Welcome

Welcome to the President’s Report to the Finland Australia Chamber of Commerce (FACC) Annual General Meeting 2016!

Our guest of honour is Finland’s new Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Mr Lars Backström, who joined in September 2016. The Chamber wishes him a successful start to his new mandate and we look forward to a good co-operation.

Membership Status and Sponsors

The Chamber Membership has increased since the last AGM in 2015. We are currently counting 50 members, compared to 41 in the previous period. The number of sponsors (10) decreased slightly compared to last year (12).

Member Activities in 2015/16

By tradition the Chamber participated in the annual Cruise with the Europeans on the 12^th of November 2015, co-organized by various European Chambers. There were 28 FACC guests present at the spectacular 2-hour cruise, among over 600 representatives from the European business community in Sydney. The upcoming cruise is taking place on Thursday 10^th of November and we look forward to seeing our members and friends there again!

FACC organised and hosted a Finnish Independence Day Reception in Melbourne on the 3^rd of December 2015. Among over 100 guests were senior executives of Finnish subsidiaries in Australia, representatives of the Victorian Government, FACC members and friends as well as other members of the wider Finnish business community in Australia. Mr Pasi Patokallio, former Finnish Ambassador to Australia, addressed the gathering, along with a representative from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Cargotec/Kalmar our event sponsor.

It was a lively event with some guests staying on until 8:30pm before heading off to see Finnish ‘Kokko Quartet’ performing at Melbourne’s famous jazz club, Bennett’s Lane. There was generally a great appreciation from the Melbourne attendees. Again, we wish to thank our event sponsor, Cargotec/Kalmar, whose support was critical in making this event happen. The 2016 Independence Day reception will be held on 6 December, in Perth (Western Australia).

As in previous years, FACC supported EuroMix – European Business Networking luncheon events in Melbourne and Sydney. Two events, in Melbourne and Sydney, were organized by SwissCham and held on the 11^th and 17^th of February. The most recent one was held in Sydney on the 13^th of October and organized by the Irish Australian Chamber.

The inaugural Nordic Open Golf Day was held at Moore Park Golf in Sydney on the 10^th of June. It was organised jointly by chambers of commerce from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. There were 42 participants at this event and the Nordic Open trophy for team of the year went to Team Norway. The Chamber wishes to thank all those involved in organising the event from the various chambers as well as our sponsors Rapala, Fiskars, Thailand Golf Tours, Audi and Finnair.

The FACC hosted a Boardroom Briefing Event on the 16^th of August in Melbourne. It was held at Telstra Corporation’s headquarters and the topic was ‘Reality check on Internet of Things: Technology, Security and Use Cases’. The guest speaker was Sami Mäkeläinen, currently in charge of technology foresight at Telstra Chief Technology Office. Sami shared his valuable insights on the IoT, its technology, security and use, with practical examples and cases. There were 20 attendees and the briefing was followed by questions from the audience and a lively discussion on the topic.

Other Events

Visit by Finland’s Foreign Minister & Business Delegation

A Finnish Delegation made an official visit to Australia & New Zealand from the 28^th of February to 5^th of March 2016. Mr. Timo Soini, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Finland, was joined by a high-level business delegation of innovative Finnish companies visiting Canberra, Sydney, Auckland and Melbourne. The objective of Minister Soini’s visit was to highlight, in particular, Finland’s role as one of the most innovative economies in the world. The Finnish companies represented expertise and innovation in several industries, including telecommunications, waste management, logistics automation, defence and start-ups. Estonia´s Foreign Minister, Ms Marina Kaljurand, and the Estonian business delegation travelled jointly with Minister Soini and his delegation.

On the 29^th of February, an Innovation Forum was held at the Finnish Embassy in Canberra for the Finnish delegation and ~100 invited guests. After the remarks by Foreign Ministers and a keynote address by the Assistant Minister for Innovation Hon Wyatt Roy MP, the seminar continued with interesting keynotes and panel discussions from several Australian, Finnish and Estonian companies.

On the 1^st of March, the Minister met with officials from the NSW Government in Sydney and also attended a luncheon event with the European Australian Business Council (EABC).

Furthermore, the Governments of Finland & Estonia, in partnership with the NSW Department of Industry, hosted the Ministerial & Business Delegation Networking Event in Sydney on the 2^nd of March. Just over 100 guests attended the morning event, which was addressed and moderated by Geoff Charnock, Honorary Secretary of the Chamber and Finland’s Honorary Consul in NSW. Along with the Finnish and Estonian Foreign Ministers, The Hon Victor Dominello, NSW Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation, addressed the meeting.

In Melbourne, there was an Innovation Seminar arranged by Swinburne University and an ‘Aussie BBQ’ networking event with the Finnish Community.

Visit by Finland’s Defence Minister

Finland’s Defence Minister Dr. Jussi Niinistö visited Canberra, Sydney, Auckland and Melbourne in March 2016, accompanied by a delegation of 9 Finnish businesses.

The Australia Defence Association arranged a Finland‐Australia Defence and Security Seminar in Canberra. The objective was to bring together the Captains of Defence Industry in both countries to discuss areas of mutual interest. Discussions were constructive for both countries and should result in considerable opportunities to enhance and strengthen the bilateral relationship, including on industry matters such as Defence engagement and materiel co‐operation.

The main events organized during this official visit had between 50 and 120 people attending. There were also around 20 separate business meetings arranged for the participants.

Team Finland Health-Tech Delegation

Six innovative Finnish health tech SMEs visited Australia from 9-13 May to learn firsthand what the region has to offer, to meet with local stakeholders and industry players, and to identify opportunities for collaboration. This visit was led by Antti Niemelä, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Finland, and acompanied by Angela Foley & Mirna Sarihodzic (Foley & Associates) as well as Juha Miikkulainen (Finpro’s Head of Region India & APAC).

The delegation visited both South Australia (Adelaide) and Queensland (Brisbane & Sunshine Coast) to showcase their expertise in the following areas: smart IT solutions to support mobile home care and service solutions; software to manage the nutritional intake of patients especially in aged care facilities; e-health and e-care solutions to support telehealth offerings; software to monitor service performance.

Positive feedback was received from all participating companies which have identified several points of mutually beneficial collaboration.

 EABC Trade Delegation to Finland

Further to joint efforts by FACC, Finpro and the Finnish Embassy, successfully lobbying to include Finland as one of their destinations in 2016, the European Australian Business Councils (EABC) Business Mission travelled to Helsinki (30 June to 1 July 2016) as well as Brussels and Zurich. FACC would like to acknowledge Kalmar’s special contribution to the success of this activity. Among the delegates were a number of Australian senior business leaders.

Key FABC Activities in Finland

Finland Australia Business Council (FABC), the Finland Helsinki sister organization of the FACC, organized the ‘Business Opportunities in Australia, 2016 & Beyond’ webinar on the 16^th of March. The webinar, hosted by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, was broadcast via video link across Finland and included interesting presentations and active questions & discussions by the participants.

Upcoming Events

The Board of the FACC together with The Ambassador of the Republic of Finland in Australia, Mr Lars Backström, look forward to welcoming Chamber members and the wider Finnish community to the Independence Day Reception in Perth on the 6^th of December 2016.

It is an invitation only event to celebrate the 99th anniversary of Finnish Independence. The event will be held at the Honorary Consulate General of Finland in Perth and attended by representatives of the Finnish Embassy, members of the wider Finnish business community in Australia, representatives of the Western Australian Government and industry sectors etc. All paid Chamber members will be receiving an invitation. We are delighted to have Wärtsilä as the exclusive sponsor of this year’s Independence Day event!

Farewell to Ambassador Pasi Patokallio

On the 11^th of July, Chamber members attended a farewell dinner in Sydney in honour of the outgoing Ambassador Pasi Patokallio. We had the opportunity to thank Mr. Patokallio for his excellent work and cooperation over the previous four years and also wish him best of luck for the future.

Change of Board Members

Since the last AGM in October 2015, the Chamber has welcomed (3) three new members to the Board: Tim Purcell, Peter Vainio and Jarna Virtanen. We are very pleased to continue working with them in the forthcoming period.

Chamber is pleased to acknowledge the outstanding support received from the following sponsors in 2015/16, hoping we will continue our successful collaboration in coming years.

