The Finnish Cleantech Cluster aims to increase Finnish environmental business, create new jobs, and take advantage of global markets.
Their services include increasing international programs, project preparation assistance, funding assistance, and networking opportunities.
The cluster and its centers operate under the Centre of Expertise Programme (OSKE) run by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy. The OSKE 
Programme's main objectives are:
- to create new innovations, products, services, enterprises and jobs based on top expertise;
- support the specialization of regions and division of duties between them in order to create internationally competitive centers of expertise; and
- to enhance the attractiveness of regional innovation environments, in order to draw international companies, investments and top experts to Finland.
The Cluster is a network of four centers in various geological regions working with each other and with companies within those regions — Lahti, Kuopio, Oulu, and Uusimaa.
Lahti
The Lahti Science and Business Park coordinates the activities of the Finnish Cleantech Cluster. Among its areas of expertise are the internationalization programs and the development and use of technologies for the utilization of waste.
One of Lahti’s top projects is MABU, a project aimed at increasing services and technology in material handling in the province of Päijät-Häme. In this project, the collection and utilization of biomass, energy waste, construction waste, and ash are being developed, with the aim to optimize material and energy flows throughout the area and reduce climate-changing emissions.
Among the most successful international programs and biggest international targets are the China and Russia programs.
Finnish Environmental Cluster for China (FECC) helps both individual companies and company clusters in their efforts to enter the China market. More than 100 companies are involved in FECC activities. In the last two years, commercial contracts have been concluded to a total value of €120 million. FECC plays an active part in strategic discussion on cleantech business between China and Finland, in implementing letters of intent and in technical co-operation.
The Russia program consists of three mini-clusters: the energy and environmental clusters with more than 30 companies and the Lahti Russia cluster with eight companies.
Leading companies in each field act as driving forces behind the clusters. In these mini-clusters, the companies get help in such matters as searching for partners and project negotiations.
Kuopio
Research in Kuopio is unique in the areas of environmental health, environmental risk assessment, environmental safety, and informatics. Kuopio acts as an umbrella organization for projects such as small-scale wood combustion, impacts of fine particles on human health and climate change, and overall effects of the alternative means of bioenergy production and utilization.
With cutting-edge expertise in environmental informatics, Kuopio's co-operation between companies, research institutes, and international partners has given birth to successful new innovations.
Oulu
Oulu’s areas of focus are emissions measurements, catalytic air cleaning for vehicles and industry, and the treatment of VOC emissions.
The SkyPro Oulu Centre of Expertise is developing the Oulu region into a nationally and internationally renowned center of industry and research into air-related technologies and clean air.
Uusimaa
Uusimaa places special emphasis on environmental monitoring and clean energy — especially energy efficiency in an urban environment.
"We are emphasizing the cross-disciplinary integration of environmental and ICT expertise in order to create new innovations and business,” said Lauri Hietaniemi, Managing Director of Green Net Finland, which is implementing the Cleantech Cluster program in Uusimaa.
While only a few success stories are mentioned here. Within the last few years, the Cluster has implemented projects to a total value of €65 million.
In 2010, the Finnish Cleantech Cluster was ranked as the third best in the world by the Cleantech Group based on its access to more than 250 companies associated with clean technologies, its increase in venture capital investments, and an increase in green employment opportunities and large number of cleantech innovation output.
Currently, a number of the Finnish Cleantech Cluster members are nominated for the GCCS Later Stage Award 2011, for which the winners will be announced November 14, 2011. These include:
For more information about their nomination, click here.
Until Next Time,
Angela Guss
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