Nordic/Russian wood in construction exchange
On 2nd March Nordregio organised an event to build Nordic-Russian partnerships for wood in construction. The online event linked actors from across the Nordics and North-West Russia to form new relationships, for trade, knowledge and technology exchange, and the expansion and connection of the wood in the construction community.
The event opened with talks (translated live into English and Russian) from both sides of the border, before diving into dialogues around specific themes of interest. Attendees had the chance to make connections and ask questions of the other stakeholders involved.
Letters of intent
Click on the titles below to download letters of intent
Agenda:
Click on the presentation title or names of the speakers to get the PDF
| 09:00 - 09:10 | Introduction and setting the scene: Welcome by host Nikolaj Sveistrup, Urban Agenda: Why are we here? Project aims and intended outcomes. Interests and opportunities identified so far Outline of the day How to connect and follow up with other participants |
| 09:10 - 09:30 | Wood construction status and trends in Russia and Nordics Trends in NW Russia By Sergey Rebtsovskiy, Deputy Chairman of the Foundation of Presidential Program Participants in the Arkhangelsk Region Trends in the Nordics By Nic Craig, Project Manager at the Nordic Wood in Construction Secretariat |
| 09:30 - 09:55 | Keynote: Pathways for Nordic-Russian cooperation on Wood Construction What are the most promising opportunities for cross-border cooperation on Wood Construction today and in the future, including learnings from the Finnish-Russian PROWO-project? By Timo Pakarinen, Karelia UAS Information about PROWO-project |
| Dialogues Format: Short presentations followed by an open dialogue between panellists and attendees. | |
| 09:55 - 10:40 | Dialogue 1: Overcoming barriers in cross-border trade What are the need-to-knows in cooperating between Nordics and Russia? Regulations, market access, culture, practicalities, and where to turn for support? In dialogue with Jukka Huuhanen, Country Director at the Finnish Russian Chamber of Commerce (click for presentation) and Alexandr Pankratov, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Karelia (click for presentation) |
| 10.40 - 11:00 | Break |
| 11:00-11:40 | Dialogue 2: From design to market How to take wood buildings and products from the design stage to Nordic and Russian Markets? Can design unlock opportunities for collaboration? In dialogue with: Richard Siren from Aalto Haitek and Tobias Landberg (Sweden) and Ksenia Ryabchenko (Russia) from Semrén and Månsson With commentary from Sandra Frank of Arvet |
| 11:40 - 12:20 | Dialogue 3: Doing it - market drivers, competency building, and linking R&D and production What’s the view of companies and universities on the market drivers in Nordics and Russia, and how can we link R&D to production while growing competency in the wood construction workforce? In dialogue with Toivo Lyytikäinen (see presentation here), Scandic Construction and the Saint Petersburg State Forest University and Evgeni Mikhailovskiy, PomorInnovaLes and Northern Arctic Federal University |
| 12:20 - 12:50 | New connections and open dialogue Opportunity for all participants to connect and share visions for future cooperation. Information about Build in Wood, an international community around wood construction, By Peder Fynholm, Danish Technological Institute |
| 12:50-13.00 | Closing remarks Take-home messages and next steps How to follow up or make connections with other participants? |
What to gain from this event?
1. Exchange of knowledge: business practices, education, rules and regulations to trade across Nordics-Russia; environmental practices/ certifications, etc.
2. Networking: opportunity to meet other actors in the Nordic countries and Northwest Russia.
3. Visibility: stakeholders get a unique opportunity to showcase their work and interests on this website shared and visible across the Nordic countries. Also through social media.
4. Be a part of a new community: Participants will receive information on ‘Build-in-Wood Community’ a digital platform to create an international network around wood construction. How to sign up? What to gain?
Why?
We aim to establish Nordic-Russian partnerships, for exchange of technology and sustainability practices, networking and trade in the wood and construction sector. In addition, we aim at building a community of people in the sector to exchange experiences. By enabling these connections, we are supporting a shift towards sustainable and cost-efficient solutions in wood construction.
Who?
The attendees to this open event have been invited from across the Nordic and (Northwestern) Russian wood in the construction community, comprising suppliers, developers, construction firms, and designers, as well as from public authorities, chambers of commerce, and educational and research institutions.
Format
The online event will feature an opening session giving latest updates on the landscape in both the Nordics and Russia, and then we have some dialogue sessions on some specific relevant topics. The conversations will be facilitated and interpreters provided.
Previous dialogue:
Previously arranged meetings with interested companies and stakeholders in Arkhangelsk, Karelia and Murmansk have provided key insights and expectations for collaboration with Nordic partners. These meetings have also revealed relevant challenges and opportunities. Read more in the project News.