Harri Airaksinen Has started as Tampere and Pirkanmaa’s EU Representative and Head of the EU Office in Brussels

Harri Airaksinen johtaa Tampereen ja Pirkanmaan EU-toimistoa. Oikealla Jari Ahola, joka työskentelee EU-rahoitusten asiantuntijana Tampereella. — Harri Airaksinen Leads the Tampere Region EU Office. Jari Ahola works as an EU Funding Expert in Tampere. Photo: Petri Kangas, Business Tampere

Harri Airaksinen started his role as Tampere and Pirkanmaa’s EU Representative and Head of the EU Office in Brussels at the beginning of September. Airaksinen sees that the need for businesses to engage directly with customers has grown alongside remote communication. According to him, face-to-face meetings are crucial for maintaining successful customer relationships.

Airaksinen is confident that the Pirkanmaa region and its companies have excellent opportunities to grow and develop with the help of EU funding. The close collaboration between the EU Office and Business Tampere creates new opportunities for the internationalization of the region’s businesses and the promotion of new innovations.

– In contrast to traditional advocacy, the current focus is on finding the right partners for EU-funded projects, promoting the region and its expertise, and being active in networks.

– Examples of such networks include Eurocities, a network of major European cities; ERRIN, the European Regions Research and Innovation Network; and OASC, the network of smart cities.

– We need to be able to influence future funding programs and legislation. The best way to do this is through the aforementioned networks,” says Harri Airaksinen.

Harri Airaksinen, M.Soc.Sc., serves as the EU Representative and Head of the Office. He transitioned into this role from his position as CEO of Business Tampere Oy, the economic development agency for the Tampere city region. Airaksinen has extensive experience in economic development and collaboration with the business community and the public sector. He has previously worked in the European Parliament in Brussels and is familiar with the environment.

The EU Office has now been administratively integrated into the operations of Business Tampere. The synergy of services offered to the business community is further enhanced by Jari Ahola, an EU funding expert, who continues to work at the Kelloportinkatu office in Tampere. He remains close to Pirkanmaa’s companies and other stakeholders.

The operations of the new EU Office are supported not only by the municipalities of Pirkanmaa but also by the Tampere Chamber of Commerce, Tampere University, and an expanding group of regional actors who share a commitment to actively advancing the interests of the entire Pirkanmaa region.Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!