Finnish Cleantech Cluster among the top three clusters in the world

The target of the Finnish Cleantech Cluster is to generate new growth companies in environmental, energy and clean technologies sectors and to help the companies to internationalize. Moreover, the Cluster attracts foreign capital investors to invest in Finnish companies.

The evaluation of Sustainable World Capital praised the Cluster for its success to create 40 growth companies in Finland and for its activity in internationalization. The Cluster's programmes for internationalization include efforts to grow business in Russia, India and China. The Cluster also arranges several capital venture seminars and investor events in Finland, like the annual Lahti Cleantech Venture Day.

" There are more than 100 Finnish companies involved in our China, Russia and India programmes. We have succeeded in finding partners for companies and also to do business in these countries. For example, the public support to the FECC-programme in China has more than decupled in the form of commercial agreements", says Mari Pantsar-Kallio, the Cluster's Programme Director, Lahti Science and Business Park.

Appreciation also earlier
The Cleantec Cluster got high level recognition also in 2009 when Danuta Hübner, the EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, introduced the concrete results of the Finnish Cleantech Cluster as a model example to other European Clusters. With the invest worth 1,5 million euros from the EU Commission the Cleantech Cluster succeeded in creating 170 news jobs, 40 new companies and investments worth 30 million euros for the cleantech sector.

The Cleantech Cluster is comprised of four remarkable Centres of Expertise focusing on cleantech technologies: Kuopio, Lahti, Oulu and Helsinki Region. The target is to achieve growth and to internationalize the businesses related to the environmental expert knowledge which each of these Centres of Expertise possesses. These four Centres of Expertise represent about 60 per cent of Finland's cleantech business and 80 per cent of the sector's research.

Read more about the Top 10 Cleanteh Cluster Organizations for 2010 evaluation:
http://cleantech.com/news/5640/top-10-cleantech-clusters

For more information:
Mari Pantsar-Kallio, Programme Director
Finnish Cleantech Cluster
Lahti Science and Business Park
Niemenkatu 73, FIN-15140 Lahti
Tel: +358 50 402 6919
mari.pantsar-kallio@lahtisbp.fi
www.cleantechcluster.fi