Platinum Sponsors

• Fiskars
• Kalmar
• Metso

Gold Sponsors

• Finnair
• Finncare
• KONE Elevators
• Lappset
• Stora Enso
• TressCox
• Wärtsilä

Silke Koernicke
President FACC
Sydney, 27 October 2016

The traditional Finnish baby box is coming to Australia with the introduction of Tuutu Baby Box created by two Finnish-Australian mothers who believe every baby is entitled to the right start in life.

Tuutu Baby Box founders Susanna Heiskanen and Laura Lohiniva-Hart say that since the introduction of the baby box in Finland, the infant mortality rate has decreased from 6.5 percent to 0.2 percent (Statistics Finland).  Susanna says:

“The baby box has been credited as one of the reasons for the reduction in infant mortality rate and we would like to see Australia adopt this approach.”

Australia Bureau of Statistics state that the infant mortality rate in 2015 was 3 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.

The Finnish baby box was launched in 1938 when the government distributed maternity packages that included clothes, sleeping bag and a small mattress that transformed the box into baby’s first bed.

Tuutu Baby Boxes will include resources, support and information about topics such as breastfeeding and safe sleeping.

With its roots planted in Finnish tradition with a modern Australian touch, the box is made and designed locally featuring popular products from Bubba Blue, PureBaby, Gaia Skin Naturals, GroVia , BabyBeeHinds and WaterWipes.

Susanna and Laura have also identified the significance of sustainability in producing their product.  Laura says:

“The box is made completely from recyclable material and we are including products such as reusable breast pads and washable cloth nappies to give our customers the opportunity to try more sustainable options.”

“As a company we see having a social conscience as a key part of our business in the way that a proportion of the profit will be used to provide baby boxes for underprivileged parents in Australia.”

The box has also been redesigned with a lid that can be used as a changing table and the contents include example swaddles, baby bodysuit and mittens to complement the Australian lifestyle.

Tuutu Baby Box has launched. See www.tuutu.com.au for more information. Enjoy free shipping until the end of September and two extra baby bodysuits until the stock lasts! @tuutubabybox Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook/TuutuBabyBox.

Pekka Kuusisto appointed Artistic Director of ACO Collective

Finnish violinist, Pekka Kuusisto, has been appointed as Artistic Director of ACO Collective (formerly known as A^CO₂). The appointment is for three years and Kuusisto takes up the position from the beginning of 2016.

When Kuusisto first toured with the ACO in 2001, we fell in love with this musical maverick’s exuberant style of music-making, bristling with invention and energy, taking “every piece he performs, however familiar, back to first principles, stripping any vestige of interpretative tradition and playing it as though he were hearing it for the first time.”

Kuusisto’s sense of musical adventure and highly individualistic style sees him equally adept at playing folk, electronic, jazz, rock, and improvising, alongside classical music. His ability to direct his musicianship so unswervingly in a multiplicity of directions sets him apart from many of his contemporaries. “It’s more that he’s a very rare example of a musician who can focus his puckish intensity in several different directions without diluting what he does in any of them.”  This most versatile of artists directs his own music festival, is in demand internationally as a soloist and director, and is evangelistic in his promotion of new music.

With a pedigree like this, Kuusisto is the perfect catalyst to ignite the imaginations of the fiery young guns of ACO Collective in their spirited touring adventures across the country. Kuusisto’s first program as the Artistic Director of ACO Collective is the season opener for the ACO’s main-stage season of 2016.  Kuusisto leads the ensemble in Beethoven & the 21^st Century on an 11-concert tour of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide and Newcastle. ACO Collective first appeared in an ACO main-stage season in 2013 under the direction of ACO’s Artistic Director,  Richard Tognetti, with The Australian saying “[it was]…one of the year’s must-hear concerts.”

Richard Tognetti says, “I first met and heard Pekka shortly after his historic win at the International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition in 1995. He was the first Finn to win the competition which is one of the top three in the world. Pekka was invited to direct the ACO and a relationship was forged, resulting in his being a part of the collective consciousness of the ACO. It’s in no small part due to Pekka that we have Timo-Veikko Valve as our beloved Principal Cello, and a profound connection with his musical, mythical homeland. Pekka has a calling to turn things on their head. A musical insight that is as disturbing as it is compelling.  He’s a musician for the new world and, therefore, his appointment to the newly branded ACO Collective couldn’t be bettered. I look forward to working with Pekka and eagerly anticipate how he will evolve new forms from ancient traditions. This is a big appointment for the ACO, and for the future of music in Australia, and we confidently entrust Pekka with these responsibilities. “

Kuusisto says, “The ACO’s 2016 season is themed around Beethoven’s late string quartets, and so this formed the basis of the programme. After much discussion, Opus. 95 was chosen as the closing work of the concert. I was then given the extremely delicate task of exploring repertoire which would both complement and introduce this highly experimental work.”

