[Date of Affiliation] November 3, 2005

Reason for Affiliation

This affiliation was formed thanks to an opportunity provided by a project for Sendai-Finland Wellbeing Center, in order to promote local industries in both cities focused on high-tech fields through means such as information exchanges about potential alliance partners of both cities as well as know-how of industrial cluster policies, support to penetrate into mutual areas, and a global industry-academic-government collaboration.

Overview

Oulu is the largest city in northern Finland located 600 km north of Helsinki, Finland’s capital. Originally a town known for tar and salmon, Oulu has developed into an advanced city where information and communication technology industries typified by Nokia, and healthcare and life science industries thrive today in strong local partnerships with industries, academia, and the government including Oulu University, and is now called “the Silicon Valley of Europe.”

Industrial Cluster in the Oulu Region

The following Science Parks were created as main areas of northern Finland;

1) “Technopolis” originated in the Scandinavian area, where IT related companies are accumulated.

2) “Medipolis” for medical/welfare related companies in cooperation with the Faculty of Medicine at Oulu University and the University Hospital.

The City of Oulu has high rate of growth even in the Arctic Circle due to achievements in industrial promotion by formulating industry clusters.

Japanese
Photos
Official Website of the City of Oulu(External link)
Industrial Promotion in Oulu, Finland(Japanese)