| Oulu's business is IT, metal, and forestry, each
with a roughly equal slice of the workforce. Oulu exports electronics, software, paper, and basic
metals by sea, road, rail and air – and mostly to
Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, the USA, and Russia.
Transports travel the northern end of the Bothnian
gulf to the European continent. Technopolis PLC,
Finland’s largest corporation and Europe’s bulkiest
in terms of numbers business, has three Oulu
locations with between two and three hundred
companies, almost half of their client list.
 Nokia is one of the largest private employers.
Kemira produces chemicals for the paper industry,
Elektrobit telecommunications, Finnblast
shot-blasting technology, Fortek product line
consulting, Rautaruukki flat and long steel products,
Tietoenator IT services, Kaleva publishing and
printing, Nethawk mobile network testing, CCC
customised software, Polar Electro heart rate
monitors, TeliaSonera telecommunications,
Kastelli-talo prefabricated houses, Polartek
engineering services, Pörhö new cars, Eilakaisla and
Manpower recruitment, and Sata C graphics – to name
a few.
Oulu is heavily involved in wireless products and
services, and the city council encourages use of the
city as a test bed for technologies such as smart
cards for libraries and public transport, and e-services like online application forms. Oulu
university's research focuses particularly on IT,
biotechnology and environmental technology – and
cites CWC, the Center For Wireless Communication, as
one of its largest projects.
Many of the most visible small businesses
established by expatriates are shops, pubs, and
restaurants. Most of Oulu’s 33 pizzerias, like
DaMario, LaFesta, Finlandia, or Göreme, are
expat-run, as well as Chinese restaurants like Hai
Long, Little Dragon, or Royal Garden, pubs like
Queta, and boutiques like Shelby extreme gear. Other
expat companies include design companies,
consultancies, a travel company, tailoring,
therapist offices, software development, or language
services.
 For an expatriate entering the country, setting
up a business is as easy as registering a name, or
for a fee adding the company to the company names
register, though taxation and bookkeeping can be
complicated. Income tax is payable in advance per
month; employer’s tax is payable if you hire staff;
vat is payable after a cutoff point. Start-up money
for businesses is available through the social
security system.
Business Forum |
