Upload
turku-science-park
View
220
Download
1
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
http://www.turkusciencepark.com/media/uploads/julkaisut/annual_review_2008.pdf
Citation preview
REVIEW 2008
2
3Contents
Turku Science Park Ltd in 2008The CEO's Review ............................................................................................................................................4A look at the main business areas Biotechnology in Turku .........................................................................................................................6 Applied ICT in Southwest Finland .........................................................................................................8
BioTurku® ......................................................................................................................................................10 CASE: All is well in HyTest ..................................................................................................................12Biocelex Ltd ...................................................................................................................................................13Applied ICT and development projects ...........................................................................................................14 CASE: A successful year for Lingsoft...................................................................................................15 CASE: Practical IT assistance for SME's ..............................................................................................16
Centre of Expertise and international activities ...............................................................................................18 CASE: Fresh fish from smart packaging ..............................................................................................19 CASE: On the tip of your tongue: What really makes a product pleasant? ............................................20 A network provides internationalisation tools ......................................................................................21Business Development...................................................................................................................................22 CASE: Rapid internationalisation for incubator company Medbase ......................................................23 CASE: Turku Science Park has its own “digital TV cluster”. Digital TV – leading edge expertise and development ........................................................................24Marketing and Communications.....................................................................................................................26 Turku Science Park in the headlines in 2008 ......................................................................................27 Turku Science Park's image and customer survey ..............................................................................28
Turku Science Park Ltd's 20th anniversary was a celebration of internationality .............................................29Real Estate ....................................................................................................................................................30 CASE: Chipset designers relocated to Turku Science Park ...................................................................30Board of Directors .........................................................................................................................................32Financial statement and balance sheet 2008 .................................................................................................33Accelerator of innovation ...............................................................................................................................34
444
The tasks of Turku Science Park include commercialising innovations gen-
erated by the local universities and institutes of higher education and pro-
moting the development and growth of highly-skilled business, especially
in the fields of biotechnology and applied ICT. During our twenty years
in the business, we have seen how in times of an economic downturn,
creativity and expertise based on a high standard of education become
more important than ever. Turku Science Park has a role to play in bridg-
ing the gap between businesses, research units and the public sector – in
translating opportunities into activities and jobs.
We assist start-up companies in launching their operations and securing
financing. During the year, our incubators fostered 8 start-ups, while 4
companies outgrew the incubator stage. The business incubator currently
shelters 26 enterprises, and in total, 180 companies that now employ ap-
prox. 1,000 technology professionals have grown from our incubators. In
2008 over EUR 4 million of capital and project financing was granted to
incubator companies.
We strive to build up co-operation networks between up-and-running
businesses and research institutes, both locally and internationally. We
offer expert services and premises for start-up and growth enterprises
in particular.
Setting up an international network of partnerships was a keynote theme
in 2008. Co-operation in the fields of development and financing with
the Karolinska Institutet, which had been launched one year prior, gath-
ered momentum. In the spring, the partnership was enhanced with an
agreement with Karolinska Development Ab. This agreement opens
up a source of financing for Finnish startups in the biomedical sector.
The practical implementation of this co-operation will be channelled
through Biocelex Ltd, a company in which Turku Science Park Ltd and
Karolinska Institutet Holding Ab are the main shareholders. Towards
the end of the year, Turku Science Park Ltd also made a strategic invest-
ment in Karolinska Development Ab’s share issue.
A co-operation agreement was concluded in summer 2008 with
Heidelberg Technology Park which, similarly to Karolinska Institutet, is
on the cutting edge of the European life sciences sector. Under this agree-
ment, joint seminars for businesses and research teams will be organised,
particularly in the field of bioimaging.
A survey of needs and expectations of companies engaged in ICT and
related fields, which total some 1,600 in Southwest Finland, was carried
out in 2008. The commercialisation of new services has begun.
The CEO’s Review
The CEO’s Review
Relinquishing the real estate shown in the company’s balance sheet in co-
operation with the City of Turku is part of the Turku Science Park’s action
plan. This plan was not fulfilled in 2008 and the underused special facili-
ties in the pharmaceutical industry building located in the BioValley area
are reflected as a financial burden to the company in the year’s profits.
The City of Turku’s investments in business services have decreased since
the year 2006, in line with a plan drafted at that time. The range of these
activities remains broad, however, and their cost-effectiveness continues
to improve. As a result of the company’s activities, investments held by
the City have paid themselves back many-fold: 4.8 times their sum was
secured in third-party financing. This is just one concrete example of how
we at Turku Science Park carry out our promise of accelerating innovative
growth.
Ilkka Kouvonen
CEO, Turku Science Park Ltd
5
666
The life sciences sector as a whole made good headway in Turku in
2008, even though the global credit crunch was reflected in the com-
panies’ business operations, especially towards the end of the year.
Bayer Schering Pharma emerged as the regional flagship of the sec-
tor. The company’s Pansio facility was preparing to commission the fourth
IUS (intrauterine system) production line, increasing the annual production
capacity of Mirena hormonal IUS’s from three to four million units. The
demand for Mirena continued strong, and sales reached EUR 462 million.
As a result of the Group’s internal arrangements, Bayer is also about to
double their tablet manufacturing capacity in Turku. Thanks to increased
demand, Bayer took on some 55 new employees, bringing the company’s
payroll in Turku up to approx. 600 at the end of 2008.
PerkinElmer Human Health (locally known as Wallac) also increased
its production in Turku, even though the company’s profit development was
undermined by the weak dollar. The Genetic Screening Unit headquartered
in Turku has reinforced its position in the Group and now produces some
three quarters of Wallac’s turnover. Wallac is the indisputable global mar-
ket leader in its field. Its market share in neonatal screening systems is
over 65%, while that of prenatal foetal screening systems exceeds 30%.
Even in today’s world, the cobbler’s children have no shoes. Although the
global market leader in screening systems is based in Finland, Finnish
babies are only screened for one disease, while their peers in neighbour-
ing countries are screened for up to 20 diseases and conditions. This is
why Wallac, in partnership with Turku University Hospital, started a more
extensive screening programme of newborns on a trial basis, donating the
screening tools to the hospital for three years.
In June, Orion inaugurated 2,000 square metres of new research facilities
in their Turku plant. Mr Timo Lappalainen, Managing Director of Orion,
explains that the company was running short of lab space, and new facili-
ties that were able to meet the latest international standards were needed
for the company’s R&D efforts. Towards the end of the year, the company
announced a renewal of its operating model as regards pharmaceutical
development and research, due to the expiry of basic patents protecting
some of the company’s most important products early in the next decade.
In practice, the company resorted to dismissals, which affected 55 of its
employees in Turku, but is holding on to unwavering faith in the strategic
competitiveness of its in-house product development and manufacturing
activities.
Profits and product development
Tangible milestones were also reached by smaller businesses and re-
search projects in the life sciences sector.
HyTest Ltd, which operates from Turku Science Park, continued its out-
standing profit development, and despite the weak dollar managed to in-
crease its turnover to over EUR 7 million. What is more, the company was
extremely lucrative, with profits amounting to nearly EUR 2.2 million.
Other SMEs, such as Biotie Therapies, BioCis Pharma and Faron Pharmaceuticals, announced major achievements in the fields of re-
search and business.
Biotechnology in Turku
A look at the main business areas
7A look at the main business areas
At the end of the year, Biotie Therapies Corp. concluded an agreement
concerning the acquisition of a German pharmaceutical research and
development company, elbion GmbH. After this merger, Biotie’s product
development portfolio will contain front line pharmaceuticals in various
phases of clinical and preclinical development. Biotie’s licensing partner,
H. Lundbeck A/S, additionally announced their intention to start three
phase III clinical trials with nalmephene in the treatment of alcohol de-
pendency. The main results of these trials are expected in the first half
of 2011.
The product development activities of BioCis Pharma Ltd, a pharmaceu-
tical development company operating in Turku Science Park’s business
incubator, advanced by leaps and bounds. In the autumn the company
started clinical patient trials with a dermatitis treatment developed by the
company in Finland. In early 2008, the first clinical trial of the therapy com-
menced with healthy volunteers. This trial proved the treatment safe and
well-tolerated, as well as significantly better at keeping irritation symp-
toms in check than a placebo. Despite the economic downturn, BioCis also
managed to boost their financing, e.g. by securing a new venture capitalist
from Sweden.
The autumn also saw Faron Pharmaceuticals Ltd, a pharmaceutical
developer, start clinical trials for patients with acute lung trauma in Great
Britain. Faron trusts that its positive development will continue and lead to
a sales license application for the drug around 2012.
Last year, five new life science companies started operating in Turku
Science Park.
New openings in research
The Commission of the European Union granted a sum exceeding EUR
900,000 to the Turku-based national PET Centre (Positron Emission Tomography) for Alzheimer’s research. The project partner in Turku is
the PET Centre, whose activities are based on an agreement between the
University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University and Turku University Hospital. Research in Alzheimer’s is a project involving 19 European re-
search centres from 15 countries under the 7th EU Framework Programme
for Research. The budget of this five-year project totals EUR 14.6 million.
