Lindström to lead a Talent Boost visit to Seoul

Minister of Employment Jari Lindström will visit Seoul on November 18–21 November with the view to attracting international talents to Finland, promoting employment among young people, creating startup environments and examining the effects of digitalisation on the future of work.

The Minister will meet the Korean Minister of Labour Lee Jae-kap during the visit, said an official press release.

“Our aim is to survey the possibilities to attract talents and even startup teams from South Korea to Finland. Finland’s software sector and maritime industry, among other sectors, are in need of more talents,” Lindström said.

Efforts to attract international talents to Finland are part of the government’s ongoing Talent Boost programme. Talent Boost aims to harness the expertise of international talents to support the growth, internationalisation and innovation activities of Finnish companies.

Lindström will learn about the operating environment of local startups and about the experiences of Finnish high-growth enterprises operating in South Korea.

“Finland wants to create an environment for startups that is attractive to international companies. It is a good idea to learn about similar environments in other countries,” he said.

Lindström will visit the startup campus in Pangyo, which is considered the best innovation hub for ICT research and product development in South Korea. He will also learn about the Korea University startup accelerator and a joint Executive MBA programme of Aalto University and Seoul School of Integrated Sciences and Technologies (aSSIST).

He will present to Minister of Labour Lee Jae-kap the Finnish Government’s Talent Boost programme and its goals.

The ministers will also discuss measures to promote the employment of young people. South Koreans have been interested in Finland’s Youth Guarantee Scheme. This year, youth unemployment in South Korea has risen to around 10 per cent, which is the highest level in more than 15 years.