Invest in oulu by BusinessOulu

health INVEST IN OULU

ARCTIC

hub

TEST LABS FOR

Facts, figures and experiences about new ways to boost your business in Finland

WORLDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FIRST

5G games CENTER OF

INVEST IN OULU Facts, figures and experiences about new ways to boost your business in Finland.

3 Next stop: success 4 The hub of Arctic Europe

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SMOOTH LOGISTICS

6 Building the wireless world with 5G INVEST IN GROUNDBREAKING ICT

8 Living lab for life changing innovations INVEST IN SPECTACULAR LIFE SCIENCES

10 Join the game

INVEST IN OUTSTANDING CREATIVITY

Oulu’s dynamic business life, vibrant economy and continuously increasing purchasing power make the city an irresistible location for a wide variety of new businesses.

12 Digitalization – redefining industries INVEST IN PROGRESSIVE INDUSTRIES

14 The most attracting investment opportunities INVEST IN OULU

16 Hot business, cool city!

OULU IS THE FASTEST GROWING CITY IN ARCTIC EUROPE

→ www.businessoulu.com → www.oulu.com

18 Unique ecosystem at your service THE TIME HAS COME TO TURN WORDS INTO ACTION

READ – AND BELIEVE –

the facts

Oulu region is growing and developing fast, offering a comprehensive selection of business opportunities and a solid platform to launch them. Thanks to its ideal location, Oulu is – among other things – also a perfect gateway to large and evolving Nordic markets.

Oulu Metropolitan Area:

250,000 people 120 nationalities #1 in R&D investment in

Finland, among the top in the EU

300–400 million EUR

city center development projects

#2 in Finnish airport traffic 38 is the average age of the people in Oulu – that is one of the youngest in Europe

35% with university degree

710 M I L L I O N E U R O S will be

invested to the infrastructure development by the city of Oulu in the coming years.

Oulu Capital of Northern Scandinavia

Oulu inspires new business The vibrant city of Oulu is the capital of Northern Scandinavia. Located just an hour’s fight from Helsinki, it buzzes with innovations and opportunities. Oulu sets the perfect stage for companies wanting to lead the technological development. The first Oulu-based wireless technologies changed the world during the the last 50 years. While the rest of the world is adapting to 5G, we are already looking forward to 6G and the next disruptive technologies and services! BusinessOulu offers specialized assistance for companies that consider operating here. Ecosystems for new technologies and practical cooperation are being continuously developed. Oulu Innovation Alliance integrates top know-how from printed intelligence, wellbeing technology, cleantech and 3D internet – bringing together research institutions, businesses and public sector organizations. Oulu has managed to attract an exceptionally large amount of investments during the last years. The venture capitalists keep seizing the opportunities by investing around 50 million euros every year to provide favourable grounds for innovations to flourish. Now is your golden opportunity to make it work to your benefit.

Take a closer look at the benefits of Oulu and contact us for further information. Juha Ala-Mursula, Executive Director, BusinessOulu juha.ala-mursula@businessoulu.com

The hub of Arctic Europe

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY ORITKARI LOGISTICS HUB

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY OF

MILLION EUROS

Great opportunity for new logistics terminal, warehouse and office development by the Port of Oulu and Oritkari Logistics Area. Lettable area approx.

66,000 m2

The project is ready to start with a short notice. Thanks to large investment in the North, demand for new logistics facilities is increasing.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SMOOTH

logistics Oulu is an efficient gateway to the entire Northern Scandinavia – an area that will set the stage for substantial development and growth within the next 10 years. The logistic service network and transport system is able to serve the versatile needs of modern business. Oulu Airport operates 100 flights every week, adding up to a million passengers per year. To further boost the business opportunities in the Northern area, Oulu has intensified the collaboration with other Nordic hubs such as the key cities Luleå in Sweden and Tromsø in Norway. This has, among other things, led to new flight connections: Arctic Airlink operates between Oulu-Luleå-Sundsvall-Göteborg and Tromsø 3 times per week. The Port of Oulu is the largest general port in the Bay of Bothnia, featuring

