As a main sponsor of this year's World Sauna Forum in Jyväskylä, Finland, Harvia brought together industry leaders, Brand Ambassadors, partners, and researchers to explore the future of sauna culture, innovation, and wellbeing. The company also hosted its own Wellbeing Morning, where discussions highlighted a common theme across both events: sauna continues to evolve through scientific research, cultural influences, and changing user experiences.
A 360-degree strategy: blending cultural rituals, smart tech, and targeted health benefits
Harvia used this year's World Sauna Forum to showcase new research into the sauna experience, present the latest digital and product innovations, and announce a new strategic partnership aimed at advancing wellbeing, technology, and sustainable living.
During the forum, CTO Timo Harvia shared early findings from ongoing research exploring what shapes the sauna experience. A key focus was löyly--the steam created when water is poured onto hot sauna stones. The research highlights that sauna experiences are influenced not only by temperature but by the interaction of heat, humidity, and user behaviour. Steam increases the body's heat load and can significantly affect how sauna conditions are perceived, helping explain why people experience the same sauna differently.
Harvia-Hauptsitz
The cultural side of sauna was explored by TTNE, Harvia's Brand Ambassadors in Japan, who shared insights into Japanese sauna traditions and the role of rituals, habits, and mindset in shaping the overall experience. During the event, Harvia and TTNE also renewed their Brand Ambassador partnership, continuing their collaboration to promote sauna culture globally.
Innovation was another key theme throughout the forum. Perttu Rönkkö, Head of Digital and Devices at Harvia, presented the MyHarvia Smart Sauna Sensor WiFi system, which connected all event saunas to a live dashboard displaying real-time temperature, humidity, and occupancy data. Guests could use the platform to select sauna experiences based on their personal preferences. The connected saunas included Harvia's mobile sauna trailer concept, part of the company's ongoing research and development work in portable sauna solutions.
Harvia also announced a long-term strategic partnership with the University of Jyväskylä, JAMK University of Applied Sciences, and the GRADIA Jyväskylä Educational Consortium. The collaboration brings together industry, research, and education to develop new solutions in wellbeing, technology, and sustainable living, while further strengthening Central Finland's position as an internationally recognised innovation hub.
Together, the announcements and presentations demonstrated Harvia's commitment to advancing sauna experiences through scientific research, digital innovation, cultural understanding, and strategic collaboration.
Harvia's Wellbeing Morning brought together partners, experts and industry players to discuss the latest sauna trends
Harvia Wellbeing morning
At its Wellbeing Morning on 11 June, Harvia brought together partners and wellbeing experts to discuss key trends shaping the future of sauna and wellness.
CEO Matias Järnefelt highlighted a positive outlook for the global sauna market, citing growing interest in well-being, recovery, and premium wellness experiences as key growth drivers. He also emphasized Harvia's commitment to innovation and long-term market development.
Participants were able to discover and test several sauna concepts
Harvia Brand Ambassador Dr. Emilia Vuorisalmi focused on the relationship between sauna use and women's health, particularly during perimenopause and menopause. She explored how symptoms such as sleep disturbances, hot flashes, and inflammation can affect daily life and discussed the potential role of sauna in supporting sleep, recovery, stress management, and overall wellbeing.
Dr. Emilia Vuorisalmi
The event underscored the growing role of sauna as part of a holistic approach to health and wellbeing, supported by research, innovation, and evolving consumer needs.
Guests also experienced Harvia's latest innovations, including mobile concept saunas, the Cool Mist Shower, and the Hydrogen Sauna. In a structured testing environment, participants compared different sauna conditions under carefully controlled temperature and humidity settings, bringing recent research findings into practice. The sessions reinforced a key insight from Harvia's ongoing research: the quality of "löyly" can have a greater impact on the sauna experience than temperature alone.
The event also provided valuable opportunities to strengthen relationships with reseller partners and industry stakeholders, creating new connections and paving the way for future collaboration.
