Company networks

Sectors of growth

Experts at your service

We serve all companies regardless of their industry and size. The account manager for your industry will help you to grow and prosper in Oulu.

Industry and cleantech

Living on the forest for centuries, strong industries in the Oulu region traditionally include metal, construction, food, and chemical industries. The fine paper mill operating in Oulu is the largest of its kind in Europe.

BusinessOulu directs the TeollisuusForum network to develop the competitiveness of industrial companies in the area of Northern Finland. The network of experts consisting of companies, institutes of research and education, financiers, and regional government builds new cross-sectoral business by, for example, bringing ICT expertise to the benefit of the mining industry.

With energy efficiency requirements and emission limits becoming increasingly stringent, Oulu is the forerunner of cleaner industry. An object of increasing global interest, cleantech is one of Oulu’s fastest-growing industries. Diversified energy production, smart energy solutions, resource efficiency and emissions control are areas of expertise with a foundation in the solid ICT competences in the area.

Major investments in the industrial and cleantech sector in the neighbouring regions provide excellent opportunities.

Major projects

Oulu is located at the heart of major investments in Northern Europe, and the Oulu region is Finland’s most significant hub of wind power construction, among other things. In addition to the energy sector, major investments are foreseen in the construction and mining sectors, among others.

ICT

Oulu is the world’s fastest-growing ICT product development city where radio technology took its most significant leaps forward. Oulu-based expertise cut the wires off the handsets. Today, around 60% of the wireless traffic in the whole world is transmitted using technology originally developed in Oulu.

Equal competence and agility is hard to find anywhere else in the world. Where else would you be able to develop an idea into a fully functional product in just three months?

During the past two years, the ecosystem of the industry has changed into a hub of tens of global product development units.

Read more about ICTOulu

Life Sciences (biotechnology, health and wellbeing)

The OuluHealth ecosystem is a world leader in using technologies, such as 5G/6G, IOT, AI, VR, AR and BigData, to develop health and life science innovations. Oulu’s healthtech sector sets the pace for R&D investment in Finland – and is near the top in the EU. The Oulu University Hospital is slated to be the world’s smartest hospital. In short, the collaboration potential in Oulu for innovation in digital health attracts partners – companies, entrepreneurs, and researchers – with ambitions to lead the world into the next generation of health care.

The OuluHealth ecosystem is a significant cluster in the healthcare sector in Finland. It is responsible for coordinating the Future Health theme on a national level under the Innovative Cities program of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy.

Read more about OuluHealth

Creative industries

Oulu brings the media and mobile games to the world. Millions of euros from exports, game downloads and pairs of eyes staring at air guitar heroes tell the same success story. People in Oulu know how to take care of things in their own unique way – and with impressive results.

Creativity is the underlying resource in many industries. Creative experts lend support to Oulu-based business by producing more entertaining content, better services, stronger brands and unforgettable experiences.

Find our Architecture from Oulu catalogue in Issuu

Trade and services

Kivisydän, an underground parking facility excavated below the heart of Oulu, makes the city centre more accessible, streamlines new investments in shopping centres and business premises, and attracts new shops to Oulu. In addition to the city centre, the shopping centres on the south and north side of the city and specialty trade areas attract customers not only from the nearby regions, but also from other parts of Finland and from the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Russia.

The population of the area, the increasing purchasing power and the vibrant economy all create excellent conditions for the development of trade and services. Commerce and consumer services already employ nearly 15,000 people in the Oulu region. A number of internationally successful online commerce companies also operate in Oulu.

Logistics

Some 700 to 800 companies operate in the transport and logistics sector in the Oulu region serving the needs of business, tourism, and export and import traffic not only in Oulu but in the entire Barents Region. The logistics and transport sector employs around 4,400 people in the Oulu region.

The largest export and import port for unitised goods in the Bothnian Bay and the hub of land transports is located in Oritkari, Oulu. The area brings together the flows of sea, road and railway traffic.

The flow of goods of northern commerce, e-commerce, industry and private consumers is also provided for by the terminals on the north and south side and the logistics companies operating in the area.

Tourism

Oulu is Finland’s fifth largest tourist city and a major northern tourist resort where as many as 60% of the visitors are leisure tourists. The city attracts visitors even from further away with its shops and services as well as vivid cultural and recreational offerings. The Nallikari area near the city is an internationally renowned summer attraction.

Oulu’s strengths lie in good traffic connections and its high-quality, versatile accommodation as well as other service offerings. For many adventure-seeking visitors, Oulu is the last stop before the wilderness, the Arctic Gateway to northern nature, experiences and tourist resorts. The nearest adventure trip attractions are located less than a two-hour drive away from Oulu.

As a university city, Oulu is also an attractive conference city Oulu Convention Bureau maintains a conference calendar, markets Oulu to meeting and conference organisers and assists in finding the correct partners. More than 150 companies receive the majority of their revenue from tourism, in particular those engaged in retail trade or hotel, restaurant and catering services, as well as transport and entertainment services.

Janne Hietaniemi

Janne Hietaniemi

Key Account Director, Cleantech and Industry

+358 40 649 1211

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Jyrki Kemppainen

Jyrki Kemppainen

Key Account Director, Trade & Services, Travel and Logistics, business development

+358 44 499 3296

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Jenni Konttila

Jenni Konttila

Development Manager, OuluHealth ecosystem

+358 40 832 2258

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Jussi Leponiemi

Jussi Leponiemi

Key Account Director, ICT

044 2387 860

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Petri Sirviö

Petri Sirviö

Key Account Director, Creative Economy, business development

+358 40 352 1555

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