GMT -05:00

several regular cargo connections to the main ports of Europe. Oritkari logistics area provides a gateway to the northern areas of Finland, Sweden, Norway, and northwestern Russia. An excellent highway network, multimodal transport terminal and efficient railroad system further contribute to smooth connections, both to Oulu and from there to the world markets. ○

GMT +02:00

GMT +09:00

Thanks to direct flights, location by the sea as well as efficient railroad and highway networks, Oulu is extremely well connected to other major cities and market areas. Dealing with the rest of the world takes place swiftly and conveniently.

HELSINKI LULEÅ

55 MIN 40 MIN

TROMSØ

1:10 HOURS

FRANKFURT

3:20 HOURS

LONDON

3:55 HOURS

PARIS

3:55 HOURS

I N T E N H O U R S from Oulu, you

can reach practically the whole world.

Out of Oulu, getting in touch with other continents can be done during office hours. Both New York and Tokyo are only seven time zones away.

200 BILLION EUROS WILL BE INVESTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ARCTIC EUROPE BY THE YEAR 2025. IT WILL PROVIDE A LONGTERM BOOST FOR THE ENTIRE REGION’S ECONOMY.

INVEST IN GROUNDBREAKING

ICT

ELEKTROBIT – SUBSIDIARY OF CONTINENTAL AG AND A VISIONARY GLOBAL SUPPLIER OF SOFTWARE PRODUCTS FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE

The ecosystem in Oulu is able to cover the design, testing, production and launch stages of any ICT project. Let us take care of your next innovative idea – we turn visions into reality!

TURNOVER (EUR) EMPLOYEES

INNOVATIONS, SUCH AS CONNECTED CARS AND AUTONOMOUS DRIVING.

450

COMPANIES €

INDUSTRY – STAYS ON TOP OF THE LATEST

5 BILLION 13,000

Building the

2.6 wireless BILLION PEOPLE USE ICT TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED I N O U L U E V E R Y D AY.

We are already here: MODEMS & CHIPSETS:

Arm, MediaTek, Sony / Altair Semiconductor, Minima Processor, Nordic Semiconductor Symbio, Continental

Oulu is one of the 13 brainbelts* in the world – a city with high concentrations of education, research, high technology and diverse talent pools. With 18,500 hitech professionals working in companies of various backgrounds, Oulu is one of the true hotspots when it comes to wirelessly connecting people, devices and businesses.

FINTECH:

OP-Palvelut, Nordea PRODUCTS:

iLOQ, IndoorAtlas, KNL Networks, Koodiviidakko, Polar Electro, Specim Spectral Imaging DEVELOPMENT SERVICES:

Bittium, Haltian, Creoir GAMING:

Fingersoft / Hill Climb Racing PRINTED INTELLIGENCE:

TactoTek, Flexbright 6

Oulu-based wireless technologies have changed the world over since 1980’s. Today, the 5G network-based service innovations are already being tested in collaboration with local companies, city services and research institutions. Our strengths and expertise are clearly visible in numerous products available in international markets, such as in-car media systems and accessories, a variety of smart devices and printed surfaces, not to mention the

financial sector. Also, indoor positioning is now accessible thanks to many innovations developed in Oulu. Oulu is one of the few cities in the world where the ecosystem covers all the steps that are necessary in developing innovative wireless products – all the way from planning to production. When it comes to both hardware and software, we are the fastest in Europe to make it all happen. ○

*Antoine van Agtmael & Fred Bakker, 2016. The Smartest Places on Earth.

