DAILY BRIEF: Finnish education, acquisitions, autonomous driving, magazine award and energy

Finnish indoor air company Halton has become the majority shareholder of UK-based damper and fire damper manufacturer Flamgard Calidair. The acquisition is a follow-up to Halton’s purchase of a 19-per cent stake in the company in July 2019. Flamgard Calidair’s expertise is in high-quality specialist HVAC dampers and related equipment for demanding industrial and energy production environments, such as nuclear power plants and underground construction. Image: Flamgard Calidair / Twitter

Savosolar has signed an agreement with Polish company Eko Ekon regarding the sales, marketing and delivery of large solar heating solutions in Poland. Savosolar decided to enter the market as the largely fossil fuel-powered district heating sector is transitioning towards clean energy options, expecting strong growth in solar district heating. Image: Savosolar

Metsä Board, a Finnish producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards and part of Metsä Group, has won the prestigious Ozzie Award from Folio for its stakeholders communications magazine’s spring 2020 issue. The award was given for excellence in the category of cover design for business-to-business magazines with a circulation of under 25 000. The Board magazine is produced by Hube Helsinki. Image: Metsä Board

Finnish software technology company Unikie has acquired the business of Boftel in Poland, expanding its operations closer to German premium car manufacturers. The acquisition brings to Unikie a team of software developers with expertise in data communications and the automotive industry. Unikie’s spearhead product is Unikie AI Vision, a total solution for autonomous driving. The company’s automated factory parking solution is also generating interest in the market, as it can bring about big cost savings by moving vehicles on the manufacturing line and transferring them to temporary storage without drivers. Image: Unikie

Helsinki International Schools Group (Hei Schools), a Finnish company that exports the Finnish early-childhood education model, will open a Hei Schools Club on Nami Island in South Korea early next year. Nami Island is a popular leisure resort one hour’s drive from the capital city, Seoul, where Hei Schools, in partnership with Nami Island Arts & Education, will open the club with a special focus on outdoor activities. Activity sessions at the club will be based on the Finnish early-childhood curriculum and cover subjects such as maths, science, linguistics, arts and physical wellbeing. Image: Hei Schools

Get to know Jukka Leskelä, frontman for the Finnish energy sector, in our interview. Image: Julia Bushueva