Business opportunities

InnoConnections specializes in assisting foreign companies in finding trade partners in Finland. Our consultants are experts in the local markets - we know not only the key players, but also the smaller, dynamic actors that are often harder for an outsider to find. We speak the local language, know the local culture and more importantly, we know what is going on in the local market.

Read about the latest information on opportunities in doing business in Finland from our News section.

For more information about opportunities for your sector in particular, please select the most appropriate category from above.

Finland as a market

Finland is known for its thousands of lakes, sauna, high tech and Angry Birds. With a careful look to the country there is more than meets the eye. This Nordic country has quickly expanded from traditional industries to a modern high tech service society. Nevertheless, the traditional paper and pulp, forestry, machinery and metal industries still bring a fair share to the table. In the ever changing world these industries have been re-inventing their products and services.

For example, the pulp & paper industry has been facing decline in sales Europe, therefore companies are investing on more efficient production and have diversified to new business fields. Now, companies in the field are developing biomaterials, advanced composites, bioenergy, biofuels and even medicine from wood. Companies offering materials, solutions and services in these fields can find plenty of business opportunities from Finland.

As resources become more expensive and scarce, machinery and metal industries require more efficient material processing methods, better components and ways to cut down costs in the competitive environment. Finnish companies are strong in building ship and power plant engines, pulp and paper machines, ore and mineral handling equipment, elevators, cranes and lifts as well as forestry and agriculture machines.

Finnish chemical industry amounts to almost 25 % of total exports and the sector employs approximately 35 000 people. The sector has recorded stable growth as Finnish companies manufacture goods such as petroleum products, biofuels, pharmaceuticals, environmental chemicals, fertilizers and plastic products.

Due to its northern location, Finnish retail sector is dependent on imports of many goods. For example, 25 % of food and agricultural products are imported to Finland. There is especially demand for organic products, as the market grew 25 % in 2012 and the growth is expected to be over 10 % during 2013. Other growing market segments include functional and gourmet foods. Retail and food industry also provide opportunities in material handling and logistics because of long distances between Finnish cities.

Finland is a stable economy with high standards of living. As a Nordic welfare state people have good purchasing power and they value high quality goods. Finnish companies usually look for long lasting partnerships, but they are open to new ideas and partners. As Finland is very dependent on export and import of goods, Finns are fluent in international trade and have developed good English language skills. The most significant trade partners can be found from the Baltic Sea region and Finland acts as a route to the Russian market, as many companies dealing especially with healthcare products, groceries and consumer products trade towards it.

In the future, Finland has to tackle with ageing population which sets new requirements for health care products and services. ICT technologies will spread out even further to different fields. Already, there are substantial investments to renewable energy production, energy efficiency, bioenergy and biofuels as Finland wants to improve its energy self-sufficiency. Thus, Finland offers various opportunities for foreign companies.

For the latest in the Finnish news and economy, take a look at InnoConnections news or the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE News in English.

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[InnoConnections has collected its market and sectoral information from sources generally considered reliable. However, we cannot guarantee the information is complete and cannot be held responsible in case of any inaccuracy within these pages.]