AUTOMOTIVE:

world with 5G

“

I think Oulu is the world’s best place, second to none, for radio access engineering.” –Rajeev Suri CEO, Nokia

OULU’S RECORD OULU’S TRACK RECORDTRACK IN WIRELESS WORLD IN FIRST NMT NETWORK EUROPE’S LARGEST TECHNOLOGY PARK

FIRST SECURITY PRODUCTS FOR MOBILE PHONES

FIRST SECURITY OTA SERVICES FOR MOBILE PHONES

WIRELESS WORLD

FIRST GSM PHONE CALL; FIRST REMOTE PAYMENT SYSTEM FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT

FIRST FREE URBAN AREA WLAN NETWORK FIRST COMMERCIAL EDGE

DRIVEN USER INTERFACE FOR MOBILE PHONE

WORLD’S FIRST GSM BASE STATION

FIRST PUBLIC NFC USER

LAUNCH OF MOBILE WIMAX TEST NETWORK

FIRST PEDESTRIAN NAVIGATION PHONE FIRST CLOUD BASED MOBILE SECURITY SERVICES

NETWORK

LINUX PHONE LAUNCH; WORLD FIRST COGNITIVE RADIO NETWORK PHONE CALL

WIFIUS CAPACITY NEXTGEN COGNITIVE RADIO SOLUTION

WORLD’S FIRST IN PRINTED INTELLIGENCE

THE FIRST UBIQUITOUS INDOOR POSITIONING SOLUTION

FIRST WCDMA TELEPHONE CALL

FULL IMPLEMENTATION THE FIRST SMARTPHONE WITH INBUILT ELECTRONIC PAPER DISPLAY

6G RESEARCH KICK-OFF PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION NETWORKS

TRANSFORMING HEALTHCARE WITH 5G

Living lab for

life-changing innovations

IN OULU, WORLD-CLASS COMPETENCE IN THE NEXT GENERATION HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES MEETS THE EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES OF BIO-ECONOMY.

Oulu is home to the thriving health and life science sector. There are about 600 companies in the health, bio, e-health, med-tech, wellness, and food safety industries. They introduce cutting-edge solutions to global challenges in healthcare. Innovations developed in Oulu include the world’s leading brand of heart rate monitors, products for faster development and scaling of biotech production processes, the revolutionary wellness ring, the next generation hand-held camera for fundus imaging, the wearable collar for patient-oriented screening and diagnosis of sleep apnea, the treatment for healing bone problems and bone trauma, a selection of diagnostic tests, and many other. The health and life science sector’s development is closely related to

the 5G-technology, robotics, remote communication, medical technology, digitization, printed and artificial intelligence as well as patient self-diagnosis and self-measurement. Oulu region is known for the intensive collaboration between companies, public sector and universities. With its developing infrastructure, the city of Oulu and its surrounding regions form an excellent urban living lab, enabling development of products and services in real-life environment with end users. ○

The city has set up OuluHealth ecosystem to speed up companies’ product development and launch. An advanced test environment helps ensure that the products meet the customer needs the best way possible. The OuluHealth Labs provide a unique, integrated health test and development environment, including professional feedback, for every phase of your R&D process.

OYS TESTLAB A brand new test environment for specialised health care products and services in the heart of its provider, Oulu University Hospital. All you need for testing, starting from a fully functional operation room, 5G test network and 3D virtual space, can be found from OYS TestLab.

OAMK SIMLAB Test and get specific feedback of your product or idea from professional health care teachers and students. Or train your staff in our simulated test lab. Provided by Oulu University of Applied Sciences.

O U L U W E L FA R E L A B

OULU’S LONG TRADITION IN WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY ENSURES THE CONTINUOUS FLOW OF INNOVATIONS. OURA, A REVOLUTIONARY RING-SIZED WELLNESS COMPUTER HELPS YOU SLEEP AND PERFORM BETTER.

Test environment where the end users are – at customers’ and patients’ homes and in all social and health care services within in the City of Oulu. You will get direct professional and customer feedback on your product in a real, everyday social and health care environment.

