Where industry, research, and policy meet for impact
CLIC Innovation’s CEO, Jatta Jussila, opened the day by revisiting the organisation’s evolution from Finland’s former strategic centres of excellence into a robust and growing innovation cluster. While national funding schemes and structures have changed over the years, she stressed that CLIC’s mission has remained consistent: enabling cross-sectoral collaboration that drives sustainable growth. She stressed about the importance of the resilience of the CLIC model in adapting to change while expanding its reach, partnerships, and impact.
Among the speakers was Jani Valtari, Global Technology Manager at ABB and board member of CLIC, who underlined the central role of electrification and digitalisation in the global energy shift. He pointed out that while the rise of renewable energy is well underway, it also introduces new system-level challenges in balancing flexibility and resilience. Drawing from ABB’s long involvement in national innovation programmes, he underlined CLIC’s contributions to systemic innovation and its continued relevance in projects like Smart Grids and hydrogen economy development. The need for long-term, coordinated action across sectors and funding schemes was a recurring theme in his remarks.
Professor Emeritus Mikko Hupa of Åbo Akademi University offered a historical perspective, tracing Finland’s collaborative innovation journey from the 1980s to the present. Reflecting on early national programmes like LIEKKI and the era of SHOKs (strategic centres of excellence), he noted that true innovation capacity is built over decades. Hupa commended CLIC for sustaining and evolving this collaborative ethos, observing that deep trust and continuity between academia and industry remain vital in responding to today’s complex sustainability challenges.
Helena Kekki, Head of Sustainability Oversight & Reporting at Nordea, shared how sustainability is embedded across the bank’s strategy and operations. With its Nordic-wide presence and a goal of becoming net-zero by 2050, Nordea sees itself not only as a financier but as an advisor and enabler of sustainable transformation. Kekki described how Nordea supports its corporate and SME clients through sustainability-linked financing tools, dialogue, and advisory platforms. She emphasised that sustainable business is smart business—and that banks play a key role in accelerating the transition across sectors.
Building trust, knowledge, and momentum for the transition
Janne Peljo, Chief Policy Adviser at the Confederation of Finnish Industries, discussed the investment landscape for green growth in Finland. While acknowledging geopolitical uncertainty and economic headwinds, he emphasised the ongoing appetite for clean investments. However, unlocking capital at scale requires stable, predictable policies and clear roadmaps that align public and private efforts. Finland, with its strong innovation capabilities and industrial backbone, has an opportunity to lead – but only if collaboration is well coordinated and long-term.
Representing the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Deputy Director General Timo Ritonummi outlined the state’s role in enabling the energy system of the future. He spoke of the need to integrate innovation into policy design and called for better alignment between strategic goals and infrastructure investments. For him, platforms like CLIC are essential in bridging government objectives with on-the-ground innovation, ensuring that policy development and system change move hand-in-hand.
A European perspective was offered by Samuele Ambrosetti from the Bio-based Industries Consortium, who described the progress and barriers facing Europe’s bioeconomy. With over 600 members across industry, research, and regional clusters, the consortium has supported public-private partnerships across the EU. Ambrosetti warned of a “second valley of death” in innovation – where projects that succeed in the lab struggle to scale due to lack of market demand, regulation, or capital. He called for harmonised policies across member states and greater investment in scaling infrastructure. Europe has the knowledge and industrial base, he argued – now it must create the markets and regulatory stability that unlock growth in bio-based solutions.
Emilia Nygård, Chairperson of the Åland-based youth organisation ReGeneration2030, brought a sharp and inspiring perspective from the next generation. Addressing a room that lacked younger participants, she challenged institutions to go beyond symbolic gestures and genuinely include young voices in shaping policy and innovation agendas. Her organisation builds youth power across the Nordic and Baltic regions, with a focus on systemic change through education, policy influence, and collaboration. She urged companies and governments to think critically about inclusion and to remember that the future being shaped today is one young people will live in the longest.
The morning concluded with a panel discussion titled “Sustainability Under Pressure,” moderated by Anne Raudaskoski, who also served as the event’s overall facilitator. Speakers reflected on how innovation can continue in a fragmented, disrupted global environment. From policy stability and capital flows to intergenerational inclusion and resilience-building, the conversation reinforced the need for cooperation at every level.
As CLIC is celebrating 10 years anniversary, we are introducing new concepts to address sustainable transition topics. Get introduced to our newest video podcast “CLIC talks” available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube platforms.