Invest in Salo. Smart City Salo. Success stories from Salo. Discover Salo

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1 Invest in Salo Discover Salo Success stories from Salo Smart City Salo

2 the city of intel Finland, an EU member country, is located by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. Most of the Finnish population is settled in Southern Finland, where Salo is also located. The modern Finnish national economy is strongly focused on the international market. FACTS ABOUT FINLAND Population: 5.4 million Official languages: Finnish and Swedish Form of government: Republic Currency: euro (, EUR) = 100 cents Time zone: UTC +2 (summer (DST) UTC +3) GDP per capita: 35,569 (2013) Neighbouring countries: Estonia, Sweden, Norway, Russia Succesful Finnish companies: KONE, Stora Enso, Neste Oil, UPM-Kymmene, Metso, Wärtsilä, Ponsse, Nokia, Rovio, Supercell Main industrial products (2012): Forests are still Finland s most crucial raw material resource. Engineering and high technology industries, supported by gaming and digital products and services, are attracting increasing amounts of international investments, joint ventures and positive media attention. Taxation: Corporate income tax rate for limited companies and associations stands at 20 % since January 2014 (previously 24.5 %). It is imposed on sales profits, income interests, dividends, royalties and rental income. The Finnish multi-party democracy is characterized by a strong preference for consensus and for pragmatic policies implemented by the coalition government. As a result, the Finnish society is extremely well-organized and ranks among the most stable in the world. Finland has also repeatedly appeared at the top of the international sustainable development indexes. Widely renowned for reliability, expertise, top quality and innovations, Finland provides a supportive and dynamic business environment that can act as a springboard for companies. Finns love their beautiful nature, and likewise, they have a passion for technology. The first GSM phone call in the world was made in Finland in 1991, and the inhabitants of this land of a thousand lakes are also among the world s most active mobile phone users. The ICT business and its culture of new innovations are strong and influential, especially in the Salo region.

3 ligent technologies FACTS ABOUT SALO Population: Area: km² Tax rate: 20,75 Companies: Farms: Summer cottages: Salo is a diverse residential city, which especially attracts people between the ages of 25 to 50. Land plot offerings in Salo are numerous, and one s house or apartment may be located for example in the middle of the city, just a stone s throw away from the market square, or by a lake in the countryside. The excellent outdoor recreation and sports facilities, rich cultural history and vibrant cultural life offer many kinds of opportunities for leisure activities in Salo. The educational opportunities, on the other hand, are continuously developing to meet the needs of the companies operating in the region. Research has confirmed that Salo is an international and multicultural city, where the residents are happy and the companies succeed. From an entrepreneurial perspective, Salo s central location is probably one of the best that can be found in Finland. Salo is only an hour s drive away from the greater Helsinki metropolitan area, and it takes merely half an hour to Turku. Salo is a city of many opportunities, and it hosts a well-established business life with long traditions. There are hundreds of successful and award-winning businesses in Salo, many of which operate in the international market. The businesses operate in diverse business areas, the strongest of which are the ICT business, basic industries and services as well as plastics and metal industry. Active business collaboration networks form one of Salo s strengths. In Salo you can find a professional labour force and top experts in various fields. The ICT sector has a particularly trained and skilled labour force, possessing international experience, good language skills, diverse expertise in various spheres of business and technology, as well as extensive work experience. In addition, the workplace loyalty is extremely high. Salo has set the target of becoming the most business friendly region in Finland. It seeks to boost the existing businesses by searching for new operations that could locate in the Salo growth center. The existing businesses form a network of possible future principals, clients or subcontractors for any new business operator, and a wide selection of vacant and ready business sites and locations offers multiple choices for companies in search of premises. What is more, municipal service providers give advice and support for businesses that are planning to invest in the Salo area. Salo is also an excellent solution for international companies targeting European Union or the nearby Russia markets. SALO S TOP BUSINESS AREAS ICT INDUSTRY The strong position of the ICT business in Salo is based on the city s century long history and extensive expertise in wireless communication devices and manufacturing engineering. The earliest products manufactured were radio receivers and transmitters and, later on, televisions. In the past decades, the biggest success stories have been related to mobile phones, of which Nokia Ltd. is the best known example. Currently, a great number of companies that specialize in wireless communication and manufacture globally known products are based in Salo. The most famous of them is Microsoft. PLASTICS INDUSTRY is mainly focused on manufacturing of plastic products. Thermal insulation is one of the leading product areas in this industry in Salo. Other top companies produce different packaging materials and office supplies. WOODWORKING INDUSTRYin Salo ranges from the broad concept of ready-made housing and the automatic processes associated with it, to the manufacturing of high quality furniture and kitchen fixture. METAL INDUSTRY is very versatile in Salo. Expertise is especially focused on subcontracting within the machine and equipment areas. The top companies in product manufacturing are foundry, transport and lifter equipment manufacturers. Thin sheet metal is one expertise area as well. LED INDUSTRY is growing rapidly in Salo. Salo is the home of world s leading companies in LED optics and the manufacturing of energy-efficient LED-lighting for various purposes.

