EnergyVaasa RDI Outlook and Value Chain Modelling

Vaasa is well known for its network-based development model with RDI (research, development, and innovation) collaboration ongoing for decades. EnergyVaasa has become an internationally significant energy technology cluster. The strategy for the EnergyVaasa cluster for the years 2025–2027 was prepared during late 2024 and early 2025. During the strategy process, several companies, higher educational institutions, and other actors within the cluster were interviewed. These strategic discussions revealed a need for value chain modelling of the ecosystem to facilitate the initiation of more effective projects among actors, help identify gaps within the ecosystem, and find the most suitable partners for collaboration.

MDI carried out a study for Technology Centre Merinova with the goal of modelling and illustrating the EnergyVaasa ecosystem from a value chain perspective, and forming an overall picture of RDI cooperation, collaboration potential, and bottlenecks. The aim was to provide a comprehensive view of the EnergyVaasa ecosystem, describe the current state and development needs from the viewpoint of value chains, and offer insights and tools for the development of EnergyVaasa collaboration and value chains. The resulting description provides a foundation for more detailed modelling work in the future, for example, on the key technologies highlighted in the EnergyVaasa strategy.