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Railway traffic of private persons will open for competition in 2024. Finnish Railways, VR, has the monopoly for person traffic until end of 2024. Competition will be based on the Open Access model, meaning that each player comes to the market with their own rolling stock and is responsible for workforce and other expenses. Freight transport has been open for competition since 2007. To be able to operate on the Finnish railways an undertaking must apply for a license from the Ministry of Transport and Communication.
The provision of professional passenger transport services in return for payment is subject to license in all transport modes.
A good way to enter the market is through partnerships with either private companies or through public/private organizations by participating in testbeds or other smart mobility projects. Test permits can be obtained effortlessly and interaction with authorities is easy. Several bigger cities have opened their data for others to use. Helsinki was one of the first capital cities in the world to do this.
Other market entry models include the use of Memoranda of Understanding. As an example, an MoU to enhance cooperation between clusters and businesses in smart mobility was signed between Finland and the State of Michigan in March 2020. The focus will be on R&D, but the goal is also to create partnerships in support of market access and bilateral investment opportunities especially in the automotive industry, battery technology, smart mobility, and energy storage. The common need for this MoU was to mitigate climate change and advance green sustainable growth.
For More Information about exporting to Japan contact:
Yu Ohashi
Commercial Specialist - Global Auto & Smart Mobility Team
U.S. Consulate General, Osaka-Kobe
+81-6-6315-5958
finland
Bigger cities in Finland have development programs where they list individual goals in creating smarter cities. The following measures appear most frequently: developing gathering of traffic information and traffic light systems, pricing of parking, continuing automation testing, creating better infrastructure for automated vehicles. Among the popular goals is to create diverse and affordable mobility services without the need for owning a car and to create effective, safe and emission free traffic systems. The concept of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is increasingly popular and the present legislation seeks to enable a better integration and use of MaaS in the coming years.
Current Market Trends & Demand