The defence industry offers significant business opportunities for Finnish companies. Janne Muurinen from Patria, who visited Kaustinen in November at a business event organised by the Kaustinen Region Municipality and the SEMUKAS project, says that he noticed during his visit that Central Ostrobothnia has a lot of know-how that the defence industry could benefit from.

The companies were able to present their know-how to Muurinen in one-to-one meetings. Patria selects suppliers for its own projects on a product- and project-specific basis, he says.
- Patria uses Finnish subcontractors quite a lot. For example, the production of the Patria 6 x 6 armoured vehicle employs dozens of companies," says Muurinen, citing another example of a situation where Patria would again start building mobile artillery for which the company has a concept. That would also require dozens of suppliers from various sectors.
As the defence equipment industry continues to grow strongly, Janne Muurinen would assess the situation from the perspective of Finnish companies more broadly; not only in Finland, but also in Europe and NATO. Here too, Sweden, our neighbour to the west, is a good blackmailer. Statistics show that Swedish companies trade much more actively with NATO countries than Finnish companies. Of course, there have also been deals from Finland, sometimes with surprisingly large products.
- In fact, the only limit is the imagination. For example, Finland sells skis to NATO and merino wool socks to the Danish armed forces. In Finland, customers may include the Finnish Defence Forces, Customs, the Border Guard and the Police.
One keyword is dual-use technology. Muurinen says that the war in Ukraine has shown the necessity of cooperation between civil and defence technology. There are also funding mechanisms currently in place in Europe that will see hundreds of billions of euros invested in the defence industry and equipment in general.
- In order to access these funds, Finnish companies should keep their eyes and ears open and get involved in as many joint projects, tenders or R&D activities as possible," Muurinen points out.
SEMUKASAccording to Markus Mäntyse, Project Manager of the Kaustinen project, the Kaustinen sub-region is closely following the funding applications as they open up.
- Of particular interest for the dual use of the defence sector is the Rearm funding which will open next year. This funding would enable SMEs in the sub-region and the wider project area to become part of NATO supply chains," says Mr Mäntynen.

Janne Muurinen, Vice President, Public Affairs, Patria.

Where to find out more?

And where can companies get more detailed information if they are interested in the opportunities offered by the defence industry?
NATO's NSPA portal is a logistics and procurement organisation that provides a channel for member states and partners to participate in defence procurement. NCIA is the procurement organisation responsible for supplying and maintaining the Alliance's communication and information systems. Login instructions to the portals can be found on the website of the Nomenclature Centre of the Defence Logistics Agency.
A growing number of Finnish companies have joined the PIA Association. PIA is the representative organisation of the defence, aerospace, space and security industries in Finland.
- PIA is, in my opinion, a good environment for companies that want to gain access to defence procurement. As a member of the association, companies get an insight into what is happening in the industry and can also find new partners," says Janne Muurinen.

Expertise for a wide range of needs

Kaustis-based Metalli Järvelä is heavily invested in metal bending technology, and the company's products are widely used in the cab industry, for example. The company's services also include pipe and plate laser cutting, and nowadays Metalli Järvelä also does CNC machining itself. The company employs just over 30 people, and its turnover is expected to reach around €4.6 million by 2025.
- We are very interested in becoming a subcontractor for Patria, for example, because we have a lot of things we could supply them with," say entrepreneurs Iiro and Visa Järvelä, citing pipe bending and pipe and plate laser cutting and assembly as examples.
Metalli Järvelä has already supplied products for the defence industry, and the entrepreneurs found the meeting with a Patria representative interesting. The company's resources and machinery are such that it is well placed to meet the needs of the defence industry.

Metalli Järvelä's entrepreneurs Visa (right) and Iiro Järvelä.

Mikko Toivonen, CEO of Windis, a company based in Vetula, and product developer Mika Klemola presented to a Patria representative a solution that secures water supply in various emergency situations. For example, a portable cut-off water unit in a sea container that protects against disruptions, sudden interruptions and water contamination.
- It was great to have a representative from Patria here on site. Based on the presentation we just heard, our company's solution could be considered for NATO-wide distribution, especially as we have good potential to scale up," Toivonen and Klemola say.

Windis CEO Mikko Toivonen (right) and product developer Mika Klemola.


Manufacturing back in-house

Maarla, based in Viitasaar, is a diversified player in the metal industry, manufacturing metal fasteners for the building products industry and ground support systems for solar power plants, among other things. The company also subcontracts and subcontracted products to the furniture industry and the ventilation industry. The Maarla Group, which employs 66 people, has a turnover of €10 million.
Jari Puukilainen, Chairman of Maarla's Board and principal owner, sees several reasons why Finnish industry should seize the opportunities offered by Patria and the defence equipment industry in general.
- It would be irresponsible if we were to miss out on production, products or components that could quite easily be made in Finland. We need jobs in Finland, and it is also a question of Finland's security to have manufacturing in Finland that supports security of supply. Personally, I think it is also a kind of social obligation," Puukilainen stresses.

According to him, the defence equipment industry will be a long-growing sector as a result of the current global situation.
- The defence equipment industry is also an opportunity for Maarla, whose direct customers have a combined turnover of several billion. We are able to produce a myriad of different products as well as to do stock assembly. But we need ways to open up the dialogue between the defence equipment industry and companies outside the growth centres, which is why these events are so important," says Puukilainen.
The event was organised by the Kaustinen Region and the SEMUKAS project.
- The turnover of the Finnish defence industry has multiplied over the last few years as Europe has strengthened its defence. Patria and its orders for the Patria 6x6 vehicle are a good example of this. The growth of the defence industry also has potential for companies and consortia in our region. Events like this are a concrete opportunity for companies to build useful networks," says Markus Mäntynen, project manager for the project.
SEMUKAS-The project area covers not only the Kaustinen sub-region but also the municipalities in the Sydänsuomessa region of North Central Finland. Viitasaari and Karstula have strong subcontracting activities in the metal industry. In addition, Savotta in Karstula received an order for more than EUR 30 million from the Defence Forces early this year. Different models of cooperation increase the ability of companies to participate in larger projects.

Jari Puukilainen, Chairman of Maarla's Board and principal owner.