Seminar: Entrepreneurship for a Changing Arctic - Ecosystems, Migration & Sustainability

Seminar: Entrepreneurship for a Changing Arctic - Ecosystems, Migration & Sustainability aims to enhance understanding of the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems and to explore how entrepreneurial initiatives can shape society and respond to changing societal needs, especially in the Arctic region – a sparsely populated and geographically unique region in Northern Finland. The seminar is intended for all students, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers who are interested in the topic.

The Kerttu Saalasti Institute (KSI) of the University of Oulu acts as a national hub for entrepreneurship and plays an active role in the local startup ecosystem. 

In addition to academic and policy insights, the seminar aims to promote both national and international partnerships, with a particular emphasis on global cooperation. Special attention will be paid to sustainable, immigrant-led startups, which are increasingly important drivers of innovation and inclusion in remote and rural areas.

By promoting a culture of collaborative learning and knowledge creation, the seminar aims to promote the development of sustainable business practices, especially among microentrepreneurs operating in challenging regional environments.

The moderator of the Seminar is José Garcia-Rosell Eskenazi, Professor of Business Ethics, Oulu University Business School.

The seminar is a hybrid seminar, located in Linnanmaa campus at the University of Oulu, and Teams.

Time
Friday, October 31, 2025 at 09:00 - 16:00 (Finnish time)

Venue location
University of Oulu, Linnanmaa, Tellus Stage, and Teams

Programme

9:00-9:10 Opening speech, Professor Matti Muhos Director, Kerttu Saalasti Institute, University of Oulu

9:10-9:40 Keynote speech: Community Wellbeing, Engagement, and Resilience in the American Arctic? Dr Mara Kimmel, Executive Director ACLU, Anchorage, Alaska, and Dr Diane Hirshberg, Director, UAA Institute of Social and Economic Research & Vice-President Academic, UArctic.

9:40-9:55 International cooperation at a glance, Katja Stephenson, Head of International Affairs, University of Oulu

9:55-10:10 University of the Arctic, a tool for cooperation, Dr. Kirsi Latola, Research Coordinator, Thule Institute, University of Oulu & Vice-President Networks, UArctic.

10:10-10:50 Keynote Speech: Tied Down: Limitations on Immigrant Labor Market Mobility and Entrepreneurship, Dr. José Mata, Professor of Entrepreneurship at Copenhagen Business School

10:50-11:20 Coffee break

11:20-11:40 Immigrant Entrepreneurship in Sweden: Challenges and Opportunities Related to Business Development, Dr Ghazal Zalkat, Halmstad University School of Business, Innovation and Sustainability

11:40-12:00 Muslim Immigrant Entrepreneurship: Insights from Norway’s ‘Invisible Ceiling’ Project, Dr. Sarah A. Tobin, Chr. Michelsen Institute, Norway

12:00-12:15 “Geographical view to the regional development statistics of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Finland” - Ossi Kotavaara, Pauliina Björk, Martti Saarela and Matti Muhos

12:15-12:30 “From Displacement to Opportunity: Entrepreneurial Pathways to Refugee Integration in Remote Regions" Dr. Stefan Lång, Docent, Kerttu Saalasti Institute, University of Oulu and University Lecturer, Åbo Akademy University

12:30-12:45 “Tracking the spatial distribution of Gazelles - The North also enables the fast growth of young firms”, Björk, P., Saarela, M., Kotavaara, O., & Muhos, M.

12:45-12:50 Closing words, Dr. Nafisa Yeasmin

14:00-16:00 Workshop (only for invited participants)

Register by 23rd October via this form.

Teams participants get the Teams link after registration.