¿Qué será de Finlandia después de Nokia?

El país escandinavo enfrenta el difícil panorama que tiene la compañía en el mundo móvil de la mano del desarrollo de nuevos emprendimientos tecnológicos, con Angry Birds como uno de los exponentes de esta etapa

Hasta hace muy poco, Nokia dominaba el mercado de los teléfonos móviles en el mundo. Pero la compañía finlandesa está pasando por momentos complicados, y el sector tecnológico en el país que la vio nacer podría verse afectado.

Entre 1998 y 2012 la firma finlandesa fue la mayor fabricante de teléfonos celulares en el mundo y, en 2011, ocupó el puesto número 143 en la Fortune Gobal 500, la famosa lista de las 500 compañías más ricas del mundo.

Con la llegada de fuertes competidores como Apple y Google, el precio de la acción de Nokia cayó desde 40 dólares en 2007 a menos de 3 este año.

Tras el declive la compañía de teléfonos, ¿hay vida en Finlandia después de Nokia?

La conferencia de tecnología The Slush -que tuvo lugar en la capital Helsinki el pasado noviembre- fue una demostración de lo que puede ser el futuro de la tecnología en Finlandia.

"El futuro está muy presente entre las start-ups. Para mí es obvio que de aquí van a venir los trabajos del futuro. Tenemos que romper con el pasado y mirar dónde invertir".

"La confianza y el entusiasmo es palpable en The Slush", dice Mark Bosworth, periodista de la BBC que estuvo presente. "Y el gobierno finlandés reconoce que la creación de nuevas empresas es importante para el futuro económico del país".

En abril pasado, Nokia comenzó un proyecto para ayudar a los empleados altamente cualificados que habían salido de la compañía a crear sus propias empresas, ofreciendo ayuda financiera y capacitación.

Hasta el momento, el antiguo personal de Nokia ha lanzado 220 nuevas empresas en Finlandia.

Los proyectos que se ven en la conferencia, cuenta Bosworth, van desde una aplicación móvil para la pesca hasta un servicio de comida y ejercicio para perros.

"Vamos a darle la vuelta a su salud", afirma uno de los emprendedores.

"La que estamos viendo en este momento será la marca más reconocida en el mundo", afirma otro.

La aplicación que ganó el concurso del mejor proyecto el año pasado en The Slush fue WildChords, un juego para iPad que le enseña al usuario a tocar guitarra.

La compañía creadora, Ovelin, pasó en el último año de tener cuatro trabajadores a emplear a 12 personas. Y recibe financiación que llega desde Silicon Valley.

¿Y NOKIA?

Nokia ha anunciado recientemente planes para vender su sede central en la ciudad Espoo para ayudar a recaudar dinero.

La venta se produjo mientras la gigante compañía china de telecomunicaciones Huawei reveló que pondrá en marcha un nuevo centro de desarrollo en Finlandia para aprovechar la experiencia del país en tecnología móvil.

Understanding Finland's collateral deal with Spain

The euro crisis has had an impact on the man in the street, but many simply don't understand the convoluted arguments being waged by politicians, let alone the highly technical agreements being made in the name of ordinary taxpayers.

Dazed and confused? Read on for a deconstruction of the latest act in the euro crisis drama, the Spanish bank bailout. The main characters are Finland and Spain, with eurozone and European Union members cast as supporting players.

The Spanish problem: On June 25 the Spanish government turned to the EU for financial assistance with restructuring and recapitalization of its banks. The banking sector collapse was caused by a domestic credit boom that helped inflate a real estate and related construction bubble. When the wider euro economic crisis caused a recession and widespread job losses, huge defaults caused some banks to stumble. Flagging investor confidence also increased the cost of borrowing for banks, forcing the government to step in.

The European bailout proposal: European Union leaders meeting in Brussels at the end of June agreed to earmark up to 100 billion euros to help prop up the foundering Spanish banking sector. The precise sum to be loaned – to the Spanish government for the bank restructuring program – would be specified once due diligence tests had been conducted on the affected banks. The Spanish government would also have to agree to rescue only those banks deemed to be financially viable. Since the permanent EU bailout fund – the European Stability Mechanism or ESM – is still to come online, EU heads agreed to bankroll the Spanish bank bailout from the temporary European Financial Stability Facility, the EFSF.

