New Trends of Electrification 2026 – Connected Society
New Trends of Electrification 2026 – Connected Society
New Trends of Electrification (NTE) is an international seminar that has been organized annually since 2023, bringing together leading professionals and the latest perspectives on electrification across different sectors.
NTE 2026 will take place on Thursday, April 16th, 2026, in the conference facilities of the Lahti Fair Centre. The event is free of charge and open to all companies, organizations and students interested in green electrification.
The world is in the midst of a major transformation. New technologies, products, and services are shaping a smarter, more efficient and climate-friendly future, improving the way we use energy, move goods, and connect industries.
At New Trends of Electrification 2026 – Connected Society, we bring together the people and ideas driving this change. The event serves as a meeting point for pioneers who are building an electrified society, regardless of the interface.
NTE 2026 is not just about vehicles. It’s about the systems, software, and energy networks that power a zero-emission future, and the collaboration that makes it possible.
Join us in Lahti to explore where electrification is heading next – and how the transition is already redefining the way our society works.
Program
8:30 Coffee and registration
9:00 New Trends of Electrification 2026
Welcome Address by the City of Lahti
Johanna Särkijärvi, Environmental Director, City of Lahti
Official Opening of the Event
Mika Nykänen, State Secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland/Ministry of the Environment
DRIVE towards GREEN: exploring Finnish SMEs' readiness for decarbonization through internal experiences and external pressures
Hector Aceves, Research Assistant, Social Sciences, LUT University /
Titta Matikainen, Post-doctoral Researcher, Business Studies, LUT University / Antti Silvast, Associate Professor, Social Sciences, LUT University
Harmonized data unlocks better EV services – and future-ready solutions
Kimmo Ylisiurunen, Head of Cluster, Traffic Data Service Cluster, Fintraffic
Electrification of mobile working machines – challenges and opportunities
Heikki Handroos, Professor, LUT School of Energy Systems, Mechanical Engineering
10:45 Networking break
11:00 Ports developing into energy hubs – impact on machinery and the surrounding ecosystem
Jukka Borgman, Director, Technology and Research, Kalmar
Electrification of short sea shipping
Teemu Kyläkallio, Head of Department, R&D, Rauma Marine Constructions Oy
12:00 Lunch break
13:00 Title to be confirmed
Roberts Abele, CEO, IONCOR
Charging through the seasons: a data-driven look at Nordic EV behaviour
Paula Savonen, VP, Marketing & Communications, Kempower
Liquid hydrogen electrified power train – an enabler for zero-emission aviation
Dong Liu, Academy Research Fellow, LUT School of Energy Systems, Electrical Engineering
Panel Discussion: Summing Up the Day and Organizers' Future Perspectives
Closing words, a toast and networking
16:00 The event ends
Program subject to change.
Opening Remarks
The event will open with welcoming words from Johanna Särkijärvi, Environmental Director of the City of Lahti.
The official opening remarks will be given by Mika Nykänen, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland and Chair of the Board at ITS Finland (Intelligent Transport Systems and Services).
Speakers
The seminar brings together a wide range of experts from research, industry, and public organizations.
Among the speakers is Roberts Abele, Chief Executive Officer of IONCOR, who has over 30 years of experience in global automotive supplier companies and will contribute to the discussion on battery technologies.
Heikki Handroos, Professor at LUT School of Energy Systems, Mechanical Engineering, will present perspectives on the electrification of mobile working machines, drawing on decades of experience in research and development in the field.
From LUT University, Dong Liu, Academy Research Fellow at LUT School of Energy Systems, Electrical Engineering, will present his work on future aviation under the theme “Liquid hydrogen electrified power train – an enabler for zero-emission aviation.”
The program also includes Jukka Borgman, Director, Technology and Research at Kalmar, who will address the role of ports as developing energy hubs, and Teemu Kyläkallio, Head of Department, R&D at Rauma Marine Constructions, who will share perspectives on the electrification of maritime transport.
Kimmo Ylisiurunen, Head of Cluster, Traffic Data Service Cluster at Fintraffic, will discuss the role of harmonized data in enabling EV services and future mobility solutions.
In addition, Paula Savonen, Vice President, Marketing & Communications at Kempower, will provide a data-driven view on Nordic EV behavior.
The seminar will open its speaker program with a joint presentation by Antti Silvast, Associate Professor, Titta Matikainen, Post-doctoral Researcher, and Hector Aceves, Research Assistant from LUT University, whose work is connected to an ongoing project with the Electric Mobility Research Center (EMRC) on the electrification of heavy-duty transportation.
The host of the event is Peter Nyman.
The registration deadline has been extended until April 7, 2026. Registration is still open.
The event is organized together with LAHTI GEM – Green Electrification of Mobility Cluster, Lahti Region Development LADEC Ltd, LUT Universities, Kempower Oyj and Electric Mobility Research Center EMRC.
Learn more about last year's event and its key highlights by clicking here.
Please note that photos and videos will be taken during the event for communication and marketing purposes. If you prefer not to appear in images or videos, let us know in advance via the registration form (“Message to the organiser”).
The events and actions of the Lahti GEM have been implemented as a part of projects:
ZERO-TRAIL (Towards Zero-emission Urban Transport and Logistics) 2025-2026, which is part of the European Commission funded Enabling City Transformation programme. The City of Lahti is the main implementer. GEM Energizer 2025-2027, funded by the Regional Council of Päijät-Häme.
Possible cancellations:
You can cancel your participation by April 13th via the link in the confirmation message. If you don't show up and haven't cancelled your participation, you will be charged a "no show" fee of 20 euros. Sickness cases will be considered separately.
