YIE and NoCry2 met again

Participants got a tour around the Science Centre Pilke.

Some of the YIE's Finnish participants gathered together for further regional networking at Science Centre Pilke in Rovaniemi. The event was organized in cooperation with NoCry2 project.

The event kicked off with a short presentation about today's entrepreneurial situation in Lapland by Antti Pietilä from Länsipohjan Yrittäjät. Participants also got a short introduction to InnoBarentsLab from Janne Konttaniemi (and Heli Huhanantti).

Project manager Heidi Alariesto from Rovaniemen Kehitys Oy was invited to the event to present their mentoring or kind of "godfather" activity where an experienced entrepreneur volunteers to advice young entrepreneurs. As mentoring programme is one of the Young Innovative Entrepreneurs project's aims too, collaboration between Rovaniemen Kehitys and YIE may be possible in the future for mutual benefit.

Participants also got a tour around the Science Centre Pilke with Pilke Host Leo Veikkolainen. The exhibition at the Science Centre teaches visitors about sustainable use of the northern forests and about the diverse range of products and commodities connected to the forests.

Science Centre Pilke teaches it's visitors, through all five of the human senses, about the sustainable use of northern forests. This was quite suitable theme/place for the YIE's meeting because after the tour around the Science Centre the participants got a chance to present their projects or companies using "Six senses" (scent, flavor, sensing, hearing, vision, intuition) created by iLme innorooms.

Eila Seppänen talked about NoCry 2 project accompanied by music, chocolate and NoCry2's business card that can be turned into a mobile phone holder. Project manager Saila Vaara's presentation of Young Innovative Entrepreneurs consisted for example of Angry Birds figure, chocolate money and syrup made of annual shoots of fir trees. Elina Stoor from iLme innorooms presented her business by taking the participants to a imaginary picnic on winter. First it was time for a little snack followed by a snowball fight and finally wrapping into a warm blanket. "Six senses" presentations were also heard from other participants of the event; Annett Pée from International Law Consulting Lapland Ltd., Hayden Lloyd from Hayden Lloyd Photography and Pia Aarnio from Design Vimma.

A snowball fight during iLme innoroom's "Six senses" presentation.

After the presentations the conversations and networking continued with dinner at restaurant Comico. There were a lot of great ideas, especially of where the next regional meeting could be. :)

Check out more photos from YIE's Facebook-page.