Maritime
Maritime Cluster Programme: Steps to Success
An extensive and diverse network of technology and equipment suppliers, representing the global cutting edge, has developed around the maritime industry in Finland. In the maritime technology sector, competitiveness will increasingly depend on how well innovativeness and profitable, continuously renewing business can be combined by the network’s operators with the design and production of new technologies and products. Businesses in the maritime cluster can make a significant financial contribution to Finland’s national economy thanks to their internationality and strong involvement in exports. Maritime cluster companies are characterised by customer orientation, high-technology products and services, and innovativeness, which has endowed them and their mutual networks with growth and development potential.
Superior control over the supply network, the development and profitability of new business and service models, increasingly high competencies, exceptional innovations and increasing international cooperation form some of the elements crucial to maintaining technological leadership and competitiveness during the course of the coming global economic recovery.
The operations of the maritime cluster focus primarily on:
• increasing companies’ R&D investments and competencies
• activating, planning and implementing ventures
• sharing and collating information
• increasing companies’ internationalisation and cooperation
The cluster pays particular attention to sustainable development and cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, the business-driven development of products and network-generated services is used to create lead markets. Improvements in competitiveness and productivity often also require the development of new innovation environments, such as work or social organisations. The Maritime Cluster Programme is surveying and identifying international growth-oriented business opportunities and new internationally competitive core competence bases with growth potential.
The maritime cluster encompasses five centres of expertise: Lappeenranta Innovation Ltd (Southeast Finland Centre of Expertise), Technology Centre Oy Merinova Ab (Western Finland Centre of Expertise), ProMetal Oy (Raahe Region Centre of Expertise), Prizztech Ltd (Satakunta Centre of Expertise) and Koneteknologiakeskus Turku Oy (Southwest Finland Centre of Expertise).
Strategic focus areas
The strategy of the Maritime Cluster Programme is to promote development, training and applied research in the maritime industry, shipping and related business, and to improve the visibility of the maritime cluster. The strategic steps of the Maritime Cluster Programme are:
Promoting the creation of innovative products and services
The Maritime Cluster Programme focuses on activating the R&D operations of businesses and on measures that encourage enterprise growth. Networks are of major significance to the cluster’s operations. A special characteristic of project activities within the industry is networked operations, through which the cluster is reinforcing networked companies’ competence, research and product development. The various parts of the maritime cluster and other sectors are being encouraged and stimulated to cooperate in R&D with the maritime industry, in order to reinforce the cluster’s value chains and for the more effective implementation, commercialisation and utilisation of Finnish innovations throughout the cluster.
Promoting the growth of companies and networks, and the generation of new business
The aim is to maintain and increase development activity within companies. The maritime cluster surveys and identifies growth opportunities within shared value chains and junctures between sectors. It is also making the preparations required to maintain the conditions for competitiveness as the economy recovers. Using company-specific business analyses, a major aim is to provide companies with a clear picture of their development potential.
Promoting the internationalisation of companies
The Maritime Cluster Programme coaches companies in adopting an international perspective and analysing their potential for operating in the international market. The national operations of the programme’s centres of expertise, regions and cluster reinforce the nationwide networking of businesses and experts in the most strategic areas.
Contact details
Mervi Pitkänen
Programme Director
tel. +358 (0)40-5353066
mervi.pitkanen(at)koneteknologiakeskus.fi
www.meriklusteriohjelma.fi
Koneteknologiakeskus Turku Oy
Lemminkäisenkatu 28
20520 Turku
Finland
tel. +358 (0)400 228841
www.koneteknologiakeskus.fi
