Under-Secretary of State Anttonen leads a trade mission to the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Under-Secretary of State for External Economic Relations Matti Anttonen will lead a Team Finland trade mission to the Czech Republic and Slovakia from 26 to 29 April.

The business delegation consists of representatives of 22 enterprises. The aim of the trade mission is to increase awareness of Finnish enterprises in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, to find new business and cooperation opportunities between Finnish enterprises and organisations and their Czech and Slovakian counterparts, and to promote the operation of Finnish businesses that are already based in these countries.

"The Czech Republic and Slovakia are geographically located at the heart of the EU's internal market. They have a developed infrastructure, a long history of industries and a good business environment. There are good possibilities for Finland and these two countries to develop cooperation in, for example, environmental technology, mechanical engineering, the forest sector, ICT and energy efficiency", Under-Secretary of State Anttonen says.

Finnish enterprises' projects are promoted in meetings at ministerial and company level and in seminars organised for networking. During the trip, Anttonen will meet his colleagues at deputy minister and state secretary level in the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade and in the Slovakian Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Environment.

The delegation, convened by Finpro, is led by Mr Hannu Jokinen, Managing Director of Molok Ltd.

The following 22 enterprises will participate in the trade mission:  Aalto University, Enevo Oy, Finnsonic Oy, Gemalto Oy, Halton Oy, Kemppi Oy, Lindström Group, Technology Centre Oy Merinova Ab, Molok Ltd, Neste Oil Corporation, OC-System Oy, Piceasoft  Ltd, Recruiting Agency Sihti, Sabriscan Oy, SMS Service Oy, South Savo Vocational College, Stera Group Oy, Tampere Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Valtavalo Ltd, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, Wärtsilä Corporation and XMLdation Ltd.

Additional information: Jukka Nikulainen, Adviser to the Under-Secretary of State, tel. +358 295 351 719, Päivi Pohjanheimo, Director, Unit for Central, Western and Southern Europe, tel. +358 295 350 661.