Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2015 | Page 52

Magnetic North
Oulu is ready to become the leading city in Northern Scandinavia
Northern Scandinavia is ripe with opportunities – if one has the will and resources to pursue them. Leading
the pack in this department is Oulu, the largest city in Northern Finland with 250,000 residents. Located on the
shores of the Bay of Bothnia, in the Oulunjoki river delta, Oulu has long been known for its innovative expertise
– for example, Oulu’s ICT prowess is remarkable also on an international level.

N

ow, however, there is something new
and exciting underway. Declaring
itself the “Capital of Northern Scandinavia,” Oulu has intensified its collaboration with other Nordic hubs – such as Luleå
in Sweden and Tromsø in Norway – which
has led to new flight connections between
the key cities. Juha Ala-Mursula, Director of
BusinessOulu, which is responsible of the
economic development for the City, says
that getting all the partners involved in the
project has taken years of work, but all the
effort is starting to payoff now:
“We believe that a new type of ‘Gateway to North’ is now being born, especially
from the \