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Monday, 21 April 2008 | Levent OZLER
Finland Showcases World-class Expertise in Technology and Sustainable Development in Shenzhen
Aims to Increase Cooperation Between the Green and Efficient Hub of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area with Chinese Businesses
Finland may sound a bit too remote to many in China. However its signature technology brand Nokia has already become part of our daily lives. In fact, Nokia is a small town in Finland with no more than 30,000 people, and it has now become a super brand worldwide. Does Finland's success provide any takeaway for the fledgling scientific and technology industries in China? More importantly, as Finland's natural environment has been ranked the world's best by the World Economic Forum, what does Finland's experience in environmental protection mean for China, where pollution and climate change are looming?
A group of Finnish experts are visiting Shenzhen this week to share their insights and experience, offering not only learning opportunities, but also a wide spectrum of investment opportunities for investors in China.
As part of the visit, Greater Helsinki Promotion (GHP), together with Otaniemi Marketing, Technopolis and the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (TEKES), organised a seminar in Shenzhen today to promote the Helsinki Metropolitan Area as a business hub for Asian companies.
Nokia's overwhelming success around the world shows how successful Finland's science and technology education and research are. In fact, Jaiku, a social networking, micro-blogging and life-streaming service provider, which is now part of Google, is another example of the many Finnish trailblazers. This may be attributed to the high proportion of higher education in Finland. In the Helsinki metropolitan area, for example, about 40% of the working population has tertiary qualification.
Another catalyst in Finland's world-class technological innovations is the collaboration between research institutes and private companies, which has been vigorously promoted by the Finnish Government. The close co-operation between research and business enables leading research to become the basis of profitable business. The SoftBattery developed by Dr Zhang Xiachang from China is an example.
A native of Ningbo, Zhejiang province, Dr Zhang holds a PhD degree from the University of Helsinki and is now Chief Technology Officer of Enfucell Limited, a Finnish technology company. For his work on the SoftBattery, Dr Zhang was named by the World Economic Forum as one of the Technology Pioneers in 2006. Dr Zhang was also named one of the "Chinese individuals who make a difference to the world" in the same year. Dr Zhang, who has lived in Finland for 18 years, thinks highly of the Finnish education system, "In Finland's study system, I appreciate the responsibility given to the students and also the opportunities to be creative. I believe that many innovations are a result of the educational system."
"Finland has excellent technological expertise, but it is also important how we utilise this expertise. I believe that Finland has the world's best system of innovation, and that the commercialisation of the innovations is unsurpassed," Mr Kari Ruutu, Programme Director, TEKES. "New technology is often created in colleges and universities and, because the relationships with these institutes are strong, new innovations are made available to the business community. Co-operation between the public and private sector is excellent in Finland."
The Finnish Government also supports local and joint research projects through funding. Mr Ruutu said, "In Finland, public funding is easily available and the application procedures are simple. With good connections with China, TEKES has concluded framework agreements with selected universities and other organisations in China, through which the Chinese can receive funding for Sino-Finnish projects."
Apart from technological innovations, Finland also has a reputation for putting sustainable development into practice.
To strengthen Sino-Finnish co-operation in eco-efficient technologies, Finnish Environmental Cluster Project for China was established in June 2006. One of the key projects is to promote the concept of EcoCity in China based on Finland's green products and technologies. According to this concept, green products and technologies will be adopted in all phases of construction projects from design to implementation. The design will also take into account the needs of various stakeholders, including those interested in ecological living, thus making the EcoCity an ideal home for all. The concept of EcoCity also brings together developers, technology providers, infrastructure engineers and investors in all stages of the projects, so that they can discuss and come to a consensus on important issues.
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