The West Avia development program kickoff event brought together a wide range of companies, stakeholders, and regional actors at Seinäjoki Airport – now known as West Avia. The event clearly demonstrated strong interest in the area’s development: the departure hall, transformed into a showroom, was filled with participants, and the atmosphere was enthusiastic and full of anticipation from the very beginning.
The core message of the event was clear: the Seinäjoki Airport area is now West Avia – a developing, versatile hub offering new opportunities for businesses.us.
A Region Full of Opportunities
The kickoff highlighted the key themes and development directions of West Avia. The area is positioned as:
- an airport for smart and seamless mobility
- a testing environment for autonomous systems and related technologies
- an excellent location for logistics, industrial, and aviation-related businesses
Speakers emphasized strong confidence in the area’s growth and its potential to serve as a platform for innovation, collaboration, and new business.
Diverse Program and Strong Lineup of Speakers
The event began with coffee and networking, followed by a guided bus tour of the area. The tour included stops at Sedu’s facilities, hangars, the aviation club, and FinnHEMS, providing participants with a concrete understanding of West Avia’s scale and potential.
The afternoon program featured a series of expert presentations. Deputy Speaker of Parliament Paula Risikko delivered a greeting from the national level, while Joonas Soini from Into Seinäjoki Ltd. presented an overview of West Avia.
Perspectives on aviation business opportunities were shared by Juhani Pakari (Scanwings), Petri Häli (Häli Airlines), and Valtteri Saarijärvi (V-Fly Ltd.). In addition, Simo Kankaanpää from the Municipality of Ilmajoki presented the development of the aviation business park, and Seppo Salomäki from Rinta-Jouppi Machine provided a practical company case example.
Opportunities related to research, development, and innovation (RDI) as well as business collaboration were discussed by Esa Vuorenmaa (Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences) and Jukka Mattila (SeAMK).
Equipment Showcase and Drone Demonstrations
The event concluded with an equipment showcase on the apron, featuring participants such as the South Ostrobothnia Drone Center, Häli Airlines, and Scanwings. A live drone demonstration further illustrated the area’s capabilities as a testing and development environment.
Showroom Concept Enables New Uses
One of the highlights of the event was the transformation of the departure hall into a showroom. The space proved to be an excellent venue and demonstrated how it can be utilized in the future for corporate events, presentations, and visits.
The kickoff event reinforced the view that West Avia is a significant growth platform for future business. Interest in the area is strong, and expectations for its development are high.
West Avia invites companies to join in building the future – to leverage the area’s unique opportunities and become part of a growing hub for aviation, logistics, and technology.
The kickoff event reinforced the view that West Avia is a significant growth platform for future business. Interest in the area is strong, and expectations for its development are high.
KICK-OFF event at west avia
Elisabet Kivimäki
Asiakkuuspäällikkö, Into Seinäjoki
