Sustainability at the heart of the Finland Pakistan Business Summit

Finnpartnership participated in the Finland Pakistan Business Summit, organised by Finland Pakistan Business Council, in Karachi on 21 May 2024. The cross-cutting theme of the seminar was sustainable development, and the event attracted around 125 participants from different sectors.

The morning session consisted of panel discussions focused on digitalisation, energy and construction sectors. Sustainable energy solutions, the needs and challenges of urbanisation and infrastructure, and the role of digitalisation in the development of the near future are big themes in a market of just under 240 million people. The need for sustainable solutions is obvious, given that Pakistan’s population is expected to grow to 370 million by 2050.

A total of six Finnish companies from the energy, construction, IT, import and research sectors participated in the Summit.

The afternoon session, organised by Finnpartnership, focused on textiles, handicrafts, home decoration and fashion. Entrepreneur with a PhD in sustainable fashion and textiles from Aalto University, Marium Durrani presented how traditional crafts have been combined with Finnish fashion. Shee shared ideas on how to further strengthen the skills of artisans, and improve livelihoods and sustainability of communities in Pakistan.

Finnpartnership presented 12 Finnish companies interested in the Pakistani market. The event also presented how Finnish and Pakistani actors could cooperate in the fields of sustainable fashion and handicrafts. In addition, Circle Women, which promotes digital literacy and entrepreneurship among women, showcased its activities and shared about the challenges faced by women and ways to promote gender equality.

The event was a follow-up to the events organised in 2023, which has resulted in Finnpartnership supporting in 2023-2024 a total of 10 projects in which Finnish companies aim to start business or establish a long-term business partnership in Pakistan. Read about Finnpartnership’s 2023 event in Pakistan here.