A new growth platform in Tampere to accelerate business internationalisation and innovation

A new innovation hub will be established in Tampere to support companies in internationalisation, growth and innovation development. Following a public procurement process, Plug and Play was selected as the operator to lead the initiative.

The hub’s global startup accelerator will be introduced at an event on 16 June.

The Tampere innovation hub will bring together the region’s major anchor companies, local companies and startups, research organisations, investors and international talent. The hub will provide an environment for co-creation, where new models of cooperation can emerge, technologies can be piloted, and connections to international markets can be built.

The Tampere innovation hub is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

“Through the procurement and funding, we are bringing an internationally recognised operator to Tampere, as well as a new permanent operating model that will strengthen our innovation ecosystem. Plug and Play was selected as the operator because its model rapidly turns companies’ challenges into pilots and business,” says Irene Vekkeli, Director of Economic Development and Innovation at the City of Tampere.

The operating model of the innovation hub will be built in close cooperation with regional actors and will make use of existing strengths.

“Tampere’s strong industrial heritage and advanced technological expertise create an excellent foundation for growth and allow the region to integrate naturally into our global network. Our goal is to build a bridge between local startups and international markets. We want to ensure that the region’s talent has access to the resources and platform needed to achieve global growth,” says Christian Johansson, Managing Partner, Nordics at Plug and Play Europe.

The operating model supports the innovation ecosystem of the entire region

The innovation hub will be developed into a permanent and long-term growth platform for companies across the region. A shared operating model and shared resources will open a direct route to international networks, without each actor having to build these connections on their own.

“Our mission in Tampere and Finland is to promote a fast-paced operating environment where innovation and industry meet. Our role is to support scalable growth and create long-term impact across the entire ecosystem. We expect the cooperation to significantly advance both the regional economy and the wider technology landscape,” Johansson says.

“The innovation hub will not replace existing structures. Instead, it will introduce alongside them a new, internationally scalable operating model that strengthens business-driven innovation. The hub will connect Finnish companies more directly with global networks, talent, capital and markets, while also bringing international startup and technology partners to Finland,” Vekkeli summarises.

The activities of the innovation hub will be introduced at the Global Startup Accelerator Launch event on 16 June from 15:30 to 19:00 at Åkerlundinkatu 8.