INVEST IN SPECTACULAR

life sciences Oulu offers a world-class ecosystem in life science sector. Expertise arises from co-operation with research, public operators and private companies. Active promotion is managed by OuluHealth players, who have formed a strong network between the private and public sector.

+600

COMPANIES €

TURNOVER (EUR) EMPLOYEES

500 MILLION 4,800

5G H E A LT H I N N O VAT I O N S

“Oulu is the best place for us to develop our business as it allows the company to tap into a deep pool of talented people who have the skills, knowledge and dedication to work in an environment that is challenging but rewarding. This stems from a good education structure in Oulu which comprises of many levels of education from the secondary schools, to vocational colleges up to the University.” –Dr Mark Jackson Research & Administrative Associate Paras Biopharmaceuticals Finland Oy

Image: Climb Hill Racing / Fingersoft

Join the

game

The amount of creative industries companies and jobs has steadily increased in Oulu for the whole decade. The creative industriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; status continues to strengthen: Our regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 500 new growth companies need even more and even better design, marketing communications, and digital services to thrive. The focus of economic life has shifted from subcontracting industry to production directly competing of customers. Additionally, the city of Oulu has chosen to apply for European Capital of Culture 2026 status, and made this process one of its attraction strategyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main points. 10

The game industry is particularly strong in Oulu. The city’s long experience in this area has contributed to the establishment of several co-operation networks, events and development forums, e.g. an international game campus.

INVEST IN OUTSTANDING

creativity

Oulu puts a special emphasis on establishing the right kind of environment for creative minds to flourish. The right type of climate and support often provides just the needed amount of wind beneath the wings of creativity, allowing the ideas to fly to new heights.

1,000

COMPANIES €

TURNOVER (EUR)

250 MILLION

EMPLOYEES

2,200

Get your game published Air Guitar World Championships.

The strongest sector of creative B2B services in Oulu is architecture. In our region, there are 116 architectural companies, which together cover all fields of architectural design. Oulu-based architects have designed, among other things, the world’s largest log building and Finland’s largest pulp mill. Cutting-edge know-how can be found from e.g. hospital and school design and in the development of participatory 3D methods used in them. The media industry’s disruption is visible in Oulu as well. A digital, audio-visual media and marketing communications horizontal cluster has risen alongside the traditionally strong print media. Game

Campus, situated in the city center, gathers game industry actors together around Fingersoft and Oulu University of Applied Sciences’ Game Lab. Oulu is one of the central clusters of the Finnish gaming industry. The unique gaming ecosystem in Oulu opens up uncontested opportunities for companies of all sizes, shapes and ages. The city offers plenty of support and there are versatile knowledge and education services at companies’ disposal. Combined with strong network of companies and genuine co-operation spirit, the road to success awaits. ○

Round Zero is a mobile game publishing company, which operates under Fingersoft Ltd., the mobile game developer and publisher of multiple mega-hit successes like Hill Climb Racing, Make More!, and Fail Hard!. Round Zero was founded to operate as the publishing and game review department of Fingersoft to scout talented game developers from all over the world, and help them to review and publish their games. “Hundreds of brilliant games are buried every single day due to the sheer mass of new games submitted to app stores. As a mobile game publisher, it is our job to analyse the success potential of a mobile game, and help it flourish either by user acquisition, funding, or other methods”, says Teemu Närhi, the CEO of Fingersoft. The company has also established an international game campus in the heart of Oulu, taking over an entire a block together with an Oulu-based construction company Rakennusteho.

Oulu is known for its forest, metal, chemistry, wood and food products. Now we are paying attention to environmental technologies and sustainable development. Oulu’s specific areas of expertise include diversified energy production, smart energy solutions, emission control systems and resource efficiency.

