FACC Newsletter - Winter 2010

FACC NORDIC INVESTMENT SEMINAR

On 26 May 2010, the Finland Australia Chamber of Commerce, together with the Swedish Chamber of Commerce, Danish Trade Commission and Scandinavian Business Club will be holding a seminar entitled “Trading with Australia - Practical Issues for Importers and Exporters".

Presenters will be covering current issues and trends in their specialist sectors that affect imports into (and exports from) Australia, specifically addressing common compliance and documentation problems, and areas of risk including:

• Transport
• Insurance
• Customs
• Quarantine

Further details will follow in few weeks time.

FACC WELCOMES THE NEW AMBASSADOR

Maija Lähteenmäki started as the Head of the Finnish Embassy in Canberra at the beginning of this year. Before arriving to Australia she served as Finnish Ambassador in Madrid from 2005-2009. She entered the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1974.

Australia is a continent that offers great potential for Finnish trade and commerce. That has not been sufficiently taken advantage of. It is a real challenge for the ambassador to convince business men in Finland that the geographic distance is not an insurmountable obstacle, and that Australia is an extraordinary market for Finnish products.

What are you hoping to achieve as Ambassador during your time in Canberra?

I hope to succeed in the above mentioned challenges.

You have been in Australia since January this year, what differences and similarities between Finns and Australians have you discovered so far?

Both the Finns and the Australians are very kind people. As to differences, the Australians are more extroverts than the Finns - especially the men - and seem to be even more informal, as to the way they dress. Curiously enough, in official contexts the Australians are more formal than the Finns.

What would you regard as the latest developments in the relations between Finland and Australia?

Finland forms part of the European Union. As an EU country we are an important partner for Australia. In October 2008 the European Union and Australia concluded a European Union-Australia Partnership Framework, to be revised on a yearly basis. Finland and we Finns can profit from it in many tangible ways.

What opportunities you see Finland offers to Australian businesses?

First of all, Finland offers a well functioning business environment for foreign businesses - ranked as one of the top in the world.

Secondly, numerous Finnish companies have world class niche expertise in many sectors. The quality of the Finnish high tech is globally recognized. Specifically, and against the background of the need towards greener economies and societies, Finnish cleantech cluster and knowhow offer readily available solutions in energy efficiency, among other things.

I would also like to remind the distinguished readers of the geographic location of Southern Finland. The main ports by the Baltic Sea, Turku, Helsinki and Kotka, are a gateway to markets of over 70 million consumers. In a couple of hours' time goods and products can reach Russian, Polish, German and Scandinavian markets, not to mention the Baltic states that are at a stone's throw from the capital city Helsinki.

You are also accredited to New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, what would be your focus as Ambassador in this region?

I wish I could make Finland better known to the people of all these countries and raise their interest in Finland to learn more about us and - why not - to choose Finland as their travel destination.

New Consul in Sydney

Ms Pirkko Kaikkonen has settled in as the new Consul in Sydney.

Please visit Finnish Embassy and Consular website for news and contact details: www.finland.org.au

PAMIR CONSULTING GETS FINLAND TRADE CENTRE STATUS IN AUSTRALIA

Pamir Consulting and Finpro have strengthened their long-time cooperation. Riku Laanti will be Finpro's Country Representative in Australia and New Zealand and Pamir Consulting has been granted Finland Trade Centre status in Australia.

Pamir Consulting and FinPro have enjoyed long term cooperation during which they have been consulting for over 20 Finnish multinational companies in their activities to enter Australian market.

Riku Laanti has been a Board Member of Finland Australia Chamber of Commerce since October 2009. He has recently finalised his Phd thesis on internationals business and strategy at Adelaide University. He also became a father for a baby boy in January. Riku Laanti can be contacted by email: firstname.surname@pamirconsulting.com and later in April firstname.surname@finpro.fi

STORA ENSO IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST ETHICAL COMPANIES 2010

Global leader in the paper, packaging and wood product industry, Stora Enso has been recognised by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for 2010. Stora Enso is recognised for its commitment to ethical leadership, compliance practices and corporate social responsibility. The company secured its spot on the list now for the third time. The number of nominations this year was record-breaking.

