Meaningful beginning of the year
EastChamin Helsingin, Almatyn ja Kiovan toimistot suunnittelivat tulevaa toimintaa kesäisissä tunnelmissa Helsingin Vuosaaressa. The EastCham offices in Helsinki, Almaty, and Kyiv planned future activities in a summery atmosphere in Vuosaari, Helsinki.
The focus of EastCham’s operations has shifted from solving challenges to opening new markets.
Before we head off for the summer vacations, it’s time to review EastCham’s early 2024 activities. The first half of the year has been significant for us, as our focus has shifted more strongly from addressing exit- challenges and sanctions-related issues to opening new markets and supporting companies in their internationalization plans. Kazakhstan and Ukraine have become central to our operations.
In Almaty, Kazakhstan, our office has now been operational for almost a year. It has been a pleasure to see how it has established itself as a cornerstone for Finnish businesses in the Central Asian market. The feedback from companies has been uniformly positive, which fuels our efforts to continue our work in the region.
In Ukraine, we took a significant step by opening a joint office in Kyiv in collaboration with the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK). The reconstruction of Ukraine is a massive effort, and the importance of local support and functional networks is emphasized in this challenging environment. We are committed to supporting our companies in this important process.
During the spring, we had the honor of coordinating the business programs for Team Finland visits led by Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio in both Kazakhstan and Ukraine. These minister-led trips opened doors and facilitated valuable high-level contacts for Finnish companies. As a result of these visits, we are now better prepared to support our companies in these markets.
“We are now better prepared to support our companies in these markets.”
The sharing of market information, webinars, clubs, online training, and advisory services have continued actively for other target markets as well. Our topics have been diverse, covering among other things, sanction risks, establishing company and starting business, export practices, security issues, IPR rights, and current legislative changes in various countries. As many target markets are relatively unknown to Finnish companies, the need for information is great.
EastCham continues its work to support Finnish businesses in Ukraine, Central Asia, and the South Caucasus. We are a strong network formed by our member companies. You do not have to enter new markets alone.
Wishing you a relaxing summer,
The EastCham Team