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First published on the Cleantech Investor website, May 2013
by Denis Gross
A recent visit to Oulu in Finland highlighted the remarkable competitive strength that Finland has developed in sustainable technologies, with its leading position in these set to rival its established strengths in IT. Indeed, the recent turmoil in the wireless sector is encouraging a migration of that skill set in Finland towards cleantech.
Given the extent of its territory in the sub-Arctic and Arctic regions, and the fact that over 70% of the country is covered in forest, it is perhaps not surprising that Finland has claimed leadership in energy efficiency and the utilisation of bioenergy and biomass combustion technologies. Its geography has underpinned Finland’s approach to environmental solutions, which includes a close working relationship between the public and private sectors to ensure rigorous pollution control and the efficient use of water by industry, as well as the building of state-of-the-art water and wastewater treatment plants.
The cleantech environment is further enriched by the demand for comprehensive environmental measurement solutions, allowing for world class companies like Metso, which is listed on NASDAQ OMX, the drive for efficient uses of resources and recycling. Further points of interest include the mandating of green buildings and the establishment of eco-city concepts.
