Finland


	The Japan Times WORLD EYE REPORTS FINLAND

©THE JAPAN TIMES	Sunday, March 10, 2002

A small country comes into its own

Assessing the playing field on which his country must compete, Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen believes that recent international developments indicate that a new kind of global economy has emerged. "The phenomenon is largely due to worldwide utilization of modern communication and information technologies. In this, both Finland and Japan are the top countries.

The Finnish government's official Web site serves as an ideal primer on the political structure of the country. It is also has links to all the government ministries' Web sites.
www.government.fi

Invest in Finland -- This Web site is the ideal launch pad to obtain information about the Finnish economy and investment opportunities in the country. www.investinfinland.fi

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Finland can only look forward to brighter prospects as a culture of innovation stirs up world-class competitiveness in the industrial and business communities.

"Ten years ago it would have been quite surprising to find Finland listed as one of the world's most competitive economies, let alone hear it and Japan mentioned in the same sentence. Much has changed since then, and in the interim Finland has roared into the global marketplace," Lipponen continued.

As a small country, Finland has always been forced to look for new ways to be competitive. Its current success is all the more im-

pressive because the entire country has a population of only 5 million people. FULL STORY

Rising nonstop to new heights

KONE and Toshiba Elevator and Business Systems Corporation rocked the elevator industry in December of last year with the announcement that they had agreed to expand their three-year old strategic alliance through cross-ownership of shares and an exchange of positions on their respective boards of directors. After a suitable period of negotiation, collaboration, and trust building, these two major leaders took the giant step of making a commitment that extends into the very heart of their decision-making process.

"Our alliance with Toshiba has been so successful that we are now both prepared to take the necessary steps to broaden and reinforce it," said KONE Senior Vice President Klaus Cawén. FULL STORY
KONE Senior vice President Klaus Cawén reaches higher through safer and more efficient technology.

AvestaPolarit Chief Executive Ossi Virolainen oversees one of the world's largest metal producers.
Vanguard at the top of the world

It can get very cold during the winter just 20 miles from the Arctic Circle, but you wouldn't know it from the level of activity in Tornio. In this town on the edge of Lapland in northern Finland, AvestaPolarit has built one of the world's most advanced stainless steel works. In terms of capacity, the plant is currently being expanded into the world's largest single stainless steel plant.

"Once our newest single line cold rolling mill comes online, the efficiency and capacity gains will greatly benefit our market position in cold rolled steel," said Niilo Suutala, managing director of the Tornio plant. FULL STORY