Microsoft and Nokia’s engineers are attracting international companies to Finland

Yle, the Finnish Broadcasting Company wrote two days ago in an article (in Finnish) that Microsoft and Nokia's engineers are pulling international companies to Finland. The main attraction is the high level of experience and skills these people have gained over the years and the relatively low cost.

Amazon are exploring the Finland in search of new employees. Its interest towards Microsoft and Nokia's former professionals is shared also by other international giants. The companies are eager to get not only top quality talents but at an affordable cost compared to ICT hubs around the world. In Finland, the engineering excellence is relatively low-cost. For example, at the technology mecca Silicon Valley top engineer is estimated to be 150 per cent more expensive and in Germany 30 per cent more expensive than its Finnish equivalent. Amazon's move has been noted largely in Finland accross the media - also Helsinki Times wrote about Amazon to dipping into talent pool left behind by Microsoft and Nokia in Finland and Finland Times about Amazon coming to Finland. 

Amazon had a recruitment event in Tampere hoping to find the exceptional talent in Finland to help fuel growth and continue their innovation. Amazon had identified that there is a large number of talented people in Finland. Amazon hope to hire ICT professionals to strengthen their e-book reader Kindle development team. 

#Tampere4ICT campaign attracting foreign investment

In Tampere alone, there are now estimated to be available 1000 top professionals due to the Nokia and Microsoft layoffs. Where others see this as a huge unemployment issue, Tampere Region Economic Development Agency Tredea addressed this as a unique opportunity, and with the #Tampere4ICT campaign Tredea has been attracting new foreign investments to the region. As with other companies, Tredea will continue to entice Amazon to consider further investment in Finland.

The skills of the ICT professionals released by Microsoft Mobile and Nokia among the other available ICT professionals in the Tampere Region is catalogued in the talent pool maintained by Tredea to enable easy presentation of the opportunity to international companies. For the companies that are planning to recruit or interested to relocate or set up a new business to Tampere, the talent pool offers information on the amount of available ICT expertise in the Tampere region classified by category.