Harri Airaksinen started as the EU representative for Tampere and Pirkanmaa in Brussels – a new website has been launched

The EU Office of Tampere and Pirkanmaa in Brussels got a new leader at the beginning of September, when Harri Airaksinen started as the region's EU representative and head of the office. At the same time, the office's new website was also launched: https://tampere.eu/

Harri Airaksinen (Master of Social Sciences) transitioned to the role from his position as CEO of Business Tampere Ltd, the economic development agency for the Tampere City Region. He has extensive experience in economic development and office collaboration with both the business community and the public sector. The working environment is familiar to Airaksinen, as he has previously worked in Brussels at the European Parliament.

– Instead of traditional advocacy, today the focus is more on finding the right partners for EU-funded projects, promoting the region and its expertise, and being active in networks, says Harri Airaksinen, and continues: – Such networks include, for example, Eurocities of major European cities, the European Regions Research and Innovation Network (ERRIN), and the Open & Agile Smart Cities (OASC) network. We need to be able to influence future funding programs and legislation. The best way to do this is through these mentioned networks, Airaksinen explains.

The EU office was also administratively integrated into Business Tampere's operations. The synergy of services offered to the business community is enhanced by EU funding expert Jari Ahola, who continues to work at the organization's Tampere office on Kelloportinkatu. He will remain close to Pirkanmaa's companies and other stakeholders.

The new EU office’s activities are supported not only by the municipalities of Pirkanmaa but also by the Tampere Chamber of Commerce, Tampere University, and an expanding group of regional actors, all of whom share a common commitment to actively promoting the interests of the entire Pirkanmaa region.

Follow the news from the Tampere and Pirkanmaa EU Office on the new website https://tampere.eu/ and on LinkedIn: tampere.eu | LinkedIn.

Lisätiedot

Tampere Region EU office:
Harri Airaksinen, Tampere Region and Pirkanmaa EU Representative, Office Director
Tel. +358 40 504 1215
harri.airaksinen@businesstampere.com
harri.airaksinen@tampere.eu

Business Tampere, the economic development agency of the Tampere region, promotes investments and creates an attractive environment for sustainable business in the region.