Indo-Finnish talks to explore areas of cooperation in health,technology

There is more to Finland than Nokia. That is the message Finland is trying to send out to India — a market it is trying in earnest to explore,apart from that of China — and hopes to harness India’s talent pool,and more importantly,its manpower resources,to strengthen bilateral trade between the two countries that today stands at a modest euro 700 million. This,however,does not include the Nokia figures. Several small initiatives later,a very high-level delegation at the joint secretary levels will meet on October 8 and 9 to discuss a whole host of industrial sectors in which the two countries could share business interests. There are two more opportunities lined up to take further negotiations — the Science and Technology Summit in November,and the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit next February.

Senior Consultant to Finpro — a 90-year-old Finnish umbrella organisation,owned by 550 Finnish companies and the Confederation of Finnish Industries — Seppo I Keranen said the joint commission meeting,led from Finland by Foreign Minister Elina Kalkku,will discuss opportunities in health care,nanotechnology,biotechnology,energy,information and telecommunications.

On the table are ongoing talks with the Department of Biotechnology in India to set up a diagnostic centre — the location of which has not been decided yet — to provide low-cost health care for the village and urban poor. The Finnish government has approached several Indian medical companies,“almost 10”,to come into partnership for its operation. A major area of thrust will be operating telemedicine services to provide consultancy. The Finnish government has spoken to Nokia and is trying to get local operators on board. “There are also investigations,” Keranen said,“to start a Finnish Innovative Centre or FINNODE in Delhi” to concentrate on small and medium scale industries.

(The writer is a guest of Finnfacts and Cleantech Finland in Finland)