Programme

Viistäköön siipeni maata – Mika Billing, vocals, Marko Rantasalo and Jussi Valtonen, guitar
Speech, Rector Tauno Kekäle
Tähtipölyä – Mika Billing, vocals, Marko Rantasalo and Jussi Valtonen, guitar
Issuing of Diplomas
The Students’ Address
Honoring of the Retiring Members of Staff

Coffee – Restaurant Serveri

Welcome!

This week’s task was to come up with ideas about how to increase the number of international tourists in Aalborg. During the week, the teachers gave lectures on task related topics and the Aalborg tourism organization was visited. In addition a number of innovative learning methods were tested and international groups of students worked with ideas concerning the given task. The week culminated in the presentations of the ideas that the groups had come up with. A board of lecturers voted for the best idea.

“The week was very successful, educational and interesting”, said one of the students on her way back to Finland. Last year the week took place in Utrecht and next year Vaasa and VAMK will be the hosts.

Text: Heidi Hellström and Thomas Sabel

EnergyVaasa´s Energy Ambassador will travel around the world

The EnergyVaasa network is again on the hunt for a new Energy Ambassador. The person chosen for the Energy Ambassador position will work for leading cleantech companies exporting their products and solutions all over the world. During September-October 2013 the Energy Ambassador will travel to ten countries to see how Finnish cleantech companies work with global energy solutions.

The Energy Ambassador’s mission is to travel to destinations chosen by the employing companies and share his/her experiences through a blog, a video blog and social media. Through these channels the public have a great opportunity  to find out what effects the solutions have on the environment and even on the lives of people living in the target countries.  The position offers an outstanding opportunity to look into international energy technology companies and to network with global top organizations. The application period ends May 5^th 2013.

Last year the Vaasa region hired, together with the regions’ energy technology companies, an Energy Ambassador, who exceeded all expectations in his task to communicate about the region´s energy cluster. Today the knowledge of the region’s role as the Nordic leader in energy technology is widely spread. However, only a few recognize EnergyVaasa’s role as one of the most important drivers of the Finnish exports. That is why EnergyVaasa is again looking for an Energy Ambassador. After all, countries like Finland can´t manage without exports, and this is why EnergyVaasa is so important.

The companies that are involved in the Energy Ambassador campaign export up to 98,8 % of their products and solutions. EnergyVaasa stands for 12 % of the Finnish technology exports and 30 % of the Finnish energy technology exports. The demand for energy solutions is growing all over the world and Finnish companies respond to that demand by investing in innovations. Today, the Vaasa region has the best employment situation in all of Finland, and companies in the region recruit constantly more competent employees.

We stand behind the Energy Ambassador: Vaasa Region Development Company VASEK, Technology Centre Oy Merinova Ab, ABB, Citec, Cleantech Finland, Finnish Energy Industries, Ernst & Young, Leinolat Group, Municipality of Korsholm, Pohjalainen, Ostrobothnia Chamber of Commerce, The Ostrobothnia Employment and Economic Development Office, Radisson Blu Hotels, Rannikko-Pohjanmaan yrittäjät, Recruitby.net, Siltaloppi Productions, The Federation of Finnish Technology Industries, T-Drill, Vacon, Vamp, Wapice, VEO, Wärtsilä, Vaasa University of Applied Sciences VAMK, City of Vaasa, Vaasan Sähkö, University of Vaasa, Vasabladet, VNT Management.

For more information:

www.energialahettilas.fi
www.energyvaasa.fi

The company has recently moved their production facilities from Oravainen to the city centre of Vaasa. The new premises also include a factory shop in which the company’s products are sold. The owner of the company and host for the visit Kenny Sundqvist is a former student and graduate of VAMK. In addition to Hemgården, Sundqvist also runs a historical restaurant close to the battle-field in Oravainen. He runs both companies together with his girlfriend Suvi Mäntylä, who is also a graduate of VAMK.

During the visit to Hemgården the group heard about the company’s operations as well as how the chocolate is produced.
-    We were offered coffee and chocolate tea together with a wide selection of chocolate pralines to taste and enjoy, tells senior lecturer Camilla Harald.

While tasting the various flavours the group discussed chocolate production, ingredients and global chocolate varieties. The students were also given opportunities to ask questions as well as to share their own countries’ chocolate eating traditions.

The international chocolate tasting team enjoyed Hemgården's products.

Text and photos: Camilla Harald

More information:

Timo Malin, BusinessFactory coordinator
firstname.lastname@vamk.fi, tel. 0400-113950
http://www.businessfactory.fi

Join Contact 2013 Fair and visit Chance Idea Clinic!

