Rapid Tampere speeds up joint industrial innovations

Sandvik, Kalmar, Caruna and Valmet, all high-class international industrial companies, have joined Rapid Tampere, the first collaboration accelerator in Tampere Region, Finland. A global search for top high-tech collaborators to spar these companies towards progress has started. The powerful ecosystem of mobile machinery and process machinery located in the area, is an ideal growth medium for the accelerator and will attract the best international players.

Rapid Tampere is the first collaboration accelerator in the region and its launch is coordinated by the City of Tampere and Business Tampere, the Tampere region economic development agency.

The search for high-tech companies begins on 23 September and ends on 31 October 2019. The innovation and development challenges available include occupational safety, sensor technology and machine learning.

Rapid Tampere operates based on the venture client model, which has quickly gained international popularity. In this model, collaboration is based on real needs, leads fast to practical pilots and aims at continued and deeper collaboration. The university community and research institutions in Tampere are also strongly involved in regional innovation ecosystem.

- Valmet wants to be a Rapid Tampere pioneer, bring in new technologies and put them into practice. In order to succeed in global competition, it’s essential for companies to network and work closely with the most innovative experts in each sector, says Tuula Ruokonen, Director of Digital Service Solutions at Valmet.

- We solve problems by enabling smooth collaboration. We can speed up R&I processes significantly and generate new business by combining the local industrial knowhow in the Tampere region with international high-tech companies. We are inviting 30–50 fast growing companies to Tampere to present concrete collaboration proposals to our client companies, says Sébastien Gianelli, CEO of Vertical.

Intensive collaboration model: a good growth medium for new innovation-based business operations

Co-development can be used to accelerate innovation in technology and services. An open, intensively paced collaboration model makes not just the participating companies, but the entire economic region more competitive internationally. It also fosters the growth of innovation and business. Furthermore, smaller companies can use the operating model to innovate.

- Rapid Tampere is a concrete example of the work the city is doing to help region’s businesses flourish. We are taking the first important steps with companies to create new business, innovation and jobs in the region. This is a solid foundation and we can expect significant results from the accelerator collaboration, Lauri Lyly, Mayor of Tampere says.

- Rapid Tampere provides an encouraging platform and a concrete operating model to distil innovations into business activities. The aim is that the pilot projects, which originated as a challenge of industrial companies, continue as co-development, that create a new innovation culture and cooperation, Harri Airaksinen, CEO of Business Tampere says.

Rapid Tampere

Rapid Tampere collaboration accelerator is operated by the innovation company Vertical in cooperation with Eversheds Attorneys Ltd. Business Tampere and the City of Tampere act as the enablers of the accelerator, to help establish a solid foundation for continuous innovation activities in the Tampere Region. www.vertical.vc/rapidtampere

Vertical

We help companies innovate through collaboration and co-creation.
We believe there is more to gain by working together, rather than doing it alone or starting from scratch.
We help you connect, brainstorm, develop or launch with others. vertical.vc