In the picture from left: Sallamaari Muhonen, Electrical Trade Association (event moderator), MEP Ville Niinistö (event panelist), Esa Tiainen, Chairman of the Board of SESKO and STUL ry (event organizer and participant), Jouni Kekäläinen, Schneider Electric (event panelist), Sari Tasa, Ministry of Employment and the Economy (event panelist), Elena Santiago-Cid, Director General of CEN-CENELEC (event panelist), Anna Tanskanen, CEO of SESKO (event organizer and speaker).
The event was organized by the standardization organization SESKO and brought together executives from technology companies as well as decision-makers from research institutions and ministries. The purpose of the event was to stimulate discussion on aligning standardization, industrial, and political needs to support and leverage clean energy production as a competitive factor.
Standardization and Industry
The event began with a breakfast during which participants had the opportunity to network. SESKO’s CEO Anna Tanskanen opened the event with her speech “Standards, Competitiveness, or Both?”. She emphasized the growing importance of standardization in society, referring to the EU’s standardization strategy of 2022 and global standardization efforts. Finland has awakened to the strategic opportunities of standardization and active work is ongoing.
The next speaker was Jouni Kekäläinen from Schneider Electric, who discussed the impact of standardization on the competitiveness of the electrical and electronics industry. Jouni Kekäläinen emphasized the significance of clean and affordable energy in the Nordic countries, particularly in Finland. He highlighted the role of renewable energy sources such as water, wind, and solar, as well as energy storage (hydrogen, battery banks, thermal storage). Kekäläinen also pointed out the potential of small nuclear power.
Data center investments in Finland are growing strongly, with plans for data centers with a combined capacity of 2GW by 2027. Kekäläinen also mentioned the importance of sustainable development in district heating, a reliable electricity grid, and sufficient backup power. He stated that standardization opens global markets, accelerates research and development, and ensures safety and quality. The key is the speed of adopting and developing standards.
Standardization and Politics
Sari Tasa from the Ministry of Employment and the Economy spoke about Finland’s industrial policy strategy and standardization. She emphasized the PMI Orpo government’s program “Strong and Caring Finland,” under which Finland’s first national standardization strategy will be launched. This strategy defines the national priority areas for standardization and strengthens the role of standardization in supporting the competitiveness of Finnish companies. The strategy aims to improve business growth, market access, and product quality while promoting Finland’s position at the forefront of global technology.
MEP Ville Niinistö highlighted Finland’s position as a global leader in clean electrical technology. He stressed that Finland is a pioneer in developing and adopting innovative solutions, particularly in renewable energy sources and energy storage technologies.
The Role of Standardization in the Clean Energy Transition
Elena Santiago-Cid, Director General of CEN and CENELEC, presented the role of standardization in the clean energy transition. She emphasized that standards are essential for new technology to gain market trust and dissemination. Standards help ensure the safety, quality, and compatibility of products, which in turn accelerates the adoption of innovations.
Santiago-Cid stated that standardization can create uniform practices and requirements that facilitate the transition of technology from concept to practice. This is especially important in the field of clean energy, where innovative solutions such as renewable energy sources and energy storage technologies are crucial.
She also emphasized that the importance of standardization is not limited to technical aspects but also has a strategic dimension. Standards support competitiveness, enable market opening, and promote sustainable development. Santiago-Cid stated that a unified European standardization system can serve as a model for global cooperation and harmonization, which is vital for achieving global climate goals.
The development of an electrified society is driven by the need to mitigate climate change, which requires reducing the use of fossil fuels. To achieve this goal, it is essential to address the current fossil fuel crisis, which underscores the importance of renewable and clean energy. Electrification can help transition towards more sustainable energy use, supporting environmental protection and improving long-term energy availability. Elena Santiago-Cid referred to this phenomenon as the “All-electric society.”
In the panel discussion moderated by Sallamaari Muhonen, CEO of the Electrical Trade Association, the competitive advantages of clean energy and the importance of standardization were explored. Participants had the opportunity to ask questions and engage in real-time discussion.
Matti Rae from Raecom Oy summarized the importance of standards in his commentary, stating that standards strongly define technology and safety choices in the electrical and electronics manufacturing industry and other electrification sectors, thereby also determining skill requirements. The future recipes for industrial activity are being written into standards today.
Increased Collaboration Needed (Standardization, Industry, Politics)
The closing remarks were given by SESKO’s CEO Anna Tanskanen, who emphasized the importance of standardization in building a sustainable future and considered both standardization and competitiveness to be crucial in promoting this cause. She also stressed that the participation of industry experts in standardization committees is a concrete promoter of industrial competitiveness and invited everyone to participate in standardization work that creates opportunities for a sustainable future.
The event provided a solid foundation for continuing the discussion on aligning standardization, industrial, and political needs and offered participants valuable insights on leveraging clean energy and standardization as competitive factors.
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