People who singed the Oulu-Sendai cooperation contract

The 20-year cooperation between the city of Oulu and Japan’s Sendai will continue until 2030

17.01.2025

The city of Oulu and the city of Sendai in Japan have already cooperated for 20 years. On Tuesday January 14, the cities signed a renewed cooperation contract for the following five years. 

The Sendai delegation ended their three-day visit to Oulu on January 15. The goal of the visit lead by Deputy Mayor Shinichi Takahashi was to renew the cooperation contract between the cities for the coming five-year period, promote partnerships in the fields of research, technology and education, and reinforce ties between the cities. 

The Sendai delegation included representatives of the Tōhoku University Hospital who signed the Memorandum of Understanding cooperation document with the Oulu University Hospital during the visit. At the signing ceremony, the Director of Oulu University Hospital Miia Turpeinen stated that cooperation between Finland and Japan is very natural since both countries have a lot in common when it comes to solving health care challenges. Turpeinen believes that the cooperation between the two hospitals will breed solutions that are needed in future hospital activities and providing health care services. 

A new phase in cooperation between the cities 

Starting from 2025, cooperation between Oulu and Sendai will transition to a new phase of cooperation as the new contract was signed. The goal is to transition from individual industry projects to more extensive cluster- and ecosystem-based modes of cooperation. Oulu and Sendai will utilize their strengths by learning from each other and cooperating more extensively in central areas, such as the clusters of ICT, health, circular economy and printed electronics.  

Startup cooperation will focus especially on health and bio sciences, where Oulu’s OYSTER business incubator, StartupStation and Polar Bear Pitching as well as Sendai’s startup ecosystem and SENDAI for Startups! event offer diverse opportunities for startups and cooperation between the cities.  

International top research and technology 

The visit reinforced cooperation in top research and technology between Finland and Japan. Discussions with the leadership of Sendai brought up shared focus areas on scientific innovation that focuses on practical solutions for societal challenges. 

With the new contract, Oulu and Sendai reinforce their commitment to long-term partnership with the goal of creating a more diverse and sustainable model of cooperation via innovation, economic growth and cultural exchange.