ArtsiCon Oy
Botnia Service Oy
DataSteel Oy
Dymont Installation
Elmega Oy
Enerlo-Palvelut Ky
Forsfood Oy
Harkame Oy
Ironic Oy
Jatloc Oy
Jurmet Oy
KA Control Oy
Kauhajoen Konepaja Oy
Kauhajoen Konevalmiste Oy
Kivilahden Konepaja Oy
Konesuunnittelu Pekka Piippo
Korpi Laser Ky
LP-suunnittelu Oy
Mariocon Oy
Ossin metalli Oy
Rejlers Oy
Relicomp Oy
Seppo Ryödi Oy
Suupohjan Teollisuusautomaatio
Suunnittelutoimisto Ilmo Uusitalo
Teuvan Keitintehdas Oy

Antti Lindfors Oy
Done Logistics Oy
Pesmel Oy
Pinomatic Oy
Nordautomation Oy
Formia Vesme Oy
Traypack Engineering Oy
Loumetal Oy

I orded a survey  of the future views of our metal companies a few weeks ago. Now I have the results.  Answer per cent was about 20%. So we get some kind of view how the local metal industry see the near future. The inquiry form and system for the carrying out of it have been drawn up by TEKES and Renewied Industry-program. Earlier we had the same survey made to the system supplier  companies.
Background information
In the interviewees there were most companies which had their own end products , machines and devices 70% involved. 30% of the companies were also subcontracting. Most answers came from Teuva , 70%. Great! The company size varied from the micro size companies to a 20-44 worker company, all the interviewees represented the SME  sector.
Summary of the results
The most important market area now is Finland, with a 90% share (2010). The Nordic countries  share is 30% and the rest of Europe 30%. Russia’s share is 20%.

Customers and competitors are the most important sources to innovation
In the innovation activity and development activities of the company the most important source was customers  (value 3,7/4). The second one is competitors (2,8/4) and then replacing products (2,7/4. It was experienced that the legislation and the subcontracting also had effect to some extent. The impulses also will come from sciences and research and analogies in other fields but their value was already considerably under half of the full weight value.

The fore seeing of the future was regarded as the most important factor in the development activities 70%. The commercializing and the control of wholenesses pretended to follow with the same value with a 60% stress.
When the future change factors are examined from outside the company, it will be experienced that the political change factors are the strongest drivers  that causes the need for the development functions in the companies (3,89/5). Following were ecological change factors (3,67/5) and social change factors (3,33/5).

Views of the growth
50% of companies wants to grow, 40% estimates that it is remaining unchanged. The growth is searched for from the international market. The results showed that Russia( 2,83/4), Nordic countries (2,71/4) and especially the rest of Europe (3,4/4) and Baltic Countries (2,4/4) being as target areas in 2020 in addition to Finland (3,3/4).
It is expected that the production of companies remains in 2020 strongly in Finland (3,5/4) although there is small diminishing (-0,3 units) to the 2010 value. Production is expected to move especially to the Baltic Countries (2/4), in other words here there were 0,75 units of growth per 10 years. Also other target for production were  India, Russia, Eastern Europe, China. They got the about 0,25 units growths.

The toughest competitors in 2010 are expected to come from  The Baltic Countries (2,67/4) and the Nordic countries (2,6/4), eastern  Europe (2,6/4) and Russia (2,25/4). Also China (2,4/4) and India (2,25/4) will be further regarded as the competitors.
It is expected, that most skilled work factors are being obtained 2020 from Finland (3,43/4) although the expectations fall from the a little 2010 number. The Nordic countries and the Baltic Countries stay, when ten year development is examined, in nearly the same values being the second highest (2,6/4 and 2/4). The growth of India’s share will be significant during 10 years  +0,6 units – from start level (1,8/4).

Fotos tell more…

The IASP World Conference on Science and Technology Parks (IASP 2010 Daedeok) at South-Korea with 1400 partisipants is successfully finished. A number of renowned home and abroad scholars including Professor Robert H. Grubbs of the US, professor Leo Esaki of Japan, professor Bjorn Lomborg of Denmark and president Nam-pyo Suh of KAIST attended the conference. The theme of IASP 2010 Daedeok was ‘Global Green Growth’, and ‘International Exhibition on Green Hi-tech’ had been held during the conference. From Finland attended 16 professionals including me from Logistia. The conference-program was full of interesting examples what kind of projects Science parks are doing or planning for green tech. Also we at Logistia have a project for cleantech, so we are “in” about green ideology. I will upload later, next week, a flickr- slide -show from Daejeon to Logistia-blog. I send greetings to all my new contacts and friends I met at Daejeon! Nice to meet you all and see you at Copenhagen.

We are organizing an excursion for companies from Southern Ostrobotnia to Shanghai. The EXPO 2010 and the Furniture Fair at the same time in China are the main reason for the trip. Our partner VIEXPO will also organize visits to industrial companies. So this excursion is for companies of all branches, also for technology and metal companies.