In the autumn, the Technical Research Centre of Finland VTT and the
University of Turku entered into a partnership agreement aimed to intensify
research co-operation in pharmaceutical development that began in 2002.
The agreement emphasises pharmaceutical biotechnology research. The
particular aims include utilising genome data for studying the underlying
mechanism of breast and prostate cancers, and the development of new
diagnostics and therapies. The researchers of VTT and Turku University
have made a discovery of international significance helping to clarify and
give insight into the cancer mechanism.
The Turku Centre for Biotechnology TCB, an institute of the University
of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, raised its international profile as
experts of microchip technology. Agilent Technologies Inc., a leading
supplier of microchip-based genome research solutions, awarded TCB its
”Certified Service Provider” status, the first laboratory in the Nordic coun-
tries to receive this status.
Initiated by the Hospital District, the establishment of a national Brain
Trauma Centre concentrating on traumatic brain injuries is a significant
new opening. The Centre will rely on the work of a research team that
has been active in Turku for some 12 years, and it will develop imaging,
organise epidemiological follow-up and seek new therapies for the acute
treatment of brain trauma with the aim of protecting the brain or promot-
ing recovery. In addition, the centre will develop biomarkers for brain tis-
sue trauma. The Brain Trauma Centre will be operating from the facilities
of the Turku University Hospital in the new T-hospital, which also houses a
concentration of emergency medical services for Turku and the surround-
ing areas. Work with patients will begin in autumn 2011, while training
and research activities are likely to start in 2010, provided that financing
for the project will be in place.
The research units of the local universities (Turku Centre for Disease Modelling TCDM, Clinical Research Centre CRC and Biomaterials Centre BMC) have helped to disambiguate the infrastructure of research
and service activities of the sector in Turku. They now need to offer more
of the type of content and capacity that both life science businesses based
in Turku and international giants are willing to purchase. In practice, reach-
ing the targets will mean hiring full-time staff to market their research and
expertise. Making the new research units work full scale is not something
that the existing staff can do as a sideline.
The outlook for the life sciences sector as a whole remains rather posi-
tive, but as a consequence of the international financial crisis, obtaining
risk capital for venture capitalists in the sector and consequently for life
science businesses is a challenge. Long-term financing is a prerequisite
for business growth and product development in life sciences. The role of
public research funding is highlighted in balancing out the unfavourable
economic cycle.
888
In 2008, the number of branches of ICT sector companies in the
country climbed up to 1,600. Outside the capital area, the region of
Turku and Salo still comprises the most potent concentration of ICT
sector expertise in Finland. The hub of science and research is in
Turku Science Park.
However, the effects of the looming recession were also reflected in the
ICT sector. In November, Nokia Corp. announced the closure of their
Turku unit with 220 employees. The majority of these employees moved
on to work in Salo, however, and as a result there was no essential change
in the situation in Southwest Finland. On the other hand, it was good news
for Turku when STMicroelectronics R&D Ltd, a subsidiary of one of the
largest microelectronics application developers globally (the mother com-
pany is currently known as ST-Ericsson Ltd) located its R&D activities in
Turku Science Park in the spring.
The profile of the ICT sector in the region was also raised by the FinLab cluster, led by the DTV Group in Turku University’s Department of
Information Technology, which is committed to promoting the techno-
logical development of the sector in Finland. This project, amounting to
some EUR 5.2 million was launched in autumn 2008, and it proceeds
in close-knit partnership with companies, Strategic Centres for Science,
Applied ICT in Southwest Finland
8 A look at the main business areas
9A look at the main business areas
Technology and Innovation, Centres of Expertise and regional development
organisations.
New markets and capital injections
A number of companies in the region released news of globalisation
projects and new capital injections. The Salo-based Nordic ID, a leading
manufacturer of handheld computers with UHF RFID readers in Europe, an-
nounced the expansion of their activities into Russia. Axel Technologies Oy, which specialises in wireless television technology in Turku, acquired
an agent in the growing market in Hong Kong. In addition, the company
raked in a capital injection totalling EUR 2.4 million. Turku-based IT Mill Ltd also secured an equity investment with Michael ”Monty” Widenius
joining the company as a new shareholder. Widenius is particularly well-
known as the founder of MySQL, a company that was sold to the American
Sun Microsystems for USD 1 billion in January 2008.
In the autumn, the language technology company Lingsoft Inc. an-
nounced a significant translation services contract with the Parliament
of the European Union. The ”One-Hour Words” platform developed by
Lingsoft also won the Edelcrantz Challenge innovation award conferred
by the Foundation for New Technology.
Lingsoft has also been involved in the Louhi project as an active partner.
This health care and wellbeing technology project seeks tools suitable
for analysing the contents of text format data, such as patient documen-
tation. The project culminated in the establishment of a consortium for
information and language technology for health information and communication (IKITIK), which aims at implementing commercialis-
able, industry grade applications for the health care sector in particular.
Sanako Corp., which specialises in developing learning technology, con-
tinued its conquest of the world. In November, the company announced
the opening of new offices in Beijing, China. Over 95% of the company’s
products are exported to destinations in Europe, Canada, Peru, Russia,
China, Libya and Kuwait. Similar to Lingsoft Inc., Sanako Corp. works in
close co-operation with Microsoft Corporation and has achieved the
highest level (Gold Certified Partner) possible in Microsoft’s partner pro-
gramme.
Miratel Oy, a company specialising in health care sector communication
and alarm systems, also has strong growth in global markets in its sights.
The company launched a EUR 1.8 million globalisation project partly fi-
nanced by the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation,
Tekes. Miratel aims at a four-fold turnover and two-fold number of em-
ployees by 2015.
Technological expertise from Turku has also made its mark in the Finnish
Parliament, where a public address system supplied by Audico Systems Ltd was introduced in the beginning of the autumn session. The company,
which is the market leader in Finland, develops, plans and manufactures
public address, voice evacuation and information systems.
Turku Science Park Ltd together with its partners has been actively in-
volved in information society development at the national level. The target
of extending fast broadband connections to all areas of the country was
published by the Minister of Communications, Suvi Lindén, in the spring.
The broadband working group put together by the Regional Council of
Southwest Finland and Turku Science Park Ltd has contributed to achiev-
ing this target.
The local universities have played an active role in the setting up of
Strategic Centres for Science, Technology and Innovation (SCSTI’s).
In February 2008, Tivit Ltd was established as the active operator in
the ICT cluster. The regional shareholders in Tivit Ltd are Åbo Akademi University and Turku Science Park Ltd. A partnership agreement be-
tween Turku University of Applied Sciences with Turku Centre for Computer Science (TUCS), which is vital in terms of research, proceed-
ed to the approvals stage.
The area hosted many international scientific conferences in the sector,
one of the largest being Compsac 2008, which brought together 490 spe-
cialists from scientific communities and companies representing 40 dif-
ferent countries. Other significant international gatherings included the ICT
sector Turku-Vietnam co-operation seminar “Emerging Tiger - Business
Opportunities in Vietnam”.
The Information Processing Association in Southwest Finland
(VSTKY) continued as the key third-sector partner to the industry after
41 years of work in this area. The Association organised 12 co-operation
events on various levels relevant to topical phenomena in the sector, such
as supervision in the information society.
Despite the effects of the economic downturn, the region offers strong
potential for growth in business and research activities. To make full use
of this potential, it is vital to reach a balance between business needs
and the opportunity for education and training. The companies and re-
search institutes in the region also need to connect better than they have
in the past. This is the challenge that Turku Science Park Ltd will rise to
in 2009.
10
In 2008, BioTurku® focused on supporting regional projects, promo-
ting co-operation between the life sciences and other industries and
improving the business environment of companies.
New centres made headway
Turku Bioimaging, a multidisciplinary working community of bioima-
ging research and teaching that was established by researchers in the
University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, makes efficient use of the
new imaging technologies in everything from basic research to clinical
trials. The Commission of the European Union granted EUR 900,000 to the
national PET Centre, as jointly established by the University of Turku, Åbo
Akademi University and Turku University Hospital, for Alzheimer’s research.
This project aims at examining the use of nanoparticles in the diagnostics
and treatment of the disease. As a marketing tool, BioTurku produced a
brochure showcasing the versatile imaging expertise in the region.
To support the commercialisation and sale of services of Turku University’s Centre for Disease Modelling, BioTurku assisted the
Centre in producing its marketing brochures and mapping tools of opti-
cal imaging. To broadcast the expert knowledge of the organic chemistry
scientists in the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, a busi-
ness seminar was organised and marketing material produced.
In the autumn, BioTurku supported the drafting of a business plan for
the National Brain Trauma Centre launched by the Hospital District of Southwest Finland. The aim is to set up a centre focusing on the
treatment of and research in traumatic brain injuries that will be unique
in Europe. BioTurku also funded the creation of an operating model for
the joint Clinical Research Centre CRC of the Hospital District and
University of Turku.
