Kovatec- Civil Security Days
Join Kewatec at “Kovatec - Civil Security Days” in Kokkola, Finland, on May 20–21, 2025.
Program
Day 1 – Tuesday, May 20
Venue: Kokkola City Hall
09:00 – Welcome Remarks & Opening Address
09:30 – Improving Water Safety – From Prevention to Rescue Jori Nordström, CEO, Finnish Lifeboat Institution
10:00 – Coffee Break
10:20 – Situational Awareness in the New Age of Maritime Technology, Lauri Vasankari, AI Consultant, 61N
10:50 – Enhancing Maritime Security: Utilizing Waterjet Technology for Rapid Response and Flexible Operation, Ammar Saber, Kongsberg
11:10 – The Role of Maritime Security in Finland’s National Supply Readiness, Janne Jukkola, MP
11:40 – Lunch
12:40 – The Value of Being Present, Robin Häggblom, Risk Intelligence
13:10 – Lessons from a Navy Commander – Leadership and Strategy in Maritime Operations, Vice Admiral (ret.) Veijo Taipalus
13:40 – Fuels, renewables and emissions, Juha Joensuu, Volvo Penta
14:00 – Coffee Break
14:30 – Panel Discussion: Evolving Demands for Multipurpose Maritime Vessels
Panelists:
– Kent Björklund, Kewatec, CEO
– Jori Nordström, CEO, Finnish Lifeboat Institution
– Björn J. Gunnarsson, Maritime SAR Project Manager, ICE-SAR, Iceland
– Christophe DUBOIS, Project Team leader, CIVIPOL, France
15:30 – Closing Remarks
17:00-17:45 – Guided walk through Kokkola’s Old Town
18:45 –Transfer to Mustakari for evening program
19:00 – Dinner at Mustakari
19:10 – Welcome Speech by Jonne Sandberg, Director of Development, City of Kokkola
19:20 – “Kahakka” – A Local Maritime Tale
20:00 – Live Music Performance by Antti Paalanen
21:45 – Sauna available
22:00 & 23:00 – Return transport to Hotels
Day 2 – Wednesday, May 21
Venue: Kewatec Shipyard
09:00 – Bus transfer from city center to the shipyard
09:30 – Opening Remarks
09:45 – Test Drive
2 x Kewatec Rescue 1700, Kewatec Pilot 1630
10:00 – Trakka Systems Total Mission Solution
10:30 – Test Drive
2 x Kewatec Rescue 1700, Kewatec Pilot 1630
10:30 – Humphree, Perfecting performance at sea
11:00 – HamiltonJet & Trans-Auto – Your Propulsion Partner from Start to Finish
11:15 – Test Drive
2 x Kewatec Rescue 1700, Kewatec Pilot 1630
11:30 – Furuno – Operating Safely Under GNSS Jamming & Spoofing
12:00 – Kewatec – Delivering Made-to-order solutions in Professional Boatbuilding, Hannu Rantala
12:30 – Test Drive
2 x Kewatec Rescue 1700, Kewatec Pilot 1630
12:30 – Scania Marine Engine solutions
13:00 – Dual Use Pontoon Systems – A-laiturit
13:15 – Test Drive
2 x Kewatec Rescue 1700, Kewatec Pilot 1630
13:30 – PowerDuo & Simrad – Autonomous Power Solution for Critical Conditions
14:00 – Test Drive
2 x Kewatec Rescue 1700, Kewatec Pilot 1630
14:00 – Mercury Marine- a global partner in a changing environment
14:30 – Hefring Marine, Decision Intelligence in Marine Vessels
14:45 – Test Drive
2 x Kewatec Rescue 1700, Kewatec Pilot 1630
15:00 – Savox
15:30 – Test Drive
2 x Kewatec Rescue 1700, Kewatec Pilot 1630
15:30 – Cummins
16:00 – Closing Remark
16:15 – Scheduled transportation to Kokkola train station and airport
Other Activities:
Factory tours throughout the day
Coffee available non-stop
from 10:00 to 15:00
Lunch served
from 11:00 to 13:00
Our partners and sponsors
We are proud to collaborate with our trusted partners and sponsors, whose support is vital in creating a high-level, impactful event. Together, we share a commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and tailored maritime solutions that meet the demands of modern security and safety operations.