Logistia is the full member of International Association of Science Parks, IASP and the annual meeting will be near Shanghai, at South-Korea, only two hours flight from Shanghai. I, the blogger, will visit both targets. The annual meeting will be at 22th-to 26th on May, after that I will flight to World EXPO 2010. And lucky me, there will be the Finland Day just when I will be there. Of course, if there won’t be any natural crises..
If you wish more info about the excursion at September please contact:

Marko Mikkola
Head of Asia
VIEXPO

Address: Misato Meisei 4109-4, 399-8101 Azumino-city, Nagano, JAPAN
Tel: +81-(0)263-77-1775
Fax: +81-(0)263-77-1775
Mobile: +81-(0)80-3549-2108
Email: marko.mikkola@viexpo.fi
Skype: chashin
Web: www.viexpo.fi

The first report about the business of the environmental technology in South Ostrobothnia has been published.
South Ostrobothnian companies which utilize the environmental technology can reach the major national business group by promoting their strengths and innovations. It is important to develop know-how, to utilize the newest information and technology into use of companies and to network. These development proposals are presented in a report which deals the business of the environmental technology and was published on Friday 23th. This is t is the first report which deals with the possibilities of the cleantech in South Ostrobothnia.
By cleantech we mean the production of the clean energy, the saving of the energy, the air pollution control, a water supply and sewerage and waste management and the recycling. In Finland the cleantech covers about 300 companies whose turnover is altogether about 4,5 billion euros. The success companies in the cleantech in Finland are spin off companies of big companies, specialized project houses, small product houses or technology companies of the high risk. The companies which have succeeded the key technologies are the clean energy, saving of the energy and control. The cleantech business will grow strongly, about 5-15 percent per year worldwide, also in Finland.
In the report there were 29 companies which were identified as companies which utilise the environmental technology or environment information. Their total turnover is 150 million euros and staff altogether 839 persons in them. Most of these operate among clean energy or water supply and sewerage and the handling of waste waters. For the clean energy there is a need to develop education in the energy technology especially in the province. There is a need also to the seminars which deals with different energy technologies.
- Furthermore, the new innovations which for example improve low-emission burning techniques or diversify the technology of the recurring energies should be encouraged, says the project manager and the writer of the report, CEO Tarja Pienimäki (LC Logistics Center Inc).

More information: contact jaana.suksi@lclc.fi The report is published only in finish.

The weather in Kauhajoki is so ful of sunshine and the spring is here.  In addition to nice weather, we could read  many positive economical  news concerning the local companies from the newspaper . For example, the company Antti Lindfors Oy has gotten two significant orders for dairies in Norway and Sweden. The total value of orders is about 4 M €. The food industry invests also during the recession.
Datasteel Ltd, located in Teuva, subsidiary of the Nipere Ltd, specialized in agriculture machines, has extended its s Production facilities significantly. Datasteel Ltd  is a company which makes the subcontracting of the metal (also for the companies of Logistia Cluster)) It has been established in 1999. They have specialized in laser cutting and edging of plates.
In the same newspaper there was also an article from the three local metal companies that will develop new  products together . For this they have planned together a product development project. The companies, Kivilahden Konepaja, Mariocon and Dymont Installation believe that the growth and the effectiveness will be reached with cooperation between the companies. I hope that this would be an encouraging example!

“Efficiency – Innovation – Sustainability”, the next HANNOVER MESSE – 19 to 23 April 2010 – will be showcasing innovations, new developments and technologies, alongside new materials from the world of industry. With its clear orientation towards energy, mobility and automation, as well as industrial subcontracting, HANNOVER MESSE will again embrace the salient trends affecting every branch of industry.
At the fair there will be some companies at the fair stands from Finland. The metal industry companies from Kauhajoki area could go to gather experiences of the international fair, first as guests and in the future in own stand.
I have made preliminary charting from the travel expenses and from the arrangements, and now we could get flights advantageously. The trip would be a 4 day trip. I have been at Hannover Messe I thinki tahat it takes at least two days to walk of on exhibition 25 exhibition halls,. Furthermore, we could have one company visit. The suitable group size would be about 6-8 persons.
link to the exhibition: http://www.hannovermesse.de/homepage_e
Now that the engineering industry contains a structural change in progress and also because of the the recession, it would be important to study international market.
This internationalization project is part  of the new KOKO-program (Cohesion and competitive ability) of the  Kauhajoki area and metal Industry.
Additional information

Jaana Suksi
LC Logistics Center Oy/Logistia
email:jaana.suksi@lclc.fi

The biggest project of Logistia, the Logistia-Institute is finally true. The grand opening will be soon, on Monday 1th of February, and the place is of course- Technology Center Logistia.

We will have very special keynotes speaking about the product development and the needs for the future; how the future looks from the point of logistics and what will happen in their branch.
We have the keynote, manager Jukka Mäntykivi from Atria Group Plc, a forward-looking, strongly internationalising food-processing company and a customer of Logistia-cluster. We also have as a keynote speaker CEO Timo Äijö, Pesmel Inc, global materialhandling manufacturer. The headmasters from the from University of Vaasa, Levon-Institute, Vaasa and Seinäjoki universities of Applied Sciences, Suupohja Vocational Institute will sign the contract of the co-operation with Logistia-Institute.
The Logistia-Institute is a network-like co-operation organization in education, scientific research and product development areas based on the needs of local branch of logistical system solutions. The network of Logistia-Institute consists areal operators of education and research, those who were listed earlier. The web-pages www.logistia-instituutti.fi will be opened also on the first of February.
Logistia Institute is funded from ESR for three years.
We will videoshoot the grand opening seminar, and upload the clips to Logistia-TV.