GW Hosts U.S. and Finnish Leaders for Energy Innovation Seminar

April 13, 2026

Authored by:

Nick Erickson, Ruth Steinhardt

The George Washington University hosted leaders in diplomacy, policy, research and innovation from the United States and Finland Thursday, exploring how the longstanding science and technology partnership between the two nations can accelerate secure, sustainable and innovative energy solutions, particularly in the face of shifting geopolitical dynamics and climate pressures.

Held in the recently renovated State Room conference space at Elliott School of International Affairs, the seminar, "Resilient Futures-Energy, Innovation & the Arctic Nexus," brought together experts to examine the intersection of energy systems, artificial intelligence, materials science and Arctic research.

GW partnered with the Embassy of Finland, the Finnish-American Research & Innovation Accelerator (FARIA) and the National Council of University Research Administrators to make the event happen.

"As we face climate challenges around the world, international collaboration such as this is one of our most powerful resources," GW President Ellen M. Granberg said during opening remarks. "The knowledge and innovation that we generate by working across disciplines and borders is matched in impact by the next-generation scientists we train and the ideas that we spark by bringing different perspectives to conversations such as this one."

"GW is the perfect place to convene this kind of global conversation," Granberg continued. "For more than two centuries, this university has been changing the world through groundbreaking research, exceptional education and a deep commitment to public service. We have had the privilege to train generations of leaders and changemakers who take on the world's toughest challenges, and the transition from fossil fuels to energy that is reliable, resilient and affordable is among the most complex and most urgent."

Granberg then welcomed H.E. Leena-Kaisa Mikkola, the ambassador of Finland to the United States.

Mikkola noted how Thursday's event bringing key U.S. federal science agencies together with Finnish and American researchers and university leaders reflects something real about the relationship and partnership between the two nations as they work to advance secure, intelligent and sustainable energy transitions in a rapidly changing political and environmental landscape.

"Finland and the United States are working on the same problems and challenges, energy security, critical materials, intelligent infrastructure and Arctic resilience. These are priorities on both sides of the Atlantic," said Mikkola, who thanked GW for hosting the event.

"In today's world with rather stormy waters, we need more cooperation, not less."

During two midday panels, Finnish researchers discussed how their work is rooted in challenges and opportunities specific to Finland but also has global relevance.

For instance, panelist Arttu Polojärvi, associate professor of ice mechanics at Aalto University, works in a field that is essential to the Finnish economy in which research and industry have long been integrated. The country is functionally, though not geographically, "an island," Polojärvi said: practically all international trade must be conducted through waterways. Since a third of Finland's land mass is located above the Arctic Circle, those waterways-and the ships traveling through them-are necessarily affected by the physics of sea ice.

This is rapidly becoming a global issue. As marine operations increase through the Arctic, ships not designed for icebreaking find themselves in icy waters in which they are unable to safely or efficiently operate.

Besides, sea ice itself is changing. In the future, it is likely to become thinner, warmer and more fragmented. Those changes will have implications for ship engineering, for offshore energy operations (how, for instance, could an offshore wind farm be safely built on this type of sea ice?) and for the global climate.

Introducing one panel, Xitong Liu, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Science whose research includesgreen extraction of lithium from geothermal brines, said he was surprised and intrigued to learn more about the differences between lithium reserves in the United States and Finland. (Europe's only lithium mine opened in Finland this February.)

"I believe there's a lot of synergy that can happen between Finland and the U.S.," Liu said.

GW Engineering Assistant Professor Xitong Liu introduced a research spotlight and capabilities panel. (Shane Seger/For GW Today)

That was a significant theme of the morning fireside chat "Resilient Energy Futures-Innovation for Secure Transitions," where Department of Energy Office of Science Director of International Engagement, Research Security and Interagency Coordinator Sarah Staton, National Science Foundation Global Centers Program Director Paul Raterron and Aalto University Provost Kristina Mäkelä discussed strategic partnerships between the U.S. and Finland in critical technologies.

Staton said that what sets the relationship between Finland and the U.S. apart is that both nations bring a tremendous amount of knowledge and expertise in science and technology, noting the benefits of having "a partnership of equals with aligned values," especially in a rapidly evolving world with advancements in AI and innovation.

"We want to be able to stay ahead of how this technology is affecting the world that we live in and the economic and national security implications of that, but also because it has the opportunity to benefit our society and make people's lives better," Staton said. "The engine behind all of this…is people who have that realization to collaborate and are that catalyst to make it happen."

Raterron echoed Staton and said to approach building international partnerships almost like an exchange. By doing this, he said, countries leverage not only expertise but also investment, creating a team that is much more knowledgeable and with a lot more resources to carry on the work.

"Science is not owned by one country," he said. "The expertise is spread around the globe."

The discussion also focused on AI and human expertise, emphasizing the need for proper education and the avoidance of an "intellectual monoculture that lacks a diverse set of ideas.

Panelists urged that energy systems must be prepared to anticipate and withstand disruption-from natural disasters to cyberattacks-without triggering massive setbacks for society. Achieving this, Raterron said, depends on "use-inspired" research that connects scientific discovery with real-world needs, bringing together universities, industry and policymakers to focus innovation on urgent challenges such as the energy transition, as was the case on Thursday at GW.

Other sessions Thursday included Finnish research spotlights and capabilities dialogue and more roundtable discussions on transatlantic cooperation for resilient futures, as well as thematic networking sessions and visits to labs around GW, including the Nanofabrication and Imaging Center and The Textile Museum.

An evening reception at the Embassy of Finland connected alumni from leading Finnish institutions with representatives from Washington-area universities, federal agencies, and science organizations. Senior Associate Vice Provost for Research Gina Lohr joined a panel discussion with leaders from other American and Finnish universities, to further explore shared priorities in education, research and the development of new technology.