EU Ambassadors to Finland Visited Vaasa and the Vaasa Higher Education Community
In April, a two-day retreat for EU ambassadors posted to Finland was held in Vaasa as part of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Co-organised by the City of Vaasa and the Embassy of Cyprus in Helsinki, the visit offered insight into the region’s strengths in energy technology, higher education, research and business.
The retreat brought together 23 EU ambassadors, the Head of the EU Commission Representation in Helsinki, and senior officials from the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs as part of the Cyprus Presidency’s residency programme. The programme began with a working luncheon hosted by the Ambassador of Cyprus, Demetris Samuel, with Finland’s Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering, Joakim Strand, as guest of honour.
"We are excited to co-organise this visit for the group of EU Ambassadors to Vaasa, home of the largest energy technology concentration in the Nordic countries. Themes that are high on the agenda of the Cyprus Presidency of the EU Council, such as competitiveness, sustainability and resilience, will also be discussed in Vaasa and the take-aways will strengthen our joint efforts for a stronger, more autonomous European Union, open to the world", said Ambassador of Cyprus Demetris Samuel.
Education, research and innovation at the core
The first day of the retreat focused on higher education and research. The ambassadors visited the Vaasa university campus, where they were introduced to Vaasa’s key strengths and areas of expertise.
A part of the programme was a visit to the Technobothnia Research and Development Laboratory, hosted by Örjan Andersson, President of Novia University of Applied Sciences. During the visit, the ambassadors learned about Technobothnia as a shared learning, research and innovation environment and how the universities collaborate with industry partners to support technological development and competence building within the energy sector.
The visit highlighted the importance collaboration between higher education institutions and companies in strengthening the Vaasa energy technology cluster.
In the evening, Mayor Tomas Häyry hosted a dinner for the ambassadors.
"The visit of these esteemed EU ambassadors offers Vaasa an excellent opportunity to highlight the city’s strong energy technology expertise and its role as the largest energy technology hub in the Nordic countries. It also provides a valuable forum for dialogue on current European issues", said Mayor Häyry.
Original article published by the City of Vaasa
Contact
Novia University of Applied Sciences, President/CEO Örjan Andersson, Tel. +358 50 527 2286