List of workshops and other side events at the Forum

Both online and physical events organised under the Forum’s umbrella

Main page > Workshops

Monday, 26 September

Online webinar: “New spatial challenges in the Baltic Sea Region”

PA Spatial Planning

How can future macro-regional relations/ collaboration within the BSR be shaped in light of the current situation in the Ukraine? Are there new methods and tools needed on macroregional, national and sub-national level considering the end of institutional cooperation with Russia (and Belarus)? How can VASAB / PA Spatial Planning respond conceptually and strategically to the changed situation in the context of spatial development? What role does the topic of safety play overall and what are the consequences of the war for the new VASAB Vision 2040?

The Russian Federation’s war of aggression on Ukraine has significant consequences for the Baltic Sea region. It results in new spatial challenges in different sectors like energy, mobility or tourism. Also, long-standing cooperation networks have been affected. Cooperation with the Russian Federation and Belarus has been suspended with immediate organizational consequences for PA ‘Spatial Planning’, that is co-coordinated by VASAB and HELCOM. The suspension encompasses also many other institutions and frameworks in the Baltic Sea Region, like EUSBSR, CBSS etc.

Stakeholder consultations for the draft VASAB Vision 2040 have only recently been completed. Due to the topicality of the war, it was challenging to consider these consequences in the draft VASAB Vision 2040 in its full range. Therefore, we would like to discuss with you in this workshop how we can take the new situation and outlook for the Baltic Sea Region appropriately into account. In addition to content-related issues, the workshop will also address organizational issues with regard to pan-Baltic cooperation.

Where: Online (Webinar, invitations only) 

When: September 26

Duration: 3,5 hours

Organizers: VASAB acting as Policy Area ‚Spatial Planning‘ coordinator.

Contacts: Elīna Veidemane elina.veidemane@vasab.org

 Liene Gaujeniete  liene.gaujeniete@vasab.org

Online webinar on children’s role in building resilient societies

PA Secure


In recent years the Baltic Sea Region has been affected by many disasters and crises of increased interconnectedness and complexity. These risks include disasters caused by climate change, pandemics, and other threats. When combined, they present a severe challenge for the region. Children and youth are greatly affected by disasters, and they could take an active role in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate action. However, despite evidence of the clear benefits of involving children and youth in DRR activities, it is still difficult for many authorities and societies to fully accept that children can take responsibilities in DRR.

The seminar is organized by the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), co-coordinator of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) Policy Area Secure, and the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) and will present the results of a new study “The Role of Children and Youth in Building Resilient Societies in the Baltic Sea Region” developed in the framework of the transnational project “ChYResilience* – The role of children and youth in building a resilient society”.

You will hear opinions and perceptions of children and young people about risks, disasters and safety, their ability and willingness to engage in DRR activities, various barriers for their involvement and possible improvements, as well as about benefits that would result from children and youth’s involvement in DRR activities.

The seminar will include presentations by experts and stories of children who are actively involved in disaster risk reduction activities.

Co-organisers and speakers of the seminar:
• Olivia Lind Haldorsson, Senior Adviser & Head of Children at Risk Unit, CBSS Secretariat
• Vineta Polatside, Senior Adviser for Safe and Secure Region, CBSS Secretariat
• Maria Antonia Di Maio, Independent Consultant, ChYResilience project
• Freja and Cecilie, Danish Youth Fire Brigades
• Christin Thornvall, Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB)

To participate please register here

Agenda

13:00 – 13:05 Opening of the seminar (Vineta Polatside, CBSS)
13:05 – 13:15 Children, youth and their rights in the resilience context (Olivia Lind Haldorsson, CBSS)
13: 15 – 13:45 The Role of Children and Youth in Building Resilient Societies in the Baltic Sea Region (Maria Antonia Di Maio, ChYResilience project)
13: 45 – 14:05 The voice of youth: stories from Danish Youth Fire Brigades
14:05 – 14:20 Children involvement in disaster risk reduction activities in Sweden. Practical examples (Christin Thornvall, MSB)
14:20 – 14:30 Questions & Answers
14:30 Closing of the seminar

Contact Vineta Polatside, vineta.polatside@cbss.org

Tuesday, 27 September

PA Safe workshop

The Policy Area of Maritime Safety and Security (PA Safe) is organizing a workshop back-to-back with the Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR). The workshop will take place on September 27 in the Helsinki Commission premises.

The main purpose of this upcoming PA Safe workshop is to identify new cross-border project ideas to support the implementation of the EUSBSR Action Plan into practical settings. In the context of PA Safe, this plan is addressed to the following topics:

Providing reliable navigational conditions

Developing winter navigation

Be a forerunner in digitalization and automation

Ensuring accurate preparedness and response for maritime accidents

In addition to the brainstorming of ideas, the aim of this workshop is to discuss about the potential partners and funding sources for such projects, and future work of this policy area in general.  

