Helsinki's metro will run without drivers in year 2013

The operation control system of Helsinki’s metro is being replaced. The modernisation also provides a natural opportunity for automating the system.

According to the target schedule of the contract, the metro will run without drivers towards the end of 2013.

Automated metro services are used by many cities around the world, the nearest of which is Copenhagen.

Finland in 60 seconds

Whitevector: Fly on the wall

Millions of opinions posted online each day influence more and more consumers' buying decisions, brand perceptions and company reputations. Monitoring single discussions is exhausting and makes it difficult to draw relevant conclusions.

Whitevector helps companies to generate consumer insight and to measure the influence of marketing efforts from social media such as blogs and discussion forums. Their analysis methods offer actionable information to be used in brand and marketing management.

More info: http://www.whitevector.com

Indoor Beach Volley hall in Finland

Yes, now we do have the first Indoor Beach Volley hall in Finland, Helsinki! It is called Biitsi.fi Areena and it has three soft courts with extra heated sand, bar, lounge and sauna.

More info: areena.biitsi.fi

Helsinki Waterfront Hotel by Herzog & de Meuron

Architects Herzog & de Meuron have designed Helsinki Waterfront Hotel, a cross-shaped 5 star hotel on Helsinki’s waterfront. The hotel is due to open in 2010.

The façade of the new hotel will be made of glass shaped into waves that will also glimmer like the newly frozen surface of the sea. The luxury hotel will have 200 rooms, a top floor restaurant and wellbeing centre, with a shop and cafe-restaurant at street level.

Top Gear Part1of2 Mika Häkkinen teaches James how to Race!

Top Gear James gets driving lessons from Mika Häkkinen to compete in a local Finnish race. He also learns why most racing drivers are from Finland.

Watch the part 2 of 2 on Youtube.

Lens Politica festival in Helsinki November 19–23, 2008

Lens Politica, the festival of political film and art is organised for the third time. The opening film will be the documentary What Would Jesus Buy?

What Would Jesus Buy? is a comedic documentary directed by VanAlkemade and produced by Morgan Spurlock.

In addition to the films there will be exhibitions, panel discussions, lectures and clubs in the festival programme.

More info:
www.lenspolitica.net

Finland to get a large office complex utilising solar energy

Plans have been drawn to construct a chain of four office buildings, with solar panels covering the south-facing walls of the complex, in the vicinity of the Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport.

This way some of the energy needed by the complex will be generated on the spot without putting a strain on the environment. The project is the largest of its kind in Finland, possibly even in the entire Nordic region.

As yet, the Vantaa project is still on the drawing board, and no details are available of the quantity of energy that could be produced. Much will depend on how densely the panels are installed on the south-facing walls of the 30,000 square-metre complex.

More info:
http://www.econia.fi

Madventures 3 is coming

Madventures 3, a high impact travel adventure series which sees its two presenters, Riku and Tunna, go in search of destinations and activities so extreme, that no travel series has ever had the courage to attempt it before.

During the ten-part series, our presenters travel with one camera through 20 countries on six different continents, with their journey taking them from heated war zones to unconquered jungles, from remote deserts to people-stricken metropolises.

As Madventures 3 will be shown on Travel Channel (90 million US households) and on Fiver (UK) the guys will be speak English (instead of Finnish stadi slang).

First episodes are shown in Finland during the spring 2009.

Helsinki Biennale 2008: 25.10.2008 – 25.1.2009

Helsinki Biennale 2008 is a World Fair. Finnish artists have built pavillions and other good mood totem poles typical for world fairs in the cellar of Helsinki Design Museum. More than 50 most interesting artists from Finland and over 100 favorite artists from abroad.