The Team Finland network can help your company go global

The Academy of Finland promotes excellent, responsible and high-impact research with a view to ensuring that society can make the best possible use of the results of that research. The Academy of Finland works in close consultation with other stakeholders in the Finnish research, education and innovation system.

Business Finland  is one of the core members of the Team Finland network. It offers funding for innovation activities and services for internationalisation, investments and tourism promotion. 

The Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres) are one of the core members of the Team Finland network. They help Finnish SMEs to internationalise and grow. The ELY Centres offer evaluation services for new products and production ideas, expert services as well as grant funding for the growth, development and internationalisation of companies and their exports.

Climate Fund focuses on combating climate change, boosting low-carbon industry and promoting digitalisation. The Climate Fund contributes to boosting the necessary additional investments in order to achieve carbon neutrality.

Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) is the leading business organization in Finland. EK's main task is to make Finland an internationally attractive and competitive business environment. Successful business activities are the foundation for the Finnish welfare society.

EastCham Finland EastCham supports the business of Finnish companies in the markets of Central Asia and South Caucasus and prepares for the reconstruction of Ukraine together with the companies.

Federation of Finnish Enterprises (Suomen Yrittäjät) is an interest and service organization for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their owners. Their task is to improve the position of entrepreneurs and the conditions for entrepreneurship, and to make Finland an entrepreneurial society.

Finnfund provides long-term financing for private-sector projects in developing countries and in Russia. It primarily invests in projects between Finnish companies and their cooperation partners but it may also finance environmentally friendly projects that are based on Finnish expertise or that promote the target countries.

Finnish Chambers of Commerce work for a vibrant Finland. Set up in the 16th century to combat piracy, today they bring together 20,000 companies and corporate influencers from across the country. Finland Chamber of Commerce works on a national level, and the 19 regional chambers of commerce cover all areas of Finland.

The Finnish Cultural and Academic Institutes (FCAI) is a network of Finnish cultural and academic institutes and the foundations and funds maintaining them that was formed in 2005. The network consists of 16 cultural and academic institutions abroad and the Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre Hanaholmen in Espoo.

The Finnish Food Authority works for the good of humans, animals and plants, supports the vitality of the agricultural sector, and develops and maintains information systems.

The Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH) registers businesses, foundations and associations, and examines and grants patents, utility models, trademarks and design rights. The Office supports internationalisation and international operations of companies by offering information, tools, networks and advice to help them apply for intellectual property protection abroad, such as patents, trademarks and design rights.

The Finnish-Swedish Chamber of Commerce (FSCC) promotes trade and economic relations between Finland and Sweden Activities focus on helping and coaching SMEs for the Swedish market. The Finnish-Swedish Chamber of Commerce provides services in Finnish and is based in Stockholm.

Finnpartnership offers financial support in the planning, development and training phases of projects aimed at long-term business on developing markets. Through the matchmaking service, Finnish businesses and businesses in developing countries may find new business opportunities.

Finnvera is one of the core members of the Team Finland network. It provides financing for the start-up, growth and internationalisation of companies and for protection against export risks. Finnvera strengthens the operating conditions and competitiveness of Finnish enterprises by offering loans, guarantees, venture capital investments and export credit guarantees. Finnvera's country experts in Finland.

The Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) provides services relating to mining and the prospecting and exploitation of minerals. It is also responsible for the mining sector growth programme.

German-Finnish Chamber of Commerce (AHK) and the world-wide AHK Network offers services for market entry to Germany and 92 countries in the world. With help of AHK's efficient and professional services – from Go-To-Market strategies to cold-calling - tens of Finnish companies enter the German market successfully every year. AHK is a non-profit organisation and a part of the German network of bilateral chambers of commerce, which employs over 2000 experts in 92 countries. Finnish companies are entitled to the same services and same conditions as German companies worldwide.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry steers the policy on sustainable use of natural resources. Ministy's aim is that Finland utilises renewable natural resources in a responsible and sustainable way and as an international pacemaker; Finnish food chain is competitive, responds to the consumer needs and operates in a responsible way both nationally and globally, and food safety is of top international standard.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is one of the core members of the Team Finland network. It is responsible for industrial and innovation policy and, as part of this, promoting the internationalisation of companies and the acquisition of foreign investments.Business Finland, Finnvera, Tesi, the Finnish Patent and Registration Office, the centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, EastCham Finland and the Finnish-Swedish Chamber of Commerce are included in the administrative branch of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy.

The Ministry of Education and Culture supports the development of export in the education and culture sectors. Education exports are promoted through high-level Finnish delegations and in connection with visits to Finland. The Ministry of Education and Culture provides financial support to the preparation of projects promoting cultural exports. Culture and science institutes are included in the administrative branch of the Ministry of Education and Culture. Education Finland is a governmental cluster programme for education export under the Finnish National Agency for Education, provides support to companies, education providers and other actors in the education export sector.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is one of the core members of the Team Finland network. It influences companies' operating environment and market access abroad, attracts investments to Finland and coordinates country brand work. The Ministry provides guidance and support to the Finnish missions abroad and the Team Finland network as a whole. Team Finland services provided by the Finnish include establishing contacts, producing market information and finding solutions to companies problems. The Minister for Foreign Affairs finances development instruments which promote business partnership, innovations and private and public investments in developing countries.

Finnfund and Finnpartnership fall within the administrative branch of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs supports businesses in their efforts to partake in the procurement processes of international organisations, such as the UN, development financing institutions and the EU. The Ministry provides the businesses with information on the organisations' procurement procedures and contacts.

The Team Finland Knowledge network helps achieve a more internationally oriented position in higher education and research. The network is tasked with attracting talented people to Finland and building contacts for sharing Finnish knowledge, expertise and educational innovation.

By promoting the international networking of Finnish actors in the fields of higher education and research, we can further improve the quality and effectiveness of higher education and research and enhance business cooperation.

The network set up by the Ministry of Education and Culture comprises eight higher education and science councellors working in London, Los Angeles, New Delhi, Beijing, Pretoria, Sao Paulo, Singapore and Washington. The tasks of these senior specialists stationed in Pretoria and Singapore are regional.

Tesi is a government-owned investment company that offers growth companies venture capital, expertise and networks. Finnish Industry Investment invests in the growth and internationalisation of companies together with our domestic and foreign investor partners. 

Viexpo serves small and medium-sized companies in various stages of the export path as a part of the Team Finland network and as the internationalisation unit of the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment in Ostrobothnia.

VTT develops new smart technologies, solutions and innovative services. Through its extensive international research and innovation networks, VTT can provide Finnish companies with the latest research knowledge and access to EU research projects.

Team Finland partners include:

• Regional organisations providing export and internationalisation ser-vices: local authorities (cities and municipalities) and development corporations owned by them, regional associations of the Federation of Finnish Enterprises, re-gional chambers of commerce, business development services, universities
• Organisations operating in and target countries and addressing target countries: international chambers of commerce, cultural and science institutes, operators augmenting the service offering that are separately defined for various countries and regions