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Smooth and flexible research collaboration
“Another major reason for choosing Finland was the smoothness of making research contracts with Finnish universities and research organisations, such as VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland,” Terho points out. “All Finnish universities and research units have a very positive attitude towards research collaboration, and research contracts are made according to Finnish law. Finnish university professors and faculties have cordially invited us to see their research facilities, resulting in good feedback from our Chinese colleagues.”
“All Finnish universities and research units have a very positive attitude towards research collaboration.” Huawei has ongoing research projects with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, and negotiations are under way with several Finnish universities. “Finnish support organisations such as Greater Helsinki Promotion, China Finland Golden Bridge Innovation Center, and Tredea, actively introduced us to Finnish ICT opportunities and premises”, Terho says. Good flight connections and security of life
Practical matters such as good flight connections between Helsinki and several Asian destinations played a significant role, too. “The feeling of security about living and working in Finland is also highly regarded by our non-Finnish employees,” Terho adds.
On solid ground Google expands its data centre in Finland with an investment of 450 million euros. With the investment, the internet search company is responding to growing demand for its services, such as YouTube and Gmail. Google is adding to the 350 million euros it has already spent on the data centre, built on the site of a former paper mill in Hamina, southeastern Finland. The Hamina data centre is one of Google’s most efficient, due to Finland’s temperate climate and the chilly seawater available for cooling the servers. Finland’s geological and political stability also make the country an alluring location for data centres. This has been noted by other major players as well: Russia’s biggest search engine, Yandex, started building a data centre in Mäntsälä, southern Finland, in July 2013. Microsoft has announced a plan to invest nearly 200 million euros in a new data center in Finland.
Impressive figures
“Being headquartered in Shenzhen, China, we appreciate being treated as equals to Finnish companies. In the eyes of Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, we are a Finnish company. This means that we are entitled to participate in all Tekes-funded research programmes,” Terho notes. In addition, research work performed in Finland is eligible for EU funding.
AAA
Finland is one of the few remaining triple-A rated economies in the euro zone.
€ 125,000,000 Finnish high tech companies attracted the total of 125 million euros in foreign venture capital during 2012. The rate is growing rapidly in the wake of the booming mobile games industry.
20%
The Finnish government cut the corporate tax rate to 20% in the beginning of 2014. It is the lowest in the Nordic countries.