Cleantech and digitalization –

redefining industries

Our versatile ICT knowledge provides useful tools for developing cleaner industries. Products from Oulu are used all over the world: for purifying exhaust fumes in Hong Kong and cleaning wastewaters in European beach resorts, for smart lighting solutions at gas stations in Finland, reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Hungary and for generating green energy in France. The utilization of wireless technology in particular enables the creation of completely new applications. In addition to companies, the University of Oulu and

the Oulu University of Applied Sciences also invest heavily in R&D work in the cleantech industry. Research is carried out in close cooperation with other universities and research institutes focusing on the Arctic issues. Excellent opportunities to further develop cleaner industries keep emerging. Large investment plans have been made throughout Northern Europe. Oulu provides a solid ground for both profitable investments and commercial success. ○

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR BIOECONOMY The industry park in Laanila, Oulu, has been in industrial use since the 1950s. The most significant processing industry operators in the park include the formic acid factory of Taminco Finland owned by Eastman Chemical Company, the hydrogen peroxide factory of Kemira, and the air gas factory of Air Liquide Finland. All previously owned by Kemira, these production plants are still closely integrated with each other. Also situated in the Laanila industrial district are the eco power plant and heating plant of Oulun Energia power company as well as the power plant of Laanilan Voima Oy – producing electricity, steam and district heating for the needs of the local industry and the city of Oulu. Oulun Energia is building a new bioenergy plant in the area to produce electricity and district heating. The plant will be ready in 2020 and its thermal input will be 215 megawatts, electrical power input 70 megawatts and district heating input 175 megawatts. Laanila industry park offers plenty of opportunities for new investments in the field of bioeconomy, especially for new biorefineries. The park facilitates cost-efficient ways of reorganising and outsourcing functions, if necessary.

INVEST IN PROGRESSIVE

industries The University of Oulu has adopted a multi-disciplinary approach to create sustainability by responsible and smart use of natural resources. With special expertise on issues such as Arctic conditions, environment, technology and culture the work benefits the entire Northern Scandinavia.

550

COMPANIES €

TURNOVER (EUR)

5.5 BILLION

EMPLOYEES

8,000

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY D ATA C E N T E R

RUSKO SITE KEY PARAMETERS

H E C TA R E S B U I L D A B L E AREA, OWNED BY CITY O F O U L U , S U I TA B L E A N D R E A D Y F O R D ATA C E N T E R CONSTRUCTION

Industrial investment plans at the region of Oulu 2015–2025 (M€)

1,295

1,852

• Industrial zone, logistics hub & light industry area

• 500+ MW of green energy available

19,215

instantly from hydroelectric plants

• Free air cooling opportunity

8,018

32 B€ TOTAL

1,235 625

Energy

In the next 10 years, a total of 35 billion euros will be invested in the Oulu region. Various industries, with a special emphasis on emerging trends such as digitalization and cleantech, will receive substantial growth boosts. This will provide them with improved opportunities to drive the development further.

12 months /year

• Option for waste heat recapture & re-use in district heating network

• Oulu FICIX hub provides redundant

access with 100G+ connectivity from 5 different operators

• 3 separate physical fiber routes from site to major EMEA cities, e.g. Dublin, Amsterdam, Paris

Mining

Trade

Construction

Transport infra

Other industries

Tourism presents the

most attracting

investment opportunities

60% of the people visiting Oulu are leisure tourists. No wonder, because Oulu has plenty to offer: different cultural attractions and festivals, shopping facilities, nature wonders in each of the four seasons, even the longest beach around the Bothnian Bay. The city of Oulu has plenty of tourist attractions, which are the focus of upcoming investments.

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY

SEASIDE TOWER HOTEL

NALLIKARI 2020

O U L U S TAT I O N C E N T R E 2 0 2 5

The unique shaped architecture of the hotel is inspired by the Gulf of Bothnia. The hotel rooms are located in the higher part of the building, providing spectacular unobstructed views for the dwellers. The lower part of the building consists mainly of supporting functions and conference facilities. The restaurant and spa-facilities are situated on the top of the building – with an amazing panoramic view over the whole city of Oulu.

