Yangsan City Establishes Bridgehead for Business Expansion through Economic Exchange with the Nordic Market

Yangsan City Nordic Economic Delegation Strengthens Cooperation with Norway and Finland

Visits Key Institutions to Benchmark Innovative Business Models

The Northern Europe Economic Exchange Delegation from Yangsan City, Gyeongnam, visited Norway and Finland, establishing a foothold for local companies to expand through economic exchange.

Chairman Changhyun Park of Yangsan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (left), Mayor Dongyeon Na of Yangsan, and Mayor Hana Yoo.

Yangsan City and the Yangsan Chamber of Commerce and Industry formed an economic exchange delegation consisting of representatives from 21 companies to strengthen economic cooperation for local SMEs’ entry into the Northern European market. The delegation visited Norway (Oslo) and Finland (Helsinki) from August 23 to August 30.

Norway and Finland are countries with high economic stability and technological innovation, boasting global competitiveness. In particular, Finland, as a leading European startup hub, is actively developing innovative business models and technologies, making it an excellent model for Yangsan’s industrial restructuring. This was a key reason for dispatching the delegation.

The delegation began its schedule on August 26 by visiting Oslo City Hall, where they met with the representative of the Oslo Business Region. The Oslo Business Region is an official city agency supporting companies through city marketing, investment, and talent attraction.

Through the meeting with Representative Siw Andersen, the delegation gained an understanding of Norway’s economic and industrial trends and introduced Yangsan’s industrial conditions and local companies, laying the groundwork for economic cooperation.

Next, the delegation visited the Oslo Opera House, a city landmark, where they received detailed explanations about its operations, architecture, and landscaping, benchmarking the development of cultural and artistic spaces within the city. The Oslo Opera House, which has played a major role in Oslo’s transformation into a city of culture and arts, features a large auditorium with over 1,400 seats and two smaller performance halls, serving as a public space for local residents.

After moving to Helsinki, Finland, the delegation visited MARIA01, Enter Espoo, Aalto University, and the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland on August 27 and 28. They experienced the innovative startup ecosystem and directly encountered the latest technology trends, which is expected to greatly help Yangsan overcome the limitations of its traditional manufacturing-centered industrial structure and discover new growth drivers.

MARIA01 is a public-private partnership established in 2016 by the City of Helsinki and the Startup Foundation, aiming to become Europe’s largest startup community. It offers a campus space and various services that bring together over 1,500 startups, support organizations, and investors.

Enter Espoo is a startup innovation support agency in Espoo, Finland, leading the region’s economy and innovation ecosystem by connecting universities and research institutions. Aalto University, recognized globally for its multidisciplinary research, excels in technology, economics, arts, and design. Its Design Factory Lab and Startup Sauna are popular spaces that prove anyone with an idea can launch a startup.

The VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, established in 1942, is the largest public research institute in Northern Europe, employing over 2,700 researchers. In collaboration with Aalto University, it provides cutting-edge technology and innovative services in IT, electronic materials, and biotechnology.

Mayor Na Dongyeon, based on insights gained from the outstanding startup ecosystems in Norway and Finland, considered ways to support startups by linking G-Space@East, a startup support center in Yangsan, with local universities and innovation agencies. He plans to discover and implement various startup support programs to foster continuous growth for local startups and inject new momentum into Yangsan’s industrial structure.

The economic exchange delegation also visited local Finnish companies that prioritize sustainable management through innovative technology development, including METSO, Aristocraft, and SUPERCELL. They shared each company’s success strategies and received various pieces of advice for entering the European market.

At METSO, which is actively expanding from traditional mineral refining to new industries such as battery recycling and urban mining, the business representatives showed great interest and asked many questions about mineral extraction technology development.

Additionally, Mayor Na made various efforts to establish cooperative relationships with local business support organizations in Finland. He met with Ambassador Kim Jungha of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Finland to introduce Yangsan and seek advice on entering the Northern European market. He also invited the head of the KOTRA Helsinki Trade Office to hold a briefing session on approaches to the Finnish market.

Furthermore, Yangsan City, the Korean Scientists and Engineers Association in Finland (KOSES), and the Yangsan Chamber of Commerce and Industry signed a tripartite MOU, promising scientific and technological exchange, business support, and ongoing economic cooperation. KOSES, an association of science and technology experts residing in Finland (108 members), is expected to provide practical assistance for local companies entering the Northern European market, leveraging its rich local experience and expertise.

Finally, Mayor Na visited Helsinki City Hall, where he met with Mayor Juhana Vartiainen to promote friendship between the two cities. The president of the Helsinki Chamber of Commerce also attended the event, during which a promotional video for Yangsan was shown and local business representatives were introduced, actively requesting support for their entry into the Finnish market and economic cooperation.

In response, Mayor Juhana warmly welcomed the Yangsan City economic delegation, personally explaining the similarities between Yangsan and Helsinki as well as the overall situation of Helsinki. He also shared with Mayor Na Dongyeon the challenges of city leadership, noting that even the best policies can face both support and opposition.

Nadongyeon, mayor of Yangsan, delivering a greeting at the event for promoting friendship between the two cities.

Mayor Juhana said, "Welcoming this delegation has made me take a great interest in Yangsan City. If the opportunity arises, I hope to visit Yangsan myself, and I will actively support local companies entering the Finnish market in the future."

Mayor Na Dongyeon stated, "This was not only a valuable opportunity to gain insight into the Northern European market, which is still unfamiliar to us, but also to establish a foothold for our companies to expand. Moving forward, we will continue to help local companies overcome the limitations of existing industries and create more opportunities in the global market through technological innovation."