Growing med-tech ecosystem
Medical technology is one of the fastest-growing sectors and most important high-tech export industries in Finland. Local higher education institutions and the innovative startup community in the Kuopio region actively produce commercializable technologies, creating significant opportunities for investors and for the development of the entire ecosystem.
Kuopio serves as a hub for a large number of major names in medical and health technology, such as GE Healthcare, Bittium Biosignals and Tieto, and numerous startups, including Bone Index, Adamant Health, Heart2Save and Vireum. Close cooperation with the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio University Hospital, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL gives businesses access to skilled labour, the testing services of living labs and strong IPR know-how.
The University of Eastern Finland School of Medicine educates talent with wide-ranging competence in medicine, biomedicine, dentistry and nutrition, with 1 650 students pursuing a degree in one of its programmes. Kuopio University Hospital, the University of Eastern Finland and Savonia University of Applied Sciences conduct high-impact research and development which, together with a strong competence base, makes Kuopio a first-class business environment for testing medical and biotechnologies, product development and business growth.
Kuopio Living Lab offers businesses opportunities to develop high-value technologies that meet the needs of the market. It is based on a co-development concept formed by the City of Kuopio, Kuopio University Hospital and Savonia UAS. The effective living lab infrastructure enables cooperation in solutions that address various healthcare challenges and provides strong support for innovation processes throughout the value chain.