100 million euros investment opportunity – Nallikari resort has superb possibilities for developing and diversifying tourism, training and education, sports, leisure and recreational facilities. The resort’s attractiveness and tourism competitiveness will also be improved by supplementing available services with new functions, and by ensuring effortless accessibility with different modes of transport.

Oulu’s Station Centre’s architectural competition received several high-quality contestants, from which ‘Tervatynnyrit’, tar barrels in Finnish, was picked as the unanimous winner. It oozes with the history of the city as a tar city, and the Station Centre will be a functionally versatile whole where transport, jobs, services, and accommodation come together. It will also unify the traditional building base of Raksila district and the well-defined city center grid plan identity.

Investment opportunity of approx. 50 million euros: • Located on a superior building site in the vicinity of Oulu City Theatre and the Oulu City Library next to the seaside • The city center is located just a few steps away from the seaside • The marketplace of Oulu is located next to the hotel • Total floor space area: 15,000 m2

Investment opportunity of approx. 100 million euros: Hotel, themed amusement park, holiday villas, theatre, restaurant and other services • Beautiful seaside location, 3 kilometres from the city center • Area of 95 hectares • Total building area 75,000 m2 • Break Sokos Hotel Eden • Nallikari Holiday Village with 24 villas and 16 cottages • Beach, wide range of outdoor, restaurant and recreational services • Variety of events around the year, e.g. Nallikari Winter village.

Investment opportunity of approx. 300 million euros: • Located at the very center of the city at the reach of every mode of transport • High-level area regarding functionality, cityscape, and architecture • Commercial space 29,500 m2 GFA • Communal/public spaces 4,100 m2 GFA • Housing area 46,700 m2 GFA

VA R J A K K A I S L A N D

M A I K K U L A E S TAT E

KOITELI RAPIDS

Varjakka tourist area will be a major tourist attraction in the future, offering a historic, refurbished sawmill environment, holiday accommodation, a marine center and unique nature. The area is classified as a nationally valuable cultural environment and built heritage, located right next to Liminka Bay, a unique bird habitat and wetland. The area includes part of the so-called Varjakanniemi, the eastern part of the island as well as the stretch of water between these two. City of Oulu has an open call for a cooperation partner, who will refurbish the old buildings in the area, build new holiday apartments/homes and be responsible for costs of municipal engineering. Scope of the area: approx. 120 hectares.

The mansion is full of interesting history of Oulu region by the banks of Oulu river. The present facilities host annually more than 300 meetings, events, weddings, and other experiences. The next level development of Maikkula Mansion consists of new housing-projects, activities and a hotel for those wanting exceptional atmosphere.

The Koiteli rapids is a beautiful natural site and an outdoor recreation area located by the Kiiminkijoki river, 20 km from Oulu. It offers a variety of recreational fun and activities – e.g. white water rafting, paddling, hiking, fishing, and skiing.

Evaluated total investment over 20 million euros • 14 hectare area on the Oulu river banks • New construction permit in the new urban area zoning plan for almost 9,000 m2 GFA • Estate hotel, with approx. 60 rooms / 120 beds • Holiday village, 16 lodging buildings with a total of 40 holiday apartments / up to 200 beds

Evaluated total investment 8–10 million euros • Koiteli Center (500–700 m2) with restaurant premises, congress facilities and tourist services • Total floor space area including accommodation services at Ruusulaakso area 5,000 m2 • Fast ramp-up

Hot business,

cool city! AFTER A BUSY DAY IT IS TIME TO UNWIND AND ENJOY THE SPIRIT OF THE NORTH. WHETHER IT IS BERRY PICKING, SAUNA, WHITE NIGHTS, ICE FISHING OR HIKING IN TRANQUIL FORESTS, YOU DECIDE. LEAVE THE CITY BEHIND AND JOIN THE TOUR TO SEE THE UNIQUE NORTHERN LIGHTS VISIBLE AROUND OULU FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS STARTING FROM SEPTEMBER. THE THRILL OF WITNESSING THE PHENOMENON OF LIGHTS DANCING IN THE SKY IS A REAL ONCE-IN-ALIFETIME EXPERIENCE.

