Wasa Future Festival: New Nordic – the Nordic region’s renewed global relevance

Nordic issues draw strong interest at Wasa Future Festival

Nordic affairs will be front and center at Wasa Future Festival 2025. On Thursday, August 14, the Kvarken Council and the Finnish-Swedish Chamber of Commerce FINSVE are hosting a seminar focused on the theme New Nordic – The Nordic region’s renewed global relevance.

The seminar will highlight the enhanced role of the Nordic region as a global leader in a time of transformation – where its values, focus on sustainability, innovative capacity, and smart solutions are attracting increasing international attention and respect. We will explore how deeper business collaboration and large-scale cross-border infrastructure initiatives can drive economic development, contribute to growth, and create a more integrated Nordic region.

Through expert insights, panel discussions, and concrete analyses, we will identify both opportunities and challenges. How can intensified Nordic collaboration drive growth? What is needed to realize the vision of the New Nordic – a connected, strong, and globally relevant region? And what could this mean for Europe as a whole?

You are warmly welcome to participate!

Date: August 14, 2025
Location: Mindsquare, Wasa Innovation Center, Vaasa
Time: 13:00–16:00
Language: Swedish and Finnish (simultaneous interpretation)
You are warmly welcome to join – the doors are open to everyone! If you wish to take part in the refreshments, please register by 7 August 2025: https://www.lyyti.in/wff-new-nordic

Program:
Moderator: Sarah Väre, Growth Manager, Kvarken Council

13:00 Intro – moderator

13:05 Welcome – What does cross-border cooperation mean for Nordic and European markets?
Peter Ericson, Swedish Ambassador to Finland (TBD)
Kjell Skoglund, CEO, Finland-Swedish Chamber of Commerce

13:15 From model to engine – how capital, expertise and collaboration strengthen the Nordic region’s global role
Eirik Winter, CEO and Head of Corporate & Investment Banking, BNP Paribas, Nordic Region

13:35 New Nordic – the Nordic region’s renewed relevance on the global stage
Mikko Savola, Member of Parliament and Vice Chair of the Defence Committee, Vice-President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), and Board Member of the Kvarken Council EGTC

13:55 Finland’s future transport infrastructure – not too late to change course
Theo Herold, PhD candidate in economics at Hanken School of Economics

14:15 Coffee break and networking (20 min)

14:35 Introduction: The role of infrastructure in Nordic cooperation
Joakim Strand, Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering

14:55 The Öresund Bridge unexpectedly created a significant amount of new trade between Sweden and Denmark
Maria Persson, Associate Professor, Lund University

15:15 Panel: Hard Talk – Infrastructure and cooperation in the Nordic region requires action now
How can we strengthen Nordic cooperation and accelerate infrastructure investments? The panel will discuss concrete proposals and necessary initiatives – with a focus on acting quickly and in coordination at a time when we cannot afford to wait for decisions from Brussels. The panel gathers voices from across the Nordic region. What is needed for the Nordics to lead – and what are the specific steps forward for collaboration?

Panelists:
Peter Ericson, Swedish Ambassador to Finland (TBD)
Geir Waage, Chair of the Municipal Council of Rana Municipality, Deputy Chair of MidtSkandia
Mikko Savola, Member of Parliament and Vice Chair of the Defence Committee, Vice-President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), and Board Member of the Kvarken Council EGTC
Rickard Carstedt, Region Västerbotten, Regional Councillor for the Regional Development Board in Västerbotten and Chairman of the Kvarken Council EGTC
Maria Persson, Associate Professor, Lund University
Maria Nimvik Stern, Managing Director, Mälardalsrådet

15:45 Summary and closing remarks
Mathias Lindstöm, Director, Kvarken Council 

18.00 Dinner with cultural entertainment at Bock’s Corner and also Night of the arts will be held in Vaasa on the 14.8.2025

The program is in Swedish and Finnish.

You are warmly welcome to join – the doors are open to everyone! If you wish to take part in the refreshments, please register by 7 August 2025: https://www.lyyti.in/wff-new-nordic

About Wasa Future Festival 2025 

Wasa Future Festival will be held for the seventh time in Vaasa from 11–15 August 2025. The festival gathers leading experts, innovators, and decision-makers from the Nordics and beyond to develop concrete solutions in technology, education, care, and culture. This trilingual event (Finnish, Swedish, English) offers a platform for meaningful discussions, networking, and collaborations that drive real development. 

The ”New Nordic” seminar, organised by the Kvarken Council and the Finnish-Swedish Chamber of Commerce on 14 August, forms a natural continuation of the festival’s themes, with a particular focus on Nordic cooperation and global competitiveness. Information on other events during the week is available here