Leverage from the EU for internationalisation

Assistance from the European Union is used to strengthen the position of Finnish regions and enterprises in international competition and to improve Finnish know-how, employment and competitiveness. The aim is to ensure that Finland is a country with employment, skilled people, and a favourable atmosphere for new ideas and successful companies as well as a good environment in which to live and work.

Succeeding in international competition requires investments in expertise, specialisation and innovations. The competitiveness of Finnish enterprises and regions is also based on their continuous ability to innovate.

We can seize the challenges posed by international competition by developing the most important growth sectors, by enhancing the development of knowledge and innovation environments, by securing skilled labour force for enterprises and by promoting the development of regions on the basis of their own strengths by ensuring the attractiveness and by increasing international connections.

EU financing for internationalisation is directed especially at entrepreneurship, such as increasing the growth and competitiveness of SMEs, improving the facilities of businesses to become more international, developing and supporting innovations, and turning them into commercial products.

Meeting the challenges of internationalisation calls for the cooperation and networking of several actors to create enough leverage to attract foreign investments and to expand enterprises abroad. The EU’s Structural Funds are used to support the international networking of various actors, to develop interregional cooperation and to improve communications and the marketing of the regions’ opportunities, especially internationally.

Assistance for projects that promote the internationalisation and competitiveness of enterprises is available from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF). Development connected to internationalisation and competitiveness can be financed throughout Finland.

The European Regional Development Fund supports, for example, the growth and internationalisation of enterprises, the development and international networking of innovation environments and competence clusters, the productisation and commercialisation of innovations and the development of international communications.

Assistance from the European Social fund promotes the internationalisation and competitiveness of enterprises and organisations by improving knowledge. The aim is to promote multicultural workplaces and employment-related immigration and to develop services and structures that enhance competitiveness and internationalisation.

EU financing for internationalisation is directed especially at entrepreneurship.