United States and Canada – Los Angeles
The Team Finland Knowledge specialist in Los Angeles covers the western United States and Canada. California, where the specialist is based, has a strong focus on innovation. Work in the region must encompass the whole ecosystem; research, innovation and the startup activity that grows from it. The main goal is to expand cooperation between the countries' research and innovation ecosystems. Reporting on the opportunities in the region and serving as a link to the local research and innovation community are also important parts of the role.
Sari Tojkander has extensive experience of the Finnish research and higher education sector and of international cooperation, especially on the east coast of the United States. She is a docent in cell biology and holds a doctorate in cancer biology from the University of Helsinki, where she also worked as an Academy Research Fellow. Before taking up her current post, Tojkander worked as principal investigator and led a project funded by the Research Council of Finland at the Institute of Advanced Study in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology at Tampere University.
sari.tojkander(at)gov.fi
Sari Tojkander on LinkedIn
California – a centre for research and innovation
The west coast of the United States is strategically important for cooperation in research and innovation. California has a huge number of higher education institutions, including several top research universities such as Caltech, UCLA, Stanford and UC Berkeley. The state is also one of the world's leading centres for innovation and technology.
Higher education institutions in California have long supported translational research and entrepreneurship. This support has also helped shape many important innovation clusters. California's strong entrepreneurial culture and solid support for entrepreneurs have boosted its economic influence. Among the world's leading economic regions, California currently ranks fifth. From a strategic viewpoint, there are several reasons why Finland should invest in research and innovation cooperation with California. For example, many of the region's innovation incubators are open to international partners and provide excellent learning opportunities for young entrepreneurs.
Canada provides attractive opportunities for cooperation
Alongside the United States, Canada also offers exciting opportunities for cooperation. Finland has worked with partners across Canadian provinces and territories, particularly in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. Finland and Canada share common features such as highly educated population and a similar climate and natural environment.
The two countries also have common research interests, especially in the bioeconomy, forestry, Arctic technologies, AI, health, smart cities and wireless networks. These areas in particular offer opportunities to develop cooperation that would benefit both nations. Geopolitical changes have made Canada an increasingly attractive partner. New funding opportunities for joint research projects have also encouraged Finnish higher education institutions to seek Canadian partners.
Finland's reputation opens doors in North America
Finland has a strong reputation in North America, and the country's global visibility and attractiveness for new forms of cooperation have clearly grown following its NATO membership.
Finnish higher education, research and innovation are well regarded in both the United States and Canada, and Finnish expertise is valued. Recent developments have only increased interest in building new forms of cooperation with Finland as a reliable and highly capable partner. Finland is well placed to work with both Canada and the United States in research and science to help tackle global challenges.