New customers, good contacts and updated market information for Finnish companies from Almaty
Yritykset kokoontuivat InterContinental Almaty -hotellissa.
More than 100 Finnish and Kazakh companies applied for cooperation opportunities during Team Finland’s visit to Almaty, Kazakhstan, in the last week of September.
Text Satu Niemelä Pictures EastCham Finland
Finnish companies participating in the Team Finland mission represented the following sectors: mining, stone crushing, wastewater treatment technologies, construction, machinery, calibration equipment, heavy industry, emission control, forestry technology, agricultural machinery, legal services, accounting and financial services, education, school equipment, consumer products and veterinary services. According to the feedback from the companies, the two-day visit to Almaty was a success.
The objectives of the companies could be summed up as follows: “We wanted to discover new customers, good contacts, long-term partnerships and reliable distributors. We also wanted to reinforce our existing relations and share information on our business and products with companies and decision-makers in Kazakhstan while also deepening our knowledge of the market.”
The companies gathered in InterContinental Almaty Hotel.
Companies have clear visions for the future
One of the participating companies was Beamex, which offers calibration software and equipment. For decades, the company’s products have been exported to Kazakhstan through cooperation with an experienced retailer.
Jonas Heinola from Beamex on the left, Tuomas Pukkala from Leinonen on the right.
– We embarked on this journey with an unbiased and open-minded attitude. The agenda for the trip was good, and we knew that we would be able to learn and network in a positive environment – and these expectations were absolutely met. In addition to the EastCham program, we visited a mining trade fair and met with our retailer, recounts Jonas Heinola, Area Sales Manager at Beamex Oy Ab.
According to Heinola, Beamex sees a lot potential and opportunities for growth in the Kazakh market.
– Through our presence and active interaction, we can better support customers and local retailers. Currently, we have a strong presence in the oil and gas sector, but we are also seeking to expand to other segments in the processing industry, such as the mining industry and power plants.
The Business Forum was moderated by Oskari Laukkanen, The Ministry for foreign affairs of Finland.
TOO Leinonen Kazakhstan has a long history of operating in the country. The company offers accounting and payroll services and helps companies enter the markets.
– In the next few years, we intend to invest heavily in Kazakhstan and accelerate our growth, says Tuomas Pukkala, Regional Director East at Leinonen, as he describes Leinonen’s clear vision for its future in Central Asia.
Jani Toropainen from Mecmetal on the left.
Jani Toropainen, who is the CEO of Mecmetal Oy that produces production lines with state-of-the-art technology, says that one of the concrete benefits of the visit was a good overall picture of the Kazakh market and its actual determining factors.
– We achieved our goal for the trip: we now have a fresh idea of the Kazakh market and its opportunities in the coming years. We have one customer in the Almaty region. This customer has been using our production line for manufacturing their concrete products for 18 years already. Throughout these years, we have been providing them with lifecycle services including spare parts, molds and maintenance services.
“We achieved our goal for the trip: we now have a fresh idea of the Kazakh market and its opportunities in the coming years.”
Toropainen says that during the event, they had further discussions with the customer on cooperation and their future needs.
– We also looked at our latest generation of production line models and our new and more comprehensive set of services together with the customer. On the second day of the visit, we toured their work sites, office and factory, Jani Toropainen recounts.
Mecmetal also managed to pick up several new contacts, and more discussions on improving their production are on the horizon.
The Finnish companies introduced themselves for the City of Almaty and learned about the future development plans for the city of million inhabitants.
Valmet has firmly established itself in Kazakhstan. The company’s unwavering commitment is centered on actively nurturing the growth and advancement of the Kazakh market. The primary goal of Valmet for the trip to Kazakhstan was to explore and pursue new business opportunities, establish valuable connections, and strengthen its presence in the Kazakh market.
– We aimed to leverage this visit to contribute to the modernization and diversification of Kazakhstan’s economy by showcasing our expertise in waste management and environmental technologies, says Nikolay Doroshenko, Senior Manager of Business Development at Valmet Corporation, who was one of the speakers at the event.
Nikolay Doroshenko from Valmet spoke about reducing the emissions and taking care of environment.
In Doroshenko’s opinion, the Team Finland visit provided Valmet with a deeper understanding of the Kazakh market, including its business environment, regulatory landscape, and emerging opportunities. This knowledge is invaluable for strategic planning.
– The visit helped strengthen our relations with key stakeholders, including government officials, local businesses, and Team Finland network partners. Building these relationships is essential for long-term success in the Kazakh market.
According to Doroshenko, the best part of our days in Almaty was undoubtedly the dynamic combination of the business forum, where people engaged in meaningful discussions and explored promising opportunities, and the networking event at Kusto Group.
– Additionally, each day was enriched by the pleasure of interacting with local individuals and fellow members of our delegation. It was a fantastic blend of professional insights and enjoyable social interactions that made our time in Almaty truly memorable.
“It was a fantastic blend of professional insights and enjoyable social interactions.”
The companies also listed the people, networking events, B2B meetings coordinated by EastCham, visiting the high-tech school and discussions with various local actors as the best parts of the Team Finland visit. They also praised the high-quality concept and excellent framework for bringing together Finnish and Kazakh companies.
Kazakhstan is a highly competitive market
The highly competitive Kazakh market is attracting growing interest. Finnish technological expertise is a great fit with the country’s objectives to modernize and diversify its industry and shift to cleaner technologies in production. Over 30 Finnish companies already operate in Kazakhstan, and the interest in the country continues to increase as evidenced by the number of companies that participated in the Team Finland trip. It is worth mentioning as a point of comparison that, for example, hundreds of German companies operate in the country.
The market is enormous. Together with the rest of Central Asia, Kazakhstan forms a market of 70 million consumers for companies that engage in consumer products or services. Team Finland visits provide important opportunities for companies.
The companies visiting Almaty industrial park.
The objective of the Team Finland network is to further increase the trade between Finland and Kazakhstan with a particular focus on export sectors important to Finland. The Finnish Ambassador to Kazakhstan Soili Mäkeläinen-Buhanist states that the network seeks to reinforce the position of Finnish companies already operating in the Kazakh market, while also encouraging more companies to explore their opportunities in Central Asia. A similar sentiment is also included in the recent Finnish Government Programme: “Finland will strengthen its economic relations with Central Asian countries, as they are potential trading partners in a region of security policy importance.”
The objective of the Team Finland network is to further increase the trade between Finland and Kazakhstan with a particular focus on export sectors important to Finland.
During the Team Finland visit in September, a Finnish-Kazakh business forum was organised along with B2B meetings with Kazakh companies in accordance with the wishes of the Finnish companies. We also visited the private school High Tech Academy and learned about the operations of the international Kusto Group. Finnish companies had the opportunity to present themselves to the representatives of the city of Almaty and hear about the future development plans of the metropolis. Our trip also included a visit to the Almaty industrial park.
The EastCham team: Tarja Teittinen, Jaana Rekolainen, Satu Niemelä and Altyn Shakirkhanova are saying thanks to all companies and partners participating the trip to Almaty.
EastCham Finland organized the Team Finland visit in cooperation with the Embassy of Finland in Astana and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. The business delegation was headed by the Finnish Ambassador to Kazakhstan Soili Mäkeläinen-Buhanist. EY acted as an event partner.
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