Finland

© Jaakko Kemppainen auf Unsplash

Hamburg's connection to Finland

Hamburg and Finland are closely linked, as the Hanseatic city acts as the central hub for transport in the Baltic Sea region. The Port of Hamburg plays a key role for the Finnish economy, as a large proportion of overseas foreign trade is handled through it. Exports from the Finnish paper, timber and metal industries in particular use Hamburg as a hub for their shipping routes.

In addition to the economy, culture is also of great importance. Finnish events, art exhibitions and concerts are regularly organised in Hamburg. There is also close co-operation between the universities and colleges in both regions, for example in the fields of environmental research, shipping technology and renewable energies.

Thanks to the direct flight connection between Hamburg and Helsinki, the city is also a popular destination for Finnish tourists.

HamburgAmbassador Pekka Laaksonen

Portrait HamburgAmbassador Pekka Laaksonen
© Pekka Laaksonen

Born in Helsinki, Finland, Pekka Laaksonen visited Hamburg for the first time in 1960 and has maintained a close relationship with the Hanseatic city ever since. He lived in Hamburg with his family from 1981 to 1993.

Pekka Laaksonen worked for almost thirty years in leading positions in the Finnish wood and paper industry for the company Stora Enso Oyj, specialising in packaging and packaging materials. He was then Managing Director of Valio Oy, the largest dairy company in Finland, for over seven years.

In his retirement, he continues to serve on the advisory board of the retail and restaurant consumer co-operative HOK-Elanto in Helsinki and the support foundation of the Aalto University Business School in Espoo.

Expertise for Hamburg

Group of older adults socialising and conversing in a modern indoor setting.
HamburgAmbassador Pekka Laaksonen with his colleague Jürgen Niklaus
© Carsten Schulz

As Hamburg Ambassador, Pekka Laaksonen has been successfully organising fact-finding trips to Hamburg for relevant stakeholders from Finland for over 20 years. His special interests are linked to his professional background, with the food and retail industries as well as the timber and energy sectors being his areas of expertise.

As a Doctor h.c. of the Aalto University School of Commerce, Pekka Laaksonen is also trying to establish new connections in business research.

The Consent Management Platform (https://app.usercentrics.eu/) we use could not be loaded. This can happen if AdBlockers incorrectly block this URL. Some features such as maps, proximity search or forms, cannot be used this way. To use these features, please deactivate your AdBlocker or allow access to *.usercentrics.eu.