Business Tampere opens Lviv office to connect Tampere firms with Ukraine's rebuilding market

Business Tampere opened an office in Lviv, Ukraine, to help companies from the Tampere City Region find partners, customers and new business opportunities as the country rebuilds and integrates with European markets. Nearly 100 people attended the opening, including representatives of Finnish and Ukrainian companies, cooperation partners, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi and delegates from the City of Tampere. It was a strong turnout.

Harri Ojala, Business Tampere’s CEO, said the office is intended to serve as a gateway for the region’s firms. "We are living through a period of major change. Ukraine is building its future and will become an increasingly significant part of the European economy. Alongside defence companies, interest in Ukraine has also grown in sectors such as energy and health technology," he said, stressing the strategic nature of the move for Tampere’s business community.

Cooperation with local partners has increased in recent months. Several companies from the Tampere City Region visited Ukraine this year, and during the office’s opening week representatives of about ten companies travelled to Lviv to meet potential local partners and start building direct business relationships.

Ojala said the region has particular expertise that matches Ukrainian needs and that the new office offers a more permanent platform for turning contacts into practical projects. He described the Tampere region as a frontrunner in cooperation with Ukraine and noted a recent early-September visit to Tampere by Ukrainian media representatives and Lviv’s Investment Director Andri Pavliv.

Staff will include advisers for non-defence cooperation and specialists for defence and dual-use technologies, making it easier for Tampere-based firms to engage directly with Ukraine’s developing economy.