BioTurku®
10 BioTurku®
11
started between Turku Science Park Ltd and Karolinska Institutet. In
practice, this co-operation in seeking out target companies will be imple-
mented in particular by Biocelex Ltd, a joint venture of Turku Science
Park Ltd and Karolinska Institutets Holding Ab.
Through ScanBalt, a life sciences co-operation network active on the
Baltic rim, BioTurku has been involved in starting international Masters’
and Doctoral programmes.
Turku Science Park Ltd also coordinates the national HealthBIO, a Centre
of Expertise Programme for the Biotech Competence Cluster. Under the
auspices of HealthBIO, a two-day annual seminar was held in the area,
probably ranking as the largest event of the year in Finland bringing life
science companies together. The most important activities of HealthBIO
included active international promotion of the Finnish biotech competen-
ce, efforts to set up a national network of clinical trials, as well as the
Pharmaceutical Gateway China – Finland/Europe project that looks
for new market openings and co-operation opportunities in China.
BioTurku®
Cross-sectoral co-operation
BioTurku and the Functional Foods Forum of the University of Turku
together strove to promote interdisciplinary co-operation between actors
in the pharmaceutical sector and food industry. The ”Food, host & defen-
ce” seminar in late winter and the Functional Foods seminar in the spring
attracted nearly 200 participants.
The profile of systems biology expertise in the region of Turku was raised
by taking part in the organisation of four interdisciplinary IT seminars
(Informatics in Biotechnology, the NEXT 2008 conference, closing seminar
of the Louhi project and the Bioinformatics Forum).
The cancer forum held late in 2008 sought a new type of patient-oriented
approach. This seminar, titled ”From targets and research to cancer treat-
ment”, counted not only researchers but also businesses among its par-
ticipants and, unusually, the targeting of cancer research and treatment
was examined from the perspective of patient needs. Ideas generated in
this seminar will be implemented during 2009.
Promoting international business
BioTurku took part in the world’s foremost life sciences event, BIO2008
held in the USA, once again as part of a joint Scandinavian pavilion. This
annual event is the most important one in the sector, with over 20,000
participants. The BioTurku concept and expertise of the cluster at large
were promoted not only at the stand but also by approaching potential
investors and customers directly. BioTurku also took part in partnering
events held in Copenhagen and Heidelberg in 2008. As a result of active
customer solicitation, two large companies – Merck and Eli Lilly – were
persuaded to visit Turku to vet the companies and scientific expertise in
the region. Additionally, BioTurku received delegations from Italy, France
and South Africa who were interested in the service range of businesses
and research units in our area, as well as in co-operation projects with
companies and scientists in their own countries.
BioTurku was responsible for coordinating a large-scale globalisation
project of the Finnish life science and pharmaceuticals services sector.
This project, which was financed by the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, Tekes, has essentially helped service
companies in the sector to develop their international activities and sales,
also in Turku. The final seminar took place in Turku in the spring. With its
major impact on the companies’ business activities, this event attracted
high visibility in the media.
Tailored coaching for businesses and research units in the area was based
on verified needs and unit demand. It concentrated on securing financing
and promoting internationalisation. Participants in this two-part internatio-
nal partnering and presentation coaching course mainly included compa-
nies, with life science researchers in training relevant to EU projects.
International co-operation between biocentres took major steps forward.
In the summer, Turku Science Park Ltd and the German Technologiepark Heidelberg GmbH concluded a co-operation agreement focusing on
biotechnology which aims at an exchange of information with a view to
commercialising scientific innovations and the internationalisation of new
enterprises in the business incubator.
Towards the end of the year, Turku Science Park Ltd made an invest-
ment amounting to approx. EUR 2 million in the Swedish Karolinska Development fund, which makes equity investments in life science sec-
tor start-ups. This investment further solidifies the strategic co-operation
12
CASE: All is well in HyTest
Located in Turku Science Park, HyTest Ltd is one of the world’s lead-
ing suppliers of raw materials for the diagnostics industry. Its prod-
ucts are sold to 41 countries on six continents.
HyTest Ltd, which is based in Turku and Moscow, produces monoclonal
antibodies and antigens for diagnostics industry raw materials, mainly to
be used as key components in laboratory tests of various types. The com-
pany has become the international market leader as a manufacturer of
certain immunological reagents, such as cardiac markers and influenza
antibodies. The primary customers of HyTest include diagnostics sector
manufacturing companies and international research teams.
A history of 15 years
“In the early days, the establishment of our company was based on co-op-
eration between the Universities of Turku and Moscow, and this academic
co-operation remains important for our activities today. Aboatech Oy, an
enterprise set up to commercialise the University’s research outcomes op-
erational in the early phases of Turku Science Park’s development, played
an important role in launching the company in 1994. Consequently, we
have continued to operate in the area of Turku Science Park, going through
nearly all technology buildings from BioCity via EuroCity and PharmaCity
to the current Intelligate building,” explains HyTest Sales Manager Jukka Lehikoinen.
HyTest currently employs 30 people, one half of whom are in Moscow. The
management, sales and marketing activities of the company, as well as
part of product development and production are located in Turku, while the
other part of production and product development activities is in Moscow.
“The research personnel of an extremely high standard available in
Moscow has been a major advantage for us. Scientific research and pub-
lishing its results in esteemed forums has gone hand in hand with product
development in our company,” says Lehikoinen.
In recent years, HyTest has further increased its patent portfolio and dra-
matically expanded its product range e.g. into influenza diagnostics. It has
now emerged as one of the leading suppliers of influenza antibodies in the
world. In product development, the strongest investments continue to be
channelled to the company’s forte, diagnostics of cardiac insufficiency.
HyTest in 2008
HyTest’s turnover for the tax year closing at the end of October was
EUR 7.4 million, showing a growth of 19% on the previous year. Profits
amounted to nearly EUR 2.2 million, and the share of exports in the sales
was 97%. The United States remains the company’s largest individual
market with 58% of sales. Other important market areas include the EU
countries (Germany 5%, Great Britain 10%, France 4% and Finland 3%)
and Asia (Japan 4% and Korea 3%).
HyTest has maintained a sound level of profitability despite its strong
investments in product development and the management of customer
processes: the operating profit percentage was 29%. Thanks to its high
profitability, HyTest has been able to continuously expand its activities as
supported by cash flow financing.
www.hytest.fi
12 BioTurku®
For more information please contact:
Turku Science Park Ltd / BioTurku Department, Director Tero Piispanen, Tel: +358 (0)40 078 1683
13
Biocelex Ltd was established in July 2007 and started operation on 1st
September 2007. At the end of the year, the company’s shareholders in-
cluded Turku Science Park Ltd (59%), Karolinska Institutet Holding AB
(25%), Turun Seudun Osuuspankki (10%) and company management
(6%).
Since starting its operations, the company has focused on establishing
itself. The foundation of the company’s business consists of seeking out
innovations in Finland, selling business development services and, for
the next three years, coordination of the Pharma programme for the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, Tekes. At
the end of the tax year, the company had 3 employees.
Development of innovations
The innovation development activities are comprised of finding ideas and
potential innovations in the life sciences sector in Southwest Finland and
the whole country, preliminary assessment of their commercialisation po-
tential as well as putting forward potential innovations for the evaluation
process of the Karolinska Institutet.
In its own nationwide activities in Finland, Biocelex Ltd applies Karolins-ka Institutet Innovations AB’s innovation development model. This
model has been modified to be suitable for the Finnish life science sector,
and during the operating year, the model has been efficiently implemented
among potential innovation actors.
During the year, Biocelex Ltd concluded a partnership agreement to seek
out innovations with the Karolinska Development AB Fund (“Turku Deal
Flow Agreement”).
Business development services
Aspects of business development include strategic planning, commerciali-
sation, internationalisation and the financing process. Biocelex Ltd mainly
sells business development services to Finnish actors in the life sciences
sector. Potential customers include companies in the early development
and growth phase, in addition to more established and larger players in
the field.
www.biocelex.fi
For more information please contact:
Biocelex Ltd, CEO Kai Lahtonen, Tel. +358 (0) 50 689 48
Biocelex Ltd
Biocelex Ltd 13
1414
Analysis and planning efforts in early 2008 led to a refocusing of
Turku Science Park Ltd’s work targeting the ICT industry. In a survey
of the current situation in the sector, ICT businesses and researchers
were asked their perspective regarding their development needs and
intercompany activities. This survey was conducted in co-operation
with Salo region.
In Turku, ICT has close associations with health care and wellbeing, bio-
technology, speech and language technology and the marine and metal
industries. These sectors can boast outstanding expertise and a high
standard of education and training. Before the recession, availability of
labour was a factor limiting enterprise growth.
The survey revealed that companies would like support from high-quality
experts in their internationalisation and product development activities. In
order to take up this challenge, as well as the financing needs of compa-
nies in the ICT sector, Turku Science Park Ltd together with an experienced
team of experts launched the preparatory work for a new business devel-
opment company that would operate on a commercial basis.
