FACC Newsletter - Summer 2008

ENSO hosts FACC members

FACC Chamber held its first at-home function on May 15. The event allows a member an opportunity to introduce its business to other FACC members. The first event was hosted by Stora Enso Australia Pty Ltd at its corporate headquarters in North Sydney. In the presence of the Finnish Ambassador Glen Lindholm and the Consul Pirjo Leino members enjoyed the hospitality of Stora Enso, including a great variety of food and wine. The Managing Director Juhani Ellenberg gave a presentation about Stora Enso's business operations as producer of forest materials such as newsprint, paper, consumer board and industrial packaging of 13.1 million tonnes per year as well as wood products.

After this successful start, we look forward to hopefully many more similar events to be hosted by our members, the next one being planned for August 2008 at the premises of Nokia. For the full list of FACC events in 2008 please see the bottom of the page.

Kari Airas, Juhani Ellenberg, ENSO, Ambassador Glen Lindholm, Mrs Kristiina Ellenberg	Miselle Pons, Bill Havercroft and Susan Havercroft of Nordic Travel
Mona Forsberg, Tommi Filppa, Trevor Toivonen, Ruben Pons	Mrs Kristiina Ellenberg, Irmgard Gotjes-Pedersen, SAS
Juhani Ellenberg, STORA ENSO, Consul Pirjo Leino

FACC membership fee update

The Committee of the Chamber resolved at the meeting on 7 April 2008 that the flowing changes be made to the member categories.

• The membership year is changed to a calendar year.
• The membership of current members will be extended to 31 December 2008.
• A new Associate Member category is being created for interstate/remote members (members more than 200km from Sydney).
• Associate Member fees will be approximately 25% of Full Membership, namely $80 (large corporates, $50 (small corporates) and $25 (individuals).

Membership application can be downloaded www.finland.com.au or for enquiries please email chamber@finland.com.au or call 02 9327 5164.

Huge Untapped Potential in Nanotechnology

Finland is a forerunner in nanotechnology and the fast-growing field has already produced strong results, with a huge untapped potential for the Finnish industry. The €70 million FinNano programme has launched companies and new business throughout the country. Applications of nanotechnology are in widespread use in the key areas of the Finnish industry.

Finland's nanotech development has produced numerous success stories; such as Nokia, who cooperate with leading nanotech research universities, Nicanti technology and Nanocomp Ltd.

The rapid growth of Finnish nanotechnology in recent years has been significantly supported by the Tekes FinNano programme. Since 2005, the number of Finnish nanotechnology companies has tripled from approximately 60 companies to between 150 and 200.

Nanotechnology has been developed in Finland for over 30 years, and it is seen as the key technology of the current decade. Lux Research has estimated the value of nanotech-related goods and services at €1,800 billion in 2014.

Finnish Confidence in Russian Economy Strong

Finnish confidence in the Russian economy is strong despite US woes. The Finnish-Russian chamber of commerce said that 90 per cent of the Finnish companies included in its poll believed Russia's economy would carry on growing despite the recent credit woes in the US. The chamber added more than 80 per cent of the polled firms intended to expand their operations in Russia.

Finnish Innovation specialists visit Australia

Petri Kalliokoski the Vice President of Innovation at VTT, the leading Finnish organisation concerned with providing leadership in innovation and collaboration was the key note speaker at the Western Sydney Manufacturing Innovation Showcase on Monday 12 May at Sydney Olympic Park. The event includes an exhibition of innovations from advanced manufacturers and research institutions, and features internationally known speakers. The Showcase is hosted by the Greater Western Sydney Economic Development Board, the voice for business growth in Western Sydney's 14 local government areas. www.vtt.fi

In conjunction with the Australian Services Roundtable, and with sponsorship from Woodhead and the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, the Macquarie Graduate School of Management hosted renowned Innovation specialist Dr Jari Kuusisto from Finland on May 19. Dr. Jari Kuusisto has been a director of SC-Research Institute since 2001. His current research and consulting activities focus on three key areas: services, innovation and intellectual property. www.sc-research.fi

Finland's Savings in State Administration

Finland's productivity programme attracts foreign visitors to learn how savings are possible in state administration. Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands have already sent their representatives to Finland in order to learn how it is possible to achieve savings in state administration.

Based on a proposal compiled by officials from the Ministry of Finance, the Finnish government resolved in 2005 that the number of man-years worked in the state administration should be decreased by some 17,500 by 2011.

