Program 2026
The international Kokkola Material Week offers annual high-level coverage of current research and development prospects in the chemical, bio-economy and mineral economy sectors.
Please note that the seminar in Kokkolasali can accommodate a maximum of 400 on-site participants.
Please also note that lunches during the seminar week are at your own expense.
Mon 9.11.: BioKokkola
Tue 10.11.: TechKokkola | Grand Seminar
Wed 11.11.: GeoKokkola | Business Insights | Industry Meeting Point
Thu 12.11.: ReKokkola | H2Kokkola
Fri 13.11.: FutureFair | FutureFair afternoon – Exploring the future by doing
Mon 9.11.
BioKokkola
BioKokkola – It’s time for wood!
This year BioKokkola highlights wood as a key raw material for sustainable business and innovative solutions. The seminar will feature insights from researchers and companies, covering topics from wood construction to new bioproducts and the business opportunities they create. The event will be opened by Päivi Nerg, State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland.
13.00
Seminaarin avaus
13.05
Päivi Nerg, valtiosihteeri, Maa- ja metsätalousministeriö
13.25
Katja Lähtinen, tutkimusprofessori, Luonnonvarakeskus
13.45
Kommenttipuheenvuoro, Mika Uusimäki, toimitusjohtaja, Kannustalo Oy
14.05
Anuj Kumar, erikoistutkija, Luonnonvarakeskus
14.25
Kahvitauko
14.55
Mikko Junttila, TKI-asiantuntija, Centria-ammattikorkeakoulu
15.15
Marjo Kivijärvi, COO, BrightPlus
15.35
Rofice Dickson, apulaisprofessori, Aalto-yliopisto
16.00
Seminaarin päätös
Tue 10.11.
TechKokkola
Accelerating Industry through Digitalization
Digitalization opens up new opportunities for industry to renew ways of working, improve process efficiency, and strengthen companies’ competitiveness. The TechKokkola seminar will take a practical approach to industrial digitalization, exploring it from the perspectives of companies, research, and support services.
The programme will feature expert presentations on topics such as high-performance computing, EU data regulation, industrial digital solutions, and digitalization support services available to companies. The event will provide an up-to-date overview of how new technologies and services can accelerate the renewal of industry.
13.00
Welcome words
13.05
TBC
13.25
Morthen Mathisen, Customer Manager, CSC
13.40
Impacts and opportunities of the EU Data Act, Joonas Mikkilä, Senior advisor, Digitalisation – Technologies, Data and Innovations, Technology Industries of Finland
13.55
Robocoast EDIH – Driving Digital Transformation for SMEs, Elina Saarela, Expert, Robocoast EDIH
14.10
Physical AI: The Next Competency Frontier, Niko Mäkitalo, Assistant Professor, Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius
Grand Seminar
The Grand Seminar, the flagship event of Kokkola Material Week, will take place on Tuesday, 10 November at Kokkola City Hall. This year’s seminar programme is structured around three key themes: Innovative Industrial Solutions, Critical Materials, and CO₂ in the Industry.
Bringing together leading industrial players, the seminar will highlight the region’s most significant ongoing projects and provide a timely overview of current developments, investments, and innovations shaping the future of industry. In addition to a programme of highly topical keynote speeches and expert presentations, the event offers an excellent platform for networking and dialogue among industry professionals and stakeholders. The event will be held in English.
Wed 11.11.
GeoKokkola
Business Insights
Industry Meeting Point
Thu 12.11.
ReKokkola
The circular economy is born out of collaboration, research, and innovation
This year, ReKokkola celebrates the twentieth anniversaries of the KIP association and a professorship in applied chemistry. We will hear about the major steps taken in the past decade in the industrial area’s development towards a circular economy. Bold ideas have sparked real results and new innovations. The strength of a circular industrial area lies in the collaboration of companies, research organizations, and communities towards shared goals. ReKokkola offers insights into local actors’ research and development work, as well as the latest highlights from other industrial areas along the west coast.
