Hybrid Event
FDI Vision for Finland Launch
Networking lunch 1:00 – 2:00 PM
Event Details
How will Finland compete for future investments post Covid-19?
‘The biggest threat to attracting investments to Finland is the lack of vision for FDI and talent.’
Amcham Finland is pleased to invite you to the launch of the first business-led FDI Vision for Finland.
The global investment landscape has changed drastically and in a post-pandemic world the competition for future investments will be fierce. We asked Finland’s largest international business community what they would need in order to expand their operations here, and the answer was simple:
- A long-term vision for bringing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and talent into Finland.
- A clear commitment from Finnish decision-makers that improving the investment environment in Finland is a priority.
In the Spring of 2021, Amcham’s FDI Vision for Finland working group brought together evidence-based reports, research, global best practices, and people with extensive experience leading and working in business. The group comprises senior executives from the international business community, and is led by globally renowned FDI specialist Douglas van den Berghe.
In this event we will hear the group’s insights into investment decision-making, discuss the importance of long-term vision, and look at the drivers for Finland’s future competitiveness.
Please join us to discuss how Finland can stand out when future investment decisions are made at global headquarters. Note that in person attendance is restricted due to the Covid-19 pandemic and is available on a first-come-first-served basis. Please register for either in person or virtual attendance.
Agenda
Welcome – Alexandra Pasternak-Jackson, CEO, Amcham Finland
Finland FDI Vision – Douglas van den Berghe, Global FDI specialist + TITLE
Panel discussion – moderated by Miriam Holstein, CEO, Bayer Nordic
- Petri Peltonen, Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Economic Affairs & Employment
- Stefan Sundman, VP, Public Relations & Media, UPM
- Francesca Polinelli, Research Director, OECD
Q&A
Summary and closing remarks
Event Partner
Event Speakers
Miriam Holstein
CEO
Bayer Nordic
Miriam Holstein is the CEO of Bayer Nordic, headquartered in Espoo, Finland.
Bayer Nordic employs about 1,500 employees across Finland, Scandinavia and the Baltic countries and covers the whole value-chain. The Nordic region houses two global R&D and production sites in Finland and Norway. The Supply Center in Turku is one of the most important pharmaceutical production sites within Bayer globally and has recently announced a 250m € investment to Turku. Finland is also one of the five largest hubs for clinical project management within Bayer globally with over 30 global clinical studies in more than 40 countries being managed from Espoo. Over the last years Bayer has significantly increased its investments, research activities and partnerships in the Nordics, becoming one of the most significant Life Science companies in the region.
Miriam joined Bayer in 1998. Prior to moving to Finland, she has held several positions and functions within the Bayer group both in its headquarters as well as in a joint venture, most recently as Head of Corporate Finance.
Miriam is the Vice Chair of the Board of AmCham and President of the German-Finnish Chamber of Commerce. She holds a Doctor’s Degree in Law.
Douglas van den Berghe
Global Speaker & Expert
on FDI, SEZs, Competitiveness & Innovation
Douglas van den Berghe (PhD) is a global speaker and expert on FDI, SEZs, corporate international strategy and innovation. He is the CEO of NxtZones and FDI 4.0: a global integrated network of economic zones and industrial parks converged around sustainability, innovation and the SDGs and operating in key Industry 4.0 sectors.
He was the founder and CEO of a FDI advisory firm (ICA – Investment Consulting Associates) and two technology ventures which were all acquired over the past couple of years. He previously held positions at UNCTAD and EY. As a management consultant, he has assisted many corporate clients in successfully implementing their global investment strategies, optimizing their global supply chains and has created more than 100,000 jobs and generated more than US$ 2 billion in FDI across the world.
He has been an advisor to many governments in successfully developing FDI policies for economic development increasing the competitiveness of countries and is currently advising a number of countries on their future FDI 4.0 strategies and visions and regularly publishes articles on FDI, incentives, SEZ and IPAs. Some of his corporate clients Douglas has worked for include: Shell, Philips, Electrolux, HB Fuller, Appvion, John Deere, Johnson Controls, Knowles, Appnovation Technologies, and ING.
Petri Peltonen
Under-Secretary of State
Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment
Petri Peltonenis Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. In this capacity,he oversees policy development and implementation inthe sectorsof industry, enterprise and innovation as well as foreign direct investments.
Prior to taking his current position in 2016, Petri Peltonen was Director General of the Enterprise and Innovation Department at theMinistry of Economic Affairs and Employmentandthe Technology Department at the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
From 1996 to 2006, he worked at the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation (Tekes), most recently as Executive Director and member of the management team. From 1987 until 1996, he held several technology development positions atthe European Space Agency (ESA)in the Netherlands and in the electronics industry in Finland.
Within the scope of his duties, Petri Peltonen takes part in several national and European functions such asthe boardsof Business Finland, Finnish Innovation Fund (Sitra) and the Nordic Investment Bank. He also acts as the European Commission’s SME Envoy for Finland.
Petri Peltonen holdsM.Sc. and Lic.Tech. degrees from Tampere University of Technology. He is an invited member of the Finnish Academy of Technical Sciences.
Stefan Sundman
VP, Public Relations & Media
UPM
Stefan Sundman is heading public affairs at UPM, a Finnish global bioeconomy company. During his roughly 20 years in the sector he has been working with different societal expert and management positions in UPM and also Finnish forest industries federation. In his work hi is closely following regulatory and policy development in different regions and participating in dialogues on how to de-carbonize consumption and create conditions for green growth. Stefan is a strong believer that sustainable use of natural renewable resources can offer an alternative for a fossil economy and climate warming.
Francesca Spinelli
Head of the International Investment Statistics Unit
OECD
Francesca Spinelli joined the Investment Division at the OECD as Head of the International Investment Statistics Unit in 2020. Francesca has more than twelve years’ experience in the field of economics, trade and investment. She has worked on and led a number of in-depth economy reviews on the regulation, competitiveness, trade and investment. Francesca holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Cassino.
Taking part in Amcham Finland
FDI Working Group
