembly Line, we are on track with the industrial rampup,” explains Courregelongue while giving a tour of the L-shaped facility, the “greenest” ever created by Airbus.

Approximately 10,000 cubic metres of recycled materials were used, and solar panels were installed on the roof.

According to Courregelongue, the ­biggest time saver will be parallel workstations, which is something entirely new for Airbus: the cabin installation will take place simultaneously as the assembly

of the fuselage, wings and tail fin. There will also be additional workstations opened.

When the production is at full speed, there will be nearly 1,500 people working on the assembly line. Courregelongue ensures that he’s got it all under control.

“I arrived in this program three years before the beginning and I have prepared the team to make sure all the processes are in line and intact,” he says.

Courregelongue pauses in front of Station 40, where a future Finnair plane is waiting for its wings.

“In 2015, we will deliver about 15 aircraft after which we will gradually rampup to the rate of ten per month by the end of 2018,” he says with confidence.

“It’s a learning curve,” Courregelongue notes, adding that feedback from the client is crucial.

“It will be interesting to hear what Finnair says.”

FOLLOW THE STORY ▶a350.finnair.com ▶on Twitter #A350Finnair ▶on Instagram @feelfinnair

Jérôme Courregelongue (left) and colleague Sebastien Pericou in front of Station 40.

FINNAIR’S ECO-SMART Airbus A350 XWB aircraft has taken to the skies in October.

Book your flights and enjoy the future of travel!

SEE THE SCHEDULE a350.finnair.com

FUN FACT When passengers board the A350, they are greeted by the sight of clouds drifting across a blue sky throughout the cabin.

NOVEMBER 2015

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FLY FINNAIR FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAMME

JOIN NOW Big benefits for ­frequent flyers

FINNAIR PLUS PROGRAMME allows you to earn points when travelling with Finnair or a ­oneworld airline and from ­services provided by many Finnair Plus partners.

As a Finnair Plus member you can also benefit from many valuable offers and benefits including: · A head start on special flight sales · Exclusive members prices on offers · Earn and use points on Finnair, oneworld and partner airline flights · Earn and use points on numerous worldwide partner services

DID YOU KNOW?

EARN POINTS when flying ­Finnair scheduled and leisure flights. Points can also be earned on oneworld scheduled flights.

As a member you also receive points when purchasing products and services from any one of our Finnair Plus partners.

USE POINTS to purchase Finnair award flights, pay for ­additional baggage and upgrade your ­Finnair flight from Economy to Business Class. You can also use your points for oneworld flights.

Points are valid currency in the Finnair PlusShop online and you can use them to pay for services and products from Finnair Plus partners.

JOIN FOR FREE by filling in the Finnair Plus form attached to this magazine or online at finnair.com/plus

MORE BENEFITS New ways for Finnair Plus members to use points!

Read more about our partners on page 112.

110 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

As a Finnair Plus member you can now use your Finnair Plus award points for additional Finnair services such as seat selection, meals, and extra baggage payments online.

The number of points you pay depends on your flight and the chosen service. You can pay for additional services at the time you book your reservation, or later through the ­Manage booking tab. finnair.com/plus

FLY FINNAIR FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAMME

KIDS

FINNAIR PLUS MEMBERSHIP

These are some of the benefits you receive as a member. For more information go to finnair.com/plus.

FINNAIR PLUS TIER BENEFITS

BASIC Up to 40,000 tier points

SILVER 40,000 – 90,000 tier points or 24 scheduled flights

GOLD 90,000 – 150,000 tier points or 54 scheduled flights

PLATINUM 150,000 tier points or 92 scheduled flights

• F lights awards •A dditional baggage charges with points*

• One extra piece of baggage free of charge*

• Special baggage free of charge *

• Special baggage free of charge*

• F innair lounge access*

•W aiting list priority based on tier

•P riority Lane*

•P artner service purchases with points

• 1 0% discount on ­normally priced tax-free purchases outside of the EU*

• T ravel class upgrades* • Finnair and oneworld Business Class and Frequent Flyer lounge access + 1 guest

• T ravel class upgrades* •D iscounted travel upgrades for family members*

• 1 0% points bonus*

•P riority Lane* • 1 5% points bonus* • 1 0% discount on normally priced tax-free purchases outside of the EU*

• Finnair and oneworld Business and First Class and Frequent Flyer lounge access + 1 guest •N o expiration on award points during tracking period • 1 0% discount on normally priced taxfree purchases outside of the EU*

* Finnair flights (AY operated and AY marketed)

Finnair Plus oneworld Basic --Silver Ruby Gold Sapphire Platinum Emerald

Kids get points, too!

Children aged 2–17 can join the Finnair Plus Junior programme.

The points earned can be spent on flight awards and exciting product prizes.

•P riority Lane*

• 2 5% points bonus*

EQUIVALENT ONEWORLD TIERS

JUNIOR

Combine your Finnair Plus membership card with a credit card and you can earn Finnair Plus points on all your purchases. Read more: finnair.com/plus

DID YOU KNOW? TIME FLIES! The Finnair app is your best travel companion. In addition to current travel and flight information, the app can be used to check in, select seats, purchase upgrades, and best of all — Finnair Plus members can access their Finnair Plus ­profile and check point ­status. Available for iOS and Android devices.

The Finnair iOS app is also available on the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch version of the app lets you check your flight details and more with just one glance – giving you peace of mind on the move.

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FLY FINNAIR PARTNER BENEFITS THIS MONTH

MORE THAN 200 PARTNERS For your benefit As a member of our Frequent Flyer ­programme you can earn and use points when purchasing ­services and products from our world-class partners around the globe.

GLO Hotel Airport is located at Terminal 2 on the ground floor.