At the same time, productivity is also being discussed in connection with other projects, including the state regional administration reform. An example of the successful decisions relating to productivity is the reform at the Tax Administration, enabling taxpayers to make certain adjustments to their tax cards online.

Marimekko Continues Its Success

While expanding and increasing its international presence, iconic Finnish design house Marimekko enjoyed a successful start to the year. The Marimekko Group's result for the first quarter of 2008 indicates that trends in Marimekko's business operations were in line with expectations during the period from January through March, while the company's positive financial outlook for 2008 was maintained unchanged.

With its presence at New York Design Week, Marimekko continues its strong and highly differentiating appearances in the world's design metropolises. This autumn, Marimekko has displayed its products at nearly 20 international interior decoration or fashion events, most recently in Milan during the Furniture Fair in April.

FACC member Design Mode imports Marimekko to Australia. Call 02 9998 8200 for further enquiries.

In memoriam of Earle McCredie, the founder the Design Mode, the Board of FACC and its members pass their condolences to his partner Anne Yardley and his son Craig McCredie and daughter Amanda McCredie, who will continue managing Design Mode.

The European Odd Couple - Helsinki and Vienna

A unique "The Odd Couple of Europe" campaign promoting HELSINKI as the unique Nordic capital spiced with cultural flavours from East and West, and VIENNA with its exclusive blend of imperial traditions, modern architecture and groovy city life are being launched nationally in Australia in June 23. The promotion offers a very special deal for Australian travellers heading to Europe including flights with Finnair, two nights in cities as well as sightseeing and discounts. The camping partners include Helsinki City Tourist and Convention Bureau, Finnish Tourist Board, Vienna Tourist Board, Austrian Tourist Board, Finnair and Beyond Travel. For more information contact your travel agent after June 23. www.visitfinland.com/au

Finnair Launches Flights to Seoul

Finnair is launching direct flights to the capital of South Korea, Seoul, commencing in June 2008 with five weekly frequencies; operated on Finnair's new Airbus A340-300 long-haul aircraft.

Flights from Seoul will departure Monday - Friday (inclusive) at 1015 arriving into Helsinki at 1405 (same day). Outbound schedules will depart from Helsinki Sunday - Thursday (inclusive) at 1730 arriving into Seoul the following morning at 0825.

The Seoul route, Finnair's eleventh Asian destination will complement Finnair's constantly growing Asian network offering our passengers the shortest and quickest connections to most European capitals.

Finnair will be the only airline to fly non-stop from South Korea to northern Europe via Helsinki to over 50 European cities. www.finnair.com

New Environmental Strategy for the SAS Group

The SAS Group has recently launched a new long term environmental strategy that includes a number of ambitious strategic environmental targets with the ultimate goal to eliminate all green house emissions by 2050. Other targets include the reduction of total carbon-dioxide emissions by 20 percent by 2020 compared with 2007 (including assumption of passenger growth of 4 percent per year) and for each producing unit the target entails halving carbon-dioxide emissions by 2020.

The journey toward this target has already begun through such measures as the globally unique Green Approaches to Arlanda Airport which commenced in 2005 and last year was expanded to include selected trans-atlantic flights from Chicago and New York.

The entire environmental strategy can be read in the SAS Group's Annual Report and Sustainability Report www.sasgroup.net or alternatively a copy can be obtained by emailing sas.australia@sas.dk

Finnish Ship Commemorated in Kangaroo Island

On March 14 a stone plaque sent from Kristinestad (Kristiina) Finland was unveiled in Kangaroo Island to commemorate the shipwreck of the Finnish ship Fides. Fides was wrecked off the northern coastline of Kangaroo Island on 21 May 1860, 131 days from its departure. Out of 15 crew, 10 sailors perished and the remaining five walked back to Cape Borda. They were assisted by the head light station keeper William Tapley. Only two bodies of their crew mates were found and buried near the wreck. Erik Sandlund the great grandson of the Fides major owner Cark Hyden visited Adelaide and unveiled the plague to commemorate the sailors killed on the Fides. Erik Sandlund is the major force behind the Fides exhibition which includes parts of the ship and general cargo carried by the vessel from London destined for Port Adelaide in 1860. The exhibition visited Australia during 1998-99 and is currently displayed in Marianhamn in Åland Finland.

