A skilled workforce and excellent educational opportunities
The Pori region’s diverse workforce and engineering education as well as specialised R&D environment supports the growth of the companies specialising in battery and technology metals, circular economy, automation, robotics, and AI. Pori and its surrounding area offer the opportunity to study over 30 different topics up to degree level as well as courses for reskilling and upskilling, so companies can find relevant and current expertise.
Education
Universities
There are two universities that operate in the University Consortium of Pori, Tampere University and Turku School of Economics.
The programmes of Tampere University include among other things the Doctoral and Master’s Degree in Management and Information Technology.
Research activities in Tampere University include technology-oriented research in business ecosystems, networks and innovations, software engineering and intelligent systems, data-analytics and optimisation, and learning games and gaming in education.
Turku School of Economics at Pori offers Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Economics and Business Administration. The main areas of expertise and research are knowledge-intensive organisations and their business competences and sustainable development.
The Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK) and University Consortium of Pori educate future professionals in close collaboration with the region’s leading businesses and industrial clusters.
SAMK has been ranked among the five best universities of applied sciences in Finland. Every year, there are around 300 student projects that are undertaken in collaboration with companies and organisations. Cooperation provides the studies with a practical, tangible, and more real-world perspective – and practical training is a part of all degrees.
Vocational Schools
WinNova offers a wide variety of educational services, vocational and professional qualifications, and courses in cooperation with companies and the public sector.
Sataedu provides vocational education, as well as further and additional training, which bolsters professional skills.
Tech and startups
The Pori region aims to foster the development of burgeoning tech companies and startups with excellent R&D services and supporting innovation ecosystem.
RoboAI Research and Development Centre combines the expertise of Satakunta University of Applied Sciences and Tampere University. It serves companies, communities and operators in in the region with topics related to robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence.
The Robocoast Consortium is a network of RDI organizations that is kickstarting digital transformation in the industry. It supports digital transformation with key competencies in cybersecurity, AI, data analytics, 5G & IOT, robotics and energy technologies. It provides services to manufacturing industry and other industries as well as startups and high-tech companies. Robocoast is a European Digital Innovation Hub, EDIH, coordinated by regional business development company Prizztech Ltd.
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is an important driver of growth and Pori is a heavy investor in this field. We pride ourselves on taking a hands-on approach here. Prerequisites for entrepreneurship are created at a young age: entrepreneurship education begins at school. A new entrepreneur will be provided with information, support, and assistance. And the growth of the company does not fall short of knowledge: nearly 8,000 students ensure that there is a constant supply of fresh and smart know-how.
Skilled & dedicated workers
People in Pori offer a persistent approach to work and an international way of working – whatever the industry. Here, self-irony and self-criticism shake hands in perfect harmony, and we never cut corners. The workforce in our area is committed to their home region and the employee turnover in companies is low. This important intellectual capital contributes to the expansion and growth of business.
International community
Internationalisation has been reflected in the history of the Pori region for centuries, first in the form of trade and then in industrial growth. In Pori, it is possible to go to early childhood education, comprehensive school, and upper secondary school in the Finnish, Swedish or English languages. There is a wide range of international degrees. International students enrich the culture of our area, and our industries operate in a global environment.