Finland’s collateral deal

Finland’s government policy specifically requires the government to ask for collateral if the temporary bailout fund, the EFSF, is used for rescue packages. This is because loans from the EFSF do not enjoy seniority status, meaning, borrower states do not have to repay EFSF loans first, but can service other financial commitments, such as public and private sector debt.

The collateral requirement therefore ensures that Finland recovers some of its loan funds in the event that other loan commitments take precedence over EFSF repayments. Since both the Greek and Spanish bailouts were funded by the EFSF, Finland asked for – and received – collateral guarantees in both cases. The Spanish bailout was modeled on the Greek case one year earlier.

The Finnish bailout contribution: 1.925 billion euros

The Finnish collateral request: 40 percent of the Finnish loan contribution of 1.9 billion euros, or 769.92 million euros. The average duration of the loan is 12.5 years, not to exceed 15 years.

What Finland surrendered: The collateral deal came at a cost to Finland. Specifically, unlike other states that can pay their contributions in five installments, Finland will make its contribution in one payment. Finland also agreed to surrender its right to any interest earned on loans granted to Spain as part of the bailout.

How the collateral will be paid: The collateral will be paid into Finland’s collateral account once Finland’s contribution to the EFSF fund for the Spanish rescue package is paid to Spain. Finland will hold the collateral until Spain has repaid the loan. The cash will be paid out from Spain’s deposit guarantee fund, which essentially affords Finland the same level of protection as Spanish depositors.

Ratings agency vindicates Finnish collateral deal

In July the ratings agency Moody’s announced that it was downgrading the outlook for three of Europe’s strongest triple-A rated economies from stable to negative. At the same time, it affirmed the stable outlook for Finland’s triple-A economy, in the process knighting the small Nordic economy as the strongest in the European Union and the eurozone, in its view.

One of the reasons cited by Moody’s for maintaining Finland as “the sole exception among the Aaa-rated euro area sovereigns”, was the controversial collateral deals it negotiated in exchange for supporting an EU-led bailout of Greece last year, and the more recent rescue package for struggling Spanish banks.

The collateral guarantee brokered with Spain came under heavy criticism locally in Finland, with opposition parties protesting the rescue of private banks by Finnish taxpayers. Further afield in Europe, tiny Finland’s insistence on receiving collateral for its minute contribution of just under 2 billion euros of the weighty rescue package was seen as obstructionist by other European states.

Some analysts are now speculating however, that following Moody’s seemingly implicit endorsement of the Finnish collateral position, other European states may now be reconsidering the pros and cons of a similar arrangement in the event of future bailouts.

Sources

 

Yle News/Denise Wall

Businesses back EU-integration

The European Internal market is often hailed as the backbone of the European integration by both the EU institutions and politicians. What is missing in the public debate is the businesses’ opinion on the matter. How important is the internal market in terms of increased trade with EU countries? What obstacles remain to overcome in order to complete the internal market? And what is the importance of goods, capital and people moving freely within the union?


A recent survey from The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise attempts to provide answers to the question of how Swedish businesses view the European internal market and to put more emphasis on why it is crucial that full integration of the European markets is achieved. Consisting of 500 interviews with Swedish businesses of all sizes, the survey shows an unequivocal belief in and support of the internal market on behalf of the businesses.
The survey found that:
• Bureaucracy is the most intimidating for those interested in expanding to other EU countries,
• Their share of imports and exports among EU countries has increased,
• 1 of 6 export via e-trade,
• EU membership has a positive impact on their business,
• Freedom of mobility benefits Sweden,
• Two of three are ready to recruit a non-Swedish speaker from the EU.

There is a consensus among businesses concerning the need to further work towards a completion of EU market integration and the physical, economic and digital challenges that must be harnessed in order to fully benefit from a European internal market.


Source: www.svensktnaringsliv.se

Wärtsilä gets propulsion order for the first LNG powered ferry in North America

Wärtsilä, the marine industry’s leading solutions and services provider, has been awarded the contract to supply the gas powered propulsion machinery and corresponding gas storage and handling systems for a new passenger ferry. The vessel has been ordered by Canadian operator Société des traversiers du Québec (STQ), and will be the first North American ferry to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The ship is being built by Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani in Italy and will be used on routes crossing the St. Lawrence River. The Wärtsilä contract was signed in October, 2012. The Wärtsilä equipment is due to be delivered in the autumn 2013, and the vessel is scheduled for delivery by the end of 2014.

