GHP Newsletter 01/2010

Good things in the making

Fresh data from Invest in Finland tells us that a total of 128 new foreign-owned companies located operations in Finland in 2009. This is approximately 30% less than in 2008, half of the 2007 numbers.

GHP’s job is to attract strategic investments to the Greater Helsinki region. In 2009 we’ve counted 6 new investments, 2 R&D&I investments, 5 M&A cases and 5 cross boarder investments into the region. This is not the sum total, but these are investments that bring added zest to the region by employing more, fortifying a stronghold or bringing in more knowledge-based intellectual capital.

This year has begun with the announcement of several investments, two of which are highlighted in this newsletter. Valimo Wireless is now a part of Gemalto, which will help the Finnish mobile ID authentication expert go global. Finnish Footbalance in turn received a strong “thumbs up” signal from Swedish private equity fund Scope, which invested 7 million euros into the company.

In order to get an increasing amount of such good news, GHP is working closely with regional and national partners to make sure the international markets know of the small wonder called Finland. You can read about the Barcelona Mobile World Congress, the Game Developers’ Conference and the Cannes real estate event MIPIM through the eyes of close partners in our network of FDI friends.

Working together is the only way for Finland to succeed. Not just working together among Finns, but with our international friends as well.

A good example of cross-national cooperation are the two co-operation agreements signed by The Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs Mr. Mauri Pekkarinen, and the Chinese Minister of Commerce Mr. Gao Hucheng. The agreements aim at strengthening cross-border trade and economic relations as well as science, technology and innovation by establishing the Sino-Finnish innovation center, Golden Bridge. Please read the >> press release for more information.

Chances are that the next Nokia will be a joint effort involving cross cultural and cross disciplinary efforts. I look forward to this challenge, because this kind of co-operation is not a sum zero game, but truly a chance of win-win among co-operators.

Enjoy the sun - that's another thing that there's an increasing amount of!

Tatu Laurila
CEO
Greater Helsinki Promotion