Finnish Business & Culture in Poland

2022

FINNISH

BUSINESS

& CULTURE

in Poland

Provided by:

1

Copyright © 2021 Spondeo Consulting Asunmaa.

All rights reserved.

Editor in chief: Tuomas Asunmaa

Content Manager: Julia Morta

Graphic design: Anna Jędrzejewska

Website: www.spondeo.fi

E-mail address: office@spondeo.fi

tuomas@spondeo.fi (+48 514 615 048)

Special thanks to our sponsors YIT Development, UPM, Pagero, Ecovis, Leinonen, Bilans, HT Laser, FSP and Koskisen,

our fantastic Clients and the whole Spondeo Team.

Introduction

Dear Reader,

I visited Poland for the first time in 2004, Krakow was one stop during our interrail trip through

Eastern Europe. It was the time when Poland and nine other countries had just joined the EU,

and me and my friend thought it would be fun to scroll through Central and Eastern Europe.

During one month we traveled through 9 countries and we liked Poland the most. A year later

I had my studies done and I got an accounting traineeship job in Wroclaw - it was the beginning

of the outsourcing wave. Frankly speaking, it was a bit boring as a job but luckily I ended up

doing a weekend job as a promoter of Finlandia vodka. My task was to be a Finn in bars a clubs

and teach people Finnish words, tell about our culture, deliver drinks and pose in pictures.

It was a fantastic journey, I did the promo in 12 cities and learned many fun facts, such as Matti

Hautamäki being the most popular Finn in Poland (that time). I noticed that Polish people

think pretty positively about Finland and Finns - I cannot imagine that a Polish vodka

promotion in Finland with a genuine Polish Wojtek would earn a big success among Finns.

Once the tour landed in Poznan, I met Weronika and ooops, 6 years later we got married.

Classic!

This year marked 10 years of being an entrepreneur in Poland. In the early 2010s we had a staff

rental company, focusing on blue-collars and since 2014 Spondeo. Over the years Spondeo has

slowly grown from 2 persons’ side business to our current team of 8. We have helped over

100 Finnish companies in the Polish market - from market researches to factory establishment,

recruitment, acquisition, sales, fairs, crisis situations.. – you name it.

Numerous times I have been asked how is the Finnish community in Poland - this booklet will

now serve as an answer. You will find entrepreneur, business, sport and culture stories from

Poland with a Finnish heart. As usual, it started as a much smaller project but it expanded once

we noticed there are so many interesting stories to put on paper. And, most importantly,

we had our fantastic Anna and Julia to make this happen – iso kiitos!!

Hopefully next autumn we can prepare a new edition. If you have an interesting story that

deserves to be told – please let us know!

Tuomas Asunmaa

Founder

3

Contents

Activities

Sand Valley Golf Resort 6

Vistula Sauna 8

Warta Poznań 10

Business

ATC 12

Business Finland 14

Espeo Software 16

Finnish Trade Guild 18

Huuuge 20

ICEYE 22

Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects 24

Navigo 26

Polar Night Software 28

Spondeo 30

Suomen Unipol 32

Tactic Games 34

Valkea Media 36

Culture

Aleksandra Michta-Juntunen 38

Books about Finland 40

Finhome 42

Finnish studies in Poland 44

Finnish wooden houses in Warsaw 46

Grupa Pohjola 48

Kalevala 50

KIRJA 52

Mannerheim: Polish Years 54

Paula Wolski 56

Puola Nyt 58

Sebastian Musielak 60

The Embassy of Finland in Warsaw 62

Towarzystwo Polska - Finlandia 64

Maps

Finnish production companies in Poland 66

Finnish IT/Tech/BPO companies in Poland 67

Finnish sales offices/services in Poland 68

Infographics

TOP25 Finnish companies in Poland in terms of sales 71

TOP10 Fast growers 72

Meet our Team 74

5

Activities

Sand Valley

Golf Resort

Sand Valley Golf Resort was established in 2006. It is set in a rural area 2 km from Expressway S7

and 7 km from the Elblag Canal. Sand Valley has emerged as Poland's flagship golf project

in the new millennium – rated by Golf World as the best in the country and one of the Top 100

in Continental Europe.

The course was designed by German Tony Ristola and two Finns, Lassi-Pekka Tilander and Kai

Hulkkonen. Antti Pohjonen, the Chairman and CEO at Sand Valley, also comes from Finland.

It has been about 14 years since he arrived to Poland “for a week”.

Source sandvalley.pl

The course extends over 100 hectares of picturesque Polish

countryside, offering a breathtaking 18-hole championship

course (par 72), 6-hole par-3 course, roofed 20 bay driving

range and a large practice putting green. Every year various

tournaments are held at the resort, such as World Amateur

Golf Championship, Octoberfest, Senior Golf Tour

or Midsummer Golf Madness. Sand Valley also organizes

weddings and integration days - all surrounded by world

class links golf experience.

Inland Links course welcomes annually thousands

of foreigners to enjoy Stay & Play - the packages put together

with the goal of creating the perfect golf vacation. In 2019,

Scandinavians were close to 90% of all of the visitors.

One of the regular guests is Heikki Kovalainen, a Finnish

racing driver. Onsite luxury Villas - Scandinavian in design

and American in spirit – perfectly complement the golfing


experