Weekend Wrap

Light installations, traffic safety and Helsinki’s hottest startups

Timo Aho and Pekka Niittyvirta’s light installation in Ireland shows the forecast sea level rise due to climate change. Pekka Niittyvirta

Wired has picked Helsinki’s hottest startups, a Finnish short film has won in Nashville and Finland’s approach to homelessness has raised international interest. Click on the links below to take a detailed look at recent creativity from Finland.

Here they are, the hottest startups in Helsinki by Wired. This year, the magazine’s listing includes companies tackling repetitive emails, elderly care, quantum computing and novel protein sources. (Photo: Gubbe)

“Finland is the only country in the European Union to see homelessness numbers significantly decrease,” writes World Habitat. The non-profit organisation has taken a deep dive into Helsinki’s Housing First approach and its success in reducing street homelessness. (Photo: Jussi Hellstén)

A Finnish short film wins at the Nashville Film Festival. The Blanket, directed by Teppo Airaksinen, was awarded as the Best Narrative Short and also received the 2022 Audience Award. The 15-minute film follows 10-year-old Marja, who ventures out to fetch milk for her baby brother. (Photo: Tack Films)

Oulu has announced an open call for projects for its European Capital of Culture year in 2026. The call targets large-scale projects that can take several years to prepare. The city will also support international applicants in finding local collaborators. Read more in the Oulu2026 press release. (Photo: Harri Tarvainen)

Finland’s traffic safety record has impressed Bloomberg. The country’s “rate of vehicle fatalities is a fraction of the toll in the US, despite a harsh climate and ice-covered streets,” the news agency writes. Read the article to find out why. (Photo: Ari-Pekka Dart)

Hospitality startup Bob W expands its reach. The company has acquired its Nordic competitor KOTI Hotel, which owns around 100 apartments in Helsinki. EU-Startups describes Bob W as offering “a ‘smarter’ and ‘cooler’ alternative to hotels and short-stay rentals”. In addition to Finland, it operates in Estonia, Norway, Spain and the UK. (Photo: Bob W)

Genelec has opened new experience centres in Helsinki and Stockholm. According to RedTech, the centres aim to offer visitors personal advice and “an exceptionally high-quality critical listening environment”. The loudspeaker specialist already has similar centres in Asia, America and elsewhere in Europe. (Photo: Genelec)

Time for some new metal music. Finnish modern metal band Lost Society has released a music video for Awake from its new album, If The Sky Came Down. Watch the “haunting, yet beautiful” video on BraveWords. (Photo: Facebook / Lost Society)

Finland joins forces with Kerala officials to develop general and higher education in the Indian state. According to The Hindu, the collaboration covers “pre-primary education and care, technical education, an exchange training programme for teachers, imparting science and maths education and the grading system for student evaluation at various stages”. (Photo: Elina Manninen / Keksi / Team Finland)

Finns light up the Irish coast. To be more exact, two Finnish artists, Timo Aho and Pekka Niittyvirta, were tasked with creating a light installation for six locations around Ireland. According to the Independent.ie, the installations highlight the impact of climate change on rising sea levels. (Photo: Pekka Niittyvirta)

Bop track Bestie Boo was born when German-Bulgarian artist Harina and Finnish WLHELMINA met at a songwriting camp in Sweden. The duo talked to Wonderland magazine about their musical connection and the song, which celebrates the beauty of female relationships. (Photo: Screenshot Spotify)

Published on 14.10.2022