History of creation
St. Petersburg Business-Contact Centre "BIZKON"
 
Founded in Finland in the city of Kotka in May, 1999 within the frames of cooperation between St.Petersburg and South-East region of Finland Kymenlaakso. Administrations of St.Petersburg, Kymenlaakso, Kotka and St. Petersburg JSC Unirep-Service (JSC "Business-Contacts" (JSC "BIZKON") substituts JSC "Unirep-Service" since June 2001 concerning the activity of Centre "BIZKON" in Finland) have become the initiators of the creation of the Centre.
 
 

The official Centre's opening took place in Karhula (Kotka) at 24 of June 1999 year. There were many correspondentes, centre's participants, official persons in Karhula. Mr. V.Iakovlev - governor of St.-Petersburg, Mr. I.Aboimov - Russian ambassador in Finland, Mr.T.Valinoro - executive director of Kymenlaakso region, Mr. H.Tapiola - the mayor of Kotka and others official persons took part in the Centre's offecial opening. The mission of the Centre is to promote development and strengthening of the Russian-Finnish mutually beneficial business contacts, growth of export of competitive products and technologies of St.Petersburg enterprises to Finland and through Finland to other EU countries.
The similar Centre was opened in Finland in city of Turku at 13 of September 2001 year during Days of Saint-Petersburg in Turku. Mr. G.Tkachev – Chairman of St.Petersburg Government Committee for External Relations and Tourism took part in this event.BIZKON-Turku is situated in the Turku Area Development Centre (TAD Centre).. BIZKON Eesti Centres were opened in Estonia in cities Kohtla-Jarve and Rakvere. Both these Centre are situated in the Administration buildings of cities.
The new St.Petersburg information business center was open in Hameenlinna on February 2009. This new BIZKON is situated in the Hame Development Center. So the small business triangle of economic growth was created in the region of Finnish Golf.

   

The opening of the permanently operating business-centre in Kotka of the Kymenlaakso region was preceded by a number of information-exhibition events that were organized in 1997-1998 by St.Petersburg JSC Unirep-Service together with the Committee on External Relationships of the St.Petersburg Government.The events held in Turku in September 1997 (during the Days of St.Petersburg in Turku), in Imatra in April 1998 (at the international exhibition "Trade of Russia and EU"), in Kouvola in September 1998 (during the Days of business contacts BIZKON-98) showed that in St.Petersburg there are technologies and products that can be of interest to the Finnish business people. Thus, as a result of the actions that took place, the Central Research Institute ELEKTROPRIBOR has concluded an agreement with the company LTN-TRADE Ky from Turku about the supply of wind electrical installations, the Central Research Institute PROMETEY has resumed the contacts for the supply of cold-resistant easily welded steels to the company RAUTARUUKKI, TEKHNOPARK of the Technical University has manufactured and supplied a large batch of mechanical parts to a province of Eastern Finland. The contacts of St.Petersburg enterprises with the companies of the province of Kajnuu that were established in St.Petersburg during the Days of Kajnuu in November 1998 have had a successful continuation.
 
The experience accumulated has shown that short-term actions are not effective enough and that it is expedient that the Russian-Finnish business contacts be held within the frames of the permanently operating Centre that is connected functionally with many regions of Finland and other information centres. It is also very important that the creation of such a centre gives an opportunity to St.Petersburg entreprises to go out through Finland with the lowest financial expenses to establish mutually beneficial business contacts with other EU countries.
 
 
       
   
Opening of the Centre. 24 June 1999    
   
    HANNU TAPIOLA   TAPIO VALINORO
 
After prolonged meetings and negotiations it was decided to organize it in Kotka. This has been contributed to first of all by the wish and willingness for action of the Mayor of Kotka Mr Hannu Tapiola and the head of the Kymenlaakso region Mr Tapio Valinoro who have supported with a will the idea of creation of such a Centre expressed by the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on External Relationships of the St.Petersburg Administration Mr V.L. Makarov. Working out of the concept of the new Centre and its organization was commissioned to the coordinator of the programmes of Kymenlaakso-St.Petersburg Mr Anter Sala from Finland and to Director on External Relationship and Marketing of JSC Unirep-Service Mr Alexey Varshavsky from St.Petersburg. St.Petersburg Centre on the issues of trade and export development (Director General Mr Yury Ardatov) takes active part in the creation of the data base of the participants of the Centre for Internet.