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International companies to strengthen printed intelligence expertise in Finland

09.06.2010

Finland has long been a world-class centre of expertise in the area of printed intelligence technologies. VTT and Invest in Finland have recently joined forces to speed up and support the wider commercial adoption of the technology. The objective is to attract foreign investment to utilize the expertise within Finnish companies who are active in printed intelligence.

Printed intelligence describes products made with traditional printing techniques, but combined with other technologies such as electronics, bio technology and materials. It provides a cost-effective way to produce products for a diverse range of applications such as medical diagnostics, LED displays and brand protection in consumer packaged goods. Finnish companies in the sector currently include Enfucell, Panipol and Nicanti. Globally, the markets in the sector are expected to grow to be worth hundreds of billions of euros annually.

“We are working with Fortune 500 companies and they are showing increasing interest to get integrated to the Finnish innovation environment.” say VTT’s Executive Vice President Tapio Koivu and Invest in Finland’s CEO Tuomo Airaksinen.

VTT currently invests 100 person-years of R&D into printed intelligence annually and also has a unique research infrastructure that supports the sector. A pilot factory in the city of Oulu, built in conjunction with the PrintoCent consortium is near completion. The community is also creating opportunities for small and medium-sized companies and new printed intelligence ventures are expected to emerge as a result of the project.

Invest in Finland is an expert service organisation that brings international companies to Finland. It is a unit funded by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, with the objective of strengthening knowledge clusters and increasing employment and the internationalisation of Finnish companies.