Year 2008
New Base Opened for Finnish Innovation System in Tokyo
Today, 9 June, Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen opened a Finnish innovation centre, FinNode Japan, in Tokyo, with the aim of strengthening co-operation between Finland and Japan in the fields of research, development and innovation.
FinNode is a consortium of various actors within the Finnish innovation system aimed at supporting the linkage of Finnish parties to the leading centres of innovation in the world. For the Finnish parties, the innovation centres relay observations about the development of the innovation environment in the country of location, and establish contacts with key operators.
For Japanese partners, on the other hand, the innovation centre offers an opportunity to reach Finnish key actors through a single point of contact. FinNode Japan was established by Finpro, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (Tekes), VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, the Finnish Innovation Fund (Sitra), and the Academy of Finland. In addition to these, the Finnish Institute in Japan will also participate in the operation of FinNode. The centre’s services will be organised as part of national innovation programmes, of which the programmes of Tekes serve as examples.
Minister of Economic Affairs Mauri Pekkarinen emphasises that FinNode innovation centres play an important role in enhancing the efficiency of the Finnish innovation system in the operating environment of the global economy. In addition, the government programme has stated that Finland will expand its network of international innovation centres.
“Finland is following Japan with great interest when it comes to demand-driven innovations in particular. Many countries are investing intensively in education, research, development and innovation activities. Potential co-operation areas might include, for instance, information technology, material technology and application areas related to health and wellbeing,” Minister Pekkarinen points out.
Finland and Japan have a long tradition of scientific and technological co-operation. For example, amongst the project stock financed by Tekes, Japan is the most important co-operation partner in Asia. Finnish universities also have close connections with the Japanese education and research system.
FinNode is the fourth link in the international network of Finnish innovation centres. The previously established innovation centres include FinNode USA in Silicon Valley, California, FinChi in Shanghai, and FinNode Russia in St. Petersburg.
Innovation centre FinNode Japan is located in the near vicinity of the Finnish Embassy in Japan, at the address 4-2-34 Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, 106-0047 Tokyo, Japan.
Further information:
Director General Petri Peltonen, MEE, tel. +358 10 606 3662 or +358 50 62663
Director Jukka Viitanen, FinNode Japan, tel. +81 3 6859 6814
