Turku Science Park has signed a new agreement with Akron Development Corporation to promote Finnish and American biotech.

The Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation, signed during a visit of Finnish delegation in Akron, is aimed at enhancing Akron Development Corporation and Turku Science Park’s respective contributions in the biomedical sector internationally. The agreement will open new marketing channels for Finnish and American companies active in the biotech and ICT fields. Parties contributing to the union include the Akron Global Business Accelerator (AGBA), the University of Akron, and the State of Ohio.

“AGBA was born after the tyre industry went down and when new application fields for the local high materials know-how were sought – in a similar way as it is currently the case with the shipbuilding industry in Finland. The AGBA’s focal areas include biotechnology, materials technology and ICT – all of which are important to Turku Science Park Ltd, as a corporation that shares similar goals”, says manager Teppo Laaksonen of Turku Science Park in a press release.

The Akron-based companies see Turku as a good point of entry to Northern Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Russian market, said the Akron Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert Y. Bowman.