Come celebrate with Helsinki-Uusimaa Region for the launch of its European Entrepreneurial Region Award Year 2022 and the closing of the European Commission / EISMEA project which fostered collaboration among regions awarded with the EER label earlier.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVp_a5V5BBc

Entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders from Helsinki-Uusimaa and Europe are invited to Connect and Rebound – building connections for future cooperation and acting on growth opportunities in green and digital entrepreneurship in the post-pandemic recovery journey. These connections will resonate beyond Helsinki-Uusimaa to all European Entrepreneurial Regions who worked together to drive the start-up and scale-up of SMEs and enterprise over the years and seek to deepen their collaboration.

Join the discussion online.

Take part in the discussion on the challenges and particularly the opportunities connected to the transition towards green and digital entrepreneurship. Hear about how ecosystem service actors respond to and act on the challenges faced by entrepreneurs. Learn about experiences of earlier EER awarded regions across Europe in fostering green and digital entrepreneurship and take the opportunity in hand to initiate collaboration with international actors.

Agenda

Moderator of the event is Christine Chang, Project Director at Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council.

13:00 Eastern European Time / 12:00 Central European Time

Opening session

Helsinki-Uusimaa European Entrepreneurial Region accelerating green and digital transition – Launch of the EER year 2022

• Apostolos G. Tzitzikostas, President of European Committee of the regions (video)
• Juha Eskelinen, Director, Regional Development, Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council
• Mari Holopainen, MP and Vice Chair of Startup Working group of Finnish Parliament
• Maive Rute, Deputy Director General, DG Grow, European Commission

13:30 Businesses and entrepreneurs driving green and digital transition for sustainable growth – a business perspective

Panel discussion among business representatives

• Moderator: Kari Herlevi, Project Director, Finnish Innovation Fund
• Tuuli Mäkelä, Head of Marketing, ZenRobotics
• Sauli Böhm, CEO, ResQ
• Phil Brown, VP Business Development & Strategy, Circularise
• Petri Alava, CEO, Infinited Fiber

14:15 Building a world-class entrepreneurship ecosystem in Helsinki-Uusimaa supporting green and digital transition – an ecosystem actors’ perspective

Panel discussion among ecosystem builder representatives

• Moderator: Kari Herlevi, Project Director, Finnish Innovation Fund
• Fredrik Pressler, CEO, Posintra
• Jouni Lounasmaa, CEO, Startup Foundation
• Mikko Järvinen, Project Manager, Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences

15:00 Coffee break

15:30 Accelerating green and digital transition for sustainable growth – a European partnership perspective

The role of European cooperation in fostering the scaling up of entrepreneurial ecosystems

• André Meyer, European Commission, SME Policy
• Piotr Zajaczkowski, Committee of the Regions

Taking stock of the results of the EU Project interlinking EER regions

• Laura Roman, Technopolis Group
• Isabelle de Voldere, IDEA

Follow-up of the SME Assembly EER Policy Hackathon and call for actions

• Tess Rutgers van Rozenburg, Ideas from Europe

16:00 EER Regions’ experience for future collaboration

Moderator: Lena Tsipouri, University of Athens

Calls for collaboration from EER Regions in pecha kucha format

• Montse Daban, BIOCAT Cluster Catalonia
• Maria Goulaptsi, Region of Central Macedonia
• Sergio Pérez García, General Director of External Action, Navarra Regional Government
• Malgorzata Skulimowska, Pomorskie Regional Government
• Karin Herzog, Ecoplus Lower Austria
• Coen de Graaf, North-Brabant Region

Followed by a roundtable discussion on why and how the EER cooperation should continue, and how the EER cooperation model should support the green and digital transitions in the regions.

17:00 Closing remarks and invitation to join Helsinki-Uusimaa EER year 2022

Call to actions and invitation to collaboration.

• Markku Markkula, Chairman of Board, Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council