Erik Sandlund and Raina Nechvoglod (Manager of the Heritage Branch)	Erik Sandlund and Raina Nechvoglod at the sailor's grave
The commemorative plaque - placed about 5 metres from the grave	Erik Sandlund , Kangaroo Island residents, Mikael Sandlund on the right

Australia Donates a Wollemi Pine

The Australian Government has donated Helsinki University one of Australia's greatest botanical discoveries of our time: a Wollemi Pine, also know as the 'Dinosour Tree' or 'Living Fossil', with its origins going back at least 90 million years.

It's rare, it's endangered and it's strange looking, eventually growing up to 40 metres. The existence of the Wollemi Pine was only known as a fossil until the sensational discovery in 1994 of a small colony growing in a largely undisturbed National Park in the Blue Mountains. The worldwide demand for this plant is enormous with European auctions reaching figures in the thousands.

The sapling was presented to the University of Helsinki's botanical gardens at the request by the University together with the Oulu University and universities in Sweden and the Baltics.

Aussie Wife Carrying Championships

Australia once again held what must be one of the most unusual sporting competitions ever invented - The National Australian Wife Carrying Championships. This year's Australian representatives Jason Doyle and Lyneece Garland, who fought off some particularly strong competition, will represent the country in Sonkajarvi, Finland, on July 7th.

The event was held at the Singleton Countryfest in NSW on April 12th, with fierce competition as men and women of all sizes fought to win the title. The race track was 200m in length, consisting of hurdles, limbo bars, a water course and a sand trap, making an iron grip essential for both males and females.

The event is sponsored by Finnair and the Finnish Tourist Board. Visit www.visitfinland.com/au for more information.

John Storgårds tours Australia with ACO

For his Australian Chamber Orchestra debut Finnish violinist/conductor John Storgårds, who has gained an international reputation as a champion of new and rarely heard works, will guest direct the ACO in an innovative program that catapults across the globe - with music from Finland, Lithuania, Poland and Japan.

Renowned for the 'raw, incendiary power' of his playing, John Storgårds is currently Chief Conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra; Chief Conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and Artistic Director of the Chamber Orchestra of Lapland. He will introduce audiences to a range of contemporary music - gripping, strange, unearthly and unpredictable but never dull. Audacious tour 8 - 18 June 2008. Australian Chamber Orchestra has two permanent Finnish players Satu Vanska (Assistant Leader) and Timo Veikko Valve (Principal Cello) For details visit aco.com.au

Helsinki Festival Bigger and Better

It gets bigger and better by the year, the Helsinki Festival that this time runs from August 17th until September 2nd. Amid the boom in rock music that climaxed with Finland's victory in the Eurovision Song Contest of 2006 and is still blasting eardrums nationwide, Helsinki's own cultural festival, is an oasis of sanity and some serenity.

The Helsinki Festival is a multi-arts cornucopia which this year will be bigger and more varied than ever before. The famed festival marquee (which the organisers insist on calling a tent) will be the venue for a series of sell-out evenings with stars as diverse, bright and individual as Juliette Greco, the supreme chanteuse; Taj Mahal, the great veteran blues man and this year's opening event, the new oratorio "La Passion de Simone" by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho.

In addition there will be a host of informal events across the capital. Among the crowd pullers are "the Night of the Arts" which speaks for itself and "Art goes kapakka", the exotic word being the Finnish for "tavern". So there's jazz, rock, drama, poetry, painting, sculpture - in short, the lot. www.visithelsinki.fi

FACC Events in Australia 2008

Networking Drinks

Date: 19 June
Time: 6:00 - 8:00pm
Venue: The Attic Bar, the Arthouse Hotel, 275 Pitt Street, Sydney

August Luncheon: Nokia @ Home

Date: 4 August
Time: TBA
Venue: Nokia House, Level 6, 19 Harris Street, Pyrmont NSW

Networking Drinks

Date: 18 September
Time: 6:00 - 8:00pm
Venue: The Attic Bar, The Arthouse Hotel, 275 Pitt Street, Sydney

Harbour Cruise with the Europeans

Date: TBA
Time: TBA
Venue: TBA

FACC Committee Meetings in 2008:

• 2 June
• 4 August
• 1 September
• 13 October
• 30 October - Annual General Meeting

Please, note that some dates and times are yet to be confirmed. For enquiries and suggestions for future events please contact: the FACC secretariat secretery@finland.com.au or call 02 -9327 5164.

FACC Board 2007-2008

The board members can be contacted at chamber@finland.com.au