All relevant Finnish actors are welcome to the workshop. In case your organization would like to participate on this event, but you have not received an invitation, please contact Valtteri Laine valtteri.laine@traficom.fi

Seminar for Stakeholders from Finland

PA Education

September 27th, 13.00 – 16.00h

Meeting room “Venla”, Lappeenranta Town Hall, Villimiehenkatu 1, 53100 Lappeenranta, Finland

The European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) and its Policy Areas thrives on local stakeholder engagement and transnational exchange. On the occasion of the EUSBSR Annual Forum in Finland, the Policy Area Coordinators of PA Education, therefore cordially invite representatives of Finnish institutions and organizations working in the fields of education, science, access to the labour market, social affairs and integration of migrants to get to know the EUSBSR and the Policy Area Education in particular.

The seminar will take place on September 27th, 13.00 – 16.00h, in Lappeenranta Town Hall.

Participants will have the opportunity to get to know ongoing Flagships, exchange with other stakeholders as well as Flagship representatives and reflect on possible projects and cooperation possibilities.

Draft programme

13:00-13:15         Welcome and introduction | Ministry of Education and Culture, Finland

13:15-14:00         Presentation: Introducing EUSBSR and PA Education (Merle Andraschko)

  • EUSBSR
  • Action Plan
  • PA Education
  • Introduction to the Baltic University Programme (video message)

14:00-14:30         Funding opportunities: ESF+

14:30-15:30         Workshop: PA EDU flagships (coffee served)

  • School2Work
  • Baltic Sea Labour Forum
  • Baltic Science Network
  • Flagship “to be”: BSR Integrate Now

15:30-16:00         Summary (next steps)

Please register here until September 15th. Looking forward to seeing you in Lappeenranta!

In case of questions please contact:

Merle Andraschko

Coordinator, Policy Area Education | EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region

Hermannstraße 15, 20095 Hamburg | Germany

Phone: +49 40 428 31-4096

Mobile: +49 176 428-70877

E-Mail: merle.andraschko@sk.hamburg.de 

Baltic Sea Region: Cultural relations in turbulent times

PA Culture

During the PAC Roundtable we will dive into the topic of cultural relations in turbulent times with the aim to explore the future of cultural cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region and the challenges of international cultural relations. We will get an insight to the possibilities of cultural diplomacy by experts in this field. The question of what could and should be done by the Cultural and Creative Sector collaborating in the Baltic Sea Region to make culture a strong uniting bond and a resilience force in challenging times will be addressed. 

The Roundtable will take place at the 13th EUSBSR Annual Forum as a hybrid format in Lappeenranta, Finland and online. We would be happy if as many people as possible would participate on site.

Location: Restaurant and Meeting Location  Kehruuhuone

Kristiinankatu 20

53900 Lappeenranta, Finland

Meeting Room “Agatha”


Two great speakers will give keynotes at the beginning of the Roundtable and give a first overview on the topic.

Nicolas Cull is a pioneer scholar and educator in the field of public diplomacy. He has provided advice and training in public diplomacy to a number of foreign ministries and cultural agencies around the world including the U.S., U.K., Canada, Mexico, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Solomiya Borshosh the General Director of the Ukrainian Institute will give input about the current practice of the Ukrainian Institute in the context of ongoing Russian aggression.

The keynotes will be followed by a moderated discussion together with the participants on topics such as the future of (cultural) cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region, culture as a resilience force in challenging times  as well as the importance and challenges of international cultural relations.


 The discussion will be moderated by Oleg Koefoed, an Action Philosopher and co-founder of the Pollination Academy. Koefoed serves on a regular basis as a guide, lecturer, facilitator, and action researcher for EU institutions, Baltic Sea regional partners, cultural institutions, universities, food start-ups, municipalities, and governments.

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Improved nutrient management in biogas production and utilization of new biomass sources for sustainable bioenergy

PA Nutri

In the event two EU funded projects present their findings for enhanced nutrient management in biogas production, and sustainable biomass sources and value chains for the bioenergy sector. The Sustainable Biogas project, funded by the Interreg Central Baltic Programme, aimed to reduce nutrient discharges from the whole production chain of the biogas production: from the handling of raw materials to the production and to the safe utilization of nutrient-rich digestates. The objective of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region funded BalticBiomass4Value project was to enhance capacity of public and private actors within the BSR to produce bioenergy in more environmentally sustainable and economically viable way by utilizing new biomass sources (chiefly, biological waste) for energy production, as well as possibilities to use bioenergy side streams for higher value bio-products.

The seminar will be held on 27th September at 14:30-16:00 in Valtuustosali. The event includes project result presentations followed by a short panel discussion with representatives from Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Finnish Biocycle and Biogas Association and Gasum Oy.

The audience can attend the event also online through Teams. Join to the Teams event from here.

More details: henri.nikkonen@jnfoundation.fi

Thursday, 29 September 2022

Seminar: Involving citizens in urban development – recent learnings from Nordic cities

LUT University

Welcome to the international results seminar of the CaPs research project! The results seminar takes place in Lappeenranta, Finland on September 29-30. In the seminar, the participating Nordic cities and CaPs researchers share their interesting findings and insights and come together to learn from each other.

Thursday 29 Sept, Lappeenranta City Hall 2PM-5:30PM

  • Opening speeches and welcome to the seminar (Prof. Tuomas Ahola, Tampere University and Prof. Ville Ojanen, LUT University)
  • Presentations from participating Nordic cities and CaPs researchers on citizen involvement in urban development
  • Coffee and snacks

Friday 30 Sept, LUT University, Lappeenranta 9AM-2PM

  • Interactive workshop: “Future services of smart citizen participation” (facilitated by researchers of LUT University)
  • Concluding remarks and lunch

Registration and accommodation

Participation in the event is free of charge. You can register to the seminar HERE!

Workshop: Sustainable oceans by governance and planning – dream or reality?

Baltic Sea perspective and beyond – PA Spatial Planning

Thursday 29 September 2022, at 14.00—16.00. Room: Venla, City Hall


Baltic Sea is an integral part of the global ocean, which makes the sustainable ocean governance one of the regional policy objectives. In this respect, cooperation with other sea regions and mutual learning are of high priority.

On the other hand, one of the key tasks for the PA ‘Spatial Planning’ within the EUSBSR is to follow up on the projects which are relevant for spatial planning, and which support grass-root implementation of the Strategy`s Action Plan.

With this workshop we intend to create a platform for various MSP projects to jointly discuss how they contribute to the implementation of the EUSBSR, Baltic Sea MSP Roadmap 2021-2030 as well as European marine policies. Furthermore, the workshop will enable cross-project collaboration.

Related in the Forum

  • As a thematic introduction, it is worth attending the parallel session ‘New plans and visions for Sea, Oceans and Waters’ held on 28 September at 13.3015.00
  • Both VASAB and HELCOM will be hosting stands at the Networking village, set up in the lobby area of the Lappeenranta City Hall. You’ll find us on the right side from the City of Lappeenranta/Go Saimaa stand

Workshop programme

1.     Maritime spatial planning as a tool for sustainable ocean governance

  1. Sustainable ocean governance (presenter tbc)
    1. Baltic Sea Regional MSP Roadmap 2030 – a tool enabling the achievement of environmental goals for the Baltic Sea. Dmitry Frank-Kamenetsky, HELCOM, Finland.
    1. EUSBSR Policy Area Spatial Planning – mission, goals, actions. Liene Gaujeniete, VASAB, Latvia

2.     Regional and European cooperation towards sustainable ocean governance

  1. eMSP project (Emerging ecosystem-based Maritime Spatial Planning topics in North and Baltic Sea Regions): Ecosystem-based approach and blue economy – antagonists or collaborators? Jan Schmidtbauer Crona, SwaM, Sweden
    1. MSP4BIO project (Improved Science-based Maritime Spatial Planning to Safeguard and Restore Biodiversity in a Coherent European MPA Network): What kind of solutions MSP might offer to support nature conservation? Kemal Pinarbasi, HELCOM, Finland
    1. Taking Social Sustainability to the Sea: Strengthening the Social Pillar in MSP. Kira Gee, Helmholtz Zentrum Hereon, Germany

3.     Moderated discussion: Regional and cross-regional cooperation towards sustainable ocean governance

Lead by Andrea Morf, NordRegio, Sweden.

Organizers

The workshop is organized by the Policy Area Spatial Planning, coordinated by HELCOM and VASAB, and in cooperation with the eMSP project.

Contact

Liene Gaujeniete  Liene.Gaujeniete@vasab.org

Dmitry Frank-Kamenetsky dmitry.frank-kamenetsky@helcom.fi

Participating stakeholders for a clean, productive and shared Baltic Sea, Baltic Sea Challenge

On September 28th we organise a workshop at the EUSBSR Annual Forum in Lappeenranta, which you are invited to. It will be held in at 5-6 pm in room Willimies.

This session aims to share transformative methods for enhancing marine ecosystems by putting more talent (that of the citizens) in the process. Together the participants will reflect upon and discuss examples, investigate how to develop practices further, and follow up for well-organized stakeholder engagement.

The roundtable would be facilitated by Dr. Tove Holm from Finland, coordinator for the Baltic Sea Challenge in the City of Turku, Mari Savela from Finland, coordinator for the Baltic Sea Challenge in the City of Helsinki, and Natalie Helenius, college trainee for the Baltic Sea Challenge in the City of Turku.

Where: Meeting Room Willimies, Lappeenranta City Hall

When: September 28th at 17-18 EET

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