Members of Washington State University leadership were invited by the Office of the Governor to join a delegation of state government officials, business and education leaders on a 10-day trade mission to Finland, Sweden and Norway, organized by the Washington State Department of Commerce and the Office of Governor Jay Inslee.
The delegation reinforced ongoing partnership and collaboration with Scandinavia, and the trip served as an information sharing opportunity for both Washington state and the Nordic countries.
President Kirk Schulz sponsored WSU’s participation in the international trip as part of extensive ongoing efforts to support campuses and cross-campus initiatives in support of larger system priorities, including clean energy, sustainability, and climate change. The trip highlighted several issues of relevance to WSU’s research, educational and outreach expertise, particularly in the clean energy space. Specific topics included nuclear waste management, sustainable aviation fuels, the future of hydrogen and maritime transportation.
“This trip affirmed Washington State’s close cultural, economic, industrial and other ties to the Nordic countries,” said Christopher Keane, vice president for research at WSU and vice chancellor for research at WSU Pullman. “WSU’s research and educational activities in areas such as clean energy, robotics, nuclear science, and technology transfer are key to maintaining these strong ties. The trip provided the opportunity to build collaborations with industrial, academic, and government partners, supporting the university’s mission to advance research, scholarship, and creative activity to benefit the state of Washington, our nation and the world.”
In Finland, WSU Tri-Cities Chancellor Sandra Haynes was a featured panelist along with Governor Inslee discussing how Washington has tackled nuclear waste, treatment, and storage at Hanford Nuclear Site. They also had the opportunity to hear from Finnish representatives on that country’s approach to nuclear energy. The group will take what it learned from this conversation to explore how Washington state might apply this technology to the cleanup effort at Hanford.
“This trip was a great opportunity to share information on an international stage about the latest technologies and best practices in nuclear cleanup, bioproducts, and biofuel development— including aviation fuel, and other clean energy, education and prison reform efforts that WSU Tri-Cities is working on,” said Chancellor Haynes. “It was also a wonderful way to create potential partnerships with industry, governments, and universities in Scandinavia who are doing similar work. Washington has a great deal in common with the three countries visited, and it is apparent that we can learn so much from each other.”
While in Stockholm, Mary Rezac, dean of the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture, was featured in a panel on sustainable aviation where she discussed WSU’s research and partnerships. Other panelists included Niklas Lund, CEO of Rockton, a sustainable aviation company, and Elaine Grunewald, author and global sustainability executive.
“WSU continues to lead the way internationally through our work on sustainable aviation fuels,” said Dean Rezac. “There is a real opportunity for global innovation and collaboration on this topic, and we were glad to have the opportunity to highlight our expertise, while learning from our international partners.”
The trip provided an opportunity to elevate WSU on a global scale and build relationships with Nordic leaders, companies, and academic institutions to explore opportunities for mutually beneficial collaboration in the future.
In addition to Governor Jay Inslee and members of the WSU team, participants of the delegation visit included officials from the Washington State Department of Commerce, University of Washington, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Greater Seattle Partners, Alaska Airlines and the Washington State Senate.