15% DISCOUNT AT GLO HOTEL AIRPORT AS A FINNAIR PLUS MEMBER, enjoy a 15% discount on best available rates at the GLO Hotel Airport. Book and stay by the end of February 2016 to receive this Finnair Plus member deal. In a­ ddition to a gym, a lounge and a meeting room, GLO Airport features dayrooms that are ideal for a ­layover. You can book a dayroom for a maximum of 8 hours and ­continue your journey refreshed!

Not yet a member?

Find out how to join on the previous page.

For all Finnair Plus member deals, visit glohotels.fi/finnairplus

#FEELFINNAIR Share your favourite Finnair ­moment on Instagram by using the hashtag #feelfinnair Upload your best Finnair travel story for a chance to win 5,000 Finnair Plus points! We select a new winner every month.

Don’t forget to follow us on Instragram: instagram.com/feelfinnair/

112 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

· Airlines · Travel · Credit card · Insurance · Restaurants · Shopping · Wellness · Golf · Entertainment · Charity · Leisure time For complete listings and more information: finnair.com/ pluspartners

FLY FINNAIR PLUSSHOP OFFERS THIS MONTH

SHOP ONLINE wherever you are!

The Finnair PlusShop stocks a wide selection of brand products, including Finnish design items, and delivers around the world. To order, simply login using your frequent flyer number, place your order and pay with Finnair Plus points, money, or a combination of both. Shop for the always affordable 1,000 Point Special Offers and your Plus points can be worth hundreds of euros! As a Finnair Plus member, you can choose a new offer every time you have 1,000 Plus points.

TOMTOM BANDIT PREMIUM PACK ACTION CAMERA €499 Member offer €429 + 1,000p

UGG® AUSTRALIA CLASSIC TALL Available in chestnut & black, €250 Member offer €189 + 1,000p

All this and more from:

finnairplusshop.com

ARTEK KANTO MAGAZINE/WOOD RACK Available in black & white, €145 Member offer €99 + 1,000p

INNOLUX TUBO LIGHT THERAPY LAMP Three colour options, €266.60 Member offer €199+ 1,000p

MARIMEKKO GLÖGI SET Includes 4 cups & 4 spoons.

Available in black and red, €103.10 Member offer €79 + 1,000p

ARABIA MOOMIN MUG & BOWL, HIBERNATION, €48.80 Member offer €39 + 1,000p

NOVEMBER 2015

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113

FINLAND IN FIGURES

DID YOU KNOW? Education: 81% of Finland’s pop­u­la­tion aged 25 to 64 ­have com­plet­ed upper secondary or tertiary ed­u­ca­tion.

FINLAND

ECONOMIC STRUCTURE

IN FIGURES

Employed persons by industry, 2nd quarter 2015 (per cent of total)

AREA • 390,920 sq. kil­o­me­tres, of ­which 9% is fresh water; land area is 303, 909 ­sq. kil­o­me­tres. There are 188,000 lakes. 6% of the ­land is ­under cul­ti­va­tion. Fo­rests (main­ly ­pine and ­spruce) cov­er 68% of the country.

GOVERNMENT • Sove­reign par­lia­men­tary re­pub­lic ­since 1917.

• The pres­i­dent is elect­ed eve­r y six years. The current president of Finland, Sauli Niinistö took office in March 2012. The 200 mem­bers of Par­lia­ment are elect­ed for fouryear terms.

• Finland has been a member of the European Union since January 1995.

ECONOMY • GDP 2014: 205 billion euros, the annual change in volume -0.4% nnual inflation rate as of •A July 2015: -0.2% • Currency: Euro

Construction and energy 8%

Miscellaneous services

13%

34%

Manufacturing

14% 5% Agriculture

10%

16%

Financial and business servces

Trade and hotel

Transport and communications

Gross domestic product per capita 2014 (EUR)

46%

Other manufactured goods

23%

Forest products

16%

Food prod. and textiles

15%

Nominal

Adjusted for Purchasing Power Standard

73.400 45.600 44.400 40.000 37.600 35.300 34.500 32.200 27.300

49.000 33.900 34.100 39.900 30.200 33.800 29.600 29.400 27.300

Foreign trade 2014 exports by products by activity: 55.829 MEUR (per cent of total) Chemical industry products

23%

Forest industry products

20%

Other industries

18%

Metals and metal products

14%

Machinery and equipment

13%

Electronics

12%

*2013

MONTHLY TEMPERATURES IN HELSINKI 2014

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Mean˚C -5.9 0.2 2.1 5.9 10.6 13.5 20.1 17.9 13.0 6.7 3.2 0.1 Max˚C 5.6 4.7 10.9 19.9 26.3 24.4 29.6 28.4 20.3 14.7 10.3 5.5 Min˚C -18.2 -7.6 -8.3 -4.5 -1.2 3.5 11.1 9.6 0.4 -3.8 -2.4 -15.7

More information: finland.fi, goodnewsfromfinland.com, findicator.fi

114 BLUE WINGS NOVEMBER 2015

Metal and engineering products

EXPORTS BY PRODUCTS

GDP

Norway Denmark Sweden USA* Finland Germany UK France EU28

Manufacturing

Source: Statistics Finland

POPULATION • 5.5 mil­lion • Life ex­pec­tan­c y: men 78.2 and women 83.9 years • Av­er­age house­hold ­size: 2.1 persons • L anguages: 89% ­speak Finn­ish; 5.3% Swedish; 1.3% Russian • Religion: 74% Lu­ther­an; 1% Orthodox; 24% census register or unknown • 81% of the pop­u­la­tion aged 25 to 64 ­have com­plet­ed upper secondary or tertiary ed­u­ca­tion and 37% ­have uni­ver­sity or other tertiary qualifications.

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