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The opening ceremony of Health Capital Helsinki held at the facilities of Think Company in Meilahti on 2 March 2016 brought together nearly 400 representatives of the health and well-being sector ranging from the pharmaceutical industry and health technology to digital health, food and the environment.

Cooperation projects, business arising from research and expertise, emerging technological fields and devices and products used, for example, in research in medicine and natural sciences were introduced in the event. The opening was an opportunity to network in the field that has seen constant growth for decades and accounts for about half of Finland's high-tech exports.

From research results to commercial applications

Health Capital Helsinki, which develops new innovations into export products, is a response to the government's growth strategy for research and innovation in the health sector published in 2014. The activities are aimed at more efficient commercial utilisation of research results, increasing the number of start-up enterprises, enabling the growth of businesses, creating new jobs and increasing exports. The Health Capital Helsinki alliance comprises the City of Helsinki, the University of Helsinki, Aalto University and HUS, the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa.

The Health Capital Helsinki alliance is developing a new kind of business and financing entity that begins from the development of market understanding in the Life Science and health technology sector and integrates into the networks of customers, business experts and researchers in the primary market. In addition, the alliance develops innovation activities in the public sector so that client needs in health and social services could be determined and taken into account in the innovation activities and solutions could be developed in cooperation with the clients. Open spaces for cooperation and business facilities are created to make working together possible.

Health Capital Helsinki has already supported the creation of several start-up enterprises, created contacts with customers, funding providers and decision-makers providing added value to companies and brought companies within easy reach of research and development projects that strengthen the attractiveness of the field from an international point of view.

For more information, please contact:

Tuula Palmén, Head of project office, Health Capital Helsinki
tel. 050 4617 290
tuula.palmen@healthcapitalhelsinki.fi

Markus Mäkelä
Aalto University
tel. 050 5207 770
markus.m.makela@aalto.fi   

Health Capital Helsinki (HCH) is a research, know-how and entrepreneurship cluster in the fields of life science and health technology in the Helsinki region.  Aalto University, the University of Helsinki and the Hospital district of Helsinki and Uusimaa form an alliance that, based on the research in these fields, develops the innovation and business environment, with an aim to make the Helsinki region the leading Nordic region in the fields of health and wellbeing. The development measures are coordinated by the Health Capital Helsinki project office.