Interreg Aurora is coming to Umeå, 18 September 2025. The focus of the event is to create new opportunities to network across borders. Join us to:
Welcome!
The event is a part of the annual campaign Interreg Cooperation Day 2025, that celebrates the power of European cooperation across borders. The campaign is facilitated by Interact. This year, 2025, is special as it marks the 35th anniversary of Interreg. You can find more information on this web page
You are welcome to download the event presentation.
Venue
Umeå Folkets Hus, Skolgatan 59
18 September 2025
11.00 – 12.00 Registration
12.00 – 13.00 Networking lunch
Programme 13:00-17:00 (Central European Time, CET)
13.00
Welcome to Umeå
Janet Ågren, Deputy Mayor of the City of Umeå
Video message
Jonas Sjöstedt, Member of the European Parliament
Opening address Interreg Aurora – “Great ideas know no borders”
Tina Nilsson, Susanna Ehrs, Gabriel Bölske, Linda Stenström & Päivi Sainio Rohner, Interreg Aurora
Meet the Regions and learn more about regional co-financing
Stina Nilsson & Malin Vedin, Region Västernorrland
Mayuri Kumari, Region Västerbotten
Niklas Koserius, Region Norrbotten
Pia Kattelus & Antti Saartenoja, Etelä-Pohjanmaan liitto
Maria Backman, Pohjanmaan liitto
Katri Niska-Honkonen, Lapin Liitto
14.30 – 15.00
Coffee/tea and networking
15.00 – 16.55
Pitches, partner search and meet up fair for networking
16.55 – 17.00
Closing Address of the Day
Tina Nilsson, Programme Director Interreg Aurora
Venue: Umeå Folkets Hus, Skolgatan 59, 903 29 Umeå, Sweden
Good to know: The event is free of charge for registered participants and include lunch and coffee/tea in the afternoon.
The event is on-site, no digital participation or recording of the event programme.
The language of the event is English, no interpretation of the presentations.
Travel options: Umeå is well-connected by public transport, including train, bus, and ferry services.
If you arrive by ferry there will be a bus transfer to and from the conference venue free of charge for event participants.
If you’re traveling by car, consider carpooling with other participants. Next to Umeå Folkets Hus there are two parking garages, Nanna and Navet. Please note that it is not possible to drive via Vasaplan (in front of Umeå Folkets Hus) as this area is reserved for local traffic. Click here to see a map
Green efforts: The event is paperless, you can find all material online. No need to make prints. A dedicated area is provided for the return of name tags and recycling.
Please feel free to bring your own reusable bottle of water, coffee mug and bag.
Participants: When the event has reached the maximum number of 150 participants the registration page will automatically be closed.
Questions: Please don’t hesitate to contact the Interreg Aurora team interregaurora@lansstyrelsen.se
First name | Last name | Organisation name |
Abdul waheed | Paikan | Private person |
Agneta | Filén | Umeå Kommun |
Aitor | De Andres | Ultrafast nanoscience and optics |
Alejandro | Grimm | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
Alexander | Wahlberg | Rise |
Andreas | De Faria Waleij | Umeå kommun |
Andreas | Johansson Mazzocchi | Region Västerbotten |
Andreas | Willfors | Novia UAS |
Angelique | Irjala | Business Kristinestad |
Anna | Tervonen | Kajaani University of Applied Sciences |
Anna-mari | Ruisniemi | Interreg Aurora |
Annica | Mäkitalo | Region Västerbotten |
Annika | Blomster | County Administrative Board of Västerbotten |
Annika | Puro-Aho | Suomen Yrittäjäopisto |
Ann-Maj | Björkell-Holm | Yrkesakademin i Österbotten Svenska Österbottens förbund för utbildning och kultur |
Ann-Sofie | Wingren | Musikcafé After Eight |
Antti | Juntunen | Solwers |
