Expand to Helsinki and grow your business in Europe and the Nordics
Set up your business in Helsinki, Europe’s most advanced environments for research, development, and product innovation.
For international companies looking to establish a business presence in Helsinki or an innovation center, Helsinki offers a unique combination of top talent, top-notch infrastructure, and cost-efficient operations, all within a stable and innovation-driven ecosystem.
At Helsinki Partners, we support companies with tailored, free-of-charge services to help international companies set up, scale, and succeed in the R&D activities in Finland.
How can we help you expand to Helsinki?
Expanding to a new market requires the right partners, local insight, and fast access to the ecosystem. Helsinki Partners acts as on-the-ground strategic partner, helping international leaders to establish, connect, and scale the innovation activities in Helsinki.
We provide tailored, free-of-charge support (backed by the City of Helsinki) to international companies at every stage of their expansion journey.
Our services
Hands-On Support for Business Expansion in Finland
We offer the knowledge you need to expand your business in Europe. Whether you’re an international corporation or a high growth scaleup, our insights and advice will help you navigate Finland’s business landscape.
Find the Right Funding for Your Business Growth
Once your business is registered in Finland, you can tap into national and EU funding. Our experts point you to the best public financing options, including Business Finland, Tesi, and Finnvera, while also guiding you through the private financing landscape.
Access Finland Industry-Specific Data for Smarter Decisions
Need market insights? Our Business Intelligence Unit delivers data on critical factors like skills availability, average salaries, and emerging industry trends, ensuring that your decisions are driven by the right information.
Build Valuable Business Connections in Finland
In business, who you know can make all the difference. We connect you directly to key figures, from government officials and business owners to leading research institutions—accelerating your expansion in the Nordics.
Resources to help you set up and grow
We’ll direct you to trusted service providers who can assist you in different stages of getting established in Helsinki. In addition, we’ll share information and resources that will help you grow your business here.
Our programs
We offer exclusive programs designed to help international companies quickly understand the Helsinki ecosystem, validate opportunities, and accelerate their expansion journey.
Why Helsinki for growing your business?
Access to top talent pool
Helsinki provides one of the strongest technical talent pools in Europe:
- 10% of the workforce is in ICT
- Over 80% of ICT professionals have advanced coding skills
- #2 in Europe for AI talent per capita
- #1 globally in data science and machine learning proficiency
Finnish education emphasizes mathematics, physics, and systems thinking, which are critical for deep tech fields like AI, quantum computing, and advanced electronics. This results in engineers who are not only coders, but true problem solvers capable of building complex, scalable technologies from first principles.
Universities like Aalto and the University of Helsinki work closely with companies and research institutes like VTT. This creates a culture where research is quickly translated into real-world applications and collaboration between corporates, startups, and academia is seamless.
Although the Nordics are often perceived as a high-cost region, Finland offers competitive salary levels, lower operating costs than many leading European tech hubs, and a strong return on investment when it comes about talent. Read more on Cost of setting up a business page.
Access to world-class facilities that enable fast innovation
Helsinki offers companies immediate integration into top-tier R&D environments, including:
- ELLIS Institute Finland is an ecosystem that enables companies to collaborate with leading scientists, access fundamental machine learning research, and co-develop next-generation solutions within a highly connected European innovation platform.
- LUMI AI is one of Europe’s most powerful AI supercomputing platforms, enabling EU companies to train large-scale models, process vast datasets, and accelerate the development of advanced AI solutions through high-performance computing infrastructure, free-of-charge.
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is one of Europe’s leading applied research organisations, playing a key role in helping companies from early-stage concept validation and prototyping to piloting, testing, and scaling. VTT has collaborated with global corporates and scaleups alike to co-develop breakthrough technologies and validate new solutions in real-world conditions. Read more about one of their concrete cases.
- Aalto University and University of Helsinki drive world-class research, fueling the creation of startups across AI, health tech, diagnostics, and climate tech, exemplified by globally leading companies such as IQM Quantum Computers, ICEYE, Canatu and many more.
