For the fourth consecutive year, Secto Rally Finland, AKK Sports, the FIA and the WRC Promoter brought together decision-makers and experts from motorsport, business, research and government in Jyväskylä to examine how high-performance motorsport can accelerate the development of more sustainable mobility.
Held during Secto Rally Finland’s 75th anniversary week on Friday, Spark the Future 2026 focused on practical progress rather than easy consensus. The forum explored what is already working, which challenges remain unresolved and how collaboration across industries can move sustainable technologies from ambition to implementation.
The programme featured perspectives and practical examples from organisations including Secto Automotive, Motul, Kempower, Cefmof, Yamaha Motor, CoreGo, Forum8, MEKO, Metsä Board, Harvia and Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team.
As moderator André Noël Chaker stated in his opening remarks:
“Our aim today is not to manufacture agreement. It is to examine what is working, what is not yet working, and what business, government, research and motorsport can accomplish together.”
Motorsport as a testing ground for cleaner mobility
Opening the event, Finland’s Minister of Finance Riikka Purra challenged conventional assumptions about motorsport and sustainability.
While rallying may not become environmentally neutral in the traditional sense, she argued, it can serve as an important testing environment for new technologies, safer mobility and solutions supporting the clean transition.
Finland’s expertise in demanding driving conditions, advanced technology and the emerging hydrogen economy gives the country a strong platform for this work. The central message was clear: performance and sustainability do not need to be opposing forces. At their best, they can accelerate one another.
Secto Rally Finland’s role as an international reference point for sustainable event development was further underlined by its recognition with the Most Sustainable Sport Event award from UN Tourism and the FIA.
Building an ecosystem for sustainable mobility
Throughout the forum, speakers emphasised that the future of mobility will not be created by a single regulation, fuel, powertrain or organisation. Progress will require an ecosystem in which ambitions are shared, technologies can be tested and results can be measured.
The WRC Promoter highlighted the work being carried out across the championship to reduce emissions, protect biodiversity, strengthen responsible event management and increase rallying’s positive social impact.
One practical example came from Finnish technology company CoreGo and Forum8, which presented a digital twin of the rally environment capable of modelling traffic flows, pedestrian movement and the use of urban and service park spaces.
The technology could support safer event operations, more efficient logistics and better environmental planning, while also creating applications beyond motorsport.
Kempower brought the perspective of rapidly developing electric mobility and charging infrastructure to the discussion. The company highlighted how increasingly capable electric vehicles must be supported by reliable and accessible charging networks, with vehicle adoption and infrastructure developing in parallel.
First Sustainability Impact Award presented
As part of Secto Rally Finland’s 75th anniversary year, AKK launched a new Sustainability Impact Award for its partner network.
The award is designed to encourage partners to develop concrete sustainability actions and to recognise initiatives that create measurable impact.
The inaugural Sustainability Impact Award was presented to Matias Henkola of Secto Automotive.
From sponsorship to business innovation
A central question running through Spark the Future 2026 was whether a world championship rally can become more than a sponsorship platform and instead serve as a catalyst for business innovation.
The collaboration between Secto Automotive and Motul provided one example of how motorsport partnerships can support the development and adoption of more sustainable solutions.
Secto Automotive CEO Markus Vuolle emphasised that electrification and cleaner commercial mobility require cooperation between technology providers, customers and other partners. Motorsport can offer a visible and demanding environment in which new ideas are tested, refined and demonstrated.
The FIA also presented its work on future fuels, powertrains and regulations. From 2027 onwards, the regulatory framework is intended to provide greater flexibility for hybrid and alternative technologies, reinforcing motorsport’s role as a development platform for future mobility.
Hydrogen moves closer to practical use
Hydrogen emerged as one of the strong themes of Spark the Future 2026.
Cefmof presented the development of Central Finland’s hydrogen ecosystem and highlighted practical applications of mobile hydrogen technologies. The organisation’s work demonstrated how regional cooperation can help move hydrogen solutions from research and planning towards real-world use.
Yamaha Motor also outlined its long-term work on hydrogen-powered marine engines and outboard motors as part of its broader carbon-neutrality strategy.
At the same time, the discussion made clear that no single technology will provide the answer to every mobility challenge.
Alongside hydrogen and electrification, reducing transport emissions will require fewer unnecessary journeys, consistent policies for renewable fuels and significant investment in sustainable aviation and maritime technologies.
The conclusion shared across the discussions was that no transport sector, energy source or organisation can succeed alone.
Sustainability as a source of business value
The forum demonstrated that sustainability is increasingly becoming part of companies’ core business strategies rather than a separate area of responsibility.
Representatives from MEKO, Metsä Board and Harvia explored how sustainability can support competitiveness, innovation, operational development and long-term value creation. Their contributions highlighted the importance of turning strategic commitments into practical decisions across supply chains, products, services and everyday business operations.
The discussions also showed that companies operating in very different sectors face many of the same questions: how to measure progress, how to engage partners and customers, and how to make sustainability an integral part of business development.
Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team brought the perspective of a manufacturer and world championship team operating in one of motorsport’s most demanding environments. Rallying provides a platform for developing technology, testing solutions under extreme conditions and building expertise that can also support wider mobility and business innovation.
From commitments to delivery
The forum also examined how sustainability is becoming embedded in the everyday governance and operations of international motorsport.
The FIA highlighted the importance of measuring environmental performance, preparing for the effects of climate change and translating sustainability commitments into concrete operational practices.
Business and motorsport representatives discussed how stronger governance, transparent measurement and cooperation across organisational boundaries can turn ambitious targets into measurable progress.
The importance of social sustainability was also highlighted, including broader participation, diversity and initiatives such as FIA Girls on Track.
Together, the discussions demonstrated that sustainability in motorsport is not limited to fuels or vehicle technology. It also concerns logistics, event management, business models, supply chains, inclusion and the way organisations make decisions.
Jyväskylä at the centre of the transition
Jyväskylä’s role as both the home of Secto Rally Finland and a growing centre for mobility technology was highlighted throughout the event.
Mayor Timo Koivisto noted that Rally Finland generates approximately EUR 20.5 million annually for the Jyväskylä region. In addition to its direct economic impact, the event provides extensive international visibility and creates a platform for presenting the region’s technology, research and emerging hydrogen ecosystem.
Spark the Future 2026 demonstrated that Jyväskylä is not only one of the fastest places in world rallying. It is also developing into an important meeting point for the future of sustainable mobility.
The forum’s message was not that motorsport or industry has already solved its sustainability challenges. Instead, it showed that progress can be accelerated by bringing together companies, public authorities, researchers and motorsport organisations, testing technologies in demanding conditions and turning partnerships into practical development work.
The question is no longer simply whether motorsport can contribute to more sustainable mobility.
The question is how quickly collaboration, innovation and measurable action can turn that potential into progress.
Spark the Future will return in 2027.
Photos: sectorallyfinland.fi/en/2026/07/31/spark-the-future-2026/
Photographer Karoliina
