Innovation cooperation between Finland and China

Business Finland has established numerous frameworks to support Finland-China innovation collaboration on both national and provincial level. We provide information sharing, organize innovation workshops, do matchmaking, give advising/coaching for the projects and fund the most promising applications.

Joint innovation calls provide opportunities not only for joint R&D and piloting taregting in market entries and expansion, but also e.g. for standards and regulation contributions in strategic collaboration projects.

Think big and let us help you to boost your business with innovation!

Remarks on China’s specific regulatory framework on data

Read the attached “China’s specific regulatory framework on data and how it impacts EU-China R&I collaboration” to know more about the recent regulatory changes that might affect your work or that are at least good to be aware of. The objective of the report prepared by the “EU Research and Innovation Knowledge Network on China” is to give an overview of applicable Chinese data laws which are relevant for the research and innovation sectors.

Remarks on China’s specific regulatory framework on data

Annual Actions

• Q1: Call preparations
  • 19.1.2021 training session
  • 9.3.2021 training session 
• Q2: Call Openings; matchmaking and project advising/coaching starts
  • Pre-announcement of the calls 
  • Call launching webinar on 17.6.2021 at 09:00-10:30 Finnish time
  • MOST – Zhejiang - Jiangsu Joint Innovation Calls Matchmaking Event   June 22nd 2021
    • Opening ceremony (9:00-10:20 Finnish time, 14:00-15:20 Chinese time)
    • Pitching track A / Life and Health, Intelligent Manufacturing (10:20-around 12:30 Finnish time, 15:20-around 17:30 Chinese time)
    • Pitching track B / Energy and Environmental Protection, Smart City and Transportation (10:20-around 12:30 Finnish time, 15:20-around 17:30 Chinese time)
• Q3: Matchmaking and project advising/coaching continues
• Q4: Application submissions and evaluation starts

Annual Calls

• Shanghai Science &Technology innovation call (no call in 2021, next call in 2022)
  
  
• Zhejiang Science & Technolog joint innovation call (closing on 15.10.2021)
  • Zhejiang call text 2021 
  • Zhejiang call Bilateral Cooperation Form 2021  - needed as an appendix to the digital application
    
    
•  Jiangsu Science & Technology joint innovation call (closing on 15.10.2021)
  • Jiangsu call text 2021 
  • Jiangsu call Bilateral Cooperation Form 2021 - needed as an appendix to the digital application

• MOST (Ministry of Science and Technology) joint innovation call (opening in mid-June 2021, closing on 26.11.2021)
  • Call Text
  • Bilateral Cooperation Form

The innovation calls are open for all those Finland-registered companies, who want to either target the Chinese markets or collaborate with the Chinese counterparts for innovations. Business Finland can provide funding for Finland-registered companies and co-innovation projects, where both companies and research organizations can be present. It should be noted that on the Chinese side, in addition to the companies, also research organizations alone can get funding.

Business Finland funding is not fixed and depends on the number of qualified applications. Project costs are not limited but must be in line with the resources and targets of the company. Normal Business Finland funding principles are applied. Typically projects range from 100 k€ to 1 M€ (due to Chinese side funding that ranges from RMB 1-5 million, depending on the call and topic), although co-innovation projects may be larger. More information about the funding principles  is available on Business Finland funding website.

Companies

Maximum funding percentage of the project costs for SME's and Midcaps is generally 50 % grant or 50-70 % loan and for large companies 40 % grant or 50 % loan depending on the type of the project.

Research organizations

Maximum funding percentage of the project costs in co-innovation projects (with minimum 3 companies) is 70%. Research organizations cannot apply funding alone.