Sustainability Meets Innovation
Future Forum brings together a community of changemakers to share the latest developments, ideas, and strategies in sustainability, GreenTech and open innovation.
The event gathers international and local experts to discuss how sustainability can and will affect business, hear the hottest GreenTech stories from all over the Europe, and to explore how to embrace innovation for a greener future.
We invite you to be part of the movement to be inspired and inspire action. Future Forum is brought to you by Helve and inspired by open innovation accelerator Future Hub.
Agenda
11.00
Welcome
#1 Role of planet tech
11.05
Post-pandemic sustainability tech dominating the headlines
Panel discussion between
Jan-Jaap Verhoeve, Plan A; Natasha Jones, Octopus Ventures, and Miral Alaraj, Patch.
Moderated by Marija Rucevska, Helve & TechChill
Pandemic lockdowns have come with both sides: good and bad. Looking at the environmental impact, the data looks positive. While some businesses have been struggling to stay afloat, GreenTech solutions have become the hot catalysts of the moment dominating the local and international headlines. In this discussion, we will hear stories from the trenches from PlanetTech startups and sustainability-as-a-service companies. How did they get here and what advice others to follow?
11.50
12.05
Spotlight on eMobility: Story of Comodule
Making nature the new gold
Success Story by Kadri Rehkli, COO & CFO at Comodule
Comodule’s story of how we set out to empower emissionless transport by connecting e-scooters and e-bikes to the internet. By today we have connected more than 400 000 vehicles across the world. In addition to IoT solutions, we design and manufacture durable and eco-friendly e-scooters. Recently Comodule was awarded as the Environment-Friendly Company of the Year by the Estonian Ministry of the Environment.
Success story by Merit Valdsalu, CEO & Co-founder of Single Earth
Single.Earth is a DeepTech startup that helps businesses and organizations to make a real impact on the climate and nature by making climate action part of the business processes. The team aims to make sustainable forest and land-management the new norm.
#2 Innovation road to net zero
12.30
Why sustainability makes sense for tech
Keynote by Gaspard Plantrou, VP of PaaS products at Scaleway
The digital industry produces 3.7% of total emissions — significantly more than aviation, for example — and that amount could double by 2025 if nothing changes. It’s up to us, the tech sector, to find solutions to limit that impact. European cloud provider Scaleway places sustainability at the core of everything it does. Products that only consume energy when they’re being used; servers made to last twice as long as the industry standard; and Europe’s most sustainable data center are key pillars of the sustainable virtuous journey that Scaleway takes its clients on. With one key guiding principle: the best way to save energy is to not use it. Gaspard Plantrou, VP PaaS, explains Scaleway’s sustainable approach, and what other tech companies can learn from it.
12.50
Executives driving change with greentech innovation
Panel discussion between Zanda Sadre, Rimi Baltic; Kaspars Cikmacs, Latvenergo, and Laura Calmore, Scaleway.
Moderated by Tarmo Virki, Single.Earth
There is no doubt that sustainability is a hot topic in most boardrooms these days. Big corporates must become flexible to changes and open to adopting new technology. They also have the chance and burden to lead by example. In this discussion, we will hear different stories and perspectives from 4 executives with real-life examples, challenges, and opinions on GreenTech innovation.
13.20
Partnerships in focus: Collaborate or die?
Panel discussion between Vladislavs Mironovs, Citadele Bank; Nina Heir, Katapult Accelerator & Katapult Climate,
and Raitis Sturmanis, Latvijas Pasts.
Moderated by Dana Gamburg, Vertical
Quoting Frank Zappa, “The mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it’s not open.” The same goes for partnerships. There is open innovation out there. We must embrace it and collaborate for the benefit of all. Acting together, there is hope in reducing the climate crisis. Yet, it might be more difficult than one can think. Some also think it's more expensive. We'll hear from both startups and corporates that have gone through the collaboration process and ask the tough question - was it worth it?
#3 State of green
13.50
The rise of #financeforgood
Keynote by Karin Nemec, CEO & Co-founder at Grünfin
How much difference can your money make in the world? It turns out, more than we think, even without millions to spare. Studies in the UK and Sweden have shown that shifting savings to sustainable assets can have a more than 20x impact on consumers’ carbon footprint than giving up flying, becoming a vegetarian, and moving to a renewable energy provider combined. This makes “greening our finances” an often-neglected but hugely important part of lowering our carbon footprint. How can regular consumers access this kind of impact? What are the barriers and the solutions? Karin Nemec, CEO of Grünfin and a sustainable investing expert, offers her insights.
Speakers
Rimi Baltic
Sustainability Awards
After exciting and insightful content on sustainability and innovation, we invite you to the awards ceremony of Rimi Baltic Sustainability Awards to find out the front-runners in these fields in the Baltics!
Rimi Baltic Sustainability Awards celebrate the innovators, changemakers, and leaders in sustainability. At the end of Future Forum, we will award and congratulate the brightest minds and leading-edge achievements in sustainability innovation from all over the Baltics.
Register for Future Forum
December 9
11am–3pm EET / 10am–2pm CET
Online
recording available to those registered
Free of charge
Register for extra exclusive content
Followed by Rimi Sustainability Awards ceremony
The event will be streamed on Facebook, register to get a link for the live stream, and to receive a resource package post-event that includes three additional recorded Future Hub workshops on sustainability and open innovation