South Ostrobothnia is generally characterized as an entrepreneurial province. The significance of SMEs is central in business life and from an employment perspective in the province. Employee loyalty, activity and entrepreneurial spirit as well as the reciprocal co-operation activity of different quarters are strengths of the South Ostrobothnian business environment. The close interdependency of development actors and the low threshold for companies to approach business developers are a part of daily life. Evidence of this is that South Ostrobothnian towns and local authorities are often chosen as Finland’s most entrepreneurial positive region.
South Ostrobothnia is the leading food and food technology cluster in Finland, and a home for large food production companies, such as Atria and Valio. The region is employing a large number of engineers, entrepreneurs, and experts of various industry fields. The metal and hi-tech industry sector of the region is internationally oriented, growing, and technologically advanced. The wood sector of the region has also a lot of cooperation with foreign companies. They have a very high number of SMEs, about 13,000 companies.
Knowhow in South Ostrobothnia
- Food and food technology
- Metal industries: machines & parts, construction, aluminium products etc.
- Wood industries: log houses, furniture, CLT elements
- Service: wholesale & retailing, financing, ICT, marketing etc.