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After the first Vaasa Wind Exchange event last March, a lot has happened in the field of wind power in the Vaasa area. Of course, not all the advances that have occurred are the result of this event, but it has certainly spurred things on.

"The timing of the Vaasa Wind Exchange event was optimal, because only a few days later the EU announced its decision on the supply rates for Finland's wind power plants, and this, at the latest, got the wind power operators to make a move," says Raine Vasanoja, the inventor of the event and Senior Business Advisor responsible for VASEK's Invest In operations.

According to Vasanoja, the Vaasa Wind Exchange event last spring was preceded by many years of preparation work, during which contacts were built with European wind power companies and networks and information about the energy cluster in the Vaasa region was distributed. There was a lot of talk but concrete action was still lacking.

"Now we have reached a stage where seven foreign companies within this field are recruiting a workforce for Finland, and most of these workers will be coming to the Vaasa region. In addition, one company will be announcing an important cooperation scheme in Finland within a few weeks," says Vasanoja smiling contentedly.

Companies Are Attracted to the Vaasa Region

North European wind power companies know about the opportunities available in the Vaasa region and Finland. In early September, at the Wind 2011 trade fair in Stockholm, Vasanoja was no longer approached for general information about the region's wind conditions or business structure. This time the questions were considerably more concrete. The developers of wind power wanted to know, for example, which areas are available for wind power construction, or where they can find good project managers.

"Many people also asked when the next Vaasa Wind Exchange will be organised and when the enrolment period begins. There seems to be considerably more interest in the event than last year", he says.

Small Streams Become a Great River

Next year the organisation of the Vaasa Wind Exchange will be the responsibility of the fair organisation company Pohjanmaan Expo. Other significant changes will also occur, since the event will be part of the Vaasa Energy Week event, organised from 19th to 23rd March 2012. Other events taking place during the same week include the Energy and Environment Seminar and the Renewable Efficient Energy Conference.

Text: Johanna Haveri / Viestintä Oy Prowomedia
Translation: Taina Pemberton