These institutions enable companies to further develop their products and services through:
- Joint research projects (using their facilities and talent)
- Access to specialized facilities (cleanrooms, quantum labs, AI compute)
- Faster commercialization of innovation
One of the best cost-quality ratio
Helsinki combines quality with lower operational costs compared to other European tech hubs.
- Approx. €1.64M/year for an 18-person R&D center
- Corporate tax: 20% (reducing to 18% in 2027)
- No minimum share capital required
Great incentives for R&D and Innovation
Finland offers competitive R&D incentives:
- 100% basic deduction and an additional 50% deduction on eligible R&D costs
- 250% available for subcontracted R&D services from Finnish universities and research institutes such as VTT
- Public funding for research, piloting, and scaling
Additionally:
- Flat 25% tax for foreign key employees
- Strong government support for innovation-driven companies
Secure, Stable, and Innovation-Friendly Environment
Finland provides a highly secure and predictable foundation for R&D operations, combining strong intellectual property protection, a transparent legal framework, and consistent, business-friendly regulation. Ranked among the top countries in the EU for cybersecurity readiness, the environment ensures that sensitive data, proprietary technologies, and innovation processes are well protected. This level of security and trust makes Helsinki particularly attractive for companies operating in data-intensive industries, developing deep tech and frontier technologies, or working with highly sensitive and mission-critical R&D.
Innovate in a fast-growing ecosystem
International companies are increasingly choosing Helsinki as a strategic location for R&D, drawn by its access to great technologies, strong academic collaboration, and highly skilled talent pool. The city’s innovation ecosystem is also one of the fastest developing in Europe, attracting growing attention from international investors and corporates alike. Since the launch of Slush, Helsinki’s flagship startup and investor conference, Finland has seen the rise of a new generation of global success stories, with around 20 unicorns emerging from the ecosystem according to PitchBook.
Companies such as Oura, Supercell, and IQM Quantum Computers have become global leaders in their respective fields, reinforcing Helsinki’s reputation as a hub for breakthrough innovation. This combination of strong local success stories, increasing investor interest, and a collaborative R&D environment continues to attract international companies looking to develop cutting-edge solutions and scale them globally.
Business expansion stories from Helsinki
Ready to set up your presence to Helsinki?
We’re here to make it happen. Whether you’re looking for tailored advice, industry connections, or information about funding opportunities, Helsinki Partners is your trusted partner in Finland. Our services are designed to streamline your expansion journey, and the best part? They’re completely free.
Reach out today and let’s work together to leverage the potential of Helsinki’s vibrant business landscape. Your growth, our city—let’s make it happen.
Not convinced? Here’s why your business should expand to Helsinki
- #1 in Europe for Digitalization: Helsinki is ranked as Europe’s leader in digitalization by the European Commission’s Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI).
- #2 Most Innovative Region in Europe: According to the Regional Innovation Scoreboard 2024, the Helsinki Metropolitan region holds the second spot for innovation.
- Top 10 European Startup Hub: Helsinki is recognized as one of the top 10 startup hubs in Europe, with 40% of Finland’s startups based in the city.
- #9 in Smart City Rankings: In the 2024 IMD Smart City Index, Helsinki ranked 9th globally, recognized for its high-level technology, sustainability, and quality of life.
- #2 Work-Life Balance: Helsinki ranks second globally for best cities to work and live in, with a focus on work-life balance.
- #1 Sustainability Destination: The Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index) ranked Helsinki as the top sustainable travel destination.
- #5 Most Liveable City: The Economist ranked Helsinki as the world’s 5th most liveable city in 2024.
- Cost of Living: Mercer’s 2024 Cost of Living Ranking places Helsinki 40th, indicating it is generally more affordable than many Western European peers
Contact us
If you are interested in learning more about Helsinki and its possibilities – please contact us via the form here. We’ll make sure to get back to you within a few working days.
