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2025 Stage Program

10.30-14.30

Venue 5, Siipi, Messukeskus

 

10.30 - 10.40 Opening

Felicia von Reden - Co-Founder and CEO, Ovom Care

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10.40 - 10.55 Fireside

Fanny Jaulin - Co-Founder and CEO, Orakl Oncology

Felicia von Reden - Co-Founder and CEO, Ovom Care

Gustav Henriksson - Head of Swiss Business Hub Nordics, Export and Investment Promotion Switzerland

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10.55 - 11.45 Health & Pharma

Host: Tristen Hewitt - Postdoctoral Researcher, Neuroscience Centre, HiLIFE

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Short talks

• How Unconventional Thinking Can Give Rise to New Perspectives in Healthcare

Tero Saukkonen - Medical Director, Novo Nordisk Finland

• Finnish Drug Discovery Center & Lessons from a Finnish Biotech Exit

Maarit Merla - CEO, Finnish Drug Discovery Center

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Pharma Pitching Competition

Teams

• Digehealth - Nour Abassi

• Rea Diagnostics - Erick Garcia

• Enantios - Carin Lightner

• TrueHear - Anni Iso-Mustajärvi

Jury

• Matti Hautsalo - Founding Partner, Nordic Science Investments

• Pascale Dychter - Deputy Head of Mission and Science Counselor, Embassy of Switzerland in Denmark

• Julius Sipilä - Technology Lead, Discovery Data, Orion Pharma

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Student Pitch

Polina Gavrilyuk - Aalto-Helsinki iGEM team

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11.50 - 12.40 Food Systems

Host: Laura Forsman - Manager at Viikki Food Design Factory, University of Helsinki

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Food Systems Keynote

• Innovating for Impact: Bridging Science, Startups, and Global Food Security

       Vincent Martin - Director, UN FAO Office of Innovation

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Food Systems Pitching Competition

Teams

• Vaimee - Anita Licata

• Hola Tractor - Nimain Giri

• Zertifier  - Giovanni Dal Mas

• Suma Col Ltd - Lorena Vargas Arias

Jury

• Harinda Katugaha - Senior Strategy Advisor, FAO

• Marko Turpeinen - CEO, 1001 Lakes

• Pieta Jarva - Strategy Director, Baltic Sea Action Group

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12.45 - 13.35 Nature and Forestry

Host: Mikko Pohjola - Head of Viikki Wood & Forest Innovation Hub, University of Helsinki

 

Short talks

• Nature and forest technology innovations

Anu Kaukovirta - VP Production Systems, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)

• The Entrepreneurial Path: Driving Science-Based Innovation in Nature and Forest Tech

       Karita Kinnunen-Raudaskoski - Director of Technology and Product Development, Fiberwood

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Nature and Forestry Pitching Competition

Teams

• LignoSphere - Eero Knuutila 

• Laukansaari Giants - Mikko Tikkinen 

• Koko Forest - Aki Snellman

• HYGRON - Vinay Kumar

Jury

• Pia Erkinheimo - Partner, Investor Relations and ESG, Nordic Nano

• Reetta Ilo Gilbert - CEO, San Francisco Agency

• Erik Kolehmainen - Vice President, Coporate Venturing, Metsä Spring

• Viktor Sunholm - Project Manager, M.INC

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13.40 - 14.10 Science to Business Runway

Host: Avlokita Tiwari - Business Development Manager at Helsinki Innovation Services Ltd 

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Fireside Chat

• What Are Funders Really Asking - and What Should You Say Back?

Will Cardwell - Partner, Courage Ventures 

Sampsa Fabritius - Director, Moonshot Studio at Helsinki Innovation Services Ltd 

 

R2B Runway Pitches

• SuperBase - Jaakko Kurkela

• TrueScreen - Andrew Erickson

• AdCAb - Firas Hamdan Hissaoui

• EcoGeo - Gene Ho

• Mitoguarder - Brendan Battersby & Sarah O'Keefe

• ReCurE - Juha Klefström

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14.10 - 14.30 Pitching Competition Awards & Closing

Awarding the winners of the three pitching competitions

 

Closing remarks

• The Future of Life Sciences: Insights on the European Strategy for Life Sciences

       Pilar Aguar Fernandez - Director "People: Health and Society", DG RTD, European Commission

 

Networking

10.30-15.30

Venue 6, Siipi, Messukeskus

 

Coffee and tea will be available throughout the event,

while snacks and drinks will be served at 14.30 - 15.30 (once the stage program ends).