SHIFT Business Festival celebrates its 10th edition with a focus on leadership, technology, and community in Turku
This year the event will take place on May 22 at the Turku Science Park.
"SHIFT has always been a mix of inspiration, art, technology, and great food, driven by a passionate and mostly volunteer-based community," says Joonas Suominen, one of the founders of SHIFT Business Festival, as the event celebrates its 10th edition in 2025. This year the event will take place on May 22 at the Turku Science Park.
"Turku needs events that create a good atmosphere and truly allow people to connect. That’s what SHIFT manages to deliver year after year," adds Suominen, who has also been a board member since the very beginning.
Indeed, what started in 2014 as an idea by a group of young entrepreneurs from Turku finally came to life in 2016 with the first edition of the festival — originally aimed at tech startups. Since then, SHIFT has evolved into the most significant business event in Southwest Finland, gathering thousands of people across industries with a shared focus on the future, creativity, and genuine connections.
"In my opinion, the Turku economic area needs exactly this kind of feel-good networking event. SHIFT is the perfect size to enable genuine connections — you meet familiar faces, but it’s also easy to connect with new people", adds Suominen.
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From Baltic Sea Summit to SHIFT
Suominen explains that the idea emerged in 2014 within the Junior Chambers of Commerce in the Turku region, aiming to unite various local events into one large, collaborative festival. The initial concept was called The Baltic Sea Summit, and it gained the support of local stakeholders, including the City of Turku and the Federation of Entrepreneurs in Southwest Finland.
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However, launching SHIFT was neither quick nor easy. After over a year of preparation, the festival finally came to life in 2016 under its new name: SHIFT 2016, with Turku Castle serving as the iconic venue.
"I especially remember when SHIFT was held at Turku Castle that first year. As far as I know, no event of that scale had ever been held there before, so the combination of a fresh concept and a historic location was truly amazing," Suominen recalls.
He also highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the event in 2020 and 2021, but says the team didn’t give up — and today, SHIFT stands as the most important festival in Southwest Finland.
Now, the SHIFT brand is well-established and recognized across the region for its relevance and impact. While the 2025 edition will once again span two days, the first day will be the core of the event, packed with panels and networking sessions. The second day offers a more compact program for those attending.
Check out the full schedule for both days of SHIFT 2025.