4 Success stories Nordic ID Ltd. EXPERTS IN ITEM LEVEL TRACKING Nordic ID provides data capture tools for professional use. It is a respected and well-known supplier of mobile and fixed RFID readers, mobile barcode readers as well as RFID software applications. Its success is based on an excellent services and products usability. There is a real entrepreneurial spirit in Salo! The City can be described as a hub for electronical engineering, as there is such talent in high-tech even on an international scale. The largest business campus is conveniently located very near to the city center and easy logistics ensures versatile operations. Also, the help and support from the city officials is invaluable. Mr. Pekka Riippi, CEO Satel Ltd. MASTERS IN WIRELESS DATA COMMUNICATIONS SATEL Ltd., established in 1986, is a Finnish electronics and telecommunications company that specializes in the design, manufacturing, global sales and marketing of radio modems for wireless data communication. It is one of the leading suppliers in the world, operating worldwide through wide distribution network. Every SATEL radio modem is designed, manufactured and tested in Finland and fulfills the RoHS requirements. Cornerstones of SATEL s success are the experienced personnel, high quality products, innovativeness, effectiveness, service level and customer needs driven focus on everything Satel does. Consequently, SATEL possesses the world s widest selection of products in its field. Through impeccable quality control, vigilant product development and dedicated customer service it has been able to establish a firm position in the market.

5 from Salo TestHouse Enko Ltd. INNOVATIVE TESTING FOR WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES TestHouse Enko Ltd. is a test system provider and system integrator, that is specialized in testing of wireless products in R&D phase. Its customers include mobile device vendors and component manufacturers, as well as chipset manufacturers. The company has offered electronics and mechanics testing services for wireless technologies. TestHouse Enko s laboratories are audited according to ISO/IEC TestHouse Enko also provides automatic testing systems and result analysis tools for RF technologies. To date, TestHouse Enko Ltd. has provided extensive testing services and delivered testing systems to numerous clients around the world. Mr. Kimmo Korpineva, Managing Director There are approximately 2 million people living within just one hour drive and the capital area with the Helsinki-Vantaa international airport is very close. Employees are committed and their ICT skills are world-class. In addition Salo is a great place to live: the clean and peaceful environment is a part of the Salo experience. Handling daily routines is very easy in Salo as everything you need is so close. Salo is also a very convenient location for a global company as connections to the rest of the world are fast and efficient. The excellent subcontractor networks and skillful labour force guarantee that products created and manufactured in Salo are of top quality. At the moment, any new company to the area can find really high class and committed employees from Salo. Mr. Pekka Aura Founder

6 IS YOUR PRODUCT CUSTOMER-ORIENTED? CITY AS A STRATEGIC GOAL Salo has a strong history of information and communication technology. Salo is globally known of its wireless communication expertise and extensive knowhow of smart devices. The first digital mobile phones were designed, developed and produced here. HOW TO TEST YOUR PRODUCTS FOR REAL? The City of Salo has set a strategic goal: in 2020 it will be known not only as a smart device R&D center but also as a Smart City. STEP-BY-STEP PROGRESS Smart City concept consists of multiple aspects: smart citizen, smart governance and smart education, smart healthcare, smart building, smart mobility, smart infrastructure, smart technology, and smart energy. In Salo this broad target is approached by step-bystep progress. In order to boost the Smart City development Salo is committed to ensure availability of training and education possibilities for local personnel and companies. GOVERNANCE AND EDUCATION CITIZEN HEALTHCARE ENERGY CITY OF SALO BUILDING TECHNOLOGY MOBILITY INFRASTRUCTURE

7 Smart City CITY SALO AS YOUR PARTNER IN PRODUCT TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT Salo offers testing and piloting environment to companies which develop products to public sector organizations and which are interested in locating their activities in Salo. For example the usability assessment service can be offered in elderly care facilities. 1. EXPRESS A guided tour to real-life situations Spend one working day with an elderly-care specialist. Get a hands-on picture of everyday activities in caretaking. 2. VISIT Users view to usability Let a group of specialist both clients and workers of elderly care assess your prototype from one to four hours. Learn how your future clients experience your product, and what experiences they would like to have. 3. STAY Put your product in a real test Let experts use your prototype for up to six months. You will get assessment reports and value-adding insights for its further development CITY IN WIKIPEDIA: A smart city is an emerging conceptual view of a city that promotes the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to engage with citizens to develop social capital and intellectual capital, to make better use of hard infrastructure (physical capital), reduce usage of environmental capital and support smart growth (sustainable economic development). FOCUS ON elearning Salo has an extensive cooperation with the regional universities: University of Turku and Turku University of Applied Sciences. The core of the cooperation is pedagogical development and piloting of new learning methods and technologies. Salo has set a goal: to arrange world-scale piloting facilities for learning technologies for education and the training of teachers. FOCUS ON MOBILITY In Finland, cities and municipalities have legislative obligations to organize and offer transportation to their citizens. The city of Salo covers a large and sparsely populated area, where the traditional methods of planning and organizing the transportation are inefficient. Therefore Smart City of Salo actively seeks innovative solutions which will offer Smart Mobility services to the citizens. Salo cooperates closely with the national authorities, the innovation funding providers, and companies. Salo may also offer a piloting environment for demanding vehicle testing. FOCUS ON ENERGY In the future we must make better use of raw materials and energy. In Smart City Salo there will be a new kind of business area which is organized according to the Smart Energy, Smart Infrastructure, and Smart Technology principles. The reuse and multiple use of resources will ensure efficient and economic production.

8 Welcome to Salo Picture: Janne Harju / Napa Illustrations Tampere Turku Hanko Helsinki City of Salo P.O.Box Salo, Finland investinsalo@salo.fi INVEST IN SALO The City of Salo and business development centre Yrityssalo Ltd. will offer fast and efficient support and help so that it is easy for any company to start new business in Salo. All the documentation and permit issues will be flexibly solved according to the timetable of the company. Starting business in Salo is effortless as we are ready to help You. I challenge you to make the most out of the possibilities Smart Salo has to offer you. I welcome you to become a part of Salo s success story!! Mr. Antti Rantakokko, Mayor of Salo