YLP 2026 – Programme

Objective: Presentations and interaction with the speakers. Acquaint the participants with practical examples in futures thinking basic concepts: to explore futures as an open space, and, parallel to that, to recognise how the present structures and past developments affect what is seen as a plausible future.

9:00 | Opening

10:00 | Session 1: System view, futures thinking and the forest sector, Eeva Hellström, Sitra

• This session provides a systems view of innovation and futures thinking in the forest sector, for circular bioeconomy and regenerative economy as transformative change. 

12:00 | Lunch

• 14:00 | Session 2: Forest industries in times of change, moderated by Päivi Pelli, EFI
  This session provides perspectives on traditional forest-based industries and their downstream industries, and on how large companies build their innovation capacity and innovation systems in response to a changing operating environment.

16:00 | Session 3: Framework for innovation & futures thinking / Futures tools, Teppo Hujala, University of Eastern Finland (UEF)

• This session provides the overall framework for fostering innovations within the circular sustainability transition, and a facilitated session on futures tools for the group to work on innovation and futures thinking.

Objective: Presentations, interaction with the speakers and hands-on work. Acquaint the participants with success stories and challenges encountered, and invite them to engage with the innovator’s perspective.

9:00 | Session 4: Regional innovation ecosystems Forest Joensuu & Innovation Joensuu

Lauri Sikanen, Natural Research Institute (Luke)
Jarno Hämäläinen, Business Joensuu
Juha Purmonen,  Photonics Centre

• This session offers insights into the innovation ecosystems in Joensuu, Finland, highlighting both success stories and lessons learned in fostering innovation. Participants are encouraged to share their contexts, experiences, challenges faced, and opportunities seized.

12:30 | Lunch

14:00 | Session 5: Opportunities in trans-regional innovation, Anne Ackermann, EFI

• The purpose of this session is to increase awareness of trans-regional European innovation opportunities and to put the perspective of the innovator operating in this context centre stage. Interaction with participants deepens the ‘inside-the-innovator’ perspective, from the innovative idea to solution adoption, and introduces useful tools to achieve innovation adoption readiness.

• The full-day excursion showcases innovation in different scales and maturity levels, including different types of innovation, products and services, engineering and other solutions of traditional forest-based sector industries and well beyond. Participants have the opportunity to meet with local companies and entrepreneurs, observe a circular bioeconomy in the making, and test their own assumptions about future needs and solutions. A visit to a forest invites them to taste and experiment with it as an innovation site, sparking their own ideas for future forests.

Detailed programme to be announced later.

Objective: Interaction with local young entrepreneurs and start-up platforms adds another angle to local innovation systems beyond formal infrastructures. A practical example of how strategic foresight is integrated into the work of a forest organisation, along with hands-on exploration of anticipatory innovation tools, helps rethink innovations for broader local benefits.

9:00 | Session 6: Entrepreneurs, start-ups, local platforms and facilities

Janne Eerola, HUB Joensuu and City of Joensuu
Hanna Ojuva, Joensuu Entrepreneurship Society Ry JoES
Mikko Järvilehto, Business Joensuu 

• This session introduces the HUB Joensuu facilities, as well as means and approaches to support entrepreneurship. Joensuu Entrepreneurship Society (JoES) facilitates interaction with participants through hands-on exploration of how to develop innovative ideas.

12:30 | Lunch

14:00 | Session 7: Forest organisations navigating the change, Alisa Puustinen, Finnish Forest Centre

• This session provides an organisational example of how strategic foresight, thus, futures thinking, is cultivated as an organisational practice to support strategic management, to understand trends and drivers, and to navigate an evolving operating environment of a forest organisation. Interaction with participants deepens understanding of anticipatory innovation and how futures thinking can be combined with innovation for local benefits.

Session 8: Group work in interaction with locals

• Developing innovative solutions for relevant futures in the local context: applying lessons learnt, honing skills and creating real value.

Local challenges collected, facilitated by local organisers