More than 100 Finnish and Kazakh companies seek cooperation opportunities during Team Finland visit to Almaty, Kazakhstan

More than 20 Finnish and 80 Kazakh companies gather for networking and seeking business opportunities during a Team Finland mission to Almaty on 26–27 September 2023. The business delegation is led by H.E. Ms. Soili Mäkeläinen-Buhanist, Ambassador of Finland to Kazakhstan.

A Finnish-Kazakh Business Forum and B2B meetings with Kazakh companies will take place during the visit. B2B meetings are tailored to the wishes of Finnish companies. More than 80 local companies are expected to attend. On the second day of the visit, Finnish companies will meet with representatives of the city of Almaty. There will also be a visit to an industrial park and local companies.  

The Team Finland visit is organized by EastCham Finland, the Embassy of Finland in Astana and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.   

According to Ambassador Soili Mäkeläinen-Buhanist, Team Finland network aims to increase trade between the two countries, especially in export sectors important to Finland. 

– We want to strengthen the position of Finnish companies already operating in the market and attract new companies to explore opportunities in Central Asia. Finland has the kind of expertise that will benefit the modernization and diversification of Kazakhstan’s economy. There are significant development projects underway in the fields of green transition, digitalization, education, mining, and agriculture, says Mäkeläinen-Buhanist. 

Finnish companies participating in the Team Finland mission will showcase products, services, and expertise in Almaty in the following sectors: mining, stone crushing, wastewater 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 Ambassador Soili Mäkeläinen-Buhanist, Kazakhstan’s growing economy is in demand for environmentally friendly industrial solutions. The country is investing particularly in the development of medium-sized industrial and engineering companies. New opportunities are also opening in the transport and logistics sector with the development of the Trans-Caspian transport route. 

In line with the Finnish government program, Finland will strengthen economic relations with the countries of Central Asia as potential trading partners in a region of great security importance. In cooperation with EastCham, we will assist companies with more detailed market access issues and help to establish contacts, says Mäkeläinen-Buhanist. 

EastCham Finland´s strategy is to strengthen its presence in the Central Asian market. In early August, it opened a branch in Almaty to help Finnish companies gain access to the Kazakh market.   

– Kazakhstan is currently a market of growing interest and therefore highly competitive. I believe that Finnish technological expertise is well suited to the country’s objectives to modernize its industry and move towards cleaner technologies in production. Together with the rest of Central Asia, Kazakhstan represents a market of more than 70 million consumers for companies active in consumer products or services.  Such visits are important door-openers opportunities for companies, says Jaana Rekolainen, CEO of EastCham Finland 

Further details

Satu Niemelä, Communications and Marketing, EastCham Finland, mob. +358 40 359 1582
satu.niemela (at) eastcham.fi 

Embassy of Finland in Astana 

The Embassy is responsible for Finland’s relations with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The Embassy handles visa applications from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and receives resident permit applications from the three previously mentioned countries as well as Tajikistan. The Embassy is headed by H.E. Ambassador Ms. Soili Mäkeläinen-Buhanist. 

The Embassy promotes export and internationalisation of Finnish companies. This includes e.g. trade missions for Finnish companies. The Ambassador also travels within Kazakhstan and meets companies and heads of regions and cities exploring market opportunities for Finnish companies. Likewise, high-level meetings and meetings between experts provide possibilities for strengthening trade relations between the countries

EastCham Finland 

EastCham Finland is an expert organisation. As part of the Team Finland network, EastCham provides internationalisation services for all Finnish companies. EastCham identifies economic signals and supports business operations of Finnish companies in the markets of Central Asia and Southern Caucasus. EastCham is also preparing for the reconstruction of Ukraine together with companies. In addition, it provides sanctions consulting. www.eastcham.fi