Articles

The Finnish company WE Tech Solutions is an energy solution provider that originates from the coastal city of Vaasa. The company has a wide global presence in the shipping world and has provided efficient energy solutions to over 100 vessels globally. WE Tech Solutions is constantly growing, going from 33 employees in 2022 to 50 employees in 2023. From 2019 to 2022, the turnover grew from 7 million to 34 million. The company strives to create savings and reduce emissions by improving energy efficiency in the shipping industry.

The Finnish electric vehicle DC fast charging solutions provider Kempower has recently opened a new office and RDI center in the city of Vaasa. Kempower primarily concentrates on the electrification of transportation. In Vaasa, the company’s focus is on the development of DC fast charging solutions especially for heavy transport. In 2020, the company’s revenue was 3 million euros, and already in 2022, the revenue had risen to 104 million euros. In 2023, the revenue is expected to be around 280-310 million euros.

When you visit the Granösund Museum or the Aava Kerttu homestead in Södra Vallgrund, a great place to drop in for a bit of shopping is the Sommaröhallen crafts shop. There you will find all kinds of fascinating products, all hand made. The shop is run by the Södra Vallgrund village association.

When the Kvarken archipelago was accepted onto the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2006, Fredric Sandvik had an idea. He thought it likely that the number of tourists visiting the area would grow and so he founded his company Kvarkenturer, which offers boat trips. For ten years now, Kvarkenturer has organised boat trips to, for example, the group of islands known as Valsörarna, where it also provides tours of the lighthouse. Other services on offer include fishing trips and charter trips according to customers’ wishes.

The Aava Kerttu homestead in Södra Vallgrund is full of bustle – and no wonder, there are over 80 animals living there! The farm welcomes tourists who want to visit its cats, bunnies, goats, sheep, kids, two ponies, Mangalica pigs, a pot-bellied pig, hens, quails, ducks, geese, Silkie hens and a cock, chicks, heifers, a cow and its three calves. The farm is also home to a dog, but it stays inside while there are visitors.

The cruise to the Mickelsörarna islands begins from Maxmo, close to the archipelago farm of Varppi. On the 29th of June 2016, there are 25 travellers gathered on the shore, ready to embark on the two-hour journey to Mickelsörarna on M/S Svalan, at a speed of eight knots.

The World Heritage Site is about more than the uplift of the land; it also includes the cultural traditions of the archipelago. The Granösund Museum in Södra Vallgrund displays the culture of the islanders in a time when sealing and fishing were the primary sources of livelihood in the area.

When you want to experience the geology, the nature and the history of the Kvarken archipelago at the same time, the place to visit is the Molpehällorna island in Korsnäs. Molpehällorna is a group of four islets that have been united into one island, demonstrating the land uplift process in a concrete way.

Travellers may turn up at the Merenkurkun Majatalo inn in Björkö any time of day, even late evening, and so owner Anne Ojala is always prepared to receive guests. Ojala herself lives in a neighbouring building close to the inn, which makes it much easier to be available at all times. Her most memorable guests were two young men who were caught in a storm while travelling to Umeå in Sweden on a pedal boat.

Both Finnish and foreign visitors find Villa Meribjörkö in the Kvarken archipelago, by the western shore of the Björköby village, utterly enchanting. Owner Jukka Viita-aho lets out the facilities to companies and private persons as a venue for conferences or celebrations. Villa Meribjörkö’s trump cards include the stunning scenery, breathtaking sunsets and the beautiful nature on its doorstep. The view from the windows is outstanding, and sometimes people at meetings prefer to look at the archipelago rather than watch a PowerPoint presentation.