The businesses hoped for external financing and specialist support in order
to develop their activities. In addition to financing directed at R&D, support
is needed in business development and internationalisation. As a result
of the spring 2008 survey, potential R&D projects emerged, and a result-
ing project that promotes data management in the marine cluster has
already been launched. This has strong links to the Southwest Finland Information Society Programme implemented under the leadership of
the Regional Council of Southwest Finland and Turku Science Park
Ltd. The implementation of this programme was based on preparing de-
velopment projects and influencing national broadband policies.
Applied ICT and development projects
Applied ICT and development projects
15Applied ICT and development projects
Lingsoft Inc. is an international, full-service language company,
whose product range includes translations and glossaries, writing
and reading tools, search services, text mining, teaching and speech
applications, as well as eBooks. Lingsoft has reaped success in EU
bidding competitions and domestic innovation awards alike. The
company is actively involved in the Science Park ICT cluster and has
branches in Turku, Helsinki and Kouvola.
From Agricola to the mobile book
Lingsoft Inc.’s ”One-Hour Words” publication platform was the winner
in the Edelcrantz Challenge 2008 innovation awards. The award was
granted by the Foundation for New Technology under the theme of
“Novel technical solutions to improve access to cultural services.” The
multi-channel One-Hour Words is a publication tool that meets the criteria
of modern communication by combining the management of electronic
data, mobility and user-friendliness.
The One-Hour Words platform puts together integrated marketing of con-
tent and the advantages of printed and electronic publication. Under this
concept, the same content can be published as a small printed booklet,
an eBook available online and a mobile book that can be downloaded to a
mobile phone. Lingsoft can also rapidly produce an audio book as synthe-
tic speech from the same material. No wonder Lingsoft’s application has
been used to combine these two worlds and to celebrate new technology
in the anniversary year of Mikael Agricola, the creator of Finnish stan-
dard language.
The EU into Finnish
Lingsoft has established its position as a supplier of translations for the
EU and public administration. In the summer, the company was awarded
a 4-year translation service contract with the EU Parliament at an es-
timated value of EUR 3.9 million. This contract covers translation servi-
ces from 16 official languages of the European Union into Finnish. These
services concern the translation, editing and proofreading of documents
pertaining to the activities of the Parliament and other European Union in-
stitutions. Additionally, Lingsoft continued its co-operation with Microsoft Corporation by producing a Greenlandic proofreader for the Office soft-
ware.
“We have contracts for translation services with the European Commission,
the Translation Centre of the European Union institutions and several
Ministries and agencies in Finland. Our EU proofreader and our new, effi-
cient project management system contribute to the successful manage-
ment of these two key customerships,” says Lingsoft’s Managing Director,
Juhani Reiman.
www.lingsoft.fi
After the applications designed for Agricola’s anniversary year celebra-
tions, Lingsoft published an example glossary entitled ”Turku in One Hour
– a guide to being a local” as part of their One-Hour Words series.
CASE: A successful year for Lingsoft
The reporting year saw the establishment of a consortium for informa-tion and language technology (IKITIK) aiming to make Turku the lead-
ing actor in pharmaceutical and nursing related language technology by
2015. In the field of health care and wellbeing technology, the three-year
Tekes projects Management of Medication Information and Louhi were concluded, and as a new initiative, the MyWellbeing project was
set up, which aims at empowering citizens as customers of wellbeing
services.
For more than 10 years now, Turku Science Park Ltd has directed and im-
plemented R&D projects funded under the European Union Framework Programmes for Research. The successfully concluded Connect project, the value of which was EUR 3.2 million, was a continuation of
this work. This project set out to improve the user safety of mobile applica-
tions. Turku Science Park Ltd coordinated this project, the participants of
which included TeleAtlas, Siemens, Mawell Oy and Telecom Italia.
Inspired by the positive results of previous years, work to improve the IT
capacities of SME’s continued. The eLive project will provide consulta-
tion and assistance in making better use of information systems to 200
SME’s in Southwest Finland. The majority of the costs incurred will be
covered by European Union funding.
Despite reduced operating resources, a number of new initiatives came up
in 2008. Based on feedback from companies in the area, services will be
concentrated around the themes regarded as most important.
16
In the Enterprise ICT development project, 140 SME’s received assis-
tance and recommendations to help them develop the IT aspects of
their operations. This service was coordinated in Turku Science Park
Ltd under the leadership of Kalle Luhtinen.
The preliminary survey LogOn Turus conducted by the Turku School of
Economics revealed that the majority of SME’s make little or no use of in-
formation technology in their business operations. It was thus established
that the SME’s have a genuine need for assistance in integrating infor-
mation technology and business. Once Turku Science Park Ltd became
a member in the national electronic business development network
(eLive), the best practices from other parts of the country could also be
applied in Southwest Finland.
Suggested improvements for each company
Following a bidding competition, five consultants were selected to provide
the Enterprise ICT services. The service, which included one day of the
consultant’s time, consisted of a survey of the company’s hardware and
software and an analysis of what these were used for. Particular attention
was focused on the interfaces of information technology and business
activities and on how the information technology served employees in
their everyday work processes.
Based on these observations, the consultant drew up a report containing
suggested improvements in the use of IT in the company. An essential
feature was that the development targets were tailored to each individual
company, after which they were discussed with the entrepreneur in order
to eliminate any ambiguity. The areas to develop were varied: they in-
cluded wireless solutions, information security, management of customer
data, electronic invoicing, websites, and hardware and software procu-
rements.
Public funding made the consultant services accessible to even the
smallest enterprises, as the price paid by the company for the package
was as little as EUR 100. A total of 140 companies in a variety of sectors
took up the service. The Enterprise ICT project was funded by the EU, the
City of Turku, the Regional Centre Programme, the Centre of Expertise
Programme and Turun Seudun Osuuspankki, a local bank.
Further assistance on the wish list
Feedback from the businesses that received consultant services showed
that overall they were highly satisfied with the IT assistance. Many of them
wished, however, for further consultations and a more in-depth analysis of
the problems. In other words, companies still experience a need to make
better use of IT, and encouraged by the positive feedback, two similar ser-
CASE: Practical IT assistance for SME’s
vices targeting SME’s were launched in the beginning of 2009: eLive and
the ICT gateway, which was later commercialised as TUTKA™. In both
of these projects, Turku Science Park Ltd has enlisted the co-operation the
University of Turku and the Turku University of Applied Sciences, among
others.
Acentra and Lingsoft as examples
The Enterprise ICT project sparked a co-operation project between Acentra Oy, an enterprise offering software services, and Lingsoft Inc., a supplier of language technology services. It started with Acentra sur-
veying the status and problems of Lingsoft Inc.’s operative systems and
offering their suggestions concerning the automation of cross-system bu-
siness processes.
In the next phase, Acentra was involved in developing the automation
of the eBook publication process of Ellibs Ltd, a subsidiary of Lingsoft
Inc. Subsequently, Acentra and Lingsoft continued their co-operation in
product development. Acentra has been involved in building a SaaS lan-
guage service platform for Lingsoft’s language technology products. This
co-operation continues further, and its spin-offs include a number of sub-
projects and product ideas.
Applied ICT and development projects
For more information please contact: Turku Science Park Ltd / Applied ICT and development projects, Director Sirpa Simola, Tel: +358 (0) 50 557 0031
1717Applied ICT and development projects
TUTKATM – ensuring continuity
The TUTKATM service brings to daylight information system prob-
lems and ensures the continuity of enterprises. The ensuing report
highlights any risks and bottlenecks in the activities and gives the
entrepreneur a minimum of three recommendations on how to
make the business more efficient. The cost of this service to the
company is no more than EUR 200, as the EU pays the rest, and
Turku Science Park Ltd handles the associated bureaucracy.
18 Centre of Expertise
Southwest Finland Centre of Expertise
The Centre of Expertise Programme in Southwest Finland is one of
the key elements in implementing the expertise and industrial strategy of
the region and the City of Turku. The total budget of this programme cover-
ing five sectors exceeded EUR 2 million last year.
Following a Government decision in 2006, the fields of expertise in
Southwest Finland make up a total of 5 clusters. Turku Science Park Ltd
bears the regional responsibility for the relevant activities.
The main actor in the HealthBIO cluster is Turku Science Park Ltd, which
also is responsible for national coordination. The national coordination
and regional activities of the Maritime cluster are ensured by Machine Technology Centre Turku. The responsibility for leading the Tourism and Experience Management cluster is assumed by the Town of
Rovaniemi, while the regional actor is Turku Touring. The expertise of the
Food Development cluster focuses in the Functional Foods Forum in the University of Turku, with overall coordination ensured by Seinäjoki.
In the Forest Industry Future cluster, Turku Science Park is responsible
for new materials and printing surfaces. The coordination of this cluster is
managed from Lappeenranta.
