Honeywell:
International R&D Centre in Kuopio

Sunny California, energetic Mumbai, the dynamic miracle called Shanghai, or one of the rapidly growing new EU countries from Eastern Europe, like the Czech Republic… perhaps somewhere around Prague.

These are just a few of the attractive options available, yet Honeywell chose to locate one of the company’s most substantial international research and development centres in Kuopio, a small town in Central Finland.

Managing Director Timo Saarelainen explains that the decisions made are strategic and span ten years in to the future. Internationally Honeywell is directing its operations in two future technologies: wireless and censor technology. R&D centre for censor technology was based in Kuopio.

Excellence and active networks

When we look at the forest industry, Finland has a very strong reputation as a global leader. Europe's three biggest forestry companies are Finnish. The world leaders in pulp and paper technologies are located here, as are the key operators in the industry. This is the kind of environment that attracts the sharpest brains in the world.

Honeywell is aiming to provide its customers new solutions and a stronger competitive edge, and when it comes to the future, the company needs a location, that along with the surrounding universities would be interested in researching areas important to censor technology.

The ability to network effectively was a crucial factor in Honeywell's decision. Networking creates excellent results, when there is the university, VTT - the technical research center, and companies from within your industrial cluster and from the outside. And there is Tekes funding innovative R&D projects.

Saarelainen has a tip for any international technology company that may be considering Finland as a base for their operations.

"Get involved in a public research project. It's a fast and easy way to become acquainted with the local business environment and the research infrastructure."