Shenzhen and Finland will sign a memorandum of cooperation on science and technology in Beijing today, it was announced at a seminar in Shenzhen yesterday.

"The memorandom will further boost the cooperation between Shenzhen and Finland," Liu Jin, vice director general of the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Science Technology and Information, told the seminar on investment opportunities in Finland.

The Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, the main public funding organization for research and development in Finland, held the seminar to introduce the country to Shenzhen firms.

More than 70 representatives from 42 Shenzhen companies attended the seminar, including general managers of more than 10 companies. Some of them even brought detailed business plans to the Finnish officials.

Shenzhen and Finland can cooperate in many areas including information technology, energy, environment protection, water conservation, waste treatment, new material and healthcare, said Juho Rissanen, counselor of science and technology at the Embassy of Finland in Beijing.

More than 200 Finnish firms are operating in China.

The Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation is considering establishing a representative office in Shenzhen to help both Finnish and Shenzhen companies, said Veli-Pekka Saarnivara, the agency's director general.

Switzerland, Finland and Sweden are the world's most competitive economies according to the Global Competitiveness Report 2006-2007 released by the World Economic Forum on Sept. 26, 2006.

Editor: Donald