Minister Puisto to Open Tech Hub Finland in Tampere

The initiative brings together industrial companies, startups, growth firms, investors and international partners to link large companies' research and development needs with technologies developed by smaller innovators. It draws on the Startup Autobahn network in Stuttgart and aims to replace siloed R&D with faster, collaborative development paths. The goal is to speed innovation.

Sandvik and Normet are among the industrial backers. Plug and Play, a global open innovation operator, is a founding partner, and the City of Tampere is inviting additional corporate partners to join.

Jani Vilenius, chief technology officer at Sandvik Mining and local managing director of the Sandvik Tampere site, said, "Not everything needs to be developed alone, nor should it be, as many new technologies and solutions are created by startups."

Irene Vekkeli, director of economic development and innovation at the City of Tampere, said Tech Hub Finland is intended to help companies access the latest expertise, accelerate innovation and build international growth amid technological disruption, the green transition and rising global competition.

Nine startups will give three-minute pitches at the launch, including Cohort, Awake.ai, CelLife Technologies Oy and FurnaQuantum; others are Havuja Solutions, Ioxio, Quanscient, RESONIKS, Sensible 4 and Spogen. Speakers slated for the event include Minister Sakari Puisto, Lassi Noponen of Business Finland, Plug and Play Europe representatives Christian Johansson and Heini Wallander, and technology chiefs from Sandvik and Normet.

The announcement follows earlier reporting that Tech Hub Finland would open in Tampere on 29 September and set up a national innovation hub linking startups with manufacturers and builds on June announcements that Plug and Play would operate the hub and global accelerator in Tampere when Plug and Play was chosen to run the programme.