Rovaniemi

The city of Rovaniemi’s participation in World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 will bring to the event an arctic perspective on design, combining arctic requirements, top research in the field as well as education, the expertise of creative industry companies and northern culture. The arctic environment presents design with interesting challenges in terms of housing, mobility, well-being and tourism.

From the viewpoint of arctic research and design, it is natural for the capital of Lapland to be taking part in the design capital year. Rovaniemi is home to more than 300 creative industry companies and the University of Lapland’s Arctic Centre and Faculty of Art and Design. The latter grants more than one-third of all the MA (Art and Design) degrees in Finland.

WDC Helsinki 2012 partnership will open up new domestic and international channels for Rovaniemi, thus allowing the city to strengthen its creative industry business and activate companies and the public sector to utilise design. Local design expertise will be highlighted during Rovaniemi Design Week – the northernmost event of its kind in the world. Design will be visible to city residents and to the hundreds of thousands of tourists who come to the Arctic Circle in search of new experiences.