The Contact 2013 Fair takes place

Time: on Tuesday, 22nd of January at 9.30- 15.00
Place: Fabriikki, University of Vaasa

If you have a promising business idea you can visit Chance Idea Clinic during the Contact 2013 Fair.
There you have the possibility to present your idea and get instant feedback about it. Innovation Manager Petri Niinisalo and BusinessFactory Coordinator Timo Malin will be at the Chance Idea Clinic to offer you their services.

More information about the competition:
Timo Malin
tel. 0400 113950, timo.malin@vamk.fi

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BusinessFactory is an innovation services -unit in University of Vaasa and Vaasan ammattikorkeakoulu (VAMK), University of Applied Sciences that has functioned in its current form since autumn 2011. Our aim is to support students and staff members to develop their business ideas into business.

Apply at www.admissions.fi.

- Information Technology, Bachelor of Engineering, 240 ects
Specialised know-how in embedded systems, software engineering and telecommunication engineering as well as project learning in robotics and robosoccer.

- International Business, Bachelor of Business Administration, 210 ects
Specialisation in International Marketing and Foreign Trade, including a three-month stay abroad.

Eligibility:
Those who have completed or are completing Finnish Matriculations examination, IB-, RP-examinations, vocational qualification of three years or non-Finnish qualification.

50 % of the applicants will be admitted on the basis of the combined points for previous school performance and the entrance examination (applicants with Finnish Matriculation Examination and IB-examination). Points in this admission group are 30 points from the school performance and 70 points from the entrance examination = 100 points.

50 % of the applicants will be admitted on the basis of the entrance examination (applicants with non-Finnish certificates and Finnish applicants with vocational education). Points in this admission group are max. 100 points from the entrance examination.

More information:
http://www.puv.fi/en/prospective_degree_students/applying/
or
admissions@vamk.fi

There will be an essay and multiple choice questions based on this pre-reading material. Applicants are expected to study pages 1 to 47 for the examination. The chapter on “Remuneration” ending on page 47 is the last page to study for the exam.

The applicant cannot take this material to the actual entrance exam and the material is not available for the applicant during the actual entrance exam.

More information on entrance examinations can be found on our website.

In the beginning of the event Mårten Storbacka – the CEO of WE Tech Solutions and Antti Lahti – the Store Manager of Gigantti Vaasa described the innovation climate of their branches.

Both commented that there must be added value made for the customer also in small attempts. In Mårten’s words: WE Tech produces cost saves for the shipping with very specialized whole package services. According to Antti, Gigantti offers added value through small and unexpected supplementary service.

In the end the teams formed during the event presented their ideas and got some feedback and new thoughts for the meeting on Friday.

Text: Timo Malin

In teams the students developed a company and a product selection and a product launch for the fair. The developed products range was wide including many kinds of restaurants and cafes, food items as well as sports equipment together with computer products and services. Even exotic pets were seen.
The displayers had prepared well for the event: the stands were nicely decorated and an ample selection of confectionary and drinks were offered to the fair visitors. In addition to brochures and fliers lots of samples had been brought in.

The premises on the third floor festival hall in Raastuvankatu offered nice surroundings for the event, but the available area was a little tight for a ground of 100+ people. The aisles became too crowded and it was occasionally difficult to hear what was said. However, there was a lot of talking and laughter as the participants talked about the products and companies and took part in lotteries, quizzes and games.  People seemed to enjoy themselves and speak a lot of English while promoting their items!

Team Hattara.

Text: Päivi Auranen

Programme

Music – Satu Hiisvirta, flute, Veikko Siponkoski, guitar, Petri Judin, clarinet
Speech, Rector Tauno Kekäle
Music – Satu Hiisvirta, flute, Veikko Siponkoski, guitar, Petri Judin, clarinet
Issuing of Diplomas
The Student´s Address, Heli Kruger
Honoring of the Retiring Members of Staff

Coffee - Restaurant Serveri

Welcome!

When you enroll by 30th November 2012, you`ll also have a chance to win the 250 euro Gigantti gift voacher.

More information and the enrollment: www.businessfactory.fi

World View day -event attracted a lot of VAMK students.

World View Day

The day started with the traditional World View Day which was held in the Festival Hall at the City Campus. 34 exchange students from 14 different partner universities and 7 countries were challenged to make presentations of their home universities, cities and countries.

