Kerala Startup Mission is set to associate with Business Finland to bolster the ecosystems of nascent firms in India and the Scandinavian country.
Business Finland, under the country’s Ministry of Employment and the Economy, has been working for six years towards attracting trade, tourism and foreign investment while also providing funds for innovation.
KSUM signed a memorandum of understanding with the Finnish governmental organisation, seeking to support and maintain regular contact for mutual exchange of information and knowledge related to the start-up ecosystems in both countries.
The pact, which was signed at Helsinki this week, will serve as a vital link fostering mutual innovation and market access within the ecosystems. Creating a robust start-up bridge, collaborative opportunities and growth prospects across diverse domains, the strategic alliance was cemented at the November 30-December 1 ‘Slush 2023’ in the Finnish capital, conceived as a founder-focused event, a press release said.
KSUM sent a delegation of top-tier start-ups to Slush 2023, amid efforts to explore the possibilities of collaboration on various initiatives which can have a direct impact on skilling, research, start-ups, investment and business development. Serving as a platform to showcase one’s innovations to the world, connect with investors and gain expert insights, the high-profile event saw the participation of 13,000 creative minds, including 5,000 start-ups and 3,000 investors besides 300 media representatives.
Kerala Finland Innovation Corridor, which is the collaboration platform being established under the MoU, will function as a bridge to accomplish the various initiatives by both organisations. These go beyond start-up acceleration to efforts such as research co-operation, joint events, and communication and marketing. A KSUM volunteer exchanged the MoU with Business Finland Senior Director Laura Lindeman.
As per the agreement, both parties will hold webinars, seminars and conferences to promote those events. Also, the two will facilitate and provide support in terms of visits, programmes and activities, for which detailed modalities will be worked out after mutual discussions.