Minister Toivakka to make an export promotion trip to Berlin, Hamburg and the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg

MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
http://formin.finland.fi

Press Release 263/2014
24 November 2014

Minister Toivakka to make an export promotion trip to Berlin, Hamburg and the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg

Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Lenita Toivakka will make a three-day export promotion trip to Germany from 25 to 27 November. The purpose of the trip is to promote the exports and internationalization of Finnish companies and to market Finnish expertise and potential in Germany in the music industry as well as in the marine and engineering industries, logistics and the energy efficiency sector. Germany is Finland’s second largest export destination after Sweden.

In Berlin, Minister Toivakka will meet, among others, Gunther Krichbaum, Chairman of the Committee on the Affairs of the European Union of the German Bundestag; Mario Ohoven, President of the German Association for Small and Medium-sized Businesses; Volker Treier, Deputy Chief Executive of the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK); and Stefan Mair, Member of the Executive Board of the Federation of German Industries (BDI).

A delegation composed of Finnish music industry players compiled by Music Finland will take part in the Berlin leg of the trip.

“Germany is one of the key market areas from the perspective of Finnish music exports. Leading expertise from the Finnish music world and major players from the German music industry will meet during our stay in Berlin. I believe that mutually beneficial opportunities will be found,” says Toivakka.

Aside from Berlin, the minister will visit Hamburg and the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg accompanied by a delegation with representatives from 20 marine industry, logistics and wind power companies. The delegation, put together by Finpro, is led by Tero Vauraste, President and CEO of Arctia Shipping Oy.

“Northern Germany is an attractive place to visit especially with regard to the marine industry and wind power. Finnish enterprises have traditionally internationalized as part of the subcontracting chain of large businesses. Now we are taking the Finnish shipyard industry and our substantial technological know-how for example in the manufacture of various components straight to those placing large orders, where only very few players are received,” Toivakka states.

The participants in Berlin are Flow Festival, Sony Music Finland, Music Finland, Elvis Ry, Elements Music, GAEA Records and Teosto.

The business delegation in Hamburg and Papenburg consists of the following companies: Arctia Shipping Ltd, Bergmann Attorneys at Law, Cosfim Ltd, Euro Ports Finland Oy, Evac Oy, Finnair, Finnpilot Pilotage Ltd, Indewe QC Ltd, Jukova Ltd, Kone Elevators Ltd./Marine, Oy Lautex Ab, Machine Technology Centre Turku Ltd Meridiem, Meramatec Ltd., Mega Light Systems Ltd, Pemamek Ltd, Planson United Oy, Pöytyä Koneistuspalvelu Ltd, SKS Mechatronics Ltd, Stalatube Oy, Vaasa Region Development Company VASEK.

Additional information: Miika Tomi, Press Attaché to the Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade, mobile tel. +358 50 574 0507.