Antti | Saartenoja | Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia |
Barbro | Kalla | BioFuel Region |
Ben | Edström | Musikcafé After Eight |
Carina | Eriksson | Region Västerbotten |
Carola | Wiik | Kvarnen samkommun |
Cathrin | Alenskär | City of Umeå |
Cecilia | Nordlund | BizMaker |
Cecilia | Onselius | Härnösands kommun |
Cynthia | Söderbacka | Novia University of Applied Sciences |
Daniela | Nedelcheva | Vindelälven-Juhttátahkka Biosphere Reserve |
Elena | Glotova | Umeå university |
Elin | Pudas | Umeå universitet Holding AB |
Elina | Rantalahti | Järvi-Pohjanmaan Yrityspalvelu Oy |
Elsa | Lundbäck | Kulturföreningen Humlan |
Emelie | Matkala Nylander | Save the Children Sweden |
Emma | Andrau | Kulturföreningen Humlan |
Erik | Palm | Musikarrangörer i Samverkan – MAIS |
Erik | Sandén | Västerbottens Museum |
Frank | Sandqvist | Nykarleby Innovation Center r.f. |
Gabriel | Bölske | Interreg Aurora |
Hanna | Olovsson | BioFuel Region |
Heidi | Viljakainen | Educational Consortium OSAO |
Heli | Hiltunen | Oy Arbonaut Ltd |
Henna-Mari | Laurila | Kajaani University of Applied Sciences |
Henrik | Ingo | Yrkesakademin i Österbotten |
Ida | Norberg | BioFuel Region |
Irene | Bro | Region Västerbotten |
Jennie | Olofsson | Härnösands kommun |
Jenny | Ferry | Region Västerbotten |
Jenny | Åkermark | Umeå kommun |
Jens | Danielsson | Örnsköldsviks kommun |
Jesper | Frii | Frii’s Rubrik |
Jimmy | Nymark | Centria UAS |
Joel | Haverinen | University of Vaasa |
Joel | Powell | Skogstekniska klustret |
Johan | Lugnet | Luleå University of Technology |
Johannes | Nyberg | Cilom AB |
Juho | Pirttilahti | Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences |
Kajsa | Berggren | Länsstyrelsen Västerbotten |
Karan | Mitra | Luleå University of Technology |
Katarina | Påve-Gaup | Aimi of Sápmi AB / Arctic Prime AS |
Katja | Jankens | Centria UAS |
Katri | Niska-Honkonen | Regional Council of Lapland |
Keith | Larson | Arctic Centre at Umeå University |
Kimmo | Rautanen | Åbo Akademi University |
Kristofer | Stenskog | Creative Crowd |
Linda | Stenström | County administrative board of Norrbotten |
Linda | Lindroos | Centria UAS |
Linda | Nyström | Skogstekniska klustret |
Lotta | Pitkänen | Regional Council of Ostrobothnia |
Magnus | Matisons | BioFuel Region |
Mai | Nabawy | Region Västerbotten |
Malin | Skutnabba | The Regional Council of Ostrobothnia |
Malin | Vedin | Region Västernorrland |
Maria | Backman | Regional Council of Ostrobothnia |
Matti | Heikkinen | Kajaani University of Applied Sciences |
Mayuri | Kumari | Region Västerbotten |
Mikael | Andersson | Musikcafé After Eight |
Mikael | Söderström | Umeå University |
Mirja | Hietala | Educational Consortium OSAO |
Mona | Groop-Sjöholm | Centria University of Applied Sciences |
Mona | Sundin | BizMaker |
Märta | Streijffert | Umeå kommun |
Niklas | Koserius | Region Norrbotten |
Niklas | Labba | Gáisi Giellaguovddáš |
Noella Lidvine | Isingizwe | Utunyange Initiative |
Ondrej | Spala | Sør-Varanger Utvikling AS |
Outi | Laatikainen | KAMK University of Applied Sciences |
Pamela | Theodorou Lingehall | Creative Crowd AB |
Patrik | Pettersson | Härnösands kommun |
Pauli | Sneck | Thermopolis Oy |
Per | Lindström Lussi | LNU Weling Mechanics Laboratory, Linnéuniversitetet |
Pernilla | Howard | Centria University of Applied Sciences |
Pernilla | Koskela | Region Västerbotten |
Pertti | Aula | Vaasa University of Applied Sciences |
Pia | Kattelus | Regional Council if South Ostrobothnia |
Pierre | Dackmo | Sonaga AB |
Päivi | Sainio Rohner | County Administrative Board of Norrbotten |
Rebekka | Mannelqvist | Region Västerbotten |
Rickard | Wallin | Visual Magic Education AB |
Saara | Uusiheimala | Kajaani University of Applied Sciences |
