Business decision-makers see favourable development in Tampere’s overall image 

The study shows from companies and business decision-makers think about municipalities and cities. Municipalities and cities were examined in two size categories.

According to the scores, Tampere has the best overall impression in a group of municipalities with over 40,000 residents at an average score of 8.09 and second best in image factors and NPS score (Seinäjoki taking 1st place in these). The top ten includes Tampere, Seinäjoki, Vaasa, Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Tuusula, Hämeenlinna, Kuopio, Oulu and Kokkola.

According to the business decision-makers, supporting innovations, central commercial services, the promotion of international expertise, and work-based immigration are among the leading image factors for Tampere. Significant factors also include the availability of labour, the marketing of the city and its vitality-bolstering efforts, for which Tampere receives good scores. According to the respondents, Tampere’s areas of development are zoning, communication, cooperation and communication with companies.

– I would like to thank the business decision-makers for their positive assessment of Tampere. The study also gives us important feedback on what we need to improve, such as zoning and communication. We will continue to work to ensure that Tampere remains an attractive and competitive place for business, says Mayor Kalervo Kummola.

In municipalities with over 40,000 residents, the top 3 in overall impressions are Tampere, Seinäjoki and Vaasa. In municipalities with less than 40,000 residents, that top 3 consists of Pirkkala, Lieto and Lempäälä.

As image factors that impact the overall image, the study examined the cities’ location for transport and connections, their centres’ commercial services, vitality-bolstering efforts, marketing, availability of labour, promotion of international competence and work-related immigration, smooth cooperation with the development corporation, friendliness to entrepreneurship, support for innovations, cooperation between the city and businesses, ease of access to city officials, and zoning from a business perspective.

Strong cooperation pays off

In the Kuntien Imago 2024 study by Taloustutkimus, the interviewees also evaluated the development corporations. According to the views of the business decision-makers, Business Tampere had the best overall impression in its comparison group with an average of 7.86. In addition to Business Tampere, Business Jyväskylä, Turku Science Park Oy/Turun Seudun Kehitys Oy, Business Oulu, Business Espoo/YritysEspoo were included in the comparison. The average for all cities was 7.44.

– It is fantastic that active cooperation for the future of companies and the entire business sector in the Tampere region has been noticed. For example, activity in the microchip and defence sectors bear fruit. The entire sub-region benefits from a pioneering approach, upon which our strong, digitalised primary industry will continue to lay a great foundation, says Harri Ojala, CEO of Business Tampere.

– We will continue to be the cradle of Finnish industry.

The overall image of Tampere rose to the top spot from the perspective of potential companies (with no activities in Tampere), as it did last year. According to the scores, the best aspects of Tampere's image factors were location in terms of transport and transportation connections, support for innovation, as well as the commercial services in the city centre. The interviewees were from all around Finland.

In total, business decision-makers, a total of 2435 people, assessed the Finland’s largest 53 municipalities, who all have over 20,000 residents, and businesses operating in their area. In this study, business decision-makers also assess municipalities on the basis of their image, even if they do not have activities in the area in question.  

The interviews were conducted as a telephone-informed online survey, and the data collection has been supplemented by an internet panel of Taloustutkimus. The data was collected between 16 August and 21 October 2024.