Finland keen to tie-up with India in cleantech, ICT, education

HELSINKI: Finland, known for its knowledge- based society, is keen to team up with India in range of areas like cleantech, ICT, education, environment and energy, as the two nations have agreed to double the trade volume over the next three years, top Finnish officials said.

The huge Indian market offers Finnish companies a range of business opportunities in sectors such as infrastructure construction, energy production, forestry, Information and Communications Technology, environmental and food technology, health care and education, they said.

Trade volume between Finland and India is currently $ 1.5 billion.

There is particular demand for Finnish cleantech expertise in India, Mika Finska, Senior Advisor, Cleantech Finland, Finpro said.

India's needs in solutions for energy efficiency and energy conservation, waste treatment, water purification and biofuels are increasing quickly while reliance on imported fuel added burden on the economy.

"These are all issues that Finland has dealt with over the decades. Finns have managed to cut down harmful environmental impacts while maintaining steady economic growth. By working together, Finland and India can help each other build an economically and ecologically sustainable future," Finska told visiting Indian journalists.

During the recent state visit of President Pranab Mukherjee to Finland, the first by an Indian Head of State in 26 years, the two nations inked more than a dozen bilateral agreements, including a cooperation agreement between Finnish universities and Indian institutes of technology, and an agreement on the use of renewable energy sources.

Finland's investment in education and its policy of equal opportunities for all have paved the way to a knowledge-based society. This is the main reason behind the Finnish success story, Finnish officials said.

Finland's flexible secondary level education model and vocational education has already attracted global attention. Officials said Finland would be happy to deepen its cooperation with India in these fields as education is still the most effective tool against poverty and social injustice.

In the field of education, the Academy of Finland is increasingly backing scientific research partnerships involving expert Finnish and Indian researchers in fields including green chemistry and biotechnology, they said.

Finland keen to tie-up with India in cleantech, ICT, education