Some of us are smart – or lucky – enough to bump into interesting ideas and people without any help. They seem to find the ways and places for enlightening discussions and unexpected thoughts without any special effort. Then there are people, like me, who realize the need for collaboration and sharing ideas but who needs to be pushed into action. SHIFT makes it all easier.

Events like SHIFT offer facilities for collaboration and, sattumahdollisuus (thanks Matti Copeland) courses, trainings, and clubs create good opportunities for encounters as well. However, if you wish your everyday surroundings to have this impact, two things help: choose your working environment carefully and don’t duck behind your table.

Today the physical facilities are often planned to accommodate different activities and actors. Bigger companies invite startups to work in their premises. Universities and companies share cafeterias, lobbies and laboratories. Co-working spaces are being built. Walls are being torn apart to open the space for people to people contacts. In the best scenarios the working environment is like a shopping center of knowledge: you find most things you want but may also end up buying something wonderful you never knew you even needed. To make a good catch though, you need to get up, look around and do some digging.

In Salo, we believe in combining resources. Therefore we have traditionally participated in SHIFT as one container of many talents. This year the container includes 10 startups, one city, and thousands of opportunities. At SHIFT Business Festival the container serves the audience as a facility for collaboration, a place for people to meet people, and a room for sattumahdollisuus.

#salostrikesback

Text: Anita Silanterä, Programme Manager, City of Salo (@silantera)