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On October 5, 2021, the Finland pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai was officially inaugurated by Mika Lintilä, Minister of Economic Affairs, Finland; Severi Keinälä, Commissioner General of Finland at Expo 2020 Dubai and Marianne Nissilä, Finnish Ambassador to the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain. The pavilion, which officially opened its doors to welcome visitors on October 1, takes visitors on an interactive journey through the societal pillars upon which Finland's happiness are based: continuous development and innovation, sustainable and environmentally-friendly solutions and extensive international cooperation. Under the central theme of Sharing Future Happiness, guests will be introduced to how Finland is pioneering sustainable change, developing digital innovations, and adopting a circular economy model within businesses and society to help alleviate the current strain on the earth's carrying capacity.
Mika Lintilä, Minister of Economic Affairs, Finland commented on the importance of Expo 2020 Dubai for Finland’s bilateral relationship with the UAE: “The UAE is Finland's second-biggest export country in the Middle East, after Saudi Arabia. Expo 2020 Dubai provides a vital platform for Finland and our 120 partner companies, enabling us to strengthen our shared goals in areas such as sustainability, education, digitalisaton and happiness. Together with the UAE and the global business community, we aim to co-create and innovate agile, sustainable, and smart solutions for future business opportunities and societal development.”
Within the exhibition, there is something for every type of visitor to experience. Visitors can immerse themselves in the digital wonders of Finland and experience Finland’s calm nature in the Gorge. Guests are invited to interact with the KONE DX Class elevator and learn about successful people flow. Participating companies will also provide insights into how the future of sustainable energy production lies in the air we breathe utilising Power-to-X advances, which are demonstrated using a machine that converts air into the power required to brew coffee. Visitors can also dive into the technology behind the Nokia and Luxturrim 5G Ecosystem smart pole and will be shown how the success of a smart city lies in a collaborative digital infrastructure. The Missing Links interactive art installation shows guests what they can do as global citizens to contribute to a greener world.
Severi Keinälä, Commissioner General of Finland at Expo 2020 Dubai, reflected on the importance of Expo 2020 Dubai for the global business community: “As we reflect on the last year and acknowledge how much countries around the world have overcome, we are proud to come together to celebrate our resilience and look to the future in the spirit of cooperation. We are proud to be part of a moment in history that marks the first World Expo in the Middle East and the first large-scale public event in the region since the onset of COVID-19. We are also proud of the passion we share with the UAE for enhancing business and societal happiness.
“During the next six months, Finland and its 120 partner companies will share expertise and know-how with the aim of showing how a combination of collaborative change, digital innovations and circular economy thinking can pave the way for the sustainable transition our collective ecosystems need to achieve.”
Upcoming events in the Finland pavilion include Finland’s national day celebrations on October 31, a visit from Lapland’s Santa Claus in December, and celebrating Finnish happiness on World Happiness Day in March 2022.
The Finland pavilion is open daily from from 10am to 10pm until March 31, 2022 and all visitors are welcome.
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For more information, please contact Lara Gordon Finnih on lara@ih-c.com
Additional quotes from key pavilion stakeholders:
Marianne Nissilä, Finnish Ambassador to the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain elaborated on what Finland’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai means for local trade relations and FDI into Finland: “Expo 2020 Dubai brings the world together in hope and optimism for a better tomorrow. Finland and the host country, the UAE, have outstanding diplomatic and business relations. However, there is still scope for deepening them. We can achieve this through dialogue and learning from each other. Expo Dubai 2020 will act as a platform for this collaboration by bringing together various Emirati and Finnish stakeholders.
Expo 2020 Dubai also offers an opportunity to remind visitors that Finland provides companies in the UAE a competitive, stable and predictable operating environment with good flight connections into Europe and beyond. We have every reason to believe the UAE sees Finland as an essential trading partner and a lucrative investment destination. The next steps in developing economic cooperation and trade have already been designed – now it is time to move ahead.”
Teemu Kurkela, Founder of JKMM Architects said of the signifance the design of the Snow Cape pavilion has on Finland’s design industry globally: “In designing the pavilion, we sought to bring a fragment of Finnish nature to the UAE and Dubai. The pavilion was inspired by the thin white layer of first snow that covers the Finnish landscape at the beginning of winter. In Finnish, it is called ’Lumi’, which means snow. The main entrance was inspired by a traditional Arabic tent. Two cultures meet in the architectural concept of the pavilion. Hopefully, this will be the best space in Expo 2020 Dubai for meeting face-to-face.”
About Business Finland:
Finland, in collaboration with 120 Finnish companies, will participate in Expo 2020 Dubai. Finland is one of the leading countries in terms of innovation and technology know-how. The Finnish pavilion presents globally leading clean technologies, a circular economy with sustainable use of resources, sustainable energy and digital solutions, mobile communications, machinery, education, health and wellbeing, travel and Finnish design.
Business Finland is the Finnish government organisation for innovation funding and trade, travel and investment promotion. Business Finland's 750 experts work in 44 offices globally and in 16 regional offices around Finland.
© Press Release 2021
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