Unique BAM training program launched – Eastern Finland joins forces to attract investment

Eastern Finland is now making a strong push to attract vital investments to the region as the BAM investment training programme launches at the beginning of 2026. The training programme brings together public sector actors to strengthen the region’s investment readiness and international competitiveness through an unprecedentedly broad collaboration.

Competition for investments is intense both nationally and internationally, and success in this competition requires stronger competencies and strategic cooperation among regional actors. It is therefore essential that public sector organisations understand the needs and expectations of investors and business leaders when location decisions are being made.

The project Strengthening Competence to Attract New Investments to Eastern Finland (Business Attraction Management, BAM) is exceptional both in its scope and its implementation. Such a wide-ranging and goal-oriented effort to develop investment attraction expertise across regional boundaries is rare in Finland.

Implemented during 2026, the BAM training programme offers a practical, hands-on approach in which international top-level consultants coach public sector experts on key themes related to attracting investments.

Participants in the programme include employees and elected officials from cities, municipalities, regional development companies, regional councils, vitality centres and other organisations from five provinces in Eastern Finland: North Karelia, South Savo, South Karelia, Kainuu and Kymenlaakso.

Senior Advisor Kaija Laitinen from Business Finland points out that foreign direct investments in particular have a significant impact on national economic growth, while investments by domestic companies strengthen confidence in the competitiveness of Finland’s operating environment.

– Now more than ever, we urgently need new investments and the jobs they create. It is great to see how municipalities across Eastern Finland have become active on an unprecedented scale through this project, strengthening the region’s investment readiness, clarifying business opportunities, streamlining companies’ establishment pathways and accelerating the realisation of new projects, says Laitinen.

– For Invest in Finland as a national actor, it is important that our cooperation with regions is as close and seamless as possible. I believe that this cross-regional project will improve cooperation on many levels and enable a real step change in promoting investments in the region, Laitinen continues.

A long-awaited step in Eastern Finland

The kick-off event for the BAM project, managed by Business Joensuu, was held on 15 January 2026 at Joensuu Tiedepuisto. The launch event brought together around one hundred participants on site in Joensuu and online from five provinces in Eastern Finland.

Mia Hiltunen, Project Manager of the BAM training programme at Business Joensuu, describes the atmosphere of the event as enthusiastic and expectant. The training was widely seen as an important and long-awaited step to enable Eastern Finland to attract more investments and new jobs.

Caption: Suvi Sell, Kaija Laitinen and Aleksandra Airikainen discussed invest attraction in the panel discussion at the BAM kick start event at Joensuu Tiedepuisto 15.1.2026. Pauliina Pikkujämsä was the moderator.

In the afternoon panel discussion, participants explored concrete ways to accelerate investments in Eastern Finland. The panel featured CFO Suvi Sell from Aisti Corporation, Senior Advisor Kaija Laitinen from Business Finland, and Director of Location Services Aleksandra Airikainen from Kouvola Innovation. The speakers highlighted the importance of investing in research and development at both the national and regional levels.

During the discussion, Sell outlined the key factors companies consider when making location decisions: access to financing, infrastructure, and the availability of suitable premises. Laitinen added labour cost structures, energy prices, the smoothness of permitting processes, and available incentives to the list.

Aisti, led by Sell, spent a long time searching for production facilities for its wood fibre–based acoustic panels before deciding to establish its factory in Kitee, North Karelia. A decisive factor in the location choice was the City of Kitee’s willingness to invest in the facilities.

According to Sell, one particularly positive surprise in North Karelia was the strong support the company received throughout the establishment process. Assistance was provided in applying for funding, agreed commitments were fulfilled, and skilled employees were available.

The event concluded with networking at a cocktail reception hosted by the City of Joensuu, offering participants a valuable opportunity to connect with new partners and deepen cooperation across regional boundaries.

BAM training begins in early 2026

The partly English-language training programme will start in February 2026 and is tailored to participants at different levels, from newcomers to experienced Invest in professionals.

The training consists of seven complementary modules. In spring 2026, the focus will be on developing investment value propositions and effective sales approaches. In autumn 2026, the emphasis will shift to marketing, branding and communications aimed at attracting investments.

The programme combines inspiring lectures with interactive workshops, delivered flexibly both online and on site across Eastern Finland. A more detailed schedule for the training will be published in early 2026.

Training modules:

1. Developing Invest in value propositions and achieving investment readiness
2. Sales approach
3. Marketing, branding and communications
4. Infrastructure and regulation
5. Governance and cooperation models
6. Clean transition
7. Defence industry

The objective of the BAM training programme is to strengthen the competence and capabilities of key Invest in professionals to respond to the demands of a changing operating environment, to intensify network-based cooperation among investment promotion actors in Eastern Finland, and to deepen collaboration with Business Finland.

At the same time, the programme aims to create stronger and clearer regional offerings to attract investments in areas such as the clean transition, defence industry and tourism.

– Eastern Finland now needs exceptionally strong joint effort and unity. This training offers an excellent opportunity for that. Under the guidance of professionals, we challenge ourselves, learn new things and demonstrate together what we are capable of, says Mia Hiltunen, Project Manager of the BAM training programme at Business Joensuu.

The project is based on the Eastern Finland Programme prepared under the government programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo. The aim of the programme is to promote economic growth, investments, skills development and labour availability in the programme area, which includes North Karelia, North Savo, South Savo, Kainuu, South Karelia and Kymenlaakso.

Harri Broman, business leader and Counsellor of Commerce appointed as the Special Representative for the Eastern Finland Programme, delivered a keynote speech at the BAM kick-off event, presenting the current status of the programme’s implementation and future opportunities.

The Business Attraction Management – Strengthening Competence to Attract New Investments to Eastern Finland project is co-funded by the European Union and the Eastern Finland Vitality Centre. The project is managed and implemented by Business Joensuu.

Further information:

Mia Hiltunen

Project Manager, Developing skills to attract new investments to Eastern Finland (BAM) project, Business Joensuu .

0503440703, mia.hiltunen@businessjoensuu.fi

Annika Martikainen

Communications Specialist, Business Joensuu

0505769437, annika.martikainen@businessjoensuu.fi

Pauliina Pikkujämsä

Service Director, Investment, Placement and Future Services, Business Joensuu

0407434362, pauliina.pikkujamsa@businessjoensuu.fi