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Business Espoo’s Elinkeinofoorumi

One event – all the experts – join us! Business Espoo’s Elinkeinofoorumi is one of the most important events of the year aimed at entrepreneurs and influencers in trade and industry.

Elinkeinofoorumi 2026 is worthy of the hype

Welcome to the Business Espoo´s Elinkeinofoorumi at Hybridiarena Hype.

Date: Wednesday, 15 April 2026
Time:  13:00 - 17:00 pm
Place: Hybridiarena Hype, Vanha Jorvaksentie 3, 02320 Espoo
Accessibility: Accessible entrance on the first floor near the main entrance. All floors are accessible by elevator.
Language: The event will be held in Finnish, but there will be simultaneous interpretation into English.

The programme once again features inspiring and topical keynote speeches, with a particular focus on business growth opportunities, the economic outlook and success stories from Espoo’s business ecosystem. The Espoo Entrepreneur of the Year will also be awarded at the event. This year, the event offers even better settings for networking – meeting other participants, sharing experiences and building new partnerships.

Everyone will be at Hype on 15 April – Don’t miss out!

Program

13:00 Registration and networking. Coffee and tea will be served.

  • Business Espoo service points and business advisory services
  • Opportunity to join a guided tour of Hybridiarena Hype (please reserve your spot on the registration form)

14:00 Event program starts - The program is in Finnish, but there is simultaneous interpretation into English

  • Welcome
  • Mayor´s greetings
    Mayor Kai Mykkänen, City of Espoo
  • How do ecosystems translate into economic growth?
    Director, Chief Economist Päivi Puonti, Federation of Finnish Enterprises (from 1 March 2026)
  •  
  • The program will be updated soon.
  •  
  • Awarding the Espoo Entrepreneur of the Year
    The award will be presented by Esa Kinnunen, CEO of Espoon Yrittäjät, and Kai Mykkänen, Mayor of Espoo
  • Closing remarks

The event will be moderated by Saija Äikäs, Director of the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce, and Teemu Haapalehto, Director of Economic Development at the City of Espoo.

Approx. 16:00 Networking

We reserve the right to make changes to the program.

Registration

Sign up here(external link, opens in a new window).

 

Arrival at Hype

Hybridiarena Hype(external link, opens in a new window) is located at Vanha Jorvaksentie 3, 02320 Espoo. The entrance is on the ground floor at street level. Visitors can use the stairs or the elevator to reach the third-floor Elämysareena.  The main event will take place on the third floor in the Elämysareena, where the coat check is also located. 

You can easily reach Business Espoo's Elinkeinofoorumi by metro, as Hybridiarena is approximately 500 meters from Kivenlahti Metro Station. The metro ride from Helsinki Central Railway Station to Kivenlahti takes less than 30 minutes, and from Tapiola, it takes just 10 minutes.

The building also has a parking hall. With an HSL mobile ticket, you can purchase 12 hours of parking for 2 euros. The parking hall is operated by europark.fi, and more details can be found here: Parking P-Kivenlahti | EuroPark(external link, opens in a new window).

If you are arriving at Elinkeinofoorumi by car, the most convenient way to reach the event space is by walking from the parking hall to the main entrance via the outdoor route.

The map shows a walking route from Kivenlahti Metro Station to Hybridiarena Hype. Turn right from the metro exit. Source: HSL Joyrney Planner.
Hybridiarena Hype photographed from the direction of Kivenlahti metro station.
Hype's main entrance.

Speakers

Elinkeinofoorumi 2026 will feature a distinguished and experienced lineup of top influencers from the business world. Speaker details will be updated soon.

Saija Äikäs, Director at the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce, is part of the Chamber's advocacy team, which works to enhance the operating conditions for businesses and strengthen their success in the metropolitan area. Saija has previously worked abroad in the service of the EU and spent five years in the Finnish Parliament. As a result, societal issues and the development of the Helsinki region into a future-proof, competitive, and international business environment are close to her heart. She is actively involved in the development of the Business Espoo network and serves as a member of its leadership team.Photo: Mikko Mäntyniemi
Teemu Haapalehto serves as the Acting Director of Economic Development in Espoo and, together with the Economic Development Unit, is responsible for developing the city’s vitality and competitiveness. The goal of the unit he leads is to strengthen Espoo’s position as an attractive city for businesses and professionals – a place where companies, universities, research institutes, and international professionals together create globally impactful innovations and sustainable economic growth. Before his current role, Teemu worked extensively with immigration affairs in Espoo, which gives him a strong perspective on the importance of international talent for the city’s economy. Teemu is fascinated by the opportunities of using data-analytics to improve public service provision, but in the middle of the digital revolution, remains true to the analog love of his life: vinyl records!
Kai Mykkänen has served as the Mayor of Espoo since February 2025. Prior to that, he was the Minister of the Environment and Climate for the past two years. He has also previously held the positions of Minister of the Interior and Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, as well as serving as a Member of Parliament from 2015 to 2025. In his earlier career, Mykkänen worked in corporate banking and as a strategy consultant. He holds a Master’s degree in Social Sciences and is an economist by education. Mykkänen began his political career as the Chair of the Espoo Youth Council from 1997 to 1998. He served as a member of the Espoo City Council from 2001 to 2008 and again from 2017 to 2024, including a term as Chair of the City Council from 2020 to 2021. A native of Espoo, he is a father of two. His hobbies include trail running, sailing, and history.Photo: Kerttu Penttilä
Doctor of Social Sciences Päivi Puonti will serve as Director and Chief Economist of the Federation of Finnish Enterprises starting 1 March 2026. She leads the organisation’s economic policy unit and brings the perspective of entrepreneurship into public debate, backed by a strong foundation in research and forecasting. Previously, Puonti worked as Head of Forecasting at the Research Institute of the Finnish Economy (ETLA) and has also held positions at the Ministry of Finance and Nordea. As a speaker, she presents economic outlooks with clarity and explains in concrete terms what economic policy decisions mean for business growth and employment.

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Photos

Please note that photos and video footage will be taken at the event. The images and video footage may be used in the communications of Business Espoo and Business Espoo's operators.
 

Background information

Business Espoo is a service network for businesses and entrepreneurs operating in Espoo and nearby municipalities, formed by six operators. The goal is to create more jobs and dynamism in Espoo by providing client-oriented, high-quality and cost-effective services for businesses and entrepreneurs. The Business Espoo network consists of the City of Espoo, Enter Espoo, the Federation of Espoo Enterprises, the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce, Omnia and the Espoo Regional Enterprise Agency. More information about our services: BusinessEspoo.com 

Elinkeinofoorumi is Business Espoo's annual flagship event, bringing together entrepreneurs, businesses, and key stakeholders in the city's business community.

Read about past events in the articles published on our website: