Skip to content
Port Tower -building by night during the wintertime.

Business environment

Our strategic top industries are chemical, cleantech, bioeconomy, boats, and services. At the same, time we strengthen our R&D activities that support business, expand our networks into clusters, and focus on raising the degree of processing and product creation.

Companies in the Kokkola region have hundreds of years of international business tradition and know-how. Growing population, diversified economic structure, and heavy investment by trade and industry have strengthened the vitality of Kokkola.

The City of Kokkola strives to ensure that the vitality of the city is maintained and strengthened. In the city organisation, business and city development services operate under the corporate administration and services. The business and city development services are in charge of the Invest in activities in Kokkola in collaboration with our business service network.

The operations of the business and city development services are closely connected to the key network operators: Kokkolanseudun Kehitys Ltd KOSEK, Kokkolan Teollisuuskylä Oy and its affiliates,  Kokkola Tourism Ltd, KIP Infra Oy and KIP Service Oy. Other key partners include the local development companies, the local entrepreneur associations and chamber of commerce, the educational institutions in the region, the university consortium and regional main financiers.

Kokkolanseudun Kehitys Ltd KOSEK operates in business and entrepreneurship services and business advisory services. KOSEK’s services are available to all entrepreneurs and to companies of all sizes. KOSEK promotes business development, supports the development of high-growth companies and contributes to creating a positive business atmosphere in Kokkola.

Advocacy

The city plays a key part in advocacy work related to accessibility, education, and industrial operating conditions and projects.

Industrial policy agreement

The first industrial policy agreement in Kokkola was signed between the city and entrepreneurs in 2019. The following goals were established for the agreement: city procurements, attractiveness of the city, business impact assessments, development of the permit procedures and further development of the industrial advisory services. The agreement will steer the collaboration between the city and the entrepreneurs until 2021. In addition to the City of Kokkola, the agreement was signed by the local entrepreneurial associations operating in the Kokkola area.

 

Key vitality projects

Highway 8

The city is advocating for the development of the safety and functionality of highway 8. Highway 8 is the main road and transport route on the west coast of Finland, and part of the TEN-T network. In Kokkola, most of the road transports to the port in Ykspihlaja are made along highway 8.

KlaRa

KlaRa – Kokkola’s rail traffic and the city centre area development project is an entity combining several individual projects. It brings significant benefits especially to the business sector associated with the Kokkola Industrial Park, simplifies the traffic and the functionality of the travel chains, and promotes the positive development of Kokkola’s urban structure.

Sports and event park

The City of Kokkola is building the extensive sports and event park in the city centre in accordance with the general plan adopted in 2018. The project is realised by a company established by the city in 2020, which will initiate the operations, build a hybrid arena and an indoor training rink in the area, and develop the sports and event area as a whole.

Read more about development projects.