Governmental programme boosts open source business in Finland
Tekes - the Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation of the Finnish government - launches a national development programme for open source business. Open Source Business Programme will be organised as part of the Verso technology programme, where open source has been defined as one of the focus areas. The kick-off seminar of the programme will be held in January 2007 in Helsinki.
- Open source development transforms business models and continuously creates new opportunities for international business. In order to utilise this field of opportunity, new business skills are required in software intensive industries. Especially companies with strong potential for growth and internationalisation will be invited to participate the programme, says programme manager Keith Bonnici from Tekes.
Verso Open Source Business Programme is targeted at software providers and companies that are deploying - now or potentially - open source software in their products and services. The user organisations are expected to represent various key industries such as mechanical engineering, telecom and media.
The programme will be operated by COSS – the Finnish national centre for open source software - in partnership with Finpro, Technology Centre Hermia, Hermia Business Development and Roschier & Holmberg Attorneys. The consortium was chosen as a result of a public competitive bidding.
- We are very happy that Tekes trusts our experience, expertise and network in open source business development. This business programme in an extremely important initiative for the Finnish open source business and it will help companies to solve some of the most important issues in the area: the sustainability and evolution of business models and paths towards growth and internationalisation, states Petri Räsänen, the founder and director of COSS.
Verso Open Source Business Programme will be finalised by autumn 2007 and closing seminar will be held at the Openmind (www.openmind.fi) conference in Tampere. The programme will cover 30-40 companies, based in Finland.
For further information please see http://www.coss.fi, http://www.tekes.fi/verso or contact project manager Matti Saastamoinen at COSS matti.saastamoinen at coss.fi.
