Society Day: Making Sense of the Hydrogen Transition

Please register to all Nordic Hydrogen Week events through this link.

Programme

08:45-09:15 | Registration and coffee
09:15-9:30 | Welcome to Oulu!

09:30 | What Is Happening in the Global Hydrogen and Data Race?
Opening trialogue
How are global geopolitical shifts, industrial competition and energy security transforming
the hydrogen and data economy? The opening discussion sets the scene for the day by
examining Europe’s position in the emerging hydrogen and data landscape.

Speakers:

TBC / European Commission
Riku Huttunen, Director General of Energy, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment
(Finland)
Clément Villemont, Vice President Innovation, Vallée de la Transition Énergétique (VTE,
Québec, Canada) and co-founder of Pan-Canadian Hydrogen Hub Alliance

10:30 | Coffee in the Valley
Meeting Emerging Hydrogen and Data Valleys

An opportunity to network with representatives from leading Nordic hydrogen and data
valley initiatives and regional development ecosystems.

Confirmed participating valleys: Oulu Region | BotH2nia | BalticSeaH2 | Energi I Nord |
Suomen Vetylaakso | Kouvola Data Valley |

11:00 | Finland: Europe’s Texas for Silicon Valley?
Turning global investment into local value

Speaker: TBC at the beginning of 2027

11:20 | What Does Market Reality Look Like?
Hydrogen and Data Market Outlook

An overview of market developments, investment trends and business opportunities in the
hydrogen and data sectors.

Speaker: Philip Lewis, Chief Executive Officer, KRIOS Infrastructure and COB, VaasaETT

11:40–12:30 | Lunch (at own cost)

12:30 | What Does This Mean for People and Communities?
The Local Impacts That Matter Most

Large-scale industrial investments influence everyday life in many ways. This session
focuses on the issues that matter most to local communities, including energy affordability
and environmental impacts.

Energy Affordability Dialogue, speakers: Sini Numminen, Academy Research Fellow, Aalto
University and Jukka Lassila, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Energy Systems, LUT
University

Environmental Impacts Dialogue, speakers: Katri Luoma-aho, Business Area Director, WSP
and Hanna Halmeenpää, Chair of the Board, Finnish Association for Nature Conservation
(SLL)

13:10 | Who Will Vote for Me After That?
Political Leadership in Clean Transition

Local and regional political leaders discuss the realities of governing through major
industrial and energy transitions. How can difficult decisions maintain public support while
enabling economic transformation?

Speakers: Lauri Nikula, Chairman of the Oulu City Council; Daniel Smirat, Chair of Luleå
Municipal Council and Chair of the Board of Port of Luleå; Wenche Pedersen, Chair of the
Vadsø Municipality Council

13:50 | Break

14:00 | How Do We Turn Investments into Lasting Regional Value?
The Building Blocks of Regional Prosperity

A discussion on how hydrogen and data investments can generate long-term value for
regions. Topics include skills, innovation, local supply chains, digital infrastructure,
societal acceptance and new forms of collaboration.

Speakers: Irina Kupiainen, Director of EU Affairs, Policy and Business Development, CSC –
IT Center for Science; Antti Poikola, Managing Director, Finnish Data Center Association
(FDCA); Juuso Rönnholm, Managing Director, Oulu Chamber of Commerce; Riitta
Silvennoinen, Managing Director, Hydrogen Cluster Finland

14:55 – 15:00 Closing words