Helsinki has found a way to overcome the current travel restrictions and reach out to international tech talents they want to attract: they offer Helsinki home-delivered. “When people can’t come to Helsinki, we put the city in a box and send it to them,” promises a marketing campaign from the city.
The initiative is part of Helsinki’s strategy to be a hub for innovative start-ups. “Helsinki is small enough to be a test-bed for new innovations, but large enough to deliver scalable results,” says Jan Vapaavuori, Mayor of Helsinki. “In the future, we also want to grow in size – not just in the size of corporations, but in size of impact, responsibility and influence. This is why we need the best talent and innovations to make Helsinki their home.”
The campaign promotes the city’s benefits – “great work-life balance, nature at your doorstep, cosy lifestyle, free healthcare and education” – and invites “future Finns” to join the Helsinki Talent Pool. And to apply for one of ten boxes with Finnish design items worth €1,000 – the “city in a box”.
