Minister Berner to Hong Kong

Minister of Transport and Communications Anne Berner will represent Finland at the opening of the Nordic Innovation House in Hong Kong on 28 November 2018. The opening of the Innovation House will be attended by Sweden's Minister for EU Affairs and Trade Ann Linde, Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong Carrie Lam and Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers Dagfinn Høybråten.

The mission of the Innovation Houses is to help both new and established Nordic entrepreneurs and businesses in promoting their international growth.  The Innovation Houses collaborate closely with the locally operating Nordic trade promotion organisations and so complement their work.

The actors in the Nordic Innovation House project in Hong Kong include Business Finland, Business Sweden, consulates of Finland and Sweden, Innovation Norway, Embassy of Iceland in Beijing and the Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian chambers of commerce in Hong Kong.

Nordic Innovation operates under the Nordic Council of Ministers aiming to promote international innovation activities.

In addition to the opening of the Innovation House, Minister Berner will speak in a seminar on intelligent transport systems and services and smart cities. The Finnish organiser of the event is Business Finland.  The seminar will focus on intelligent land and port transport and the infrastructure of cities in the 5G era.

In her speech, she will discuss the role of governments in bringing the maximum benefits of digitalisation to society. Berner considers it important that legislation be adjusted to the digital era. In most cases, this means deregulation. "The governments are not directly responsible for the development of technology or business but act as enablers," she says.

During her visit, Berner will have bilateral meetings with Hong Kong's Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie Lam, Secretary for Transport and Housing Frank Chan and Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau.

More information about the Minister's programme:

Senior Specialist Saara Nikkinen, Ministry of Transport and Communications, tel. +358 50 434 6564