UAE delegation views experiences of innovation centres in Finland

HELSINKI, 5th March, 2015 (WAM) -- A delegation from the UAE to Finland, headed by Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, has been briefed on the experiences and objectives of a number of well-known innovation and creativity centres and their objectives for supporting and promoting innovation and encouraging research relevant to linking investments to innovation. The delegation's field visits included the Austrian company, Borealis' Innovation Centre Porvoo (Finland) and the headquarters of the Finnish Innovation Fund and Technology Complex in the city of Espoo, along with research centres affiliated with it. Mr. Al Mansouri stressed the UAE's keenness to view the country's best experiences in all fields to benefit from international expertise and experience in areas of interest to the state and contribute to supporting the sustainable development especially in light of the shifting towards a knowledge economy based on innovation and creativity. He added that the visit to the most important and most famous centres and complexes of innovation and creativity in the friendly Republic of Finland comes within this context. He pointed out that Finland occupies a very advanced position worldwide in the fields of private education and sustainability based on advanced technology. Al Mansouri noted that viewing the Finnish experience in the field of linking investment to innovation in some important areas such as clean energy and the green and digital economies, comes within the framework of the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Cabinet's announcement of 2015 as the 'Year of Innovation' and in compliance with the country's strategy related to innovation launched by Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He added that the visit also embodies the Ministry's strategy to accelerate the transition to a knowledge economy based on creativity and innovation. The UAE's Economy Minister commended the keenness of senior Finnish officials, led by Alexander Stubb, Prime Minister of Finland, Peter Stenlund, Foreign Minister, and Lenita Toivakka, Minister of European Affairs and Foreign Trade, to promote cooperation with the UAE, especially in the field of creativity and innovation, stressing that there will be more visits to promote cooperation in this regard between the two countries. – Emirates News Agency, WAM – http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395277451710.html