Global Clusters is a business development program that provides Finnish executives with training in international product and service launches and winning strategies. The program focuses on international marketing and the financing of growth. Over the course of three workshops, executives examine topics such as identifying favorable growth segments and prime geographical markets.

At present, 28 Finnish technology companies are taking part in the program. Global Clusters director Juhani Saukkonen says that the participants were identified from a pool of some sixty worthy contenders.

“Our selection criteria included the scalability of the business as well as the will and ability to attain rapid growth in the company’s respective segment. In the program currently underway, participants are instructed in the most effective high-tech marketing tools and concepts, which have been established as the de facto standard among entrepreneurs and executives aiming for leadership in their field,” Saukkonen says.

Saukkonen has been involved in the Global Clusters venture since its very outset. “We are currently in the sixth round of the program. The five earlier rounds, implemented since 1999, have involved a total of 111 companies, which without exception have reported considerable advances to their ambitions of going international. The participating companies have subsequently also raised more than 100 million euro in venture capital.”

The second workshop held in Helsinki between December 2 and 9 was headed by the American Mark Cavender, founder and managing director of Chasm Institute LLC. Workshop II provided insights into the skills and tools needed to formulate successful market development strategies across the entire lifecycle of technology, starting with visionary customers and ending with revitalization strategies towards the end of the cycle.

“It is crucial to realize that while a few visionary customers are actively seeking new technology for competitive advantage; adoption by mainstream pragmatist customers presents a major challenge. There is a chasm dividing these visionary customers from the rest; and most technology companies fail in their attempts to cross this chasm. Global Clusters Workshop II is designed to help innovative companies bridge this ‘commercialization chasm’ by providing the requisite tools for formulating an effective market development strategy,” Cavender says.

Cavender says bridging the challenging ’commercialization chasm’ can be accomplished with a clear-cut nine-step model that spans the entire technological lifecycle and development strategy of a product.

President Reijo Takala from The Switch, signed up with the Global Clusters venture in order to reflect on the company’s current strategy. The Switch also wished to review the company’s strategy round to ensure that they were on the right track.

“Global Clusters has already assured us that we are indeed on the right path. We’ve also gained valuable insight into the proper areas of emphasis in our strategy for the coming year. With the next workshop, I look forward to learning more about the tools necessary for us to cascade our strategy throughout the enterprise. I find it simply wonderful that seasoned veterans are willing to share of their expertise in this manner,” Reijo Takala says.

According to managing director Samuli Tursas of digital communications specialist Koodiviidakko Oy, the most important contribution of Global Clusters to his company has been the strong American presence in the venture’s expert base.

“The U.S. market plays an important role in our business development, and real-life case studies are a vital learning tool for us. Since we already have a solid grounding in finance and business theory, the pragmatic approach of Global Clusters is an excellent fit. The first workshop educated us in the importance of having a clear focus, and the streamlined structure of the workshop helped pinpoint the factors most crucial to development. Workshop II illuminated the market we are about to enter and helped us grasp our future potential. The experience of the workshop instructors, born of their own solid track record in business, is an invaluable asset for a young entrepreneur. We are making rapid progress and have already formulated a three-month operating model, which will allow us to put our lessons into practice even before the third and final workshop takes place next February,” Tursas explains.

The Global Clusters venture is proud to partner with the Federation of Finnish Technology Industries, Technopolis Plc and Finnish centers of innovation and excellence. The venture is spearheaded by Oulu Innovation Oy and its funding is mainly provided by Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation.

Further information:
Juhani Saukkonen, Oulu Innovation
+358 (0)40 553 7364
juhani.saukkonen(at)ouluinnovation.com