The ferry is being built to comply with the stringent emission regulations applicable to its area of operation. With the Wärtsilä 34 dual-fuel generating sets, which will provide the main power generation, the stringent regulations will clearly be met. By operating on LNG, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are at least 85% below those specified in the current International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulations, and the CO2 emissions are some 25% less than those of a conventional marine engine running on diesel fuel. The sulphur oxide (SOx) and particle emissions are negligible at almost zero percent. This level of environmental sustainability even exceeds the emission reductions mandated by the strict local regulations. The IMO has designated some U.S. and Canadian waters as an Emissions Control Area (ECA). This is in line with the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). The North American ECA became enforceable in August 2012.

Long experience in gas technology

In addition to the four main power generating sets, Wärtsilä will also supply its innovative LNGPac system. Designed and developed by Wärtsilä, the LNGPac comprises onboard LNG bunkering, storage tanks and handling equipment, as well as the related safety control and automation systems. The entire Wärtsilä propulsion solution is designed with a focus on safety and simplicity. All engines can be seamlessly switched to marine diesel oil (MDO) operation, should gas not be available, thus full redundancy can be achieved. This ensures that the safety factor is at the highest possible level.

“Wärtsilä is the established global leader in dual-fuel and gas engine technologies. All in all, Wärtsilä has now sold more than 2000 of its gas fuelled engines, which together have accumulated more than 7 million operational running hours in both land-based and marine applications. We are extremely proud to be contributing in a meaningful way towards more sustainable shipping,” says Aaron Bresnahan, Vice President, Wärtsilä Ship Power, Sales.

“I am very happy with the outcome of the very demanding design and construction process for this new ship due to start service in Matane, Baie-Comeau and Godbout in 2015. At 130 meters long and with a capacity for 800 passengers and 180 cars, the new ferry will be much larger and better equipped than the "Camille-Marcoux" that it will replace. Its larger hold capacity will be suitable for all types of vehicles. The crossing will be a more pleasant experience for passengers," comments Georges Farrah, CEO of STQ.

Source: Wärtsilä Corporation, Press release, 3 December 2012 at 12 noon EET

Ex-Rovio Team Gets Funding To Create A Game That "Will Live On For Decades"

Boomlagoon, a company formed by Antti Stén (Ex-Rovio Lead Server Architect) and Tuomas Erikoinen (Ex-Rovio Lead Game Artist, yes, he drew the Angry Birds) just received a round of funding by a rather impressive duo - Jari Ovaskainen and a seasoned games investor London Venture Partners, represented by David Gardner.

Ovaskainen was the founder of Iobox, which was sold to Telefonica for €215m while David Gardner is best known for being the former CEO of Atari, and EVP & COO of Electronic Arts. Notably, they both invested in Supercell as well.

Additionally they have also joined forces with Ilkka Halila (Ex-Rovio Web Game Programmer), who joined the team as a Co-Founder and CTO. Boomlagoon is being very secretive about their next game, but that makes it so much more interesting to try and figure out what they are up to.

full article and interview here

Source : http://www.arcticstartup.com

Challenges in maintaining world-class research

A forward-looking research strategy, with cross-party political support, more international exchange, and greater collaboration between the research world and the entrepreneurial sector can contribute to make Sweden a world-class science nation.

For Sweden to continue as a leading research nation, it must improve its research environment in several ways. This was the message from a seminar held by the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise at the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA).

Harriet Wallberg-Henriksson, President of Karolinska Institutet, noted that research policies in Sweden are characterised by shortsightedness and political division. In her view, this is due to the desire of every newly elected government to set their own stamp on research policy. “With this unpredictability, long-term planning to strengthen research environments becomes difficult”, she commented. Her solution is to create a forward-looking, long-term research strategy that all parliamentary parties can agree on.

Peter Honeth, State Secretary for the Ministry of Education and Research, however, was not completely convinced. His observation was that such a cross-party political agreement could lock research policy for too long a period. “Moreover”, he noted, “there are differences between the opposition (centre-left parties) and the governing (centre-right) coalition that would then become hidden”.

Tobias Krantz, Manager for Education, Research and Innovation at the Confederation took the positive view, stating that current conditions were ripe for a consensus view in research policy. But, he noted, greater political interest in research and innovation is required.

To this, Mr. Honeth replied that he believed weak interest in this area is simply the result of the political reality that research and innovation policy issues don’t win elections. However, he noted, these issues have become much more central in wider political disciplines.