The experts at Ethisphere reviewed thousands of nominations from companies in over 100 countries and 36 industries in order to complete the listing. The final list consists of 102 companies, out of which Stora Enso is the only Finnish one. Other well-known international winners include Aflac, American Express, Campbell Soup, the Ford Motor Company, General Electric, Google, L'Oréal, Nike, PepsiCo, Starbucks, T-Mobile USA, UPS, Whole Foods Market and Xerox.

SHOUTING WITH A FINNISH TWIST IN THE BIANNALE OF SYDNEY

Mieskuoro Huutajat (Shouters Men's Choir), which began as a "serious joke" at a bar in the northern city of Oulu, has become one of Finland's most startling – and most enduring – cultural icons.

Since Mieskuoro Huutajat (Shouters Men's Choir) was founded in 1987, hundreds of men have appeared in its revolving 30-voice line-up, startling audiences around the world. This year, they have bellowed poetry, nursery rhymes and political tracts in Stockholm and Copenhagen. Next up is Australia, where they will shout on the steps of the Sydney Opera House as part of the city's biennale 1 May- 1Aug.

Various other Finnish artists will take part the Biennale. For details visit http://www.bos17.com/

FINNISH CLAY ARTISTS VISITING AUSTRALIA

The eight Clay Energy 2010 Conference to be held 28.4.- 2.5.2010 has invited 8 artists from Finland as well as artists from Hungary, Israel, Iceland, UK, USA, NZ and Australia. The conference featuring talks, demonstrations, exhibitions and special events will be held in the historic town of Gulgong. The Finnish artists include Nanna Bayer, Terhi Juurinen, Kirsi Kivivirta, Heikki Rahikainen, Riitta Talonpoika, Tapio Yli-Viikari ja Karin Widnäs. For details visit http://www.ceramicart.net.au

INTERNATIONAL DIRECT INVESTMENTS IN FINLAND TO INCREASE IN 2010

International direct investments in Finland are expected to increase steadily in 2010.

Last year 128 new international companies were established in Finland. The number is about 30 percent less than in 2008. When compared to the record-breaking year 2007, the number of investments has dropped by half. The development in Finland has followed international trends.

The increase in international investments expected to take place during this year will open new possibilities for Finland.

Developing innovation operations is one of the most significant ways of increasing productivity in Finland. According to estimations there is a lot to be improved in our innovation system: one of the biggest challenges is the lack of operators.

In addition to contributing from their expertise, international companies generate new jobs in Finland. According to Statistics Finland foreign companies employ approximately 243 000 Finns, which is about 16 percent of all employees in the country.

FINNISH GOVERNMENT’S R&D FUNDING GROWS IN 2010

Government budget for R&D is EUR 2,055 million, while the share of public R&D funding of GDP is estimated to rise to 1.17 per cent.

In the 2010 the total appropriations and outlays for research and development activities in the Finnish government’s budget amount to EUR 2,055 million. According to Statistics Finland, this represents an increase of EUR 155 million in R&D funding from the previous year. At the same time, the share of public R&D funding of GDP is estimated to rise to 1.17 per cent.

The two largest R&D funders in the budget are the Ministry of Education with EUR 933 million or 45 per cent of the total, followed by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy with EUR 763 million or 37 per cent of the total.

In line with Finnish government’s socio-economic objectives, the general advancement of knowledge is the largest category of R&D funding with 44 per cent share. The share of funding of industrial production and technology is 24 per cent, and that of social structures and relationships 14 per cent.

SKYTRAX RATES HELSINKI AIRPORT AS BEST IN NORTHERN EUROPE

Helsinki-Vantaa, has won the prestigious World Airport Award title of Best Airport in Northern Europe.