International meetings Located near the Arctic Circle, Oulu is one of Finland’s most enjoyable cities to visit. Here green environment and northern hospitality are combined with modern technology and the city attracts tens of international meetings yearly. Oulu offers a relaxed atmosphere to network and do international business. There are facilities for conventions of all sizes throughout the year. With around 11 hotels, 1,500 hotel rooms and 3,300 beds, Oulu offers a variety of accommodation options for meetings and conventions of any size. Whether you are coming for a meeting or a conference, you can have your pick of many hotels of international standard. Arranging events in Oulu is easy and effortless, regardless of size or style. Oulu Convention Bureau represents the meetings network of Oulu, the capital of Northern Scandinavia. As a one-stop shop for meetings, we offer consulting on seek-

ing, planning, marketing and carrying out events. Our services are impartial and free of charge. Our free services include: • impartial information and advice • local meetings network • planning toolkit • bid documents • site visits • promotional materials • event promotion

→ Visit www.ocb.fi

Riina Aikio riina.aikio@ businessoulu.com Tel. +358 (0)40 419 6605

Helena Pikkarainen helena.pikkarainen@ businessoulu.com Tel. +358 (0)44 703 1323

Oulu is the fastest growing city in Arctic Europe – a cool city with hot business, just an hour’s flight from Helsinki. Being the most important commercial, logistic and cultural hub of northern Finland, Oulu is also called the Capital of Northern Scandinavia, where some 25,000 students attend the city’s two universities. Welcome to the cool North!

Technical and Educational Visits Oulu Technical and Educational Visits offer guided tours to professionals, students, groups or individuals looking for an experience out of the ordinary. Take the opportunity to experience an exciting, deeper look behind the scenes! Oulu has the leading edge on research in key ICT-based industries, such as health technology, printed intelligence, and cleantech. Oulu is also the home of 5G and

the Internet of Things. As far as creative industries go, the game scene is booming. BusinessOulu and the partner companies are offering Technical Visits for different fields. Finland is world-famous for its high quality education system. Oulu is the leading city of education in northern Finland, the most popular student city and also the centre and innovative forerunner of new teaching philosophies. Educational Visits comprises visits and training programs for adults and professionals in the field of education, and programs suitable for camp schools and school excursions.

→ For further information, please contact conventionoulu@oulu.com

OULU IS THE MOST POPULOUS CITY IN NORTHERN FINLAND AND THE FIFTH MOST POPULOUS CITY IN THE COUNTRY, BUZZING WITH INNOVATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES.IT IS ALSO CONSIDERED ONE OF EUROPE’S LIVING LABS, WHERE RESIDENTS EXPERIMENT WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY AT A COMMUNITYWIDE SCALE. OULU IS WORLDWIDE KNOWN AS A CITY OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY.

THE TIME HAS COME TO TURN

words into action

The numbers speak for themselves: there is hardly any other city in the world with so many positive features to offer. Oulu has all special ingredients for successful business operations, in a package that can be tailored to fit every need and purpose.

Unique ecosystem

at your service Oulu provides a comprehensive platform of opportunities. The collaboration between companies, public sector and universities is continuous and intensive.

Get in touch! We have the knowledge and expertise to help you make the most of these vast resources. Whatever your needs or questions regarding setting up operations in Oulu may be, we are here to help you make it all happen. Drop us a line or give a call – we are ready to assist you at every stage of your business development process. Further information can also be found at our below listed websites.