In a national evaluation of activities in 2008 and plans for 2009, the
projects of the region were highly successful. The most positive feedback
from the Ministry of Employment and the Economy concerning the devel-
opment of activities in the area was received by the Food Development
and Tourism clusters. The HealthBIO network has traditionally been one
of the best performers in the country. Thanks to the shipyard and its hun-
dreds of subcontractors, the Maritime cluster remains highly important
regionally. The regional activities of the Forest Industry Future cluster lean
on the convincing research expertise of the universities. Materials, new
printing surfaces and smart packaging applications will soon be part of
our everyday lives.
As to the future of the Centre of Expertise Programme, a strong mandate
and the projected financial resources were granted for it by the Ministry
in 2008.
International activities
In international activities, the COFISA programme (Cooperative
Framework on Innovation Systems between Finland and South Africa) also
continues to play a major role. The role of Turku Science Park Ltd is high-
lighted in the last period of this programme ending in 2009. A survey was
conducted on applying the Centre of Expertise Programme in the Cape
Town area, where industries and research units focus not only on bio-
technology and medical expertise, but also on ICT applications and boat
building.
In the annual congress of the International Association of Science Parks (IASP) in Johannesburg, reports were heard on the implementati-
on and possibilities of the Centre of Expertise Programme on the African
continent.
Based on these reports, a South African application of the Centre of
Expertise Programme titled the ”Activator” was launched in the capital
area of the Republic of South Africa (Pretoria-Johannesburg).
As regards new EU member states, co-operation was established in par-
ticular with Slovakia. A number of seminars and events were organised in
Bratislava, in which the Finnish national innovation programme and the
know-how of the company were presented. These activities created plen-
ty of publicity in the Euractive website of the European Union and in the
Eastern European media.
The company’s life science profile was improved with a co-operation ag-
reement concluded with Heidelberg Technologiepark, and negotiations
were initiated on contract-based expansion of international activities with
the Dutch.
The company’s own international connections were supported by the
launching of Enterprise Europe, a network of networks administrated by
the European Union, which contains the contact details of more than 6,000
innovation developers all over Europe.
Centre of Expertise and international activities
Saarinen: Co-operation key to Finland’s innovation excellence Published: Wednesday 30 January 2008
Niilo Tapani Saarinen is the vice-president
of the Science & Technology Park in Tur-
ku, Finland. He was interviewed by Mano Strauch of EurActiv
Slovakia.
A special research and innovation co-operation model bringing
together the government, companies and universities as well
as some 30 science parks serving as the interface between in-
dustry and universities are the main reasons behind Finland’s ex-
cellent track record on science and innovation, argues a repre-
sentative of one of the science parks
http://www.euractiv.com/en/science/saarinen-operation-key-finland-innovation-excellence/article-169953
19
CASE: Fresh fish from smart packaging
The product range of our forest industry already includes many types of
packaging and labels, but their degree of processing can be improved, for
example by developing the materials and equipping the packaging with
many types of ’intelligence’. The actors of the Forest Industry Future and Food Development clusters, which are part of the Southwest Finland Centre of Expertise Programme, brought together seafood
dealers and scientific experts to discuss indicators of freshness and the
opportunities for smart packaging in fish products. Inspired by the event,
preparations started for a pilot project.
Logistic chain vital for fish products
As a food that spoils easily, great care should be taken to ensure that fish
is stored at a temperature below +3 °C throughout the entire production
chain, from the fisherman to the consumer. This is necessary to stop harm-
ful bacteria and other micro-organisms from propagating. Maintaining the
cold chain is critical for the microbiological quality of fish products, alt-
hough it is the weakest link in the logistic chain. Freshness indicators in
the packaging would enable product quality monitoring during all stages
of transport, in the shop and even at home in the consumer’s fridge.
What can be done, what is worth doing
Freshness indicators could be devised by with radio frequency remote
identification (RFID) technology, optical package guards or other sensors,
for example.
Large wholesale batches could support the slightly higher unit cost of a
shelf life guard, but the devices designed for individual consumer packa-
ges would need to be very inexpensive. On the other hand, the consumer
is likely to be willing to pay for a smart package if the benefits are readily
apparent.
It is possible to create an optical package guard by printing a sensor on
the surface of the film or paper. In practice, the guard could for example be
a sticker on the surface of the package that changes colour as it detects
a change in the quantity it measures. The package guard would be useful
not only for the consumer but also the retail outlet, making it easier to
monitor the quality of the products they sell.
A joint research project
In addition to scientists and developers, 14 representatives of the fish
industry took part in the discussion and brainstorming event, including
representatives from outside Southwest Finland. The ensuing discussions
were extremely lively and productive. The event also reached its objec-
tives in the sense that a consortium of three companies and research
parties has since started developing a joint pilot project plan.
The event was organised in co-operation with the Forest Industry Future
and Food Development clusters, which are part of the Centre of Expertise
Programme. The Game and Fisheries Research Institute, Åbo Akademi University’s Centre for Functional Materials, University of Turku’s Functional Foods Forum, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, the Association of Packaging Technology and Research
and the Pro Fish Association all lent their expertise to the planning of
the event.
19Centre of Expertise
20 Centre of Expertise
Preference mapping is a tool for accurately detecting which sensory pro-
perties of foods have the strongest impact on consumer preferences, as
based on scientific evidence. Is it the texture of the product in your mouth,
its sweetness or perhaps the colour that clinches it?
The product development departments no longer need to settle for
consumer comments like ”this tastes bad” or ”I prefer the other one”.
Professionally mapped differences in preferences help to target product
development more accurately, with reliable information on which proper-
ties of the product need to be developed and in which direction.
Commercialised by the Centre of Expertise
The Functional Foods Forum (FFF), which operates as a separate unit
of the University of Turku, and Foodwest Ltd based in Seinäjoki have
commercialised Preference Mapping. The service they offer combines
product property profiles produced by a trained panel, and consumer
preferences determined by consumer testing. The expertise in statistical
analysis and the training of panels and evaluations are provided by the
FFF, and the consumer testing by Foodwest Ltd. Both are actors in the
Food Development cluster that is part of the Centre of Expertise Programme.
“We are transferring cutting-edge expertise from the University to busi-
nesses. Preference mapping is a clearly customer-oriented research ser-
vice product, which meets the market research needs of the food industry
companies. The service is ideal for many situations, as it can be applied to
the analysis of the existing product range and product development ver-
sions, and these can be compared to competing products. The results may
also generate ideas for new products,” says Coordinator Saara Lundén.
http://fff.utu.fiwww.elintarvikekehitys.fiwww.oske.net
For more information please contact: Turku Science Park Ltd / Centre of Expertise and International activities, Director N.Tapani Saarinen, Tel: +358 (0)40 052 5308
20
CASE: On the tip of your tongue:What really makes a product pleasant?
21
CASE: A network provides internationalisation tools
Centre of Expertise
Turku Science Park Ltd is active in the Enterprise Europe Network,
the largest network providing expertise and services to businesses in
Europe.
The Enterprise Europe Network helps SME’s in the various stages of EU
internal market, internationalisation and technology transfer projects. The
network also provides information on the EU Framework Programme for Research. The network offers its services to SME’s free of charge on
the one-stop-shop principle.
This network of experts supported by the European Commission ope-
rates in more than 40 countries, some outside EU borders. The members
of the network comprise over 600 organisations with more than 4,000
experienced specialists who can help enterprises find new business
opportunities. The activities of this network are part of the Framework Programme for Competitiveness and Innovation.
The Finnish national network has eight partners, one of which is Turku
Science Park Ltd. The role of administrative co-ordinator is assumed by
the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, and the services of the net-
work are divided into three parts: advisory services, technology services
and disseminating information on EU programmes.
Turku Science Park Ltd has assisted businesses, universities and research
institutes in finding suitable partners for international technology transfer
projects, as well as organised business contact events and visits to vario-
us European countries.
While this network and its predecessors have been in operation, Turku
Science Park Ltd has got more than 20 technology transfer projects up and
running in the sectors of biotechnology, IT, space and security technology.
For example, Turku Science Park Oy and the network helped Planmed Oy, manufacturer of mammography equipment, get in touch with Oxford Instruments Analytical Ltd, which produces new X-ray detectors. This
company together with the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
provided Planmed Oy with a product development partner for creating new
technical solutions.
www.yrityssuomi.fi/yrityseurooppa
22
Turku Science Park’s Business Development is tasked with developing
new growth enterprises based on expertise and technology. The services
include the evaluation of new business plans, pre-incubator services pre-
paratory to business start-up and incubator services for the early stages
of the enterprise. The range of services offered by Turku Science Park’s
Business Development include premises and front desk services in two
incubator units: the BioIncubator and DIO Business Centre.
In 2008, 44 business ideas as potential new incubator companies were
assessed. The number of new pre-incubator projects launched was 14, of
which 7 were in the ICT, 4 in the life sciences and 3 in other sectors.
A total of 8 new incubator companies were started, of which 3 in the ICT,
3 in life sciences and 2 in other fields, while 4 businesses grew out from
the incubator stage. During the year, the incubator fostered a total of 26
start-ups.
Securing financing, successful product development and opening up
markets are some of the key objectives in the incubator stage. In these
respects, the incubator companies showed a positive development. More
than Eur 4 million of outside financing was obtained, of which approx. Eur
1.2 million were capital injections on equity terms to 5 companies.
