Vaasa, 13 August — As part of this year’s Wasa Future Festival, the Digital Sustainability Lab workshop brought together voices form Vaasa’s business ecosystem to co-create a vision for how Vaasa can lead in sustainability and carbon neutrality through advanced digital technologies.
Held at The Barn in the Wasa Innovation Center, the workshop gathered technical experts, business leaders, university teachers, students, and digital enthusiasts. Together, participants explored how EU-level developments and investments in digital transformation could be translated into local action, shaping skills, infrastructure, and innovation in the Vaasa region.
The session built on a series of interactions that the Digi-Me project team in Vaasa has been conducting to gather views on the future of digital skills and competencies. As part of this broader effort, the workshop served as a collaborative platform to deepen understanding of local strengths, gaps, and opportunities.
Key areas of focus included:
- Mapping the current state of digital and technological development in the EU and its relevance for Vaasa
- Identifying regional opportunities to advance sustainability and carbon neutrality goals
- Aligning EU-level skills and infrastructure needs with the unique features of the Vaasa region
- Co-designing the concept for a Digital Sustainability Lab as a catalyst for regional innovation
The interactive format encouraged participants to engage in mapping exercises, scenario discussions, and co-design activities. These outputs are expected to shape the groundwork for future initiatives that could influence the region’s digital and sustainable transformation.
The idea for the Lab is not just about technology, it is about building a collaborative space where different stakeholders could imagine the digital future of Vaasa in a way that supports both sustainability and competitiveness.
By embedding the workshop within the festival’s vibrant program, the session highlighted how digital foresight and sustainability thinking are becoming central to Vaasa’s innovation agenda.