9.00
Welcome words
9.05
Cooperation Brings Results — 20 Years of KIP ry, Kaisa Kaapo, Executive Director, Kokkola Industrial Park Association – KIP ry
9.15
Virve Heikkinen, Environmental Manager, KIP Infra and Jarmo Sillanpää, Environmental Manager, Boliden
9.35
Jaakko Palola, R&D and Technology Manager, Jervois Finland
9.55
Antti Rinta-Harri, CEO, Berner Chemicals
10.10
Coffee Break
10.40
TBC
10.55
Jaakko Louhisalmi, Business Development Manager, SSAB
11.10
Centria & KIP: With collaboration towards a more sustainable and resource efficient industrial park, Mira Valkjärvi, RDI-expert and Petri Jäntti, RDI-expert, Centria University of Applied Sciences
11.25
Sari Tuomikoski, Associate professor, University researcher, University of Oulu
11.40
20 Years of the Chair of Applied Chemistry and Research in Kokkola,Ulla Lassi, Professor of Sustainable Chemistry, University of Oulu
12.00
Seminar ends
H2Kokkola
Fri 13.11.
FutureFair
Discover the future of industry at the FutureFair event, one of the highlights of Kokkola Material Week.
The FutureFair 2026 seminar will spotlight the clean transition, circular economy, battery industry, and sustainable technology solutions. The event offers insights into how industry is transforming and what kinds of opportunities it presents for future professionals in research, technology, and the business world.
The program features expert talks from the City of Kokkola, Centria University of Applied Sciences, and companies such as Hycamite and Plug Power, which are developing new solutions for the needs of the clean transition, circular economy, and sustainable industry. The presentations will cover, among other topics, practical solutions in the circular economy, the role of research in building a sustainable future, and the career opportunities offered by Kokola’s growing industrial sector.
The seminar morning will culminate in a panel discussion titled “We Are the Future – Together,” where experts from the battery industry, research, and business sectors will discuss the clean transition, responsibility, new technologies, and the future of work. The discussion will explore topics such as the societal importance of the battery industry, responsible sourcing of materials, and the kinds of skills needed in the future.
The event is particularly aimed at students from upper secondary schools, vocational upper secondary schools, and vocational colleges, but it is open to all interested participants.
The event will be held in Finnish, Swedish, and English, and will be hosted by students from the Swedish-language upper secondary school in Kokkola, Adanna Schadewitz and Elis Luoma.
9.00
Tervetuloa / Welcome
9.01
Nora Birkman Neunstedt, asiakasvastaava, Kokkolan kaupunki
Tulevaisuus alkaa Kokkolasta
Millaisia mahdollisuuksia teollisuus tarjoaa tulevaisuuden osaajille? Tässä puheenvuorossa kurkistetaan Kokkolan kasvavaan teollisuuteen, Kokkola Industrial Parkin rooliin sekä alueen muihin merkittäviin teollisuushankkeisiin. Samalla tarkastellaan teollisuuden tarjoamia työllisyys- ja uramahdollisuuksia sekä sitä, miten Kokkola Material Week toimii koko alueen ja teollisuuden showroomina luoden paikan, jossa tulevaisuuden ratkaisut, osaajat ja mahdollisuudet kohtaavat.
Framtiden börjar i Karleby
Vilka möjligheter skapar industrin för framtidens kompetenser? Under detta anförande får du en inblick i Karlebys växande industrimiljö, Kokkola Industrial Parks roll och andra aktuella industrisatsningar i regionen. Presentationen lyfter också fram de karriärmöjligheter som industrin erbjuder, samt hur Kokkola Material Week fungerar som ett skyltfönster för regionen och industrin och erbjuder en mötesplats där framtidens lösningar, kunnande och möjligheter står i fokus.
9.12
Mira Valkjärvi, TKI-asiantuntija, Centria-ammattikorkeakoulu
From wastefulness to resourcefulness – the practical side of circular economy
This talk will look into the practical side of circular economy and what it means for industrial companies now and in the future. We will uncover the importance of circularity and move away from wasteful practices towards resourceful solutions.
