Alexander Stubb opens doors that Topi Paananen “really” couldn’t get through – Now he tells why

26 Finnish companies have 48 hours to create new business opportunities in the Czech Republic. The president of the republic helps in the work Alexander Stubbwhich makes business leaders laugh by comparing the participants of the business forum held in Prague to wedding guests: the Czechs sit on one side of the hall and the Finns on the other.

The president hopes that the atmosphere will relax and new business opportunities will be met.

This is already the fourth trip of President Stubbs abroad this year, with Finnish business leaders accompanying him.

State-led export promotion trips are needed, because in the current world, the role of states is emphasized even more in the economy.

EK’s director of international trade and trade policy Timo Vuori says that the background is the tightening of superpower competition and the division of the economy into blocs.

“More and more often, trade, technology and security are connected to each other, and in many areas the role of government is decisive,” says Vuori.

According to President Stubb, the state’s role as a door opener is essential, especially in critical industries.

Acting as the head of the Finnish business delegation Patria’s CEO Mr. Routilan according to the president-led visits bring added value to business meetings.

“When the forum is organized in connection with the president’s visit, it gains a completely different weight.”

Shyness melts away

After the speeches of the presidents of the Czech Republic and Finland and other introductions have been heard at the business forum, it is time to move on to small group meetings organized by theme.

In the construction and energy group, company leaders introduce themselves and tell what their company’s hopes and offers are.

The atmosphere is a bit shy at first, but when you get to network in a more informal way, the conversation gets livelier.

Other small groups are the health technology group, the infrastructure and IT group, and the space group and the defense technology group.

The world’s leading civilian protection company of Temet Group managing director Juha Simola says that he has already participated in five export promotion trips led by President Stubb.

According to Simola, Finland’s preparedness know-how is of interest to the world. This can also be seen in the Czech Republic.

“I was even positively surprised at how good the interest was.”

Simola says that especially civil defense and dual-use solutions for hospitals aroused interest among the Czechs.

The health sector is at the center

Companies are assembled for export promotion trips according to the priorities of the destination country. For example, in the Czech Republic, many health technology companies are involved, because a new and modern giant hospital is being built in Prague, which can also be used as a military hospital if necessary.

President Stubb’s entourage also includes the Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen (kok), who says that the Czech Minister of Health Adam Vojtech knows Finland well, having previously worked as an ambassador in Finland.

Vojtěch says that the Helsinki years taught him how modern society and digitality can be combined. He also praises the reliability of Finns.

According to Grahn-Laasonen, the Czechs are interested in Finnish health technology, hospital construction know-how and the utilization of health data and registers. In the latter two, Finland has been at the top of the world for decades.

In Prague, the leaders of health sector companies were able to talk directly with the Minister of Health and other key parties.

One company manager commented to Kauppalehti that if a deal doesn’t happen after such contacts, then you need to look in the mirror.

Finnish companies such as Temet want to be involved in the new hospital project in Prague.

“It will be a quite large dual-purpose department, and we want to be involved in its construction,” says Juha Simola.

There is also interest in the Prague hospital project Nordic Heath Care Group.

The company’s CEO Antti Alho according to Finland, we are twenty years ahead of what the Czech Republic is doing now.

Alho is also of the opinion that the presence of the state leadership brought a completely different weight to the discussions.

“There are really high-level guests here,” he says.

Well organized

One company manager also thanks the parties who prepared the trip for the fact that the table partners for Monday’s dinner had been chosen tactically in advance, which allowed us to immediately create important contacts and talk about new business opportunities.

Building products company Peikko Oy’s managing director Topi Paananen he also praises the high-level meetings of the state-led export trip.

“Under normal circumstances, I really wouldn’t be able to meet these people,” says Paananen.

According to him, trust and personal contacts ultimately decide future deals: “Such concrete blanks are sought here,” says Paananen.

A quantum computing company IQM:n commercial manager Sylwia Barthel de Weydenthal says that the export of quantum technology requires the support of states, because quantum technology relies on research, public procurement and strategic partnerships.

“One country cannot build everything alone.”

“We need supply chain sovereignty, and that’s why we’re here with like-minded countries,” says de Weydenthal.

More trade

Tuesday evening’s official program ends with a reception at the Finnish Embassy in Prague.

A large group of Finnish and Czech business leaders have gathered in the beautiful garden of the building and the conversation is lively.

Business Finland’s head of innovation partnerships Mika Lautanala hopes that even more Finnish companies would head to the Czech Republic.

“The Finns would get much more business if they knew the possibilities of the Czech market better.”

According to Lautala, through the Czech Republic it is also easy to push forward to, for example, Poland and Germany.

Just praise

President Stubb’s extraordinary activity as an export promoter gets nothing but praise from business leaders.

“It’s great that the president has taken on such a role as well,” says Patrian Routila.

He also thanks the rest of the state leadership for the work done for the benefit of Finnish companies, but reminds that the companies are responsible for the results.

“He (the president) doesn’t do our business, yes, we have to manage ourselves with our own products.”

Temetin Simola also goes so far as to praise President Stubb.

“A great and insane person. I am really satisfied and proud of how our president is taking things forward,” he says.

There is no criticism from Simola or the other six business leaders interviewed by Kauppalehti about the trip to the Czech Republic.

“These are 48-hour sets. Not everyone can have everything,” says Simola.

Also, the results of the visit often do not materialize immediately, but only after months or years.

Patrian Routila estimates that the export promotion trip has “very great importance in terms of the national economy.”

In the Czech Republic, for example, Patria signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with three governmental entities to promote potential vehicle sales worth 3 billion euros as the Czech Republic renews its old armored vehicle fleet.

Export promotion trips can also spawn new partnerships between Finnish companies. This was also seen in Prague when YIT and Container signed a memorandum of understanding. The purpose is to combine the forces of both companies so that they can export modern wooden construction to the Czech market.

The machine vice chairman of the board Jussi Herlin sees the export promotion trips as part of a broader strengthening of Finland’s country brand.

“We are all a united front here on the issue of Finland,” says Herlin.