Sandeep | Patil | Luleå University of Technology |
Sara | Nilsson | region västerbotten |
Sarah | Åkerman | Åbo Akademi University |
Sean | Black | Svenska ESF-rådet |
Shatrudhan | Palsaniya |
|
Silja | J. Marklund | Rans sameby |
Simon | Marklund | Region Västerbotten |
Simon | Oja | Arctic Centre, Umeå University |
Stina | Nilsson | Region Västernorrland |
Susanna | Ehrs | Interreg Aurora Joint Secretariat |
Susanne | Vinderå | Coompanion Västernorrland |
Sven | Söderholm | Centria University of Applied Sciences |
Sören | Mattbäck | Yrkeshögskolan Novia |
Tellervo | Kivistö | Oulu University |
Teresa | Klett Sarmentero | Tullverket |
Thomas | Westerberg | Oxford Research |
Timo | Ylikangas | Yrkeshögskolan NOVIA |
Tina | Nilsson | Interreg Aurora |
Tobias | Johansson | Umeå municipality |
Tom | Tuunainen | Centria |
Tomas | Mörtsell | Tomas Mörtsell AB |
Ulrica | Taylor | Municipality of Korsholm |
Ulrika | Vinka | Länsstyrelsen Västerbotten |
Vanja | Strand | Swedish Forest Agency |
Veronica | Berg | Kvarken Council EGTC |
Viveka | Öling-Wärnå | Novia University of Applied Sciences |
Ylva | Ylinenpää Sannemalm | Leader Tornedalen 2030 |
Yvonne | Nordin | RISE Processum AB |
Åsa | Ericson | Luleå tekniska universitet |
Åsa | Fällman | Umeå kommun, Näringsliv |
Åsa | Laurell | Umeå kommun / The municipality of Umeå |
Venue: Tonsalen
Time: 15.00
| Approx. starting time | Title and topic of project idea | Name and organization |
| 15.05 | Strategic cooperation between education and industry in connection with the green transition | Ann-Maj Björkell-Holm, Yrkesakademin i Österbotten Svenska Österbottens förbund för utbildning och kultur |
| 15.10 | European Festivals Fond for Emerging Artists – EFFEA | Erik Palm, Musikarrangörer i Samverkan – MAIS |
| 15.15 | Other side of games | Timo Ylikangas, Yrkeshögskolan NOVIA |
| 15.20 | Arctic Waste Collaboration + Nature-based Solutions for Snowmelt Water Treatment | Henna-Mari Laurila, Kajaani University of Applied Sciences |
| 15.30 | Resilience | Sara Nilsson, Region Västerbotten |
| 15.35 | Excess heat as a booster for climate resilient local food production + Greenlink | Outi Laatikainen, KAMK University of Applied Sciences |
| 15.45 | Industrial Applications of Low Power Energy Harvesting | Joel Haverinen, University of Vaasa |
| 15.50 | Aurora XR TechTour | Juho Pirttilahti, Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences |
| 15.55 | Women of the North – Building Future Indigenous Entrepreneurs | Katarina Påve-Gaup, Aimi of Sápmi AB / Arctic Prime AS |
| 16.00 | The third sector’s role in corporate social responsibility | Pernilla Howard, Centria University of Applied Sciences |
| 16.05 | Beyond Blue Zones – Kvarken on the Global Market As a Leading Lifestyle Medicine and Community Health Innovation Cluster Through Research, Education, Tourism and Food | Sarah Åkerman, Åbo Akademi University |
| 16.10 | Fossil-free logistics through electrification and renewable fuels, as well as innovation and knowledge exchange around biogas production and digestate as a resource in agriculture | Hanna Olovsson, BioFuel Region |
| 16.15 | INVOLVE – involve more parties for greater engagement and for continuity in the work with education, eradication and controling invasive non-native species | Åsa Laurell, Umeå kommun / The municipality of Umeå |
| 16.20 | Utunyange Health Initiative: Empowering Girls and Young Women through SRHR, Technology, and STEM | Noella Lidvine, Utunyange Initiative |
| 16.25 | Small scale on demand Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing of one of its kind components in Sapmi | Per Lindström Lussi, LNU Weling Mechanics Laboratory, Linnéuniversitetet |