9.28
TBC
9.42
Julia Myllymäki, Junior Scientist, Hycamite TCD Technologies
Tutkijana rakentamassa kestävämpää tulevaisuutta
Millaista on työskennellä tutkimuksen ja uusien teknologiaratkaisujen parissa puhtaan siirtymän keskellä? Julia kertoo omasta urapolustaan tutkijaksi teollisen kehittämisen ja innovoinnin pariin sekä siitä, miten tutkimuksella voidaan olla mukana rakentamassa tulevaisuuden kestävämpiä ratkaisuja. Puheenvuoro kannustaa nuoria näkemään, että tutkimuksen, teknologian ja innovaatioiden kautta voi vaikuttaa maailman tulevaisuuteen ja ympäristöhaasteiden ratkaisemiseen.
Shaping a More Sustainable Future Through Research
What is it like to work with research and emerging technologies in the midst of the clean transition?
Julia will share her own career journey into research, industrial development, and innovation, as well as how research can contribute to building more sustainable solutions for the future. Her presentation encourages young people to see how careers in research, technology, and innovation can provide opportunities to make a meaningful impact on the future of our world and help address environmental challenges.
9.56
Tauko
10.07
Aleksi Haverinen, kehityspäällikkö, Plug Power
10.22
Paneelikeskustelu ”We Are the Future – Together” – Akkuteollisuus ja tulevaisuuden ratkaisut / The Battery Industry and Solutions for the Future
Mitä akkuteollisuus tarkoittaa käytännössä? Riittävätkö raaka-aineet tulevaisuudessa? Miten sähköistyvä maailma muuttaa työelämää, ja millaisia osaajia tulevaisuudessa tarvitaan? Näihin ja moniin muihin kysymyksiin etsitään vastauksia asiantuntijapaneelissa, jossa keskustellaan akkuteollisuudesta, vastuullisuudesta, kiertotaloudesta ja puhtaasta siirtymästä nuorille ymmärrettävällä tavalla.
Keskustelussa pohditaan muun muassa sitä, miten akkuihin tarvittavia materiaaleja hankitaan vastuullisesti, millaisia mahdollisuuksia uudet teknologiat tarjoavat ympäristöhaasteiden ratkaisemiseen sekä millainen rooli akkuteollisuudella on tulevaisuuden yhteiskunnassa.
Paneelissa ovat mukana tutkija Ulla Lassi, joka on tehnyt pitkän uran kestävän kehityksen, kiertotalouden ja teollisten ratkaisujen tutkimuksen parissa, Umicoren toimitusjohtaja Pentti Vihanto ja Keliberin johtaja Hannu Hautala, jotka tuovat keskusteluun näkökulmaa akkuteollisuuden kehityksestä ja käytännön liiketoiminnasta, sekä Kokkolan Autohuollon yrittäjä Jesse Haapala, joka kertoo sähköistyvän liikenteen vaikutuksista autoalaan ja arjen työelämään.
Paneeli tarjoaa mahdollisuuden kuulla eri alojen asiantuntijoiden näkemyksiä siitä, miten puhdas siirtymä ja akkuteollisuus vaikuttavat ympäristöön, yhteiskuntaan ja tulevaisuuden uramahdollisuuksiin.
11.00
Seminaari loppuu
FutureFair afternoon – Exploring the future by doing
“Where curiosity meets science”
FutureFair – Explore the future by doing is a new program segment of Kokkola Material Week designed for lower secondary school students, where the future is explored through hands-on activities!
In this interactive program, lower secondary school students will get to explore the themes of Kokkola Material Week in a practical way. After a joint introduction at Kokkola Hall, students will rotate in small groups through exploration points located at Kokkola City Hall. At these stations, local companies, educational institutions, and experts will present their activities, technologies, and future opportunities through engaging tasks, demonstrations, and experiments.
At the exploration points, participants will meet local companies and educational organizations, get inspired by science and technology, and see how research and industry work together to develop solutions for building a sustainable future.
Implemented in cooperation with the Central Ostrobothnia LUMA Centre, regional educational institutions, and KIP companies, the program helps young people understand how mathematics, natural sciences, and technology are connected to everyday life and to the development of sustainable solutions for the future. At the same time, it offers an opportunity to learn about regional expertise, research, and future career opportunities.
The program will be conducted bilingually (Finnish and Swedish).
Participation in the Explore the future by doing section requires advance registration.
Registrations and further information requests should be sent by email to sari.yli-hukka@kosek.fi.
Places are limited.