Event attracted a lot of VAMK students who were interested in hearing more about the VAMK partner universities. On the basis of the information given VAMK’s students have several good partner universities to consider when planning exchange period abroad.

Students from ESC Montpellier, France

Students from Hochschule Bremen, Germany

Erasmus 25-Year Anniversary Event

Erasmus mobility program celebrates its 25-year anniversary in 2012. International offices of the Institutes of Higher Education in Vaasa wanted to arrange an anniversary celebration in Tritonia Library.

The photo exhibition with pictures taken by present and former exchange students was opened at the beginning of the event. Exhibition can be found in the Tritonia Library (2nd floor) until the end of November.

Students enjoying anniversary cake

Photo exhibition at Tritonia

Photos: Tuija Tammi, Minna Hermanson, Harri Huusko

More information: www.muova.fi/csf

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication  reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Text and photos: Satu Lautamäki ja Lotta Saarikoski

BusinessFactory IdeaLab organizes a Kick off -event for students.

Time: Wednesday 3.10.2012 at 14.00–16.00
Place: Academic Library Tritonia, Auditorium Nissi

You will get information about BusinessFactory while enjoying a nice cup of coffee. Also the new BusinessChance –idea competition is announced in the same event. The Kick off event will be held in English.
Free bus transportation is offered for students of VAMK and Hanken. The bus ride leaves from the Vaasa City Hall (Senaatinkatu 1) at 13.25 and 13.45.

Welcome!

More information:

BusinessFactory coordinator Timo Malin, info@businessfactory.fi, tel. 040 011 3950

Vaasa Region’s Energy Ambassador, who started working in the end of May, is working his last day today. Vaasa Region Development Company VASEK and EnergyVaasa announced in February that they are looking for a person to work for 12 companies within the energy technology concentration in the Vaasa region during the summer of 2012.

More than 1,600 applied for the job that offered a monthly salary of 10,000 euro. Among the candidates, the recruiters chose Tuomas Vanhanen, student in energy technology at the Tampere University of Technology. Other summer jobs in the region also attracted a great number of persons with technical education: the amount of applicants to ABB grew by a fifth compared to last year.

In his job as the Energy Ambassador, Vanhanen explored the companies in the region and presented the energy sector’s work opportunities as well as stressed the significance of energy and environmental technology for the country’s economy. In Finland, a fourth of all energy sector jobs are located in Vaasa. The region’s investments in product development have tripled in five years, as ABB and Wärtsilä are the largest investors in product development after Nokia.

In the end of August Vanhanen wrote a statement, "Now is the time for Cleantech", together with Jyri Häkämies, the Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs. ”At the moment there is no other as natural promoter of employment, export and balanced current account as renewable energy”, the statement notes.

Energy Ambassador Vanhanen will return to Tampere to finish his studies in energy technology at the Tampere University of Technology. Negotiations on writing his thesis in Vaasa have already been started. The dialogue on the future of the energy sector will continue in the international event Energy Week that gathers more than 2,000 energy experts in Vaasa in the spring of 2013.

During the summer, the Energy Ambassador enjoyed his four-star hotel accommodation and car benefit with unlimited mileage, but his tight schedule did not leave too much time for leisure activities. Apart from a great number of contacts and experiences, Vanhanen says that the summer job gave him nice savings, which he might invest in an apartment.

Video montage of the Energy Ambassador summer: http://youtu.be/0qn7O1S93IQ

Photo: Esa Siltaloppi

The aim of The Startup Camp was to support attendees to create new business ideas and to develop those ideas viable by using LEAN Startup Methodologies.

– Agile development, quick prototypes, launching the product with minimal resources as well as user-friendly further development are the essential part of the event, tells Charlotta Sirén, the main organizer of the event.

The event began with open pitches on Thursday 31.5. Attendees brought their ideas and inspired others to join their team. Attendees took a real interest in the challenges and it was evident they were truly willing to further develop the ideas.

– It has been great to bring in entrepreneur ideas we have implemented in DC to Finnish culture. Lean Startup guides to action and continuous testing of business idea instead of over planning. This approach has produced several success stories in the United States, tells the host of the Camp, research visitor Kevin May from the George Washington University.

Over Friday 1.6. and Saturday 2.6. the teams focused on customer development, validating team ideas, practicing LEAN Startup Methodologies and building a minimal viable product. On Saturday evening teams presented their prototypes and received valuable feedback from a panel of experts.

Two mentors from BusinessFactory and seven students from Vaasa University of Applied Sciences participated in the Camp.

Photo: Juho Ylimäki

Be acquainted with the admission criteria before applying.