Southwest Finland is proactively preparing for the needs of tomorrow’s industry. A prime example is the Isosuo area near Turku, where a nationally significant industrial park is currently being planned.
The vision for Isosuo is to create a vibrant industrial park designed for the next-generation players. Isosuo is a significant part of a 20-square-kilometer business district spanning the towns of Masku, Naantali, and Raisio.
Economic development officials Lauri Hyttinen, Lassi Rosala, and Samu Mattila believe the area holds several winning cards.
One of these is energy. Should the national grid companies’ plans proceed as intended, the 2030s will see both Fingrid’s main power line and Gasgrid Finland’s hydrogen pipeline running through the area.
Local officials also highlight the area’s location. Within 20 minutes, you can reach the Turku city center, the airport, or the ports of Turku and Naantali. Furthermore, the region’s universities guarantee companies both a skilled workforce and high-quality R&D and innovation services.
Isosuo is both substantial in size and suitably isolated, making it a viable location even for the chemical industry. The plan for the area is to attract both large anchor companies and smaller operators.
– The area is large enough to house several industrial clusters, notes Masku’s Economic Development Director Lauri Hyttinen.
-We also hope to see a circular economy within the area, where industrial side streams are put to use so that one company’s waste becomes another’s raw material, adds Lassi Rosala, Naantali’s Economic Development Director.
Access to Electricity Attracts
The visions for the Isosuo area rely on Fingrid’s plans to build a new 400 kV power line from Lieto to Raisio, along with a new substation in Raisio. The line is scheduled to go into operation in 2031.
According to Aki Laurila, Fingrid’s Planning Manager, the new line will help meet the growing demand for electricity across the entire Turku region and the surrounding areas. As an example of future needs, he points to Green North Energy’s planned hydrogen and ammonia plant in Naantali.
Laurila notes that close access to the main grid and a substation is a major draw for any industrial area. He emphasizes that at the moment, access to electricity is a key factor for international operators considering Finland as a location.
– In the past, roads and railways were seen as the primary drivers of regional growth. In the green transition, high-voltage transmission grids and access to electricity have become the core factors for economic vitality and investment appeal.
Building Regional Growth Together
Masku, Raisio, and Naantali are jointly developing the Isosuo industrial area. The towns are aiming for a ‘Plug and play’ model, making it as fast and easy as possible for companies to set up in the area.
According to Samu Mattila, Director of Urban Development for Raisio, this means that issues like electricity, water supply, and perhaps even labor availability, have been solved on the company’s behalf.
– The discussions with the company are then primarily about whether the area is where the company wants to settle.
Currently, the Isosuo area is home to, for instance, the regional waste company’s sorting station and waste center, as well as quarrying and wood chipping operations. Most of the area consists of forests and fields, with residential housing concentrated at the edges. Even though parts of the area are still unzoned, industrial plots are already available.
– The area already includes vacant, zoned plots co-owned by the towns, which allows us to get the development moving, Mattila says.
Mattila, Hyttinen, and Rosala state that zoning and infrastructure for the area are being advanced in the partner towns with common goals and regional vitality in mind. In an era of tightening local finances, they believe cooperation is essential.
– Decision-makers understand that no town can thrive on its own, says Hyttinen.
– The Turku region is a tightly-knit urban area. As long as we generate growth in the region, it will benefit all of its towns, Rosala adds.
Towards a Significant European Industrial Site
The Turku region has dozens of business areas that cater to a wide variety of corporate needs, says Toivo Koskinen, Account Manager at Business Turku. However, the region has long lacked a large-scale area where energy-intensive operations could be developed from scratch.
– Fingrid’s future substation investment gave a boost for the development of Isosuo. The new substation will resolve the shortage of power capacity that has affected all industrial areas in the Turku region. It will do so exactly where there is room for energy-intensive operations, Koskinen says.
Business Turku’s assessment shows that Isosuo has the potential to become a significant industrial site in Europe. Koskinen is especially pleased that the three towns are working together to build the area.
– An area suitable for the chemical industry, developing right in the heart of our growth center’s services, infrastructure, and talent, would make use of the exact expertise we have in this region. It would also create a significant number of high-quality jobs and help keep our talent from moving elsewhere, he concludes.
Text and pictures: Heidi Pelander
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