ARTICLES

Is Finland the new creative hub?

.. and a safe haven for artisans

September 2, 2019
By
Lyzanette Padua

There is a dazzling haze and something alluring about Finland that draw people in – might it be for exploring, creative or business opportunities. The isolation – oftentimes found on private lands or cabins by the lakeside – gives people the serenity and space they desire to focus on their work without any unnecessary noise from the ear-piercing honks from cars on a busy street.

Generally, Finns like to refer themselves as problem-solvers, rational and with a penchant for direct, robust approaches. In several aspects, the creativity in Finland is often associated with an elite mentality – some perceive it as pretention or a smokescreen for not attending to matters at hand. Finns opt to go for direct solution, the clever hack and the brave fight against all odds.

Finland – apart from its creative ecosystem – is becoming a safe haven for artisans.

Fiskars, a town in Finland – where artists and creative supernovas can join a thriving community of creators. The creative hub has set up a high standard for any artist who’s planning to move there – one should have the ability to make sustainable living from their works and ideas, rather than completely depending on trust funds.

Over 600 craftsmen have found the sense of belonging-ness in Fiskars and the town has become one of Finland’s top creative hubs. The town has become a destination for tourists too. It gives artists the opportunity to showcase their work to the travellers – this includes regular art exhibitions, public art displays, workshops and food fairs.

Furthermore, there is no denying that Finland has been the safe haven for start-ups for a long time — the start-up scene in Finland has given birth to companies such as Angry Birds, Nokia, Wolt, Supercell and many others.

In the year 2009, Finland was second largest investor in early stage start-ups in Europe. Finnish start-ups and early stage growth companies raised the highest amount of funding to date, as the total financing figure raised hit 479 million euros.

As of now, there are over 4000 start-up companies operating in Finland. Even Lasse Männistö – a Finnish member of parliament has inaugurated a start-up group inside the Finnish parliament.

Finland and its creative ecosystem continues to establish a community where start-ups can hone their skills and acquire support before they take over the creative and business world.

artisans
creative hub
economy
ecosystem
Finland
fiskars
helsinki
investor
startups

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