Walking the Energy Transition: From Vaasa Energy Valley to Silicon Valley.
- Lars Ling
- Oct 24, 2025
- 3 min read
In the world of innovation, some of the most powerful ideas do not begin in boardrooms or conference halls. They begin in conversation—often while walking.
During Nordic Impact Week Silicon Valley, one of the most distinctive opening moments is the “Walk & Talk Nordics in San Francisco,” guided by Silicon Valley entrepreneur and strategist Sheridan Tatsuno. The informal walk through San Francisco brings together Nordic entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators to reflect on how global ecosystems connect—and how collaboration accelerates solutions for the climate and energy transition.
The walk is more than an introduction to the program. It symbolizes a bridge between two innovation regions: the Nordic energy ecosystem and Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurial culture.
From Energy Transition Valley to Silicon Valley
At the center of the Nordic perspective is the vision emerging from the University of Vaasa and the surrounding cluster, often described as the Energy Transition Valley—a dynamic concentration of companies, research institutions, and innovators focused on transforming global energy systems.
Each year, this ecosystem gathers international partners at Vaasa Energy Week, one of the Nordics’ leading events for energy technology, electrification, and industrial decarbonization. Energy Week has become a meeting place for companies, cities, investors, and researchers shaping the future of energy.
The conversation that begins in San Francisco often continues months later in Vaasa.
Smart Water Meets Energy Transition
Among the topics explored during the walk is the growing intersection between artificial intelligence, water management, and energy systems.
This is where Calejo AI Hybrid Intelligence enters the conversation.
Calejo is actively seeking Smart Water pilot projects across California, applying AI-driven intelligence to optimize water infrastructure, reduce energy consumption, and improve resilience in cities and industrial systems.
Water and energy are deeply connected. Pumping, treating, and distributing water consume large amounts of energy. Smarter systems—powered by AI—can dramatically reduce waste while strengthening infrastructure.
The California market, facing drought challenges and infrastructure pressure, represents a natural environment for innovation in AI-powered Smart Water solutions.
The Philosophy of the Walk
For CleanTech Region Group, the organizer of Nordic Impact Week, the Walk & Talk represents a philosophy that has guided the program since its early days of Nordic delegations visiting Silicon Valley.
Innovation ecosystems grow through relationships.
Walking together through San Francisco—one of the world’s most influential innovation hubs—creates a different type of conversation. Hierarchies disappear. New ideas emerge. Partnerships begin.
It is an experience that mirrors how Silicon Valley itself evolved: through informal networks of entrepreneurs, researchers, and investors exchanging ideas.
Building a Global Innovation Corridor
Today, the opportunity is larger than a single region.
From Vaasa’s Energy Transition Valley to California’s climate technology ecosystem, new global corridors of collaboration are emerging. Nordic companies bring expertise in industrial decarbonization, electrification, and sustainable infrastructure. California brings scale, venture capital, and a culture of rapid innovation.
Together, they form a powerful platform for solving some of the world’s most urgent challenges.
The walk through San Francisco is only the beginning.
From there, the journey continues—to partnerships, pilot projects, investments, and global impact. And often, it all starts with a conversation while walking.
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© 2008–2026 Lars Ling / CleanTech Region Group. All rights reserved.
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