Finland provides a structured environment for companies developing new technologies, products and solutions, supported by strong collaboration, public funding and access to talent.

R&D and innovation operations

R&D in Finland

How it works in practise

R&D activities in Finland are built around close cooperation between companies, universities and research institutes. Public funding reduces upfront risk and supports long-term development, while shared infrastructure enables access to testing and piloting environments without building everything in-house.

Development is typically connected to real industry use cases, allowing companies to validate solutions in operational environments. This applies across sectors, from digital technologies to energy and industrial systems.

What Finland provides

Established ecosystems combining research and industry
Public R&D funding and co-innovation instruments
Access to testing, piloting and demonstration environments
Availability of highly specialised technical talent
A predictable environment for long-term development projects

Investor Toolbox

Things that might be helpful for you when considering Finland as a location for R&D and innovations operations.

Business Environment

As one of the world’s most competitive and open economies, Finland has a lot to offer for international companies to run smooth and successful operations.

Talent

The world-renowned education system encourages problem-solving and creativeness together, creating a pool of highly-skilled workforce with one of the highest levels of digital talent in Europe.

Incentives and funding

With a national target of 4% of GDP in R&D spending by 2030, Finland is scaling support for investment in innovation, research and technology development.

Leading company ecosystems

Leading companies' ecosystems are business-driven projects funded by Business Finland and are examples of how companies work together in the innovation ecosystem.

Research & Development Center of Finland (VTT)

With top-class piloting and research infrastructure and experts, VTT is one of the essential players to pave the way for innovations in Finland.

Finnish Universities

Universities are closely integrated with industry, supporting applied research, joint development projects and technology transfer. This enables companies to collaborate directly with research teams and accelerate innovation from research to real-world applications.

Case: Tech Mahindra

Why an Indian tech gian chose Finland for their innovations operations?

Ready to take the next step?

If you have defined your R&D focus, and would be interested to hear more how Finland could serve your startegic goals, we help connect you with the right ecosystems, partners and support mechanisms.

Päivi

Antila

Senior Advisor, Health & Life Sciences

Janne

Kari

Head of Industry, ICT & Digitalization

Markku

Kivistö

Head of Industry, Cleantech

Juha

Peltomäki

Head of industry, Bio & Circular Economy

Photo: Visit Tampere / Laura Vanzo