Finland’s North Karelia and Japan’s Akita Launch Academic Research Collab­or­a­tions in Forest Bio Economy

The Parties Begin Commerce and Regional Dialogues for Building a Triple-Helix-Model Cooperation.

By Naomi Moriyama

On March 23, 2025, Akita’s COI-NEXT SOUZOU-NO-MORI Project hosted the first Akita-North Karelia Symposium in Akita City.

The event program explained, “The first symposium focuses on the academic aspects of the devel­op­ment of the bioeconomy and discusses the current situation and challenges in both countries. By under­standing the common­al­ities and differ­ences between Finland, partic­u­larly the North Karelia region, and Japan, we aim to estab­lish the found­a­tion for future academic cooperation.”

Katsuhiko Takata, Project Leader, Akita COI-NEXT Platform, Professor, Akita Prefec­tural University
Markku Hauta-Kasari, Vice Dean, the Faculty of Science, Forestry and Techno­logy, Univer­sity of Eastern Finland and Hiroo Fukuda, President, Akita Prefec­tural University
North Karelia Team
Jouni Pykäläinen, Professor, Univer­sity of Eastern Finland
Ministry of Agricul­ture and Forestry Finland “Vision and Strategic Object­ives 2035”
Shogo Kudo, Associate Professor, Akita Inter­na­tional University
Ville Kortelainen, Devel­op­ment Manager, Forest Bioeconomy, Business Joensuu, Finland
Henri Vanhanen, Senior Scientist, Joensuu Office, the Natural Resources Insti­tute Finland (Luke)
Jukka Tikkanen, Research Director, Univer­sity of Eastern Finland
The First Inter­na­tional COI-NEXT Symposium between Akita-North Karelia
Akita Delic­acies
Recep­tion
Akita Delic­acies

Symposium Program

Welcome Remarks:Hiroo Fukuda, President, Akita Prefec­tural University

Opening Remarks: Katsuhiko Takata, Project Leader, Akita COI-NEXT Platform, Professor, Akita Prefec­tural University

Present­a­tions

  1. Open Bioeconomy Planning for Rural Areas in Japan: Takanori Nagano, Associate Professor, Kobe University
  2. Devel­op­ment of Forest-based Bioeconomy in Finland, National Level and Connected to UE: Jouni Pykäläinen, Professor, Univer­sity of Eastern Finland
  3. Nurturing Local Entre­pren­eur­ship in Akita COI-NEXT Platform: Shogo Kudo, Associate Professor, Akita Inter­na­tional University
  4. Educa­tion Networks Connecting Bioeconomy in Finland: Jukka Tikkanen, Research Director, Univer­sity of Eastern Finland
  5. Chemical Struc­tures of Interphase in Citric Acid-based Wood Adhesion: Daisuke Ando, Assistant Professor, Akita Prefec­tural Univer­sity, Japan
  6. Rethinking Timber Frame Connec­tions: A Revis­ited Tree-Inspired Approach: Firas Hawasly, Assistant Professor, Akita Prefec­tural Univer­sity, Japan
  7. Regional Cooper­a­tion: Connecting Educa­tion and Business: Ville Kortelainen, Devel­op­ment Manager, Forest Bioeconomy, Business Joensuu, Finland

Closing Remarks: Katsuhiko Takata, Project Leader, Akita COI-NEXT Platform, Professor, Akita Prefec­tural University

Photos Naomi Moriyama  写真 森山奈保美

Akita’s COI-Next Souzou no Mori Project: Co-Creating Well-Being through Forest Resources.

Led by Akita’s three public univer­sities, harnessing forest resources for research-driven innov­a­tion and human capital devel­op­ment, revital­izing industry and economy, pursuing co-creating well-being
in the local community. https://en.akita-souzounomori.com/

Forest Joensuu is the triple-helix model of Forest Bioeconomy in North Karelia, Finland.

The BIOSYS North Karelia Inter­na­tional Growth Ecosystem is run by Natural Resources Insti­tute Finland / Luonnon­varakeskus as a project lead, the Regional Council of North Karelia Pohjois-Karjalan maakun­t­aliitto, Univer­sity of Eastern Finland and MKN Itä-Suomi | Rural Women´s Advisory Centre (RWAC) of Eastern Finland. The project is funded by Renewing and Competent Finland 2021–2027, EU Regional and Struc­tural Policy Programme’s Just Trans­ition Fund – JTF, and Regional Council of North Karelia.

Project Profile in Finnish
プロジェクト概要日本語　
Project Profile in English
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For more inform­a­tion, please contact Naomi Moriyama [email protected]