Helsinki Business Hub works closely with Team Finland to attract innovative technology companies and to help them set up operations in the Helsinki region. Many Indian companies choose Helsinki as a base for their R&D activities and their European business.
India is not only rich in culture and history, but also in innovative and ambitious businesses. It has a strong IT sector and a plethora of tech companies eager to bring their cutting-edge solutions to the international market. This is a tremendous opportunity for the Helsinki region, as international companies create new jobs, bring new expertise, and have a positive general impact on the economy.
In order to find potential Indian companies, Helsinki Business Hub collaborates with an Indian partner, business development consultancy PrEver, which has extensive global networks and knows the Indian market thoroughly. Once PrEver has identified a potential Indian business that is interested in expanding to Europe, Helsinki Business Hub invites the company to visit Helsinki and matches it with the right Finnish services and organizations.
This includes close cooperation with Team Finland and other organizations, including Finpro, the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation Tekes, Espoo Innovation Garden, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Aalto University, and the University of Helsinki. The goal is to give visiting Indian companies a comprehensive view of the Helsinki business ecosystem and its opportunities. Furthermore, Indian companies get to meet potential partners and clients and acquaint themselves with platforms for testing and piloting their products.
Helsinki Business Hub’s India activities have proven a success, and both its clients and partners are pleased with the results.
“The collaboration with Team Finland and Espoo Innovation Garden has been extremely fruitful in showcasing the strengths of Finland. It’s important that Indian companies get to meet the relevant people and organizations and witness firsthand the business opportunities, atmosphere, and available support services. The Helsinki region has become a convenient EU base for many international companies,” says Senior Business Advisor Sandeep Shah from Helsinki Business Hub.
Inteliment chose Helsinki
In a little more than a year, the collaboration between Helsinki Business Hub and PrEver has brought 10 Indian companies to visit Helsinki, and 5 of them have already decided to set up operations here. One of these companies is Inteliment, a technology company specializing in data science and business analytics, leveraging emerging technology trends like the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0. The company visited Finland in the summer of 2016.
“We were looking to expand to new markets and to boost our product development. Helsinki Business Hub demonstrated to us a proactive and very practical approach, focusing on how the business ecosystem in the Helsinki region could help with our globalization goals. The cordial and collaborative environment really made a positive impact,”
says Managing Director Prashant Pansare of Inteliment Technologies.
Mr. Pansare visited Helsinki twice to gain an understanding of the business ecosystem and the market. He met several organizations, including Tekes, Finpro, VTT, Espoo Innovation Garden, and Helsinki Ventures, as well as key data intelligence companies, peer groups, and even potential customers.
“Helsinki Business Hub organized everything in a well-coordinated manner. We could meet multiple stakeholders with ease, saving critical executive time and gaining business critical information in a seamless manner. This enabled us to make the decision to invest in setting up our Innovation Center in Helsinki,” says Pansare.
“The goal of our visits goes beyond tax benefits and incentives, though. We were looking for a conducive and business-friendly environment to accelerate our product globalization aspirations as well as a comfortable location for setting up and scaling business operations. I can now say that if you want to travel for business and pleasure, go to Helsinki.”
Prashant Pansare stresses the importance of looking at the big picture when choosing a new business location. Each country has its specific strengths but it is important to find the best mix. After visits to several countries, Pansare felt that Finland offered the right mix of strengths for Inteliment. Its location between the East and the West provides access to new markets and a good reach to Europe as well as the United States.
“Helsinki offers a rich innovation ecosystem with lots of potential partners, a vast talent pool, and a good market access for futuristic technology solutions,” Pansare says.
Inteliment has now registered in Finland and started recruiting, and it plans to kick-start its operations during the first quarter of 2017. The company aims to hire a double-digit number of employees in Finland in the first two years. Its planned target markets in Europe include manufacturing, automotive, ICT, financial services, retail, media, and eCommerce businesses.
“We want to help companies worldwide leverage on emerging Industry 4.0 and digital transformation technologies. In Europe, we will do this with our innovative products and solution stack from our Helsinki region office and R&D unit,” Pansare concludes.
Text: Anu Jussila
In the picture from left: Sandeep Shah, Helsinki Business Hub; Markku Kivistö, Finpro; Kedar Sabne, Inteliment; Reijo Smolander, Finpro; Prashant Pansare, Inteliment.
Would you like to know what kind of business opportunities Helsinki has to offer for your company?
All needed information and contacts to the region are just one phone call away. Contact us!
Sandeep Shah
Senior Business Advisor
sandeep.shah@hbh.fi
+358 50 366 2152
