The Hampton Roads Alliance hosted the Finnish Embassy this week and led a delegation to tour the region as NATO's 31st ally explores local business opportunities in shipbuilding and port security.
“Western countries can't do everything alone, but together we can do a lot,” Finland's Economy Minister Ville Rydman said Thursday at a reception at VIA Design in downtown Norfolk. .
Lidman is traveling to the United States and Canada with representatives of 20 Finnish companies specializing in the maritime industry, including Kadmatic, Pemamek and Helsinki Shipyards. While some companies in the delegation are already established in the U.S., Reidman said all companies are interested in expanding their services to Hampton Roads to support the region's naval shipbuilding industry. Ta.
“We are a small country, but in many ways we are a superpower when it comes to shipbuilding and maritime industries, especially icebreakers,” Lidman said, referring to specialized vessels designed as cultivators. Through ice and frozen waterways.
Finland joined NATO in April 2023. The Nordic states, along with new member Sweden, abandoned their long-standing policy of military non-alignment and Nordic neutrality in 2022, when they simultaneously applied for NATO membership in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Sweden officially joined NATO on Thursday.
“Now all the major Nordic countries have joined the alliance: Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. This is a huge opportunity not only for defense planning, but also for economic and technological issues,” Rydman said. Ta.
The Arctic is an increasingly conflict-ridden region. In December, NATO described the region as “a region of critical importance to global interests, including geopolitics, climate protection, access to resources, and security concerns.”
“Productivity in the Arctic region will play a major role in the future, which is why it is so important to strengthen the strategic relationship between Finland, North America, the United States and Virginia,” Rydman said. .
Finland has been cooperating with the United States for many years and also trains with the U.S. military. Finland's Konecranes has been awarded a contract to supply rail-mounted gantry cranes to the Port of Virginia. And now Finland's new NATO membership will enable closer cooperation between Finland and the United States, Lidman said.
“Business and trade between allies is, of course, much more sensitive than just between partners,” Lidman said.
Steve Harrison, chief operating officer of the Hampton Roads Alliance, said Hampton Roads is an attractive location for Finnish maritime companies because it serves as a “global security hub.” The alliance is marketing the region to businesses to expand economic base and jobs.
“This is a great synergy between our community of Hampton Roads, which is really the home of America's maritime industry, and Finland, which is really a huge tenant of the economy,” Harrison said.
At Thursday's reception, representatives from each company gave short presentations about the skills and technology they bring to Hampton Roads' maritime industry. Their shipbuilding expertise ranged from hydroelectric generators to welding automation and propulsion equipment manufacturing. It included data software and artificial intelligence engineering, among others.
Harrison said if any Finnish companies decide to expand into the region, they will join about 200 international companies that have established North American or regional headquarters in Hampton Roads.
Now that Sweden has joined NATO, Harrison said the Hampton Roads Alliance hopes to bring a Swedish delegation to the region in the future.
Caitlyn Burchett, caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com
