Minister Toivakka to the United States to promote Finnish cleantech exports

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

Press Release 85/2015
16 March 2015

Minister Toivakka to the United States to promote Finnish cleantech exports

Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Lenita Toivakka will travel to the United States to promote the exports of Finnish cleantech enterprises. The Team Finland trade mission will be in Los Angeles and Palo Alto from 18 to 21 March to market Finnish expertise in an area that may well be the world’s most significant concentration of clean energy, financing and research.

“It is no coincidence that I am leading an important trade mission in particular to the United States. The importance of the United States, the world’s largest economy, to Finland’s exports is constantly increasing, and many Finnish actors have invested in the country – to a value of up to 9.6 billion euros,” Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Lenita Toivakka states.

California’s economy is growing faster than the average for the United States and according to plans, as much as 120 billion dollars will be used for the clean technology sector in California during the next five years. Both Finnish and Californian actors have a policy that supports business in clean technologies at all levels, high-tech concentrations, people who favour green thinking, and innovativeness.

“This opens up new export and cooperation opportunities for Finnish expertise especially in clean energy production and projects focusing on electric transport,” Minister Toivakka continues.

The business delegation to Los Angeles and Palo Alto consists of the following enterprises: Business Oulu, Capmunda, Cleantech Invest plc, Eera Oy, Energiakolmio Oy, Fortum Markets Oy, eMobility, Häme University for Applied Sciences HAMK, Liikennevirta Oy, Management Institute of Finland MIF Oy, NaturVention Ltd., Neste Oil, Nokeval Oy, People Group Academy Oy, Solar Fire Concentration Oy, St1 Biofuels Oy, Verte Oy.

From the United States, Minister Toivakka will continue on a trade mission to Mexico from 22 to 26 March, accompanied by enterprises from the marine industry, the ICT sector and the education export sector.

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