We in Karostech have been active this summer in streamlining the global partnership network for the benefit of our customers.

During the Open Innovation 2.0 Conference on June Ilkka Kakko had a great chance to spend one afternoon in a workshop together with the directors of JIN (Japan Innovation Network). It was an awesome two and half hours and Ilkka got also an invitation to come and visit JIN in Japan in the near future. In the cover picture Ilkka is after the workshop alongside Urban Mill orchestrators Kari Mikkelä and Lars Miikki together with the top management team of Japan Innovation Network (JIN) Prof Konno, former President of Sony Corporation Dr Ando and Chief Executive Officer of JIN Dr Nishiguchi. 

Karostech organized also a visit for our Korean contact Dr Seo from Innopolis Foundation. Dr Seo made an European tour visiting UK, Sweden and Finland and was interested in studying the latest developments on innovation platforms. Ilkka took Dr Seo to LADEC to show how the local science park in Lahti has merged with regional development company and what kind of experiences they so far have from this re-structuring process. We also visited an Lahti – based entrepreneur Jarmo Järvinen, who is running two amazing businesses, Lean Park Oy and Methator Oy.

After Lahti we continued the program and visited also Espoo Innovation Garden in Otaniemi, where Ilkka explained how 3rd generation science park concept is implemented and what it requires in practical terms.  During the afternoon tour Dr Seo had the chance to meet people from Design Factory, Start-Up Sauna, Urban Mill and a recently established business accelerator Vertical.

Dr Seo was impressed and promised to take some of lessons back to Korea and start implementing them in his organization. He also invited Ilkka to visit Korea on November to conduct some training sessions in their innovation workshop.

In photos: Dr Seo visiting LADEC, where our host was Essi Artima-Sulkinoja and the Vertical accelerator in Otaniemi, where our hosts were Hanna, Kenneth and Paolo.