Helsinki-Uusimaa Region awarded the European Entrepreneurial Region 2012
The EU Committee of the Regions has labelled Helsinki-Uusimaa as the European Entrepreneurial Region (EER) 2012. The decision was published today, Feb 11, 2010 at the Committee meeting in Brussels. Granted for the first time, the award attracted 36 regional nominees. The title was apportioned to three regions for the year 2011 and three for 2012. The award serves as recognition to those areas with the most credible plan of action promoting entrepreneurship with realistic foresight and outstanding political vision.
In its application, Helsinki-Uusimaa Region emphasized that tomorrow’s entrepreneurship will increasingly be founded on expertise, higher education and specialization. The particular strength of the region stems from the collaborative partnership between enterprises, education institutions and the public sector. In the future, the region will be a sustainably competitive, secure and attractive metropolitan area in the Baltic region.- “Being merited as the European Entrepreneurial Region is a significant
recognition for Helsinki-Uusimaa Region, its 1.4 million inhabitants, and
economic life. The visibility entailed by this award will promote the Region’s
conspicuousness and economic gains for the entire nation’s economic life. No
doubt, it will also attract more businesses from abroad,” points out Harry
Bogomoloff, Regional Council Vice-President, who headed the delegation
receiving the award in Brussels
on behalf of Helsinki-Uusimaa Region.
Uusimaa Regional Council prepared the application together with the Centre
of Expertise Culminatum Innovation Ltd, Aalto University
and universities of applied science within the region. The application process
was bolstered by back-up from entrepreneurial associations, the Chamber of
Commerce and Ministry of Employment and the Economy, along with many other
actors.
A regionally, nationally and internationally unique public-private cooperation undertaking is materializing through the creation and implementation of Aalto University (www.aalto.fi). On the European scale, Aalto is the forerunner of the university reform based on the Lisbon Strategy and the new concepts of Knowledge Triangle, i.e. integration of research & education & innovation. Tuula Teeri, the President of Aalto University, highlights the university’s strategic focus on strengthening the research and education of entrepreneurship and growth companies, as well as the role of Aalto Entrepreneurship Society - the student-run catalyst of new openings. An example of such endeavours is the Aalto Ventures Park, where students and entrepreneurs run boot camps and mentoring programs for aspiring young talents and their start-ups.
The EER status will be manifested in numerous events organized in Helsinki-Uusimaa Region during 2012, reinforcing the 2012 World Design Capital theme year. ”The EER has proven crucial as a process pulling all the Regional innovation actors together to pursue recognition for their collaboration,” states Pasi Mäkinen, CEO of Culminatum Innovation Oy Ltd. "This provides a solid platform for focusing resources on the promotion of entrepreneurship," adds CEO Anssi Kujala from Federation of Helsinki Enterprises.
The Committee of the Regions (CoR) that granted the label is EU’s assembly of 344 political representatives from regional and local communities. The European Union is obliged to consult CoR in all matters impacting local and regional administration.
For more information, please contact:
Regional
Mayor Ossi Savolainen, tel. +358 40 589 8415
