Finnish expertise in port business, green economy, education and ICT in high demand in Suriname and Guyana

25 February 2020

Finnpartnership, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and local partners organised Doing Business with Finland seminars in Paramaribo, Suriname, on February 10^th and in Georgetown, Guyana, on February 12^th, 2020. The seminars attracted a large number of local companies interested in learning more about Finland and Finnish expertise in the focus sectors of the seminar: port business, green economy (including sustainable forestry), education, and ICT. The sectors were decided on together with Finnpartnership’s local partners, and they offer a wide range of opportunities for Finnish companies in South America. The seminars received very positive feedback and the discussions were vivid during the Matchmaking breaks of the seminars.

*Finnpartnership’s local partner in Suriname, **Kamer van Koophandel en Fabriekenin (KKF)**, organized company visits for Finnish companies.*
*One of the field visits was the Havenbeheer port in Paramaribo.*

*Suriname’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism, H.E. Stephen T.K.W. Tsang also gave a speech at the seminar*

*Introduction of the audience at the Doing Business with Finland seminar in Paramaribo*

The Doing Business with Finland seminar in Paramaribo, Suriname, was organised on Monday, 10^th of February. The seminar was participated by over 140 persons, including the Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism of Suriname, H.E. Stephen T.K.W. Tsang. The Finnish participants included two Finnish companies, the Roving Ambassador of the Caribbean Pertti Ikonen, the Ambassador for Trade and Development Pekka Voutilainen, as well as representatives from Finnpartnership and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. In addition to the Finnish participants attending the seminar in person, Finnpartnership presented 25 Finnish companies that are currently looking for business partners from Suriname. Surinamese companies were very interested in Finnish companies, and there is a lot of demand for Finnish expertise in the forestry sector, for example. Suriname has abundant forest resources (over 98% of Suriname’s land area is covered by forest), but forests only represent around 2% of the country’s GDP. Therefore, there is both room for development but also a lot of untapped potential in the forestry sector of Suriname.

*Area Sales Director Samuli Seilonen from Mantsinen Group Ltd Oy presenting the company at the Doing Business with Finland seminar in Georgetown*

*GCCI’s Nicholas Boyer presenting business opportunities in Guyana*

Guyana’s Doing Business with Finland seminar was organized in Georgetown on Wednesday 12^th of February together with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and Finnpartnership’s local partner, Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI). Altogether 40 local companies from the sectors of green economy, education, ICT and port business were present at the seminar. Two companies from Finland were present, and in addition, Finnpartnership presented 25 Finnish companies interested in Guyana. The Matchmaking table was very busy during the Matchmaking break – as a result, Finnpartnership is currently introducing dozens of local and Finnish companies to each other via email.

Finnish companies operating within the sectors of port business, green economy (incl. sustainable forestry), education or ICT and that are interested in finding business opportunities in Suriname or Guyana, are encouraged to contact Finnpartnership (kaisa.arkkila@finnpartnership.fi / hanna.viitala@finnpartnership.fi)!

*The Matchmaking table was busy at the seminar in Georgetown*

Thank you to all partners and participating companies for the events in Suriname and Guyana!