Tampere attracts international startups

Business Tampere found out that every startup entrepreneur starting a business in a new country needs customized services, which are implemented and developed by a local business and development company in cooperation with municipalities and partners.

Tampere’s attractiveness is constantly growing, and new growth companies are actively attracted to the Tampere region from abroad. Finland’s reputation as a diversified technology country and safe society is known all over the world, and it is a trump card in the fierce competition for growth companies and skilled startup entrepreneurs. The rising startup ecosystem, international connections and English-language partner and expert networks are of interest to companies, especially in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

“The information provided by the study will promote the region’s startup attractiveness and develop services for international early-stage startups and entrepreneurs who are considering growing their business in a new location“, says Business Tampere’s Tommi Uitti.

Services for fast-growing international startups

In order to attract startup entrepreneurs in Finland, an opportunity to apply for a startup residence permit has been implemented. Over the past two years, it has been applied for by two hundred entrepreneurs, and it has been granted to more than fifty startup companies to be established in Finland. The volumes are expected to grow in the future.

The study looked at how a startup residence permit can be used to attract more international startups, especially from outside the EU. From the perspective of Business Tampere, the attraction process is being developed with an emphasis on the role of urban areas. The study compared how successful selected European cities have succeeded in attracting top international experts. Tampere and many other urban areas are often on the same line at the starting point when talented startup entrepreneurs make location decisions.

“A typical case is an entrepreneur who has a business idea with rapid international growth potential and who wants to exploit the potential of a new location to test or scale their own business idea”, Uitti explains. “We are constantly evaluating what means of differentiation other urban areas have at their disposal and, based on this, we are developing services for the business and innovation networks provided by business ecosystems”.

International comparative data confirm the view that the strong networks of business and development companies in Finnish urban areas and well-functioning business services make Finland a more attractive location compared to Estonia and the Baltic countries. The strength of the Tampere region is especially the investments made in refining the attraction processes of international companies.

In addition, according to the study, Poland and the United Kingdom, for example, have focused on growth programs and matchmaking events tailored specifically for international startups with local companies. In this case, starting a business in a new location will quickly be supported by customer and partner networks and will immediately start generating new business.

“The digital revolution has enhanced interaction. The openness of the startup community constantly generates English-language investor and mentoring activities as well as new types of startup events”, Uitti says.

Tampere’s growth will help the whole of Finland

On the basis of the study, the service network required for startup attraction will be grown. Tampere offers international startup entrepreneurs an excellent starting point and helpful networks for business development. Increasing the attractiveness of Tampere is not exclusively in the interests of the people of Tampere or Tampere region, as the distance between Tampere and the Helsinki metropolitan area and other major urban areas in Finland is non-existent on an international scale.

Business Tampere and the municipalities of the Tampere region aim to make it easy to find the required business services and networks from the perspective of a new startup entrepreneur. Unifying the service experience requires reliable information and partners that enable a startup entrepreneur considering settling in Finland to quickly understand what the process requires and what is available in Finland. This requires, for example, continuous coordination and national cooperation between startup services in large cities. Especially in the adaptation phase, the need for national support networks and one-to-one guidance is strong.

Read the whole Startup survey.

Find out more about the residence permit for startup entrepreneurs from the link below: 

https://www.businessfinland.fi/en/do-business-with-finland/startup-in-finland/startup-permit