Finnish business delegation sees ‘fruitful cooperation opportunities’ with Jordan

AMMAN — More efforts are needed to boost cooperation between Jordan and Finland and increase trade exchange, which is “low” and “below desired levels”, according to representatives of a Finnish delegation that visited the Kingdom recently.

The representative of the delegation, which included 14 companies from various sectors from Finland, said that their visit to Jordan, which took place between May 7 and 12 was “very fruitful” and “will help boost ties at all levels”.

“This is the best visit we have conducted to this region… The companies are satisfied with the visit and saw huge business potential and opportunities for cooperation with Jordanian counterparts,” Jyrki Harkki, director of Business Finland, which organised the visit in cooperation with Karelia University of Applied Science, told The Jordan Times.

“We will now highlight the business opportunities available in Jordan to various Finnish companies… we believe there is more to be done to boost trade exchange,” he continued.

At the end of 2017, the trade exchange between Jordan and Finland, including imports and exports, represented less than 1 per cent of the EU’s gross trade.  

“This is a low figure and we will continue holding visits for delegations from Finland to help boost trade and exchange and pave the way for increased bilateral cooperation,” Harkki stressed.

The Finnish delegation included companies working in the fields of early childhood education, environmentally friendly cold chain solutions for food and health safety, innovative natural resource management, solar energy equipment for demanding environments, as well as fast mobilisation systems for humanitarian personnel.

“The visit provided an opportunity for direct networking and communication between the Finnish companies and Jordanian counterparts, which is a step in the right direction,” the director said.

Discussions also covered cooperation in the sectors of renewable energy and education, Helena Puhakka-Tarvainen, senior project manager at Karelia University of Applied Sciences, told The Jordan Times.

She announced that a conference on bio-energy and renewable energy will be held in October in Amman, with the participation of Finnish experts who will explore cooperation opportunities between both countries, especially as Finland enjoys “a long experience in these two areas”.

She added that it was agreed during the visit to provide an opportunity for students of the Princess Sumaya University for Technology to receive training in Finnish companies.

“Some students will travel to Finland and will be trained in Finnish ICT companies as part of an ongoing project,” Puhakka-Tarvainen concluded.