Business networks working to open Finland–Ukraine pathways

Networks are working to find and build routes for Finnish and Tampere Region companies into Ukraine. Our fully booked Ukraine-themed event showed that companies are highly interested. Broadly speaking, the Ukrainian market splits into current wartime needs and the already-underway reconstruction and future-oriented rebuilding.

“As unfortunate as it is, there is demand for our products there,” begins Petri Latva-Rasku, director responsible for sales and marketing. He works at the Nokia-based company Quha, which sells an assistive device for computer use, a medical device called a head mouse that converts head movements into pointer movements on a computer or smart device.

From the company’s business logic perspective, Ukraine is not fundamentally exceptional either. Exports account for 98 percent of production.

“We make products that aren’t sold in huge volumes, and Finland is a small market. We operate on every continent in countries with a combined population of over a billion. These countries are typically highly developed, have large populations, and some mechanism, such as health or traffic insurance, through which the purchase is made,” Latva-Rasku says.

Latva-Rasku explains how he selects countries that interest the company, noting that Ukraine is not an exception by that logic.

“We look at the map, run GDP calculations, check internet and computer-use penetration, healthcare, the countries are typically highly developed. Medical diagnoses and needs are roughly similar in every country. Ukraine is close,” he says.

Latva-Rasku adds that around the turn of the previous decade the company actually sold a few head mice to Ukraine.

“Ukraine interests us. I came to the event to figure out practical channels for getting our products there. I also want to hear about financing mechanisms,” he says.

Presence is essential

Business Tampere organized the event Ukraine’s reconstruction – cooperation pathways for Finnish companies yesterday, Wednesday (5 November), at Technopolis Yliopistonrinne meeting facilities in Tampere. Business Tampere CEO Harri Ojala opened with an up-to-date overview.

“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will reach four years soon after the turn of the year. Everyday life must go on, and that is the feeling you get there. West of the capital Kyiv the situation, given the circumstances, can be described as fairly normal. I consider having a presence in the Ukrainian market important,” Ojala says. Despite the state of war, he encouraged companies to start export efforts to Ukraine. Having just visited Ukraine, Ojala illustrated his remarks with fresh photos from the region.

Anne-Mari Jussila (NCP), deputy mayor responsible for Tampere’s education services, followed Ojala and reflected on how the situation has evolved during the war years.

“I see that the rapid early actions on Ukraine began from solidarity. Now we have the opportunity to build a sustainable Europe without forgetting that solidarity,” Jussila said. She is one of Tampere’s three deputy mayors. Tampere’s mayor is Ilmari Nurminen (SDP), who took office in June. Jussila thanked Nurminen’s predecessor Kalervo Kummola (NCP) for initiating the Ukraine work and told the audience that the current cooperation is functioning well.

The fully booked event had around sixty participants. Photo: Petri Kangas / Business Tampere.

But not just physical presence

The importance of going on site was also highlighted by Lauri Veijalainen, project director of the Confederation of Finnish Industries’ Pro Ukraine project, and Jaana Rekolainen, CEO of the chamber association EastCham Finland. Rekolainen stressed that your counterpart may well have spent the previous night in a shelter.

“Small talk is enormously important. It’s worth asking how people are doing, and listening. It’s probably not the best strategy to start with ‘I’ve got a great engine to sell, are you buying?’,” Rekolainen says.

Seasoned Ukraine travelers Veijalainen and Rekolainen shared other practical guidance for those heading out: insurance is available, official working languages (English and Ukrainian, some people speak Russian privately), compliance with curfews, possible ID checks in city centers, travel notifications and documents, they listed.

The sectors listed by the organizations’ representatives included construction, energy, civil protection and learning. Security, defense and dual-use technologies were touched on in the discussions but were not the focus of this event.

On financing opportunities for companies aiming at the Ukrainian market, Jukka Kohonen, internationalization specialist at the ELY Centre, gave a talk. Thermidas shared its experience of operating in the Ukrainian market. The company develops thermal imaging solutions for hospitals, care homes and animal health, among others. We recently published a feature on Thermidas, you can read it by clicking here.