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Finland has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2035. Helsinki’s pledge is set for 2030. Most organizations and states have made pledges that materialize decades away. Finland is therefore leading the way in these important commitments, crucial to fight the existential threat of climate change. Constant innovation, coupled with rapid commercialization, are key to the success of these ambitious goals. Great challenges abound, and these are coupled with numerous opportunities for profitable business outcomes for Finnish companies – opportunities that are not limited to Finland but applicable around the globe.

The MIT Industrial Liaison Program and the MIT Startup Exchange, in collaboration with Aalto University, are conducting a one-day symposium at the Dipoli center in the heart of the university campus. MIT and Aalto University faculty and startups, as well as representatives from Finnish industry, will discuss the business and technology challenges needed to further accelerate sustainable innovation.  Launching and commercializing these innovations quickly will ensure that Finnish companies and institutions establish a leadership role in the crucial decades ahead.

As our keynote presentation, Prof. Carlo Ratti will discuss his team’s project, Helsinki’s Hot Heart, award winner of the 2021 Helsinki Energy Challenge. The project is an innovative and transformative energy storage system to provide district heating to the city. The MIT-Aalto Symposium will be an opportunity for the Finnish business community to interact directly with Prof. Ratti on this venture, intimately linked to life in Helsinki. Participants from the business community will also be able to engage with other faculty presenters, startups and with each other, an unusual occurrence in the past two years.

MIT Professional Education and Aalto Executive Education will also offer opportunities for continued engagement and learning for the Finnish corporate community.

MIT Startup Exchange presents its September Startup Workshop, centered around sustainable materials innovation. Today, there is a large and growing societal interest for greater sustainability in the material systems that provide for a modern life style. The call is across all industry sectors, and includes the entire value chain including raw materials, material processing, material uses, and end-of-cycle treatment/reuse. This represents a challenge and an opportunity for companies, and many MIT startups are developing and providing innovative technology and business model solutions.