OFFICE FOR FIN FOOD SAFETY PROJECT OPENED IN SHANGHAI

Shanghai World EXPO 2010 was a significant and successful event for promoting and advancing Finnish food safety know-how. As a result of the Finnish cooperation, the Fin Food Safety Project Office was opened during the Expo. The project also includes operators from Kuopio.

Fin Food Safety Project General Manager Pasi Kivelä (left) and Business Development Manager Qing Zhang (middle) are promoting Finnish know-how to Chinese visitors at the Finnish Pavilion at Shanghai World EXPO 2010.

The Fin Food Safety project office offers Finnish Food Safety Management services, technologies and products for China’s growing food safety markets, while developing relations between Finnish and Chinese authorities.

Operations have been developed from a market standpoint with the national Food Development Cluster programme, where Programme Director Jukka Lähteenkorva of Foodwest Oy has taken on an active role in opening China’s markets for Finnish Companies.

“We have worked hard in order to promote exports to China and in doing so provided opportunities for Finnish companies. In addition, sometimes it takes a trip to a distant land like China for Finnish companies to find each other and discover the power of cooperation. Currently, everything appears to be heading in the right direction in China, and we expect more companies within this sector to expand their markets towards China” stated Jukka Lähteenkorva on the results of the Food Development Cluster's operations.

The Food Development Cluster promoted Finnish food safety know-how at the “On Trace of Good Food”, a food safety event at the Shanghai World Expo. Kuopio Innovation Ltd. participated in the event as a part of the national cluster, representing companies and know-how from the Kuopio region.

“On Trace of Good Food” event was organised by OSKE Food Development Cluster Programme in cooperation with Finnish companies and other food safety professionals, along with Shanghai's FinNode.

The new operation model provides ample opportunities for Finnish food safety companies

The founding of the Fin Food Safety project office in Shanghai is a significant advancement for companies in the food safety sector, enabling a head start in China's growing markets. Companies can join the project on a representative, resource utilisation or ownership level.

The project office is run by Pasi Kivelä (CEO, Semat China) and professor Sami Areva (Finnish Food Safety Project Ltd., Kuopio), both of whom possess extensive experience in operating in China.

“Cooperation with the Chinese authorities is vital when operating within the food industry, where most client companies are owned by the state. The new operation model, where we cooperate with companies within the sector, as well as the authorities, research institutions and even universities, is a very interesting  method, which has proven to be extremely successful here in China” explained Sami Areva.

According to Pasi Kivelä, the growth of China's food safety markets has been significant: “Demand for food safety services, technology and products is increasing rapidly. Finland possesses top level know-how within this field and the Chinese are ready to invest in the latest technology. Our efforts are starting to yield results in China” he stated.