“Op.95 has a particularly explosive opening statement, so we needed something very intimate and gentle to precede it, in order not to steal Beethoven’s thunder. Rakastava by Sibelius is the perfect thing. Rakastava is a piece that has a feel of very distinct lighting to it. At the risk of sounding like a tourist advert for my part of the planet, I’d say that it’s very much about dusk in a Fennoscandian forest, around mid-June. Everything in Rakastava feels and smells like nature at night, so we needed another kind of light before it. Cue Tenebre by Bryce Dessner. It’s originally written as a gift for the lighting designer of the Kronos Quartet, and its shadows are very architectural. Tenebre is inspired by ceremonial vocal music, which ties it nicely to Rakastava as well, since the Sibelius work started its life as a suite for male choir, with lyrics from Finnish traditional poetry. Maybe we’ll sing a bit in this concert as well.”

“The massive nod that Tenebre gives to earlier music is mirrored from Tippett’s Lament, which contains a direct quote from Ah, Belinda by Henry Purcell. Sir Michael Tippett’s amazing handling of a string orchestra has certainly been an inspiration to Bryce Dessner and Erkki-Sven Tüür. Tüür’s work also has some delicious Purcellian clashings, especially in the middle movement, and the warm and fuzzy activities in the low register constantly remind me of Vaughan Williams and Britten. The outer movements give us a healthy reminder to listen to Estonian prog rock, as well as echoing some moments from Britten’s Les Illuminations, which is convenient, since Britten is one of the heroes of Nico Muhly.”

“Nico’s beautiful collection of violin gestures is originally the first movement of a suite for violin and piano, and includes an element of contained improvisation, which is a lovely way to begin a concert. Both Nico and Bryce are dear friends of mine, and I’m ecstatic to get to bring their music to ACO Collective.”

At the end of Beethoven’s ‘middle period’, he used his Op.95 Serioso quartet as a springboard into the completely new language that would exemplify his final quartets.  Kuusisto says ”In the case of Op.95, we are faced with a dilemma – Beethoven himself wrote that the work should not be performed to the general public, but only for a small circle of connoisseurs. I’m excited about the challenge and will dive into it trusting that Beethoven would have changed his mind upon hearing ACO Collective.”

Kuusisto’s second tour of the year with ACO Collective sees him lead the ensemble on tour to Western Australia from 29 April to 8 May 2016.  ACO Collective performs works by Vivaldi, Piazzolla, and Philip Glass in Albany, Manjumup, Margaret River, Bunbury, Mandurah and Geraldton.

In keeping with his adventurous programming, Kuusisto has invited META4, one of Finland’s most internationally successful string quartets, to lead ACO Collective on its third tour of the year. ACO Collective performs Webern, Jaakko Kuusisto, Mendelssohn, Sculthorpe and Beethoven across NSW, visiting Albury, Wagga Wagga, Griffith, Penrith, Dubbo, Tamworth, and Taree.

About Pekka Kuusisto

Recently described by one critic as a musician “who surely has the most personal sound of any classical violinist now alive”, Pekka Kuusisto is internationally renowned for his fresh approach to the repertoire. An advocate of new music, Kuusisto works with composers such as Nico Muhly, Thomas Adès and Sebastian Fagerlund. As soloist, he performs with Seattle, Toronto, BBC Scottish, Singapore and Cincinnati symphony orchestras, as well as the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, MDR Sinfonieorchester Leipzig, Bamberger Symphoniker, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia and Philharmonia Orchestra.

Collaborating with performers across the artistic spectrum, Kuusisto joins forces with actress Seela Sella and director Kristian Smeds for a new theatrical production Tabu at the Finnish National Theatre, which features Kuusisto as both composer and performer. A keen chamber musician, regular partners include Anne Sofie von Otter, Simon Crawford-Phillips, Nicolas Altstaedt, Alexander Lonquich and Olli Mustonen.”

