Turku’s startup ecosystem is open to everyone, supportive, truly international, and full of opportunities in different fields of business. This is why it is such a gem for people aiming to start or grow their own business.
Marketing Manager Janina Nieminen and Community Manager Elias Savonlahti from Business Turku stress that the strong university ecosystem is one of Turku’s key strengths.
– There is a lot of collaboration between different companies and universities, which also helps the companies to find talented workforce, Savonlahti says.
Many Turku-based startups are university spin-offs. The non-profit association Boost Turku promotes a startup mindset and entrepreneurial skills among the university students in the city.
A Growing International Startup Community
SparkUp is the low-threshold meeting point and community for business-minded people in Turku. Savonlahti describes the community as welcoming and diverse. He appreciates the giving-back culture among the community members.
– Once startup entrepreneurs get help from both the staff and other entrepreneurs in the community and become successful with their own businesses, they want to come back and share their knowledge.
In addition to the business services, there is also help available in getting to know people and finding your place in Turku.
– Life is not all about business. We also want to help with finding leisure activities, integrating to the community and building your life here, Nieminen says. With close connections to the capital city Helsinki and as a gateway to and from Finland, Turku is an excellent location for startups. Moderate living costs, easy logistics, closeness to nature and a vibrant culture scene ensure that life is pleasurable also out of office.