Enter Espoo, an Espoo-owned city marketing company, and the City of Riihimäki have signed a collaboration agreement aimed at strengthening innovation between Espoo's Defence Tech Hub, focusing on dual-use technologies, and Riihimäki's DEFINE ecosystem for the defence and security sector.
Espoo is one of Europe's leading innovation ecosystems and the fastest-growing city in Finland. A strong defence technology hub, Defence Tech Hub, with almost 50 companies as members, has been built in Espoo's innovation ecosystem. The companies in Defence Tech Hub develop products and services suitable for both civilian use and the needs of the defence forces in satellite and space technologies, quantum technology, sensors, software development, and drone technologies. ICEYE, Kuva Space, IQM, Varjo, Elfys, ReLoc, Tespack, Savox, among others, are Defence Tech Hub members.
By joining forces, the two major defence innovation hubs complement their service offerings to companies. Companies in the DEFINE ecosystem get information about opportunities to collaborate with the deep tech operators and use facilities in the Espoo ecosystem. Espoo's deep tech ecosystem offers, for example, development laboratories, platforms and infrastructure for companies. Espoo is also home to the NATO Diana accelerator programme and test centre and the Finnish office of the European Space Agency ESA, which promotes cooperation in space research, science, technology and applications. In Riihimäki, Defence Tech Hub companies may receive opportunities to collaborate with the Finnish Defence Forces.
"Espoo is one of Europe's leading innovation communities, with a fast-growing growth rate and attractiveness. The collaboration expands the service offerings of both ecosystems. It is great that we are able to support our growth companies in new industries, now in a more diversified way in the defence sector," says Jaana Tuomi, CEO of Enter Espoo.
"The security environment in Europe and Finland is undergoing a transformation, and instability can be expected to continue. At the same time, the need for innovations, security solutions and dual-use technologies is growing significantly. With this cooperation, we will be able to offer more comprehensive services to meet the needs of the defence industry and security innovation activities," says Jarno Limnéll, Espoo City council member, Member of Parliament, and Docent at three universities.
"Finland now has a unique opportunity to build new growth, promote our country's exports, and create jobs from defence innovations. International competition between ecosystems is intensifying, and we need all of Finland's best talents to work closely together to achieve growth. That is why the collaboration agreement is an important step towards closer national cooperation," describes Jouni Eho, Mayor of Riihimäki.
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