The incubator stage companies produced a turnover of nearly Eur 5 million
and created 80 jobs. Co-operation with the local universities plays a sig-
nificant role in business incubator activities. The TULI project (business from research), which started at the end of 2007, continued seeking and
refining ideas from the academic circles throughout the year. The out-
comes of these activities include the progress of 6 ideas originating from
Business Development
Business Development22
23
research into the pre-incubator stage and the start-up of one incubator
company.
Businesses thrive on networking. Key partners include other providers of
expert services, public and private finance providers, such as venture ca-
pitalists, other technology centres, universities and universities of applied
sciences as well as public parties providing business services.
The activities in 2008 included the administration of Finnish Funding
Agency for Technology and Innovation, Tekes’ Yrke business develop-
ment funds earmarked for third-party expert services purchased for incu-
bator companies, regional coordination of the Venture Cup business plan
competition and FinproLink co-operation supporting the internationa-
lisation of businesses. Business incubator activities were funded by the
Turku Region Development Centre and Tekes.
The products of MedBase Ltd, one of Turku Science Park’s incubator
companies, have essentially conquered the Finnish market, and ne-
gotiations on the first international partnership agreements are well
under way.
Medbase Ltd, which has its offices in Turku city centre, was established
by experts of pharmacotherapeutics, and produces medical databases for
health care professionals. Versions intended for the general public are also
under way.
“The flagship of our products, the SFINX drug-drug interaction database,
has been sold to almost every possible customer in Finland. We now have
to reach out to the international market, and this is where the business
incubator is providing us with significant assistance,” says Mr Kari Laine,
the Managing Director and main shareholder of the company.
With support from the business incubator, Medbase has e.g. commissio-
ned market surveys in Central and Eastern European countries and suc-
cessfully obtained financing for these surveys.
Widening product range
The SFINX database providing information on drug-drug interaction was
originally developed in English, which is why it will be easy to localise for
new markets.
“Introducing a new linguistic area will perhaps take a few person months.
The range of drugs in use naturally varies slightly from one country to
another, which also needs to be taken in consideration,” says Laine.
Business Development
CASE: Rapid internationalisation forincubator company Medbase
In addition to SFINX, Medbase’s product range also includes the Gravbase
and Lactbase databases, which contain comprehensive information on the
safety of drugs during pregnancy and breast-feeding. New databases are
constantly being developed, and a support database that takes into ac-
count such matters as the effects of kidney insufficiency on drug dosage
will soon be available.
In addition to in-house expertise, the company works with a number of
Finnish and overseas partners e.g. in Helsinki and Stockholm, ensuring
high quality medical content and frequent and regular updates.
Expert owners
The owners of Medbase Ltd are two professionals of pharmacothera-
peutics, who also work in the company.
“The ownership base is ideal for us. We know what we produce and sell,”
explains Laine.
“We have even developed some of the software needed for producing da-
tabases ourselves, while some of this work has been outsourced to IT pro-
fessionals. In internationalisation, it will similarly be crucial for us to find
a partner in the target country that already has contacts with health care
professionals specifically, rather than the general IT product market.”
“At the moment, we have three part-time employees in addition to the
owners working in the company, and I am sure more will be needed in
the future,” he adds.
www.medbase.fi
Business Development
24 Business Development
Finland was the first country in Europe to introduce a digital TV broad-
casting network, which accelerated the development and testing of
new technical solutions here. Turku Science Park’s business incuba-
tor has turned out at least four high-tech companies in the digital TV
sector. These companies profit not only from the coaching offered by
the incubator but also from close-knit mutual co-operation.
The field of enterprising is in a continuous state of flux. The patterns are
changing: mergers and outsourcing, new openings and back-to-basics
solutions abound. The concentration of digital TV expertise in the region
derives its origins not only from graduates from the local universities but
also the industrial history of Southwest Finland: the CV’s of many experts
boast the names of former employers like Finlux and Nokia.
Digialist develops package solutions and encryption systems
Digialist Ltd located in the Turku High Tech Centre building employs
nine full-time and three to four part-time experts.
-“We all have a minimum of 10 years of experience in the field, and
we know our TV technology inside out,” says Managing Director Pasi Vänttinen.
Digialist designs and develops turnkey solutions for digital TV devices and
tests hardware and software. It supplies solutions for satellite, aerial and
cable based systems as well as for Internet devices. The company’s custo-
mers include operators and large Korean and Chinese manufactures, and
in the domestic market, Finnsat. Key product development partners are
the Norwegian Conax, French Thomson and multinational ST-Ericsson.
In addition to hardware and software, Digialist develops and supplies en-
cryption systems.
”In September 2008, we released a solution combining Conax’s Chipset
Pairing technology and Thomson’s NexGuard watermark technology,
enabling the protection and ”stamping” of digital material contents. This
way the contents can be secured and legally valid proof offered in case of
illegal copies, thus preventing their spreading. This innovation has meant
plenty of visibility and new contacts for us,” Pasi Vänttinen explains with
satisfaction.
www.digialist.com
Turku Science Park has its own ”digital TV cluster”
Digital TV – leading expertise and development
24
The existence of a mobile DVB-H network in Turku Science Park
and its vicinity encourages the testing of new applications.
Local higher education institutions have been involved in the set-
ting up and management of this network together with Nokia,
Digita and many other companies.
For more information on making use of this network, please contact
the DTV Group of the Turku University’s Department of Information
Technology, where some thirty students and scientists are enga-
ged in research on wireless data communication systems under
various projects.
25
Interactive Hibox Systems
Hibox Systems Ltd, a company established by graduates from Åbo
Akademi University, develops and sells interactive television systems and
services to hotels and consumers. Hibox, which employs seven people in
the DataCity building, believes in the future of IPTV technology in parti-
cular.
“IPTV technology, which is based on using an Internet protocol both in the
distribution of TV programmes and the return channel, is sure to become
more common in the future, even though it is not widely used today,”
believes Managing Director Staffan Granholm.
With Hibox system solutions, the services of a computer, video recorder,
radio, stereo, video rental shop and even telephone can all be integrated in
a TV set. All Omena hotels in Finland, for example, have Hibox TV systems.
In terms of service and management, the system offers particular benefits:
control and updates can be performed on real time with a WWW-based
user interface from any computer with an Internet connection.
www.hibox.fi
ClaroVision’s multi-purpose multimedia application
In Turku Science Park Ltd’s DIO Business Centre located in ElectroCity,
an international team of four entrepreneurs is hard at work, striving to
free the consumer from mountains of terminal devices, additional boxes,
cables and remote controls of various types.
Oy ClaroVision Ltd is developing a user interface in which a single wi-
descreen TV will, with a single remote control, display HDTV programmes,
photo albums, recorded or downloaded music and external CDs, videos
and external DVDs. You can also make videophone calls or surf the net,
and the system naturally is Web 2.0 and IPTV compatible. The remote
control also doubles as a mouse, and everything works at the speed of
lightning.
“We have now reached the beta phase; in other words, we can start tes-
ting the application with outsiders. Our pilot partner is Paraisten Puhelin
Oy. We want to prove that our concept works, and we will tailor the pro-
duct properties to the wishes of our future partners,” promises Managing
Director Thorsten Brysch, who leads the German-Ukrainian-Spanish-
Finnish development team with enthusiasm.
www.clarovision.com
Turku Science Park has its own ”digital TV cluster”
DigiPhilos: consultancy and project management
Technical consultancy and project management associated with the Digital
TV environment is the core competence of the consultants at DigiPhilos Ltd based in Turku High Tech Centre. The two founders of the company
have convincing experience in technology management and product de-
velopment in the service of a TV manufacturer.
“We know the field and its technologies. Certain technological solutions
have been introduced in the Nordic countries, which large manufacturers
elsewhere in the world are not familiar with, meaning that their devices
do not work well over here. We consult actors in the field in localisations,
development of business models and product development. Our key cus-
tomers are equipment manufacturers, importers and operators. We put to-
gether and manage development projects and offer an outsider’s perspec-
tive, which often is vital,” explains Kari Myllylä. For example, Timo Santi from DigiPhilos Ltd recently finished a large project in which all cable TV
operators in Finland managed to specify shared technical requirements
for HD digiboxes transmitting a high definition image.
www.digiphilos.com
Business Development
For more information please contact: Turku Science Park Ltd / Business Development Department, Director Olli Mankonen, Tel: +358 (0)40 092 1937
26
Communication services support the implementation of company strategy
and achievement of goals – in particular those relevant to the commercial-
isation of academic inventions and the establishment of new technology
businesses – through communication and marketing. Integrated market-
ing and communications contribute to building up a community image and
enhance the attraction of the clusters (BioTurku® and ICT Turku) and the
region, both nationally and internationally. A uniform Turku Science Park
(TScP) brand, which was introduced in autumn 2007 together with the
new operating model, also increases the desirability of the TScP area as
a base for businesses.