Kuusisto is widely recognised for his directing work, and in addition to his position with ACO Collective, he becomes Artistic Partner with Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra from September 2016. He also regularly directs the Mahler, Swedish and Irish chamber orchestras, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie and Britten Sinfonia.

Pekka Kuusisto received the Nordic Council Music Prize in 2013 and is Artistic Director of the award-winning ‘Our Festival’, based in Sibelius’ home-town. His latest recording features Fagerlund’s Violin Concerto with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (BIS).

About ACO Collective

ACO Collective is the ACO’s critically acclaimed 17-piece string ensemble which delivers the ACO’s regional touring and education programs Australia-wide. ACO Collective (formerly known as A^CO₂) combines musicians of the ACO with Australia’s most talented young professional musicians at the outset of their careers, creating a combined ensemble with a fresh, energetic performance style. These young professionals have all participated in the ACO’s year-long Emerging Artists’ Program and are in demand from Australia’s professional orchestras, but dedicate themselves to the ACO’s high-octane performance style for intense touring periods.

ACO Collective commenced touring as A^CO₂ in 2007 and since then has performed in more than 80 regional centres in every state and territory, all of Australia’s state capitals, and has toured to Japan. The Ensemble works regularly with guest artists of the highest calibre, both international and Australian, including violinists Elizabeth Wallfisch, Benjamin Schmid, Henning Kraggerud and Thomas Gould; cellist Daniel Müller-Schott; harpist Alice Giles; recorder virtuoso Genevieve Lacey; singer / songwriter Tim Freedman from The Whitlams; and oud player Joseph Tawadros.

In 2013, the ACO presented the Ensemble in a national subscription tour led by Richard Tognetti and it was named by The Australian as “one of the year’s must-see concerts”. Biennially, the Ensemble is the Orchestra-in-Residence at the Vasse Felix Festival in Western Australia and in 2014 it was the Orchestra-in-Residence at the Canberra International Music Festival.

ACO Collective – Supporters

To coincide with the appointment of Pekka Kuusisto as Artistic Director and the change of name to ACO Collective, the ACO is proud to announce that its longstanding partner, Wesfarmers Arts, has expanded its support of the Orchestra to become Principal Partner of ACO Collective.  Wesfarmers has supported the ACO’s Perth Series and WA regional touring activities for over 10 years, so it is fitting that this visionary partner joins with ACO Collective to help it reach even greater heights.

ACO Collective is also directly supported by the ACO’s exciting new philanthropic program ACO Next. This exclusive membership program supports, shapes and engages with Australia’s next generation of great musicians.

For more information, or to arrange interviews, contact Mary Stielow on +61 2 8274 3812, or mary.stielow@aco.com.au

FACC PRESIDENT’S REPORT TO THE AGM

Welcome

Welcome to the President’s Report to the Finland Australia Chamber of Commerce (FACC) Annual General Meeting 2015!

Membership Status and Sponsors

The Chamber Membership has decreased slightly since the last AGM in 2014. We are currently counting 41 members, compared to 47 in the previous period. The number of sponsors remains unchanged compared to last year (11).

Member Activities in 2014/2015

By tradition the Chamber participated in the annual Cruise with the Europeans in Sydney Harbour, on 5 November 2014. There were 29 Chamber guests present at the spectacular 2-hour cruise, supported by the European Chambers of Commerce. Now in its 15th year, the upcoming cruise is taking place on 12 November 2015 and we look forward to seeing our members and friends there again! As in previous years, we also invite you to the after party at King St. Brewhouse, across the wharf where the cruise ship will debark.

FACC has supported quarterly EuroMix – European Business Networking luncheon events in 2014 and 2015, held in Melbourne and in Sydney, organized by SwissCham Australia.

Chamber’s first event for 2015 was the second FACC Sydney Golf Day for members, held at the NSW Golf Club on 13 February 2015. The NSW Golf Club is one of the oldest in Australia and is situated on the northern headland of historic Botany Bay.

On 4 June 2015, FACC held a Breakfast Seminar Employee Incentives in partnership with BDO. BDO Tax Partner, Vanessa Priest, highlighted some key changes proposed and how it may impact employees and employers who are considering either participating or offering an employee share scheme from 1 July 2015. There were 33 guests attending this seminar.

