Mikkeli – The Capital
of Clean Water
Water is vital for life. Our lake nature is extremely valuable, and our province
has the cleanest waters in the world. Water, forest and food are the focus
points of the regional strategy of South Savo.
Mikkeli
Water
Week
June 8th to 14th 2026
Mikkeli, South-Savo, Finland
We bring out the importance and possibilities of water from different perspectives, from researchers to companies in the field, residents of the
region and tourists.
We welcome you to join this highly important and professional event in Mikkeli, which is gate to the Lake Saimaa.
Mikkeli Water Week will be held again in June 2026. Welcome!
9.6.2026 Finnish Lakeland Forum (FLF)
Seminar, public lectures, and a free Folk Saimaa concert
Our generation has inherited the magnificent Vuoksi water system – Saimaa, Kallavesi, Höytiäinen and Pielinen. The region is a unique combination of clean waters, thousands of islands and breathtaking landscapes.
The Finnish Lakeland Forum is a collaboration dedicated to protecting our pristine lake district. Each year, the Forum brings together key stakeholders to promote the region’s vitality. As the foundation for this cooperation, the Lake Finland Charter was signed in Mikkeli on World Environment Day, 5 June 2019.
This year, the Finnish Lakeland Forum consists of two parts. The English-language expert morning will be held at the Mikkeli Music Institute, focusing on harmful substances in waters and international cooperation.
To make the event more accessible to city residents, the Forum will move to the Stella shopping centre at 13:00 for the afternoon programme. The shopping centre will host public lectures on topics such as leisure housing, boating, and what individuals can do to help protect clean waters. In addition, the Emma Award–winning band Folk Saimaa will perform a free concert for the public.
View more and register >>
Photo by: Visit Saimaa
9.6.2026 From Wastewater to Resource (FWR): Tackling PFAS and Microplastics -seminar
The seminar focuses particularly on the reuse of wastewater as well as the challenges posed by PFAS compounds and microplastics. Experts will discuss regulation, monitoring and practical solutions, as well as how municipalities and industry can sustainably utilise treated water. The seminar is organised in cooperation with the international Interreg Central Baltic–funded projects SIWat, Balt-Plast-Free and BalticPFASResolve.
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Photo by: Riikka Silkala
10–11.6.2026 International Conference on Emerging Trends in Water Treatment (ETWT)
At the Mikaeli Concert and Congress Hall, researchers and other experts in the field will discuss topics such as new water treatment technologies, the removal of harmful substances, and circular economy solutions. The conference offers an opportunity to share the latest research findings, strengthen collaboration, and enhance international networking within the water sector.
View more and register>>
Photo by: Pihla Liukkonen, Kontrastia
Mikkeli Water Week will be held in June – with plenty of new events and activities for water-sector professionals as well as city residents and cottage owners
Mikkeli Water Week will once again take place on 8–14 June 2026, bringing to Mikkeli people from around the world who are interested in the importance of clean water, future solutions and expertise in the water sector. The event week is expanding significantly – for the first time, the programme will be widely brought into the city centre, and the international expert programme will grow further.
During the week, researchers, decision-makers, entrepreneurs in the field, as well as local residents and cottage owners, will gather to discuss and be inspired by the diverse opportunities of water, the sustainable use of water resources, and international cooperation.
”This year, Mikkeli Water Week places a strong emphasis on international collaboration
The challenges related to clean water are shared globally, and so is the responsibility for solving them. That’s why it is important to bring together representatives from different countries to consider how combining expertise can help us move forward more quickly. Solutions often involve research and education, and almost always business activities as well. These also contribute to vitality”
Juha Kauppinen, BEM-coordinator, City of Mikkeli
Blue Economy Mikkeli
Blue Economy Mikkeli (BEM) brings together top experts in the water sector. Mikkeli’s strengths and investment in water expertise are recognised nationally and internationally.
One example of this is the innovation ecosystem agreement that Mikkeli has signed with the Ministry of Employment and the Economy to develop a centre of excellence between 2021 and 2027.
”Innovating Today for a Water‑Secure Tomorrow
As emphasized in SDG 6, access to clean water is a fundamental human right, essential for safeguarding human dignity and public health. Yet securing reliable access to clean water remains one of the foremost global challenges of our time. Increasing pollution, rising water scarcity and growing environmental concerns demand innovative, sustainable and environmentally responsible approaches to wastewater treatment. In this context, ETWT-2026 stands as a premier forum where cutting edge research meets industrial application, driving forward solutions to the most complex challenges in water purification and promoting a more resilient, water‑secure future.”
Susana Rodriguez Couto, Academic director of ETWT, LUT University
Mikkeli – The Capital
of Clean Water
The Mikkeli region is located in the province of South Savo. In Mikkeli, you will find the perfect mix of nature experiences and local life.
Mikkeli is located between a few big lakes – Lake Puula, Lake Kyyvesi, and of course, Lake Saimaa.
Photo by: Veera Kinnunen
Useful information
You can easily travel here by car, bus or train – just a couple hours travel from Helsinki, the capital of Finland. We have a lovely accommodations here in Mikkeli.
Photo by: Visit Saimaa
Organizers
Mikkeli Water Week is organized together with City of Mikkeli, Mikkeli Development Miksei, Blue Economy Mikkeli (BEM), LUT University, South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk), Mikkeli University Consortium (MUC) and Finnish Water Forum (FWF)
Photo by: Pihla Liukkonen, Kontrastia
Mikkeli is the gate to Lake Saimaa
Lake Saimaa itself is the largest of Finland’s lakes and connects several of the larger towns. You won’t find a lake like this anywhere else.
Photo by: Visit Saimaa
