National Innovation Parliament to begin its work in the autumn

World IP Day: Konsta Prizes awarded and new wave of creativity called for

At the World IP Day main event on 26 April 2010, Minister of Labour Ms Anni Sinnemäki handed out the Konsta Prizes to exemplary promoters of invention and innovation. This year, the Regional Konsta went to the Finnish Enterprise Agency; the Business Konsta to Valio Ltd; the Media Konsta to Arctic StartUp, a portal for growing businesses; and the School Konsta to Kasavuori school in Kauniainen for their ‘Unelmakoulu’ (dream school) project. Osmo Suovaniemi received the Life Work Konsta for his exceptionally impressive career as an inventor. This was the sixth annual awards ceremony and it took place at the Aalto University School of Science and Technology in Otaniemi.

Speakers at the main event called for a new wave of creativity to help power business growth. They also underlined the need for increased public-private collaboration.

Innovation Parliament – ‘a club for critical thinkers’
In connection with the main event, the Innovation Parliament held its opening and development session at the Aalto Design Factory. The purpose is to create an independent forum for discussion and influence within the Finnish innovation field.

Membership of the parliament is by personal invitation. The key criterion is that the invited person is willing and able to think critically about the future.

The parliament will start its operations in September 2010 with 200 members. It will mainly work online, and plenary sessions will be held only once or twice a year.

Further details:
Mr Juha Klemola, Director of Communications and Community Relations, tel. +358 (0)9 6939 5800

Mr Timo Kivi-Koskinen, Suomalaisten Keksijöiden Tukiyhdistys ry (association for the support of Finnish inventors), tel. +358 (0)400 540 004