As a way to bring members and potential members together, the Chamber organized and hosted the first traditional Crayfish Party on 29 August 2015. The selected venue for the fun afternoon event was Manly 16ft Skiff Club in Sydney The party was a great success, attended by 60 members and non-members from the Finnish community in Sydney, as well as representatives from Finpro and the Finnish Embassy. We look forward to making this party an annual tradition for our current and future members!

On 10 September 2015 in Sydney, FACC hosted a Boardroom Discussion Event on recent developments in Russia and the implications for its trading partners (i.e. Australia and Europe). Guest speaker was Kyle Wilson, Visiting Fellow, ANU’s Centre for European Studies. He talked about the developments of the past few years, what is happening now in Russia, what it means for Europe and its trading partners. The event was sold out with 16 attendees in total; preference was given to FACC members. Finland’s Ambassador, His Excellency Mr Pasi Patokallio, was also in attendance.

Employment Migration Seminar was held in Sydney on 8 October 2015, organized by FACC and supported by other European Chambers. The event focused on discussion around issues arising when employing a non-resident in Australia. The key speaker was Silke Koernicke, FACC President and the Special Counsel, Immigration and International Business at TressCox Lawyers, along with Rae Mozejko (Solictor, Employment Law). Panellists included Frank Ribuot (Chief Executive Officer, Randstad Australia), Stewart Meek (HR Manager, Cargotec Australia) as well as Christian Schoener (Director and Tax Specialist, CGSA Group). 28 people attended this seminar, targeted at senior management, HR executives and employees of multinational companies.

Throughout the previous 12 months Chamber held the monthly Executive Board meetings, followed by our networking drinks nights. Some of the new venues explored included The Lobo Plantation and Palings Kitchen & Bar at The Ivy.

Other Events

As part of the Windows on Europe Film Festival in Australia in 2014, the program featured ‘Concrete Night (Betoniyö)’, directed by Finnish filmmaker Pirjo Honkasalo. The film premiere was screened in Sydney on 22 November and in Canberra on 25 November. The Chamber provided discounted tickets for our members and the take up rate was good.

This year the Finnish Society in Sydney Inc. celebrated 85 years! Chamber representatives attended the dinner reception held on 25 February 2015 in the Harbourview Lounge at The Kirribilli Club in Lavender Bay, Sydney.

Chamber was present at the Study Tour Exhibition – Swinburne Design Factory in Melbourne on 21 April 2015. Swinburne Design Factory collaborates closely through several programs with Aalto University, Helsinki and is part of Design Factory Global Network (DFGN). Guests had a chance to see an exhibition showcasing two Design Factory projects to Singapore and Shanghai & Helsinki. Also, students presented their learning experiences on travelling to Finland and doing projects in collaboration with Finnair on in-flight packaging. Hosts and guests were addressed by Geoff Stone, Finnair Country Sales Manager for Australia & NZ as well as Geoff Charnock, Secretary of the Chamber and the Honorary Consul for Finland in Sydney.

Chamber attended the SLUSH Down Under event in Melbourne on 22 April – a premier launch platform for local start-ups. It was organized for the first time in Australia, as part of the business technology event Connect Expo, in collaboration with the organizers of SLUSH Finland (Helsinki). The one-day event in Melbourne included a conference with a panel of experts, an exhibition and pitching competition for Australian start-up businesses. As part of the prize for two winning start-up companies (Sports Performance Tracking and Care Monkey), Finnair – Slush Down Under airline partner – provided flights to the main SLUSH event in Helsinki in November 2015.

FACC collaborated with the Finnish Embassy and Finpro Sydney on the advance preparation for the Australia-Finland Innovation Forum, which took place on 23 April 2015 in Melbourne. The event was facilitated by the Embassy in Canberra (attendance by Anti Niemelä and His Excellency Pasi Patokallio) in collaboration with the Victorian Government and the Small Technology Clusters Australia (STC) – aimed at focusing on driving links between Australian and Finnish business and government representatives and further developing as the first platform in building Australia – Finland innovation cooperation. Among ~45 participants, a large number of the Finnish business community were in attendance.

