Lappeenranta has a number of attractions, some of which have come as a gift and some of which have taken a lot of work. Saimaa and its archipelago, a rich history between East and West, and hospitality have come unbidden, but expertise and vitality are the result of systematic work.
Ding Ma, The Head of Economic Development in Lappeenranta, Finland cannot remember a time when South-East Finland was known for its traditional forest industry. That is not to say that the wood processing industry does not still exist in the region, but a whole new ecosystem has grown up around it, based on sustainable development and the latest innovations.
- The image of an eastern border periphery is already far from reality," says Ma .Ma sees the change as being driven by the diversification of the business structure and in particular by encouraging entrepreneurship, growth and internationalisation.
- The city ' s role is to create the conditions for entrepreneurship, living and prospering, Ma says .In the wake of strong process industry players in the region, a very high quality supply chain has emerged. At the same time, universities focusing on technology and innovation have developed their activities and are producing not only high-quality research but also talented people with the capacity to solve the region's needs - and why not the wider ones?
Ma believes that when deciding where to locate a business, three things are important: location, location and location.
- In Lappeenranta, instead of the traditional idea of customer clustering, we want to emphasise the importance of talent clustering. The region has talent for both traditional and new industries, as well as solutions to the challenges of sustainable development. In addition, the growing capacity for green energy combined with a well-functioning infrastructure provides good basic elements for a location comparison.The city wants to listen carefully to what entrepreneurs need. It is clear that the main role of public authorities in the business community is to create the conditions for business to thrive, and this is best done by responding quickly.
- The City of Lappeenranta's customer promise to the entrepreneur is a one-stop-shop service and to deal with the entrepreneur's case within two days of contact, says Ma.Differentiation between regions is increasingly important. Lappeenranta will continue to specialise as a pioneer in sustainable development and will involve businesses, universities and local residents in this development.
- We will create sustainable success stories boldly, together and looking ahead, Ma quotes the city's strategy .