Turku Science Park Ltd’s communication division plans, consults, coordi-
nates and implements marketing communication services and assesses
and gauges the effectiveness of communication. The most important tools
for this include the media relations of the whole community, network
communication as well as marketing and communication materials, fo-
cused enhancement of the TScP image and brand management, targeted,
cluster-based marketing, and events and other methods to boost the
community spirit of the area. Core services include TScP communications
and cluster marketing (BioTurku, ICT Turku), both of which support Turku
Science Park’s marketing and communication associated with the region.
Media relationships and articles
During the year, the division published 113 news reports, and in media
visibility Turku Science Park was second only to Technopolis Plc. We also
served the companies located in the region to the greatest extent possible,
also in the distribution and editing of information sheets. The division pro-
duced an extensive series of articles especially for international publica-
tions of the life science sector (e.g. Nordic Life Science Review; Biotech
Sweden), and articles and series about Turku Science Park appeared in the
supplements of the national financial paper commissioned by our part-
ners, to name one. A monthly column titled ”On a bench in the Science
Park” (Tiedepuiston penkillä), which dealt with the competitiveness and
premises of the TScP area, was written for the financial supplement of the
major regional paper Turun Sanomat.
The Company’s own publications and communication materials
The 32-page annual review of the company was published in the spring,
and together with the new brochure and the Managing Director’s letter, it
was posted to 1,500 regional and national technology actors as a market-
ing package. The English version of the annual review was also widely
circulated.
Turku Science Park’s website and its publication system were totally re-
vamped. Around its publication, the site counted nearly 14,000 hits. In
the space of the entire year, the site was visited by an average of 7,000
people every month.
The electronic publication intended for interest groups, eSpark, came out
11 times. The online magazine Spark was revamped as part of the
overall renewal of the website. In addition, Turku Science Park Info served
all visitors to the area by giving guidance and distributing materials in the
ground floor lobby of the BioCity building.
Visitors and Invest in Finland co-operation
In 2008, Turku Science Park received some 400 visitors, half of which
were foreigners. In addition to the activities of our company, they – and in
particular companies considering relocation (which included foreign busi-
ness e.g. from Vietnam and Russia) - were introduced to the Turku Science
Park concept and facilities. These visitors also comprised delegations of
journalists from such places as St. Petersburg.
The region was promoted as a potential target for relocation, and the de-
tails of companies located in the area were collected for several assign-
ments received specfically through the Invest in Finland organisation.
The Communications division presented the activities of Turku Science
Park Ltd in order to attract foreign investments in a co-operation event
that brought regional Invest in Finland actors from around the country to
Turku.
Events and community spirit
Together with our business partners, the Communication Services division
launched monthly SPARKling (Science PARK) Wednesday events for
the business and research staff engaged in R&D tasks and start-up entre-
preneurs of the Science Park. The themes mainly focused on intellectual
property rights, and the events were valued as occasions for people from
different fields to network and build up their regional identity.
The Communication Services negotiated and administered Spark ben-efits which are granted to businesses with premises in the TScP area.
Spark benefit events are organised to keep businesses informed about
discounts offered by travel agents, airline and hotel and congress service
providers, etc. and additional information is sent out to companies and
organisations.
Turku Science Park Ltd also wishes to encourage newcomers in its area to
become full members of the community. We advertise the services avail-
able in the area and joint development projects and, as much as possible,
Marketing and Communications
Marketing and Communications
27Marketing and Communications
promote companies located in the area in our communica-
tions (e.g. STMicroelectronics R&D Ltd).
Turku Science Park Ltd gave a party to celebrate its 20th
anniversary in August, organised an anniversary seminar
in October and an event for the stakeholders on the 5th of
December. These occasions were attended by nearly 400
people in total.
In the recent downward swing of the economy, during
which the fittest will survive, the skilfull build up of stake-
holder interest and our attractiveness on multiple channels
will be essential. Being fit may require such things as a
strong brand or being financially sound, or even the in-
ternal willingness of a community to survive. What is sure
is that all these aspects can be enhanced by integrated
communication.
Sanako secured 5 million in capital injection (10 Jan 2008)
Innomedica to open a London office (17 Jan 2008)
QuatRx’s cholesterol drug shows promise in trials (29 Jan 2008)
A capital injection exceeding one million for Axel Technologies (5 May 2008)
Italian-Finnish biomaterials co-operation on the cards (27 Feb 2008)
A new pharmaceutical industry service company starts operations (31 March 2008)
Project provides globalisation models for life science service companies (9 May 2008)
HyTest’s influenza reagents are a big seller (27 May 2008)
Faron initiates clinical trials in acute lung trauma patients (10 Jun 2008)
Turku Science Park Ltd starts co-operation with Heidelberg Park (28 Jul .2008)
Michael Widenius to invest in IT Mill (12 Sep 2008)
Turku to establish contacts with the Russian pharmaceutical industry (17 Oct 2008)
Company visit to Hong Kong to find contacts (21 Oct 2008)
Turku Science Park Ltd celebrates its 20th anniversary (23 Oct 2008)
Biotie Therapies to acquire the German Elbion GmbH (27 Oct 2008)
Fresh fish in a smart package (3 Nov 2008)
Edelcrantz Challenge innovation award for Lingsoft’s publication platform (20 Nov 2008)
Turku Science Park Ltd invests in Karolinska Development Ab’s fund (11 Dec 2008)
For more information please contact: Turku Science Park Ltd,
Director of Communications, Katja Wallenlind, Tel. +358 (0) 50 5774 807
27
Turku Science Park in the headlines in 2008
28
An image and customer survey of Turku Science Park Ltd was con-
ducted in late 2008. The survey indicated that the company is well
known and its image is positive, but its services are not adequately
known. Consequently, the company has intensified the commerciali-
sation of its services, and will launch e.g. the TUTKA™ information
system advisory service targeting SME’s. The international network
of partners, which was considered important by participants in the
survey, will be further reinforced.
From targets to practical steps
The first service to be commercialised in Turku Science Park Ltd based on
the survey results was a guidance service related to information systems
intended for SME’s. The TUTKA™ service reveals any hidden information
system problems and ensures the continuity of enterprises. The ensuing
report highlights any risks and bottlenecks in the activities and gives the
entrepreneur a minimum of three recommendations on how to make the
business more efficient. The cost of this service to the company is no more
than EUR 200, as the EU pays the rest, and Turku Science Park Ltd handles
the associated bureaucracy.
Turku Science Park’s international network of partners, which the custom-
ers found vitally important in the survey, will also be further enhanced.
The company will continue to foster partnerships in its foremost sec-
tors – biotechnology and ICT – with international leaders. Biocelex Ltd,
a joint venture of Turku Science Park Ltd and the Swedish Karolinska Institutets Holding AB, exceeded expectations in its first operating year,
and the partnership agreement concluded with the German Heidelberg Technologiepark in the summer is producing tangible results in a number
of ways, especially in the core areas of expertise of both parks, i.e. cancer
research and bioimaging.
Survey outcomes in a nutshell
In addition to businesses, the target groups for the survey included research
actors and finance providers, as well as other stakeholders of Turku Science
Park Ltd. The customer section of the survey was conducted as a telephone
interview with 150 participants. The practical implementation of the survey
was ensured by Innolink Research Ltd, and its key outcomes can be
summarised as follows:
• Turku Science Park Ltd is undeniably the best known development
partner among its customers
• The rating for spontaneous recognizeability as a developer of start-
up businesses was high (19%).
• The businesses particularly mentioned TScP’s strong contact net-
works, coaching, events and opportunities for international net-
working
• The staff is seen as service oriented, willing to work together and
easy to approach
• The location of TScP Ltd is regarded as excellent
• However, the customers are not sufficiently familiar with TScP’s
services.
The survey participants found staff competence and expertise most
important, in addition to a wide-reaching network of experts. In the
success ratings given by the survey participants, Turku Science Park
Ltd scored the highest in staff competence and expertise (score 5.6/7)
and quality of services (5.4/7).
Based on an accurate gap analysis, in which success was compared to
the proportional importance of the activity, the most successful cases
included company development / Biocelex Ltd; company development
/ incubator services; coordination of development projects; planning of
development projects, and the clarity and informativeness of the web-
site. Actual critical factors, in which Turku Science Park may have been
unsuccessful in meeting customer expectations, did not emerge in the
stakeholder survey.
Inspired by the image and customer survey:
Turku Science Park Ltd intensifies service commercialisation
Marketing and Communications
29
On 22 October 2008, Turku Science Park Ltd celebrated its 20th anni-
versary as a promoter of high technology and associated enterprising
activities with an anniversary seminar emphasizing international net-
working, completed with a programme of entertainment, held in the
Mauno Koivisto Centre, BioCity building.
Learn from others, share the information
A prerequisite for making use of high technology in business is good inter-
national channels and working co-operation, in which the cornerstone of
strategy is partnering with the best actors in the field. Turku Science Park
has learnt from the successful operating models of others, and in its own
consultancy activities directed abroad, it has been able to offer assistance
based on experience in developing innovation systems.
