Ranked 7th in the global innovation index last year Finland is giving a whole new meaning to the word Fintech. A visit to the city to visit some of our clients only served to confirm the fact. Heading through Rautatientori Square in the capital, Helsinki and a hashtag sculpture bears witness to its achievement of being selected as the 2019 European Capitals of Smart Tourism, but simply arriving at the city is evidence of their efforts to become a ‘smart city’.

The HSL app is a good example of joined-up thinking allowing you to buy a unified bus, train or tram ticket from your phone, or if you’d rather buy a pass for one of nearly 3,500 bikes at 345 bike stations across the city you can. No surprise then that Finland has developed a booming gaming industry led by companies like Supercell (Clash of Clans) and Rovio (Angry Birds).

Innovative Finnish companies are also developing fibre-based products, organic formulations for healthcare and cosmetics, and solutions for the circular economy.