Helsinki airport continues to be one of the European elite. This has been again confirmed by its Skytrax recognition as the best in NorthernEurope. "The award reflects the long-term work being carried out at the airport to maintain top quality," says airport manager Juha-Pekka Pystynen. "Since the mid-1990s, Helsinki has been named in various surveys as one of the best airports in the world."

A compact layout and uncongested traffic are Helsinki's trump cards. The addition of a new long-haul terminal extension in recent months has underlined the spaciousness and sense of comfort throughout the airport.

Skytrax offers the world's largest selection of independent Airline and Airport reviews for over 620 airlines and 645 airports. Passenger Trip Reports, Airline Flight reviews, Lounge Reviews, Seat Reviews – click here to visit the Skytrax pages and check standards of airlines and airports worldwide.

HELSINKI - THE DESIGN CAPITAL OF THE WORLD 2012 UPDATE

“ALWAYS DESIGN A THING BY CONSIDERING IT IN ITS NEXT LARGER CONTEXT – A CHAIR IN THE ROOM, A ROOM IN A HOUSE, A HOUSE IN AN ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENT IN A CITY PLAN” Eliel Saarinen, Architect

The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) designated Helsinki as the World Design Capital for the year 2012 on November 25th, 2009.

The first World Design Capital was Turin (Torino) of Italy in 2008. World Design Capital 2010 is the South Korean capital Seoul.

Design is a factor deep-rooted in the urban lifestyle of Helsinki. Design is manifest in the everyday lives of Helsinki citizens in many ways, ranging from home furniture and items that represent old Finnish design traditions to modern urban solutions in the city and contemporary interior design.

The creative sector is re-shaping Helsinki’s economy and enhancing the citizens’ quality of life. Design seen from a broad perspective – in city planning, architecture, industrial design and service design – plays an integral role in the development of Helsinki, city services and consumer products.

Helsinki’s World Design Capital year 2012 will comprise a wide range of events and projects related to design and its manifestations. In 2012 Helsinki will also celebrate the 200th anniversary of becoming the capital of Finland, when the country was a grand duchy of the Russian Empire.

Read recent article by Norman Miller of the Guardian, UK “Helsinki, a design lover's paradise”.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/apr/03/helsinki-finland-design-city-break

http://www.wdc2012helsinki.fi/en

For more information on Helsinki please visit www.visithelsinki.fi

NEARLY HALF OF FINNS THINK GLOBAL WARMING THREAT MAY BE EXAGGERATED

Many Finns appear to be cooling to warnings of global warming. According to a poll taken this past week, 48 percent of Finns feel that the results of climate change are being exaggerated, at least to some extent.

The YLE poll, taken by the market research organisation Taloustutkimus, found that 15 percent felt that the impact of global warming has been downplayed, at least to some extent.

The results are very similar to those of a survey taken in the United States in February. There, a Gallup poll found that 48 percent of Americans felt that global warming is an exaggerated threat.

FINNAIR SWITCHES TO SUMMER

Finnair has started its summer season schedule on Sunday March 28, fine-tuning services to meet varying demand and to ensure better connections with onward flights. Finnair's fast flights to and from Asia will be supplemented to take account of the extra seasonal traffic, and there will be more flights to some popular summer destinations.

As of the beginning of June, Finnair operates daily flights to Tokyo, while flights to Nagoya will be boosted to five a week. Flights to Seoul in South Korea will be run six times a week during the summer.

A new summer destination is Florence, where Finnair will be flying twice a week in cooperation with Meridiana. The popular seasonal destinations of Krakow, Venice, Ljubljana and Bergen will re-enter the schedule over the course of April and May.

There are four new weekly flights to Manchester, with a twice-daily service operating through the summer. Flights to Warsaw are increased with two more departures, and there is an extra departure to Nice.

Departures to Hong Kong are being moved from evening to night slots, improving connections, for example, to and from southern China. Passengers can enjoy a light dinner in the new Via Lounge at Helsinki airport before the night flight, giving them more time to relax during the flight itself.

www.finnair.com

FACC BOARD 2009-2010

The board members can be contacted at chamber@finland.com.au