The invited guests in the anniversary seminar were greeted by CEO Ilkka Kouvonen, and the opening remarks were made by Member of Parliament
Anne-Mari Virolainen, former employee at Turku Science Park Ltd.
Relating Science Park activities with passion and humour
The main speakers at the seminar illuminated the various aspects of our
international co-operation.
Our German partner Dr. Klaus Plate, Managing Director of Heidelberg Technology Park, described how a science park strictly focusing on life
sciences was created in Heidelberg, with its activities firmly based on re-
search of an extremely high standard. Work is needed in order to attract
top-class scientists and persuade them to stay: the campus must have
both Nobel-winning role models for the scientists and a Biergarten and
Kindergarten within a walking distance to ensure that the scientists, and
their families, will enjoy living in Heidelberg and wish to stay.
Dr. Prof. Lex de Lange, a veteran of the science park sector and one of
the founders of the Zernike Group that recently celebrated its 25th anni-
versary, amused the listeners by relating how he, as an old tax consultant,
just happened to create a science park whose activities were both efficient
and profitable in commercial terms. His organisation has as many as 700
investments in start-up technology companies under its belt, only 32 of
which have ceased to exist. Small sums may be granted lightly for early-
phase trials of commercialisation ideas, but in the seed stage at the latest,
all partners to the agreement are expected to share equally: the ideas, in-
formation, resources, profits and any losses alike. This concept has worked
well so far, but in the circumstances of today’s financial crisis, Dr de Lange
was inclined to add a reservation: ”until last week”.
Dr. Neville Commins, who faced the challenges of creating the Innovation Hub science park in South Africa, described what it was like to set up
a science park literally “in the middle of nowhere”, without any existing
background organisation and with everyday problems like the astronomical
price of a broadband connection. In such circumstances, you end up using
a GSM phone for many tasks. It may not be the most efficient tool, but it
is the only one that works. The Innovation Hub has got off to a good start,
however, and thanks are partly due to the Finns, including Turku Science
Park Ltd, who developed the local innovation system under the COFISA co-operation project.
After the main speakers, the audience enjoyed lighter entertainment with
a scientific twist, with Professor Pentti Huovinen’s lecture prepared for
the University of Turku / Children’s University on ’the miraculous
life of bacteria’, and the theatre group Linnateatteri performing extracts
from the play ‘An absurd history of Turku’, followed by a fusion cooking
demonstration.
Turku Science Park Ltd’s 20th anniversary was a celebration of internationality
2929
30
The ICT sector of Turku Science Park received a significant boost,
as the more than 80 employees of STMicroelectronics R&D specia-
lising in chipset design for mobile devices took over the 6th floor of
ElectroCity.
A rearrangement of units
STMicroelectronics R&D Ltd, which employs a total of over 200 people
in Finland, is a young company with veteran employees. The company
was established in Finland in 2007, when Nokia decided to outsource
chipset design for mobile phones. The company’s branches are located in
Helsinki, Oulu, Tampere and Turku.
Initially, the new owner of the design unit was the Italian-French semicon-
ductor giant STMicroelectronics. This company set up a joint venture with
NXP (previously Philips Semiconductors), producing ST-NXP Wireless,
which then emerged as the mother company of the Finnish STMicroelec-
tronics R&D Ltd and the third largest supplier of mobile chipsets in the
world. The following step was the agreement between ST-NXP Wireless
and Ericsson Mobile Platforms on establishing a joint venture with 50/50
ownership. Today, the new mother company of STMicroelectronics is kno-
wn as ST-Ericsson, and it brings together a total of 8,000 experts in mobile
device chipsets.
- The market has been undergoing major changes recently; one by one,
large telephone manufacturers are giving up their own chipset design
units, wishing to purchase the modules from partners,” explains STMicro-
electronics R&D Ltd’s Area Manager Jussi Rummukainen.
Turku Science Park an outstanding location
The new company could have continued operating in Salo, as its ties
with Nokia remain strong. When it became apparent that 80% of the staff
working in Salo commuted daily from the Turku area, the city and Turku
Science Park started looking like the most attractive location.
- Beside a railway station, with a fast connection to Salo and Helsinki
on the motorway, only 20 minutes from the airport,” Rummukainen lists,
estimating that the new location helps the company avoid some 50,000
km of commuting monthly.
- Our cars are not brand new, and we can thus put the CO² emissions per
car at approx. 200 g/kilometre; in other words, by relocating to Turku, we
save the environment from some 10,000 kg of carbon oxide emissions
in a single month,” Rummukainen calculates. What remains a problem is
parking. Even if personal cars are used less for commuting, the company
needs to offer parking for its whole staff, and this is still a problem in the
Science Park area.
Getting the benefits from synergy
STMicroelectronics R&D Ltd moved into brand new premises renovated
especially for them in Turku Science Park’s ElectroCity, and the company
has been very happy here.
- Our Turku offices house the personnel resources department that sup-
ports design units all over Finland, the coordination of IT support, the cent-
ral server pool, and a large RF measurement lab with interference proof
facilities,” Rummukainen lists.
The company intends to make full use of the close proximity of Turku’s
educational institutions.
- The launch of the new company started from the company’s own product
projects and ensuring their functionality, and this is why our own research
or research co-operation with the universities in Turku is not yet in full
swing. We are interested, however, and it will be vital for our operations in
the future,” he concludes.
www.stericsson.com
Chipset designers relocated to Turku Science Park
For more information please contact: Turku Science Park Ltd, CEO Ilkka Kouvonen, Tel. +358 (0) 50 3808 600
Real Estate
3131
32
Board Chairman Tom von Weymarn:
The Board of Directors of Turku Science Park
Ltd brings together top-level national busi-
ness management skills and international
experience. The constitution of the Board
combines the experience and skills in the
company’s leading edge sectors as well as
an effort to reach a balanced representation of key stakeholders – the high-
er education sector, business life and the City of Turku.
An efficient management system, open communication and reporting of
essential information are key elements in sound corporate governance.
Central to the Board’s activities is striving to combine various areas of ex-
pertise to increase the efficiency of the Board’s work and to reinforce cor-
porate governance.
Turku Science Park Ltd’s Board of Directors (as of 5 September 2005 )
Board Chairpersons:
Tom von Weymarn, Board Chairman, also acts as Board Chairman in
Telia Sonera Ab and Lännen Tehtaat Plc
Tero Hirvilammi, Deputy Chairman, Deputy Mayor for competence
and business development in the City of Turku
Board members:
Pauliina de Anna, Member of the City Council of Turku
Rabbe Klemets, Oy L-S Link Ab, Board Chairman of Klemets
Management Oy
Seppo Lehtinen, Vice Chairman of the City Board of Turku
Björn Mattsson, Senior Industrialist, acts as Board Chairman e.g. in
Nordkalk Corp.
Aleksi Randell, Chairman of the City Board of Turku
Matti K. Viljanen, Professor, Vice Rector of the University of Turku,
responsible for research activities
Board of Directors
Board of Directors
33
Financial statement and balance sheet 2008
FINANCIAL STATEMENT 2008
Turnover 8,769,890.83
Materials and services -1,630,347.44
Staff expenses -2,711,552.85
Depreciations and value adjustments -1,127,563.41
Other expenses -4,103,293.77
Operating loss -902,191.11
Financing yields and costs -430,940.83
Net profit / loss -1,333,131.9
BALANCE SHEET 2008
Assets:
Non-current assets 28,615,707.18
Current assets 10,779,558.48
Total assets 39,395,265.66
Liabilities:
Shareholder’s equity 19,993,616.34
Outside capital 19,401,649.32
Total liabilities 39,395,265.66
Number of employees 43
Financial statement and balance sheet 2008
FINANCIAL STATEMENT 2007
Turnover 10,396,223.26
Materials and services - 1,854,364.82
Staff expenses - 2,681,258.10
Depreciations and value adjustments - 1,266,454.52
Other expenses - 3,959,616.54
Operating profit 842,016.98
Financing yields and costs - 445,184.93
Net profit / loss 426,856.05
BALANCE SHEET 2007
Assets:
Non-current assets 27,944,974.21
Current assets 14,187,944.37
Total assets 42,132,918.58
Liabilities:
Shareholder’s equity 21,236,748.28
Outside capital 20,806,170.30
Total liabilities 42,132,918.58
Number of employees 46
34
Turku Science Park – accelerator of innovation
• Three research universities:
University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University and Turku School of Economics
• Turku University of Applied Sciences, Diaconia University of Applied Sciences
• Turku University Hospital
• Leading edge sectors: biotechnology and applied ICT
• 17,500 employees
• 30,500 students
• 400 professors
• more than 300 businesses and organisations
• over 250,000 m² completed facilities within five square kilometres
• A dozen technology buildings on the motorway to Helsinki, in the immediate vicinity of the
Kupittaa railway station and within walking distance from the city centre
• Less than half an hour’s drive from an airport with international connections
Accelerator of innovation
35
Innovate to Accelerate
www.turkusciencepark.com