A Region Investing in Innovation
The Turku region is one of Finland’s leading innovation clusters — a place where a dense concentration of universities, research infrastructures and industry work as one.
Innovation here starts with people: a large, highly educated and internationally fluent talent base, and a support system built to bring that talent on board fast.
Research and talent in one compact ecosystem
Around 40,000 students study in the Turku region, which invested some €600 million in research and development in 2024.
Five universities and higher-education institutions — led by the University of Turku, Finland’s second-largest, alongside Åbo Akademi and Turku University of Applied Sciences — feed a steady flow of graduates into the regional economy every year. Degree output is strongest in the fields that define the region’s industries: health and life sciences, technology and engineering, business, and maritime.
Because distances are short and the ecosystem is compact, companies work directly with faculties, research groups and students — from joint projects and theses to recruitment — without the friction of a larger metropolis.
6 reasons to choose the Turku region
5
Universities and universities of applied sciences
2
Official languages — Finnish and Swedish
#1
English-proficiency score in Finland
40,000
Students in the region
600 M€
Regional R&D expenditure (2024)
2 weeks
Fast-track work permit for specialists
Where research meets industry
The Turku region leads Finland in drug development, diagnostics, maritime technology and sustainable industrial technologies.
Innovation campuses and hubs bring companies, universities and research organisations together on shared sites. Open testbeds and specialised development platforms let companies pilot, prototype and scale in real conditions.
This co-innovation culture is a large part of why international companies choose the region: cutting-edge expertise and rapid experimentation, close at hand.
An English-speaking, international workforce
Southwest Finland — the Turku region — records the highest English-proficiency score of any region in Finland (EF English Proficiency Index 2025).
Finland ranks among the world’s top dozen countries for English with around 90% of adults speaking English.
The universities run a wide range of English-taught degree programmes, and Finland’s official bilingualism — Finnish and Swedish — adds a further dimension for Nordic teams.
For a company relocating people, it means teams can be productive from day one, in English.
Fast-tracked, fully supported relocation
A specialist work permit is decided in two weeks through Finland’s national fast-track — and the employee can travel to Finland immediately.
A specialist permit is processed within two weeks, and a D visa lets the new recruit enter as soon as the permit is granted. Applications are filed online, with the employer adding the terms of employment digitally, and spouses and children can be fast-tracked at the same time.
On the ground, International House Turku is a single point of contact for arriving talent, offering multilingual guidance on immigration, registration and settling in — including a Group Soft Landing Service for companies relocating several employees at once.
Built for families — and dual careers
An accompanying spouse has an unrestricted right to work in Finland from the moment their residence permit is granted.
That makes the Turku region a realistic home for dual-career families — and International House Turku extends its guidance, training and networking to spouses to help them into the local job market. Families also have access to Turku International School, a publicly funded school offering English-medium education from grade 1 through to the International Baccalaureate Diploma, at little or no cost.
Combined with safe neighbourhoods, high-quality public services and easy access to nature, the Turku region is a place people don’t just move to — they stay.
Funding that turns ideas into growth
Companies developing new products and technologies in the Turku region can tap into some of Europe’s most accessible innovation funding.
Business Finland grants and loans support R&D and internationalisation, often covering a significant share of eligible project costs, while Finland’s R&D tax incentive adds a further deduction on research spending.
Regional development grants and EU instruments are available on top. Business Turku’s advisors help companies identify the right national and EU funding — at no cost.
Discover the Possibilities of Technology in Turku
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