In the time of broadband, video conferencing and virtual presences, a lot of work can be done without meeting face to face. But when building a lasting tie between two countries, sometimes a physical presence is a booster that helps co-operation among companies. The China- Finland Innovation Center will be that common space for Chinese and Finnish companies and other R&D related parties looking to find revenue through business and synergies through knowledge transfer.
‘Golden Bridge’ is the project name for a Sino-Finnish joint venture that helps Chinese research and development-intensive companies to establish operations in Europe and Finland and in Helsinki. This China Finland Innovation Center will be a physical place for bilateral business and technology development. The objective of the center is to boost the growth and internationalization of high-tech companies and innovation systems of both nations. “China and Finland are a perfect example of two different sized countries building future knowledge driven success stories together based on equality and mutual respect”, says Tatu Laurila.
For Chinese firms, the Center is an “enterprise accelerator” platform to access the important Nordic and Russian markets as well as to facilitate knowledge
transfer and technological cooperation with Finnish companies and academia. Currently the plans for the Innovation Center are set so that it should be up and running by the first quarter of 2010.
Once operational, the Center will provide offices and support services for Chinese companies in Finland. It will also help with fundraising, networking and legal assistance in regards to EU regulations. Currently the project is co-ordinated on the Finnish side by Greater Helsinki Promotion and Tekes and by the Nanshan High-Tech Park, situated in Shenzhen, on the Chinese part.
