European Chemicals Capital attracts
Lehtikuva/Timo Jaakonaho – European Chemicals Agency is part of life in the strongly internationalizing city of Helsinki, says City Mayor Jussi Pajunen.The European Union Chemicals Agency ECHA beached in Helsinki nearly three years ago as a result of multiphased and successful negotiations. The agency, which opened its doors in June 2007, is now one of the largest of the 20 separate agencies within the EU.
– We are proud and happy for having such a significant EU agency in Finland. The agency has brought along a number of positive things, Pajunen says and acknowledges the fluent cooperation between the European Commission, Finnish Government and the City of Helsinki.
Welcome to Helsinki
The City of Helsinki has been involved in preparing the ECHA’s arrival to Finland since the very beginning. The city wants to take an active part in contributing to the agency’s operation in the city in order to make Helsinki a good place to live and work.
There are approximately 400 international experts working in the agency at the moment. Once the agency has reached its full extent it will employ up to 500 people.
–As of now, nearly all the 27 European Union member countries are represented. This is a truly European agency.
Accompanied by their families, the employees of the agency have settled down and found their place in the Finnish capital.
– Using the ”one-stop shop” –model the employees of the ECHA handle all their official services through one person. This model has received a lot of positive feedback.
Proving ourselves
The Chemicals Agency is the first EU agency in Finland, and therefore, as Pajunen puts it, a chance to prove ourselves, and learn more. So that all the possibilities opened up by the agency can be utilized new business activities are needed in the country – both small, and large companies are needed in the field.
– In order to build a real chemicals capital we need to bring together the entire cluster. In this profession we are operating in the global field, Pajunen emphasizes.
The European Chemicals Capital attracts both, new operators within the chemicals industry and a considerable number of congress visitors. A good example of this is the Helsinki Chemicals Forum, which will be held for the second time in May. The forum brings together an impressive crowd of experts in the field ranging from public authorities to scientific com-munities.
The core themes of the forum are the global challenges presented by the new chemicals legislation, chemicals politics in developing economic areas, competitiveness and the possibilities of green chemistry.
–We want the event to be the most important congress in the field, Pajunen emphasizes.
SO-M
Did you find the article interesting? Have your say!
No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article!