Our maritime cluster builds the world’s finest cruise ships, and the health cluster is the most significant health ecosystem in Finland. The city of Turku is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2029. And there is a lot more. What is your ambition?

Nested in Southwest Finland, the Turku region offers superb quality of life. Either the city centre, countryside or even harsh outer archipelago, Southwest Finland offers reasonable living costs with many housing options.

Everyday life in the Turku region is rush-free and easy going. Free education and public healthcare, art, history, fine dining, pure nature and plenty of free-time activities, we have it all. Move here, and you might have the time of your life!

INTERNATIONAL EXPERTISE AND INNOVATION

Turku region has a centuries-long tradition of developing and commercialising internationally significant products and services. International businesses especially appreciate the security, stability, cleanliness and predictability of the operational environment it provides.

We are particularly proud of our multidisciplinary approach, boldness and exceptionally strong community spirit between actors in the fields of business and economic development, which forms a strong basis for entrepreneurship and innovation. The purposeful work done by the region’s municipalities and institutes of higher education creates fantastic conditions for the sustainable future growth of companies.

The main expertise ecosystems in the Turku region are Maritime, Health, Cleantech, Tech and Experience, with Maritime and Health being the leading industry clusters in Finland. Explore the spearhead fields of the region and what they have to offer in detail here: Welcome to the Turku Region | Business Turku

A THRIVNG STARTUP COMMUNITY

Startups are never alone in Turku. The SparkUp startup community provides networking with peers, premises, presentations and events. The SparkUp community consists of entrepreneurs, company representatives, and public organisations. In addition to SparkUp’s physical premises, the community has also launched its online component on the Solved platform.

GEOGRAPHY

The Turku region lies in Southwest Finland, which is known for its beautiful archipelago with tens of thousands of islands. Don’t forget to look out of the plane, when flying over the region!

Archipelago is not the only thing the region has to offer. The area has it all: photographic small villages, vibrant citylife, delicious cafés, peaceful countryside and idyllic riversides. Southwest Finland has also beautiful beaches, lush forests and lake landscapes where your mind is at rest. All of the above in an area of 20 000 km² (7700 sq mi).

Visit our Career in Southwest Finland website for more information on Turku and Southwest Finland.

LANGUAGE

Finland has two official languages; Finnish and Swedish. Maybe because of its’ closeness to Sweden, Southwest Finland has more people that speak both official languages, than many of the other regions in Finland.

English is widely spoken in Turku and rest of the Southwest Finland, so you can get by speaking English with few problems. However, learning the language will endear you to locals and help you integrate into the community.

Finnish Courses >> Helps you to find a language course from the city close to you.

CLIMATE AND WEATHER

Finland has all the beautiful seasons; winter with banks of snow, blooming springtime, summer with days that never end and autumn with beautiful Ruska (Ruska is Finnish and means fall colours on trees before they drop their leaves for winter).

Finland is a long country, and Southwest Finland one of its’ warmest regions. Warmest months are July and August, when the temperature reaches about +25 degrees Celsius. In the coldest months (January and February) the temperature can drop near -20 degrees, but usually remains closer to -5. Rain can be expected in any season.

Image by Couple of Expats

SOUTHWEST FINN

If you dislike small talk, then you’ve come to the right country as Finns are typically direct and to the point with their conversation. Finns have traditionally been seen as reserved, but there has definitely been a change in the air with the twenty-somethings who are more open and social than previous generations.

Finn’s are not the most extrovert of people, but they are very reliable. If you get a compliment from a Finn, you can be sure that they mean it. Win the trust and affection of a Finn, and you get a loyal friend for life.

Hierarchy in a Finnish organisation is low; everyone is on the first name basis, even with the CEO. There is a lot of flexibility and freedom in a Finnish workplace, and the Finnish work culture is all about quality, rather than quantity.

Finnish attitudes are quite liberal, and there will be little chance of committing any social error… save for walking into someone’s residence with shoes on – that is a big no-no.

See what five culture shocks you might experience when moving to Finland:

Learn more about Turku and Southwest Finland: Career in Southwest Finland