Business Turku expands startup support through new hub

Business Turku, is establishing the Turku Startup Hub to strengthen the local startup ecosystem and accelerate the commercialisation of research for international markets. The hub will bring startups, academic research and investors together under a unified operating model. Jussi Pyysalo, an experienced growth entrepreneur with more than 25 years of international experience and whose first company was founded in Turku, has been appointed to lead the new initiative. 

“Research conducted in Turku’s higher education institutions is exceptionally strong, but there is still considerable potential in its commercialisation”. said Jussi Pyysalo “Our aim is that by 2030 Turku will be known as the city where research is turned into new companies faster than anywhere else in Finland”. 

The city’s €23 million Growth Fund will be a key instrument in attracting international venture capital investors, as well as facilitating access to new networks and market opportunities. The aim is to increase the number of startups in the Turku region from 110 to 250 over the next decade, positioning the ecosystem to compete with leading growth hubs across Northern Europe.  

The activities of Turku Startup Hub will focus on the region’s areas of expertise, which are health and life sciences, the clean transition, the blue economy and maritime industry, security and dual-use technologies, food and nutrition, as well as creative content and technologies. 

Minna Arve, CEO of Business Turku, emphasised the city’s long-standing culture of collaboration between universities and businesses, noting that local startups will benefit from this well-established ecosystem. 

According to the 2025 Startup Support Association Survey, 62% consider the Turku region a very good or good location for a company, 88% intend to continue operating in the area, and 52% use English as their primary working language. Startups are central to the region’s future growth, reflecting the global trend of new jobs emerging in high-growth companies rather than traditional industries. 

With the launch of this initiative, Business Turku aims to continue the development of a strong startup ecosystem that supports the resident companies in every step of their journey in the region.