Sunday, February 12, 2012

Internationalization Awards of the President of the Republic go to Finnish gaming cluster



Press release February 9, 2012 President of the Republic of Finland









Tarja Halonen has presented the 2011 Internationalization Awards to the Finnish gaming cluster, which promotes the creation of a new growth industry.

The aim of the internationalization award is to promote companies' activities in an international environment and their ability to develop and implement new operating models. It is also intended to encourage the winning companies' internationalization and that of other Finnish companies. The 2011 internationalization awards were presented today in Helsinki.

"One of the purposes of the Internationalization Award of the President of the Republic is to highlight concepts and business models as examples to other internationalizing Finnish companies and to encourage internationalization. Export is very important to Finnish well-being – after all, we are the most export-driven country in Europe. Recent export development has been weaker than in competitor countries, and Finland's trade balance is showing a deficit for the first time in 20 years. Now it is essential to encourage growth entrepreneurship and internationalization, and to give companies the preconditions needed to grow and be successful globally. All of the recipients represent a high level of specialized Finnish competence and have shown strong internationalization," says Finpro's President and CEO Kari Häyrinen.

Each year, Finpro performs the search and preliminary assessment of internationalization prize nominees, on the basis of which Finpro's Board of Directors, in cooperation with the Association for Finnish Work, prepares a proposal concerning the award recipients to the President. The President selects the Internationalization Award winners on the basis of these proposals. The award is now being granted for the 44th time. The prizes are donated by the Finnish Fair Foundation.