The advanced ecosystem covers every step of the development process, all the way from refining the idea to manufacturing the actual product. While the city’s international multi-science university ensures world-class research, development and innovation work, Oulu Innovation Alliance (OIA) helps generate cutting-edge global business out of them. We have all the necessary ingredients you need to make it in today’s evolving competitive world – vibrant economy, world-class research and development centers, innovation clusters, living labs and expertise in several special areas.

Oulu is an excellent location for establishing and running a successful business. It is one of Finland’s fastestgrowing cities where new innovative companies are constantly growing and entering the global market. Excellent partners often serve as enablers for the companies’ growth, and BusinessOulu is happy to help you find the right ones. The Invest In team and industry-specific account managers are your local guides to the business world, making you feel right at home. ○

Unleash your potential Janne Ylitalo janne.ylitalo@businessoulu.com Tel. +358 (0)400 999 523

Seija Haapalainen seija.haapalainen@businessoulu.com Tel. +358 (0)50 3614 791

→ businessoulu.com → oulu.com

Oulu provides an exceptionally wide and versatile selection of shared R&D environments and living labs to further develop solutions, as well as to test their functionality in practical situations. The shared R&D environments are: • Two 5G Test Networks • OYS TestLab (OuluHealth Labs) • Oamk SimLab (OuluHealth Labs) • Oulu WelfareLab (OuluHealth Labs) • 3D Virtual Laboratory • Prototyping Services • Labs for Chemical and Environmental Engineering • PrinLab – Printed Intelligence • Vehicle and Engine Laboratories

• CNL Converging Networks Laboratory • Material Performance Laboratory • Traffic Laboratory • Micronova Cleanrooms • Additive Manufacturing Laboratory • PrintoCent Pilot Factory • Fab Lab Oulu • Global Asset Management Platform • Engine Research Laboratory • Linux enriched Wireless open Access Research Platform (LeWARP) • Modular Wireless Sensor and Actuator Network (mWSAN) • Patio – End User Testing • OTA Testing Laboratory • Centria Trial Environment

The most stable country in the world 2014

Highly functional infrastructure

The Fund for Peace (FFP)

AA+

in innovation The World Economic Forum, Global Competitiveness Report 2014–2015

The best availability of scientists and engineers in the world WEF’s Global Competitiveness Report 2014–2015

in higher education and training The World Economic Forum, Global Competitiveness Report 2014–2015

High level of political stability and economic continuity The Fund for Peace (FFP)

in WEF’s Human Capital index Human Capital Report 2015

Standard & Poor’s

Finland – a small country with big potential In Finland, you are greeted with a dynamic, well-functioning business environment. Up here, the advanced ICT infrastructure is smoothly combined with educational and research institutions as well as the evolving needs of business world. The workforce is highly skilled and receptive to new technologies. All in all, Finland is an ideal test environment for new innovations. Add the sophisticated infrastructure, non-existing corruption, highly competitive operating costs and strategic location in Northern Europe, and you have a market capable of offering state-of-the-art opportunities for solid growth. Setting up operations in Finland takes place quickly and conveniently. The amount of red tape is minimal, and it is no wonder foreign companies tend to stay here for the long term, enjoying high return on their investment. With a vibrant start-up scene, highly educated employees and excellent work ethic, constant growth of foreign investments in Finland comes as no surprise.

One of the best educational systems in the world WEF’s Global Competitiveness Report 2014–2015

in availability of skilled labour IMD, World Talent Report 2014

Modern logistics and communications networks

least corrupted country in the world Transparency International 2014

Ideal entry to the East

3,270 Electricity transfer grid network 1,755 Bioenergy

5,211 Tourism 6,384 Public investments 7,720 Hydroenergy

1,578 Trade 43,573 Wind energy

10,302 Industry

16,000 Nuclear energy

MEUR

35 B€ TOTAL

27,510 Mining

41,950 Oil and gas

200

31,569 Transport infrastructure

BILLION EUROS investments estimated in Arctic Europe

2015–2025 –Arctic Business Forum Yearbook 2017–