Mr. Krantz could agree with this, though he suggested that now is the time for change and a greater emphasis on research. “This is decisive for the future of Sweden”, he noted.

The panel agreed that high quality research is necessary to support businesses as globalization keeps pace. Moreover, all agreed that this required regulatory changes to facilitate greater internationalisation of education and research.

Panel member Jan Carlstedt-Duke, Professor at Karolinska Institutet, held that Sweden has lost influence overseas. Its research is much less noted. “If Sweden is to have any influence, it must participate internationally and in harmony with the business sector,” he stated. Moreover, he advocated more two-way interaction where foreign researchers are actively recruited to Sweden, and Swedish researchers are encouraged to pursue their carriers in other countries.

All participants also agreed that collaboration between the research world and business was natural and self-evident. Most also wanted to see a system that promoted more dialog, where all involved can learn from each other, and help find what each other needs or wants to achieve. Ms. Wallber-Henriksson noted that, “Twenty years ago, academics was a closed world, where outsiders had difficulty in gaining insight. Researchers were barely interested in collaborating, and industrial research programs had very low status. But much has changed since then.”

One form of collaboration was noted to function well, namely between the smaller regional universities and colleges and their nearby businesses. This was highlighted by Madelene Sandström, Managing Director at the Knowledge Foundation (a major research funder), who noted that these institutional seats’ research efforts create a good climate for innovation, in collaboration with local and regional businesses sectors. The schools provide businesses with skilled personnel and offer new ways to tackle their problems. “Research efforts are influenced by demands in the business sector. And, these universities and colleges are crucial for Sweden,” concluded Ms. Sandström.

The seminar also introduce the anthology ‘Sweden on the Sidelines?’ published by the Confederation where leading representatives for Swedish research and development entities discuss their future challenges.

Source: http://www.svensktnaringsliv.se

Some comments on the last Elmia Subcontractor about the sector and the industry

The industry is currently experiencing tough times and company after company laying off. Meanwhile, the industry's own trade show, Elmia Subcontractor, characterized by the fighting spirit and ambition.- Subcontractors have a strong vitality. Exhibitors and visitors have discussed concrete projects and it has been business. It is a sign of strength, says the fair's project manager Karla Eklund.

When this year Elmia Subcontractor today closes the gates, it is again noted that the exhibition is the industry's number one marketplace. Despite the current state of deceleration in the economy and a large notice in companies. Despite the gloomy figures in professional organizations reports presented at the fair.- It's sad times, but remember that it's when you do the best shops, said chief economist Anders Rune when he reported Teknikföretagens Outlook for 2013.
The experience on the show floor has been that there are just so many companies think. During the fair, many concrete projects discussed and deals were in the stands.- We have received a number of inquiries sharp. The funny thing is that many of them come from companies that we have thought contact sometime in the future. Now they came to us instead. I'm pretty sure that it will be business with nearly half of them said Andy von Essen, president Davab Electronics and Arvika Industrial Cables.
Fair's project team are very happy to note that Elmia Subcontractor again hosted thousands of profitable business meetings.- With positive noises from the year's trade fair participants at all levels, I am proud to say that we have strengthened our position as Northern Europe's leading trade fair, says Karla Eklund.
Voices from the show floor:"I have met many of our suppliers and will take with me a lot of useful information home. It was also interesting to listen to the purchasing managers from other large companies and confirm that we are working quite similar."Ann-Mari Nystedt, Country Supply Manager, ABB
"Here it is direct, concrete and clear. For us as a group is a great opportunity to share knowledge and collaborate on new and existing customers."Lennart Persson, vice president Xano
"We have received inquiries sharp even though we are young and can not even view the actual products yet."Kenny Johansson, founder of Polycron
"It has been an interesting show, bigger than before, and more global."Per-Olof Rydh, President GGP Sweden
"As a buyer, this is the best show to visit to find what you're looking for."His Hosang, strategic purchaser Gerdins Components
"The fair has been good., We have some suppliers that we take the opportunity to visit. Meanwhile, we do not mind to find new, even if our business is narrow."Maintained by Thomas, president Ekstrom Heat Technology
"We have received many interesting inquiries, including one that can become something big."Jimmy K. Poulsen, sales manager at Danish Acoplastic.

Source: Elmia Subcontractor 2012