Representatives of the Chamber attended the CEO Round-Table for Finnish companies in Australia on 11 June 2015 in Sydney. The Finnish Embassy and Team Finland organized the event which was attended by representatives of Finnish companies in Australia (including Kemppi, Nokia, Comptel, Finnair, Luxus Worldwide and KONE). Antti Niemelä, Deputy Head of Mission at the Finnish Embassy in Canberra, presented on the potential EU-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and market access barriers (non-tariff barriers) that Finnish companies are facing in Australia.

Chamber was present at the media screening of a documentary film “The Will to Fly” in Sydney on 11 August 2015. The film presented an inspiring story about Lydia Lassila, the Team Finland ambassador in Melbourne, and her journey to becoming an Olympic champion, record holder and a mother. Lydia was also present at the brief networking session prior to the screening and we had the pleasure to chat to her about the film.

Planned Events

Sponsored by the FACC, Independence Day in Melbourne on 3 December 2015 is an invitation only event to celebrate the 98th anniversary of Finnish Independence. It will be held at the Westin Hotel in Melbourne and attended by representatives of the Finnish Embassy, including His Excellency Pasi Patokallio. It is the first time the FACC has held an Independence Day event and we are hoping for a gathering of around 150 people from the government, business and the local Finnish community. All paid members will be receiving an invitation.

EABC Trade Delegation to Finland

One of our members, Peter McLean – Vice President and Managing Director, Kalmar ANZ, is now also on the board of the European Australian Business Council (EABC). Further to joint efforts by FACC, Finpro and the Finnish Embassy, successfully lobbying to include Finland as one of their destinations in 2016 – the forthcoming EABC Business Mission will travel to Helsinki (30 June – 1 July 2016) as well as Brussels and Zurich. FACC would also like to acknowledge Kalmar’s special contribution to the success of this activity!

Key FABC Activities in Finland

Finland Australia Business Council (FABC) – the Finland / Helsinki sister organization of the FACC was successfully launched in Finland at the beginning of 2014. During their first year, FABC organised and co-organised several events and activities. At the end of 2014 the FABC had 25 members, including large companies/organisations, SMEs, and individual managers and professionals interested in Finland-Australia business relationships.
FABC will be co-hosting an Australia Finland Innovation Day event on 2 November 2015 in Espoo, in collaboration with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. It will focus on promoting cooperation in R&D and innovation between Australian and Finnish companies and other organisations. Opportunities and challenges will be discussed on the marketing and commercialization of Finnish innovations to Australian markets and vice versa.

Change of Board Members

Board Member Josefin Ahlgren, previously Managing Director at Martin Bencher (Australia), returned to Europe in late December 2014 to pursue business opportunities in Sweden. Jarkko Laukkanen has taken Josefin’s position on the board after her departure.
Furthermore, Lesley Doig, Anna Isenberg and Miselle Pons have advised that they will not be seeking re-election to the FACC Board in 2015. On behalf of all our members, FACC would like to acknowledge their support over the past years and thank them for their great contribution to Chamber’s activities and goals of promoting Finnish-Australian relationship! As always we encourage your participation in the Chamber and your feedback and suggestions are appreciated and always welcome!

Other Business

We have successfully initiated the FACC ‘Melbourne Chapter’, holding an introductory meeting of the Steering Committee on 30 September 2015 in Melbourne. Facilitated by Sanna Ruuskanen, Corporate Sales Manager Australia at Finnair and FACC’s Executive Board Member, this initial meeting was attended by 16 Finnish business and academic community members, including representatives from the Finnish Embassy. The meeting was a great success – with the main goal to discuss ideas and prepare a draft of an action plan on how to revive FACC activities in Melbourne, re-engage existing members, as well as to attract new members and sponsors. We look forward to working together to improve the value proposition for our members / sponsors and organizing future events of interest in both Melbourne and in Sydney!

The Chamber would like to thank and acknowledge the generous support received from the following sponsors in 2015, hoping we will continue our collaboration in coming years.

Platinum Sponsors
• Kalmar
• Metso
• TressCox

Gold Sponsors
• Finnair
• Fiskars
• Handelsbanken
• KONE
• Konecranes
• Lappset
• Stora Enso
• Wärtsilä

Silke Koernicke
President FACC
Sydney, 22 October 2015