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Helsinki, the capital city of Finland, is a highly populous area and has a highly developed economy. It has 1.07 million inhabitants and 615,000 jobs.
As a business traveler to Helsinki, expect an innovative, modern business culture and a top-quality business environment.
There are no Helsinki visa requirements for citizens of EU member states. If you are coming from the USA or Canada, you can enter Helsinki visa-free, provided it’s a short stay of under six months. Keep in mind that visa requirements are liable to change. Check your country’s embassy web page to stay updated.
Helsinki's business culture is based on trust. Finns like to deal with familiar people and acquaintances. Building relationships should be the first step before you get down to business.
Finns attach great significance to verbal agreements and promises. Expect lots of handshake agreements.
When it comes to attire, dress up conservatively and carefully for business meetings in Helsinki. Dark suits are good for business meetings.
Helsinki business meetings are quite formal. Apart from the initial handshakes and exchange of business cards, don’t worry about pleasantries.
The city of Helsinki has a competent labor force. The people there are highly educated and skilled, and most of them speak multiple languages.
The industries where people have the most knowledge are ICT, marine technology, and renewable energy.
The government of Finland understands the importance of recruiting international talent into the city. Through the targeted funding of both foreign as well as home-grown startups, they have unlocked massive investor confidence in the city.
In 2022, The World Economic Forum recognized Helsinki as one of the world's top 25 most innovative cities.
The Finnish city is ahead of the pack in research and commercialization of solutions in Artificial Intelligence, Fintech, and Health-tech.
Helsinki offers an array of incubation hubs. These include the Smart City Programme in the Kalasatama neighborhood and a start-up community called Maria 01.
Helsinki airport ranks fifth among business travelers’ favorite airports globally based on the latest surveys, outperforming others due to its top-notch service and rated as the best in Europe.
If you are in Helsinki for business, check out its technology parks. Helsinki's innovation districts – including Helsinki Business and Science Park as well as Science Center Heureka - are nerve centers for tech development. These tech parks brought to life unicorns such as Virta, Lightneer, Supercell, and Rovio the latter well-known for the Angry Birds game.
The city is at the forefront of smart mobility. Finland laws allow for fully autonomous driving (without a human driver in the car). This has led to the production of the world’s first all-weather driverless taxi called GACHA.
Wi-Fi is easily accessible in Helsinki because of Finland’s public free Wi-Fi network (Helsinki City Open WLAN). Finland’s average download speed is 38Mbps.
To attract the investment GOF slashed the corporate tax rate from 24.5 percent to 20 percent in 2014. This is one of the lowest tax rates in the EU, keeping in mind that Germany and Portugal charge 31.5% and 29.9% each, respectively.
Ultimately, your business trip to Helsinki can be thrilling. The city has a reliable transport system, a fair tax regime, and an innovative culture. It blends American and European cultures, creating a familiar and comfortable environment for travelers researching new possibilities and collaborations.
