West Coast Industrial Advisory Board meets 19.3.2025

The Industrial Advisory Board of the West Coast Cooperation is meeting!

Welcome to the West Coast Industrial Advisory Board meeting on 19 March 2025, which will be held as part of Vaasa Energy Week. The West Coast Universities of Applied Sciences form a strong cluster of excellence focusing on the areas of industry, energy, logistics, health and well-being and security of supply. The West Coast Industrial Advisory Board brings together representatives of industry and higher education institutions in the region, promoting multidisciplinary cooperation and supporting smart specialisation in the region.

The West Coast’s thematic priorities, such as digital manufacturing, robotics, clean energy solutions and security of supply, have emerged from the strategic needs and collaboration of the regions. Our aim is to respond to the needs of the region and its industry in a proactive and systemic way, solving cross-cutting challenges together. The West Coast has a strategic commonality of industrial and employment needs, and cooperation with higher education institutions is productive. The exports and added value of the region as a whole contribute significantly to Finland’s competitiveness and vitality. Graduates from West Coast universities of applied sciences stay in the region, supporting its continued growth and development.

The West Coast Industrial Advisory Board aims to develop and guide the West Coast cooperation. The Board meets twice a year, in conjunction with Kokkola Material Week and Vaasa Energy Week. In November, we reviewed current research infrastructures and discussed the accumulating knowledge around green hydrogen.

At the meeting, we will have the opportunity to hear about current topics such as research infrastructures and opportunities in the West Coast universities, and discuss future needs. We will also discuss green hydrogen and renewable fuels know-how in different parts of the value chain. Based on the Gaps analysis presentation, the opportunities and challenges of H2 Excellence will be discussed. The meeting will also include a national presentation where a representative from Business Finland will highlight current perspectives and opportunities. At the end of the meeting, we will discuss possible agreed actions and follow-up.

Program

• Welcome, opening of the meeting and a short presentation
• Hydrogen and renewable fuels – know-how in different parts of the value chain
• Gaps analysis from H2 Excellence – presentation for discussion, H2 Excellence EU Project Manager Karna Dahal
• Presentation of the West Coast higher education infrastructures – discussion on the current situation and needs based on the presentation.
• National intervention, representative of Business Finland
• Discussion and summary of possible agreed measures
• End of the event