The now traditional Mikkeli Water Week will be held for the third time on 8–14 June 2026. The week’s programme includes the Finnish Lakeland Forum seminar on Tuesday 9 June, which promotes sustainable business practices that respect natural values. This year, the seminar will focus on harmful substances in water and international cooperation. The event will be held in English.

Our generation has inherited the magnificent Vuoksi water system – including Lake Saimaa, Kallavesi, Höytiäinen and Pielinen. The region is a unique combination of clean waters, thousands of islands and breathtaking landscapes. The Finnish Lakeland Forum is a collaborative effort to protect our pristine lake district. Each year, the Forum brings together key actors in the field to strengthen the region’s vitality. As a foundation for this cooperation, the Charter of Finnish Lakeland was signed in Mikkeli on World Environment Day, 5 June 2019.

Clean water and lake nature provide vitality and well-being. However, vitality does not emerge on its own. It requires commitment and concrete actions from all of us – research-based product development in industry and the right attitude towards the environment. Our lakes are only entrusted to us, and it is therefore our responsibility to safeguard the region’s purity, biodiversity and vitality for future generations – from father to son, from mother to daughter.

The opening remarks of the Finnish Lakeland Forum seminar will begin at 9:00. A more detailed programme for the expert morning session (in English) and additional information will be updated later in the spring at www.finnishlakelandforum.fi.

Welcome to the Finnish Lakeland Forum expert morning at the Mikkeli Music Institute. The event is free of charge, but requires registration by Sunday 31 May 2026.

As a new feature this year, the Finnish Lakeland Forum will be made more accessible to the public. After the expert morning session, the event will continue in the afternoon at 13:00 at the Stella shopping centre. The programme there will include public lectures, a free concert by the Emma Award-winning Folk Saimaa band, and other interesting activities.

The Finnish Lakeland Forum is organised by the City of Mikkeli, Blue Economy Mikkeli, and South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk).

For questions related to Mikkeli Water Week and the Finnish Lakeland Forum: juha.kauppinen@mikkeli.fi