The Turku Region makes its challenge for competition in the locating of companies
Entrepreneurial services all from one place in south-west Finland

Companies considering locating in the Turku Region are about to get all their answers from one place. The actors currently providing locating services for companies are planning a service so that companies can get information fast and easily on the strengths promoting entrepreneurship in south-west Finland. This new way of doing things makes it easier for the region to become an increasingly competitive norther European operating environment for companies and organisations.

"The attraction of the Turku area must be recognised and should be marketed", says Ari Niemelä of TNT Finland Oy. In April the company began its own air freight service from Turku to Europe. High resolution image (514 Kb) Photo: Outi Arola

The action model developed on the project directs those supporting enterprise to provide holistic services. Wherever the first contact is received the mode of action is the same, and leads ultimately to a compatible locating report. The report is provided in Finnish or English. The first concrete step in the implementation of the locating service centre is a service which combines separate information on land available in Turku, cartographic services and lists of addresses.

Those participating in the design of the locating service centre are the Turku Area Development Centre and the City of Turku. The work was financed by the European Regional Development Fund via the Development Council for South-west Finland. Actors in the subject area are currently working on further measures for the rapid development of the service. One motivation for the continuing work is that with the new mode of action decision-makers in the region can find out factors why a company might possibly opt to go elsewhere than South-west Finland.

Ari Niemelä, regional director of TNT Finland Oy, says that the region must speed up its entrepreneurial service and decision-making. If a company receives information about vacant land fast enough, and for example, about work force available, the result of its deliberations about where to locate may be positive for the region. According to Mr. Niemelä, the factors making the region attractive must be clearly stated, and it is on the basis of these that the region must also market itself abroad. South-West Finland is a northern European business area from which there are very fast and wide-ranging connections to anywhere in Europe.

More information:

ICT Turku Oy Timo Huttunen, Project Manager Tel. +358 2 410 1673, +358 40 719 2335 timo.huttunen@ictturku.com	Pilot Turku Oy Tuomas Mikkola, Liaison Manager Tel. +358 2 281 3562, +358 50 524 7976 tuomas.mikkola@pilotturku.com