Ukraine export event highlights: "When you succeed, everyone calls it the Finnish model"

Cooperation between Finnish and Ukrainian defence companies is progressing in the Tampere region. Some initiatives have already led to agreements. Companies are exploring new partnerships during a two-day event.

Text and photos: Petri Kangas / Business Tampere

Finnish-Ukrainian defence technology cooperation is progressing in Tampere.

Ukrainian and Finnish companies and stakeholders updated their understanding and explored new opportunities between the two countries during a two-day dual-use and defence event held in Tampere.

At the opening on Tuesday 17 March, around ten Ukrainian companies introduced themselves. A broader overview of the market and its needs was provided by IRON cluster’s Andrii Makhnyk.

“The goal is to accelerate the development and deployment of defence technologies and bring innovations quickly into practical applications,” Makhnyk says.

Several Ukrainian speakers noted that in Finland there is no need to explain what it means to live next to an aggressive neighbour like Russia. Participants said there is a clearer shared understanding between our countries of the seriousness of the situation than in meetings in Central and Southern Europe. Russia continues the war of aggression it launched against Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

The event was held at Hatanpää 30 in Tampere.

The Ukrainian companies present included Angler, Besomar, Tech Ex, Drone Signal Solution, Girolab, Zvook, DevDroid, Farsight, Frontline Robotics, Douple Tap Investments and Tencore.

“This is not just about equipment, but about what we feel inside. In many European countries, it feels like we live in different realities and fight different wars, but with Finland there is an immediate connection,” said Danylo Goncharuk, Head of International Relations at Tencore, a company that develops unmanned ground vehicles.

According to the companies, the Finland brand carries strong weight in export work elsewhere in Europe.

“When you succeed, everyone calls it the Finnish model,” Mykyta Rozhkov of Frontline Robotics concluded at the end of his speech.

Collaboration in Tampere

Companies have already spoken publicly about some openings and agreements. Tencore, listed last among the Ukrainian companies above, and technology company Insta announced at the end of February that they had agreed on technology cooperation. Insta is based in Tampere.

Petri Reiman, CEO of Insta Advance. Insta and Ukrainian company Tencore announced their cooperation in February.

Petri Reiman, CEO of Insta Advance, who spoke at the event, was pleased with the letter of intent and praised Ukrainians as active and innovative partners.

“Ukrainians are good at combining technologies,” Reiman says.

Insta is divided by business area into Insta Industry and Insta Advance.

Reiman believes there is room for others in the supply chain as well. He says Tencore is the first public case, and that negotiations are already well advanced with three companies in total.

“We are unlikely to do everything entirely ourselves. Our intention is to begin manufacturing ground vehicles in Finland initially as they are, but the idea is to further adapt them later for more Arctic conditions,” says Reiman.

In addition to Tencore, Sine Engineering is active in our region. In mid-March, the company is recruiting ten employees in Tampere. It develops communication and positioning solutions for unmanned aerial vehicles in environments where GPS and connectivity are disrupted.

New expert

Iina Vaitiniemi joined Business Tampere as a dual-use technology specialist in late winter 2026. Ukraine is an important part of Vaitiniemi’s work.

Iina Vaitiniemi joined Business Tampere in late winter as a dual-use technology specialist. She organised this week’s event together with her new colleagues Jari Ikonen, Mika Kulkka and Markku Niemi. The five-person defence and dual-use team also includes Tero Kyckling.

“I am particularly responsible for supporting the company network of IAS Business Academy. The network includes emerging drone sector companies from Finland, Sweden and Estonia. My role is to help and support companies in networking, growing and internationalising, and in finding cooperation opportunities in different markets, including Ukraine,” says Vaitiniemi.

Strengthening Pirkanmaa’s regional dual-use and security technology network is high on Vaitiniemi’s list of priorities.

“The goal is to create sustainable connections between companies, research and the public sector, and to ensure that the region’s expertise is visible in the international ecosystem,” she says.

Vaitiniemi has a strong background in international business development. Her previous job was as a specialist at a Swiss energy company.

“I worked with markets in Europe, North America and Asia, as well as with a range of different stakeholders. This gave me a strong foundation for operating in a global environment. My international background is also supported by my degree studies in international business and management. At Business Tampere, I get to work with leading experts in the field, build new partnerships and keep learning continuously, which is personally important and motivating to me.”