Expertise in micro- and nanophotonics stemming from Joensuu, Finland, is joining the Chips for Europe Initiative, which addresses challenges related to the availability of microchips in Europe.
Joensuu's position as one of Europe's leading centers of expertise in photonics and optics was further strengthened when the Swedish company Entangly expanded its operations to the region.
Swedish Entangly takes its first steps as an international company – in Joensuu.
A company such as Entangly has not yet been established in Finland. Founded in 2017, this consultancy specializing in optics, lasers, and photonics assists companies in developing and ideating products by leveraging their specialized knowledge in light. Entangly's founders, Jonas Tidström and Daniel Ljunggren, along with the company's Senior Optics Specialist Anni Lehmuskero, see many opportunities in expanding to Finland.
"It's very exciting to be expanding into Finland! We have been in the photonics business for many years now and we can see that there is a lot happening in the photonics industry in Finland at the moment. We have already cooperated with Finnish companies in the past, so expanding here feels like a natural step," Jonas Tidström says.
"We help our customers turn ideas into concepts and prototypes into finished products by providing assistance in the whole optics and photonics development and deployment processes. Our expertise ranges from optics design to prototype building of instruments for optical measurements."
Photonics, even if it sounds futuristic, is a key part of the technologies in use today. This field of science and technology, based on visible and invisible light, is utilized across various industries, including medicine, automotive, forestry, metal industry, and consumer products like cell phones. The development of many devices requires knowledge of photonics or optics.
"If you look closely, optics and photonics are needed everywhere," Daniel Ljunggren describes
The Solution for the Future
Leena Lehikoinen, responsible for the placement of photonics investments at Business Joensuu and who has worked closely with Entangly, is also excited about the company's arrival in Joensuu. According to Lehikoinen, the relocation of a new company to the area is always a lengthy process, where it is crucial to demonstrate the opportunities the whole region offers. One of Joensuu's competitive advantages is its photonics cluster:
"Photonics Joensuu is the most significant consortium of research, development, education, business, and innovation actors in our region. Getting Entangly to be a part of our photonics community is truly significant for the entire industry."
Leena Lehikoinen (on the left) and Anni Lehmuskero and Joensuu Science Park. . Photo: Anne-Maria Kankaisto
For Entangly, expanding to Finland appears as an exciting opportunity, and the collaboration with Business Joensuu has made the company feel welcome.
"Collaborating with Business Joensuu has been a really smooth process for us. Business Joensuu has significantly lowered the threshold for settling in Joensuu and truly demonstrated a desire to have us as part of the community," describes Anni Lehmuskero from Entangly.
The program manager and development director of Business Joensuu's photonics business growth program, Juha Purmonen, sees Entangly as an answer to the shortage of photonics expertise in Finland:
"Currently, Finland lacks engineering firms specializing in optical design. Entangly's expansion to Finland is a precision solution to what the Finnish industry needs right now."
We Live in the Century of Photonics
"If the 19th century was the century of mechanics and the 20th century was the century of electronics, then the 21st century is the century of photonics," states Jyrki Saarinen, the director of the Department of Physics and Mathematics and the Director of Photonics Research Center at the University of Eastern Finland.
Photonics plays a crucial role both domestically and internationally. The sector is estimated to grow globally by about 7 percent and by about 13 percent annually in Finland. The majority of Physics Nobel Prizes are awarded to research focused on photonics. There is currently a high level of interest in the field.
Joensuu is the largest provider of photonics education in Finland. In the autumn of 2023, the University of Eastern Finland launched the country's only master of science in technology specifically aimed at training photonics experts. Additionally, Joensuu is part of the national network of Innocities, where the city's focal areas include photonics and forest bioeconomy.
Hanna Hyttinen, a Senior Advisor at Business Finland's Invest In Finland unit, praises Joensuu for its commitment to photonics from the perspectives of research, collaboration, and services designed for businesses.
"Finland has numerous strengths in photonics, which provide excellent conditions for attracting not only Entangly but also other foreign-owned companies. Joensuu, in particular, is a significant photonics hub, offering an outstanding operational environment for photonics companies, students, researchers, and technology partners alike," Hyttinen notes.
Photonics Joensuu is a consortium bringing together significant actors in the fields of research, development, education, business and innovation in the Joensuu region. Photonics Joensuu promotes RDI activities and business life by supporting the growth of the region’s photonics companies and the establishment of new companies in the region. Photonics Joensuu is being developed as part of the activities of Innokaupunki Joensuu project, which is co-funded by the European Union and the Regional Council of North Karelia.
Text: Siiri Kumpu, Ellun Kanat. Photos: Engtangly and Anne-Maria Kankaisto, Business Joensuu
