The goal of the Seminar was to strengthen bilateral cooperation in line with the Finnish Arctic Strategy, through activities, partnership, projects benefiting from the Finnish and Italian expertise in various sectors: economic, entrepreneurial, environmental, social and cultural. The event was also an occasion to underline the relevant contributions provided by Italian research and entrepreneurship to sustainable development in the Arctic, and to learn of the work and field of action of regional Organisations active in the Arctic, such as the Arctic Council, the University of the Arctic, the Barents Euro-Arctic Council, the Baltic Sea States Council.
The Seminar was attended on the Italian side, in his capacity as Italian Co-ordinator for the Arctic, by Minister Plenipotentiary Alessandro Pignatti, Deputy Director General for European Union Affairs at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Italy, and by H. E. Giorgio Visetti, the Italian Ambassador to Finland, with a team of Italian researchers and entrepreneurs. On the Finnish side, Ambassador Hannu Halinen, Arctic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Paula Kankaanpää, Director of the Arctic Centre, Mr. Esko Lotvonen, Mayor of Rovaniemi, and Mr. Timo Rautajoki, Managing Director, Lapland Chamber of Commerce. In addition Klemetti Näkkäläjärvi, President of the Sámi Parliament of Finland addressed participants and was represented at the Seminar by Vice-PresidentHeikki Paltto. Finnish experts and company representative also contribute to the outcome of the Seminar.
The Seminar was held back-to-back with the 4th Arctic Business Forum (http://www.arcticbusinessforum.com/ ) held from the 13th and 14th of March in Rovaniemi. Organized by the Lapland Chamber of Commerce, the forum brings together entrepreneurs and experts to take advantage of the opportunities of sustainable development in investment in infrastructure and resources (current 10-year projections value this at 250 billion euros) in the Artic Region.
The Seminar was attended on the Italian side, in his capacity as Italian Co-ordinator for the Arctic, by Minister Plenipotentiary Alessandro Pignatti, Deputy Director General for European Union Affairs at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Italy, and by H. E. Giorgio Visetti, the Italian Ambassador to Finland, with a team of Italian researchers and entrepreneurs. On the Finnish side, Ambassador Hannu Halinen, Arctic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Paula Kankaanpää, Director of the Arctic Centre, Mr. Esko Lotvonen, Mayor of Rovaniemi, and Mr. Timo Rautajoki, Managing Director, Lapland Chamber of Commerce. In addition Klemetti Näkkäläjärvi, President of the Sámi Parliament of Finland addressed participants and was represented at the Seminar by Vice-PresidentHeikki Paltto. Finnish experts and company representative also contribute to the outcome of the Seminar.
The Seminar was held back-to-back with the 4th Arctic Business Forum (http://www.arcticbusinessforum.com/ ) held from the 13th and 14th of March in Rovaniemi. Organized by the Lapland Chamber of Commerce, the forum brings together entrepreneurs and experts to take advantage of the opportunities of sustainable development in investment in infrastructure and resources (current 10-year projections value this at 250 billion euros) in the Artic Region.