Microsoft opens new development center in Tampere, Finland

Announcement comes only two months after Nokia phone manufacturer, HMD Global's new R&D center in Tampere.

Over the past few years, mobile tech companies such as Huawei, Xiaomi and Axon have flocked to the region, attracted by the pool of talent.  Microsoft will be the ninth overseas company in four years to establish a new site to develop imaging technologies in Tampere.

Imaging expertise is Tampere's strength

Business Tampere have supported Microsoft's site evaluation process throughout, beating strong international competitors.

– We’re delighted to welcome Microsoft Surface team to Tampere, says Business Tampere's Senior Business Advisor, Oliver Hussey.

–Talent is the key to attract such investments, but this does not appear overnight or by accident. We are now reaping the rewards from smart decisions made many years ago to invest in research and education for example in the fields of signal processing, optics, photonics at the university. Cooperation between companies and the university, as well as a pipeline of skilled students, continue to be the most common reasons for companies to choose Tampere for product development sites, he continues.

Built on a rich heritage of mobile device innovation, the Tampere Imaging Ecosystem was established over four years ago, and has grown to be one of the leading imaging technology clusters in the world.

20-30 new jobs in the first phase

Microsoft press release informs that the new team in Tampere will start with a focus on camera, imaging, wireless, and electronics design to help Surface deliver on its aspiration to continue to create iconic mobile experiences with innovative hardware and software. In the first phase, the team will consist of 20-30 engineers.

See from our video what the Tampere Imaging ecosystem is all about, and learn more of the companies involved in the ecosystem at staging.businesstampere.com/imaging.