Finland's first business accelerator for dual-use technologies will start in Riihimäki

The work of the Define network, initiated by the city of Riihimäki, is becoming concrete.

The cooperation group of the province of Häme presents to the provincial government two years of funding for the Define - Dual Use Accelerator project of the city of Riihimäki, with the support of which a business accelerator focused on dual-use technologies will be launched for the first time in Finland.

"We are proceeding systematically with the Define entity. Our goal is to create dual-use technologies that serve military organizations and civilian society, improve Finland's national defense capability and the overall security of its citizens, and accelerate our country's exports. The accelerator that is now being launched is a key tool for this," says Mayor Jouni Eho.

In addition to the city of Riihimäki, Häme co-operative bank also participates in the self-financing of the project.

"OP Häme's participation is based on the desire to promote the development of Riihimäki's defense industry ecosystem. OP Häme sees that Riihimäki has a significant competitive advantage in the industry and potential for building new growth in the region," says OP Häme CEO Mika Helin.

The technology and innovation director of the city of Riihimäki, Teemu Seppälä, is responsible for the accelerator operation in cooperation with a wide range of stakeholders.

"We are looking for strong cooperation and partnerships. In particular, NATO's Diana accelerator network and test centers are important partners for us. We are building a platform that strengthens both the emergence of new businesses and the growth and internationalization of existing companies," says Seppälä.

The city's goal is to create an innovation center in Riihimäki

One business partner in the Define network is Millog Oy, which is organizing a Hackathon event in Riihimäki next fall with the Finnish Defense Forces.

"It is important that we are on the front lines, monitoring and supporting the development of various technical applications. We also want to support education and research, which will enable our continued success. The Hackathon event is an excellent fit for these goals by bringing together students and professionals to develop new applications," says Hanna-Leena Islander, Business Development Director at Millog Oy.

The goal of the city of Riihimäki is to create an innovation center in the city, where companies, research institutes and defense authorities would also have physical operating environments for testing and product development, for example.

“Häme University of Applied Sciences’ new ICT & Robotics engineering education program and the campus investment plan for the station area at the Travel Center support the creation of an innovation hub,” adds Mayor Eho.

National Defense Areena makes the Define project visible

On Friday, June 7, the international National Defense Arena, which is being organized for the first time, will gather more than 200 experts in the field of defense in Riihimäki for the International Field Fair. The event is an important part of Define's networking work.

"We have secured a very high-quality line-up of speakers for the seminar. Our guest speakers from the United States, the Netherlands and Estonia will create an important opportunity for participants to network internationally as well," says Mayor Eho.

Define comes from the words Defense Innovation Network Finland. Define is a project led by the city of Riihimäki, the purpose of which is to build an internationally high-level defense and security industry network. The goal is to bring together the best experts from the military and civilian side to create new innovations that serve both military needs and society as a whole at the same time.

More information about the Define project

 

Additional information

Jouni Eho
mayor
tel. +044 767 6674 XNUMX
jouni.eho@riihimaki.fi

Teemu Seppälä
the city's director of technology and innovation
tel. +050 374 4589 XNUMX
teemu.seppala@riihimaki.fi

Mika Helin
CEO, OP Häme
tel. +010 254 9029 XNUMX
mika.helin@op.fi

Hanna-Leena Islander
business development director, Millog Oy
tel. +040 749 0642 XNUMX
hanna-leena.islander@millog.fi