Meet the Experts at Kovatec
Meet the Experts at Kovatec
At Kovatec – Civil Security Days 2025, we are bringing together leading experts in maritime security, defence, and search and rescue operations to discuss the
evolving landscape of European civil security.
The event will bring together senior officials, defence experts, and industry leaders to discuss civil security strategies, maritime defence, and emergency response. Through keynotes and panel discussion, speakers will share insights on adapting to emerging security threats, while attendees can explore tailored solutions and cutting-edge maritime technology firsthand.
Veijo Taipalus
Lessons from a Navy Commander – Leadership and Strategy in Maritime Operations
Vice Admiral (ret), former Commander of the Finnish Navy, Taipalus graduated from the Military Academy in 1984. He started his officer career as an instructor at Vaasa Coastal Battallion. Later on he has had several different positions at the Ministry of Defence, the Defence Command, the Naval Academy, the National Defence University and in the Navy, as well as serving as a Defence Attache in Norway and Denmark.
Janne Jukkola
The Role of Maritime Security in Finland’s National Supply Readiness
Member of Parliament, is the Founder and Chairman of the independent, cross-party Parliamentary Supply
Security Group, which focuses on Finland’s national preparedness and supply security. In his talk, he will explore the role of maritime security in safeguarding supply readiness, emphasizing cooperation between civil security actors and policymakers.
Jori Nordström
Improving Water Safety – From Prevention to Rescue
Jori Nordström is the CEO of the
Finnish Lifeboat Institution (FLBI) with extensive experience in maritime SAR. He joined FLBI in 2000 as Head of Training, after over 13 years of volunteering and participating in various lifeboat training courses.
Robin Häggblom
The Value of being Present
Senior advisor at Risk Intelligence A/S, with a background in the maritime industry and an MSc in technology.
A decade plus as a defence analyst under the nickname Corporal Frisk.
Lauri Vasankari
Situational awareness in the new age of maritime technology
AI consultant, Lieutenant Senior Grade (Navy, ret.), Master’s degree in military science, Master’s degree in artificial intelligence and data science, Doctoral researcher in operations analysis as well as in artificial intelligence. Background as a navy officer, researcher, lecturer and AI/ML expert.
Experience Kewatec’s
Made-to-Order Vessels in Action
Experience Kewatec’s Made-to-Order Vessels in Action
At Kovatec – Civil Security Days 2025, attendees will have the unique opportunity to experience firsthand how Kewatec’s made-to-order vessels are designed to meet the specific operational needs of different civil security organizations. Our test fleet showcases three vessels built for demanding environments and specialized missions:
SAR boat for ICE-SAR, Iceland
| Customer: | ICE-SAR |
| LOA: | 17.10m |
| Engine: | 2x Scania DI13 / 751hp |
| Propulsion: | 2x Hamilton HJ403 Waterjet |
| Fuel: | 2x 900l |
| Design category: | A (Self-righting) |
Pilot boat for Gdansk Pilot, Poland
| Customer: | Gdańsk Pilot |
| LOA: | 16.25m |
| Engine: | 2x Caterpillar C18 / 553hp |
| Propulsion: | 2x CJR propeller |
| Fuel: | 2x 1300l |
| Design category: | A (Self-righting) |
SAR boat to Mediterranean Sea
| Customer: | CIVIPOL |
| LOA: | 17.70m |
| Engine: | 2x Volvo Penta D13 / 900hp |
| Propulsion: | 2x Kongsberg S36-3/CA |
| Fuel: | 2 x 2500l |
| Design category: | A (Self-righting) |
Basic information:
May 20-21, 2025
Kokkola, Finland
Contact person:
Juuso Savolainen
+358 400 407 847
Registration is open until May 5th—just follow the link below to sign up.
Get in touch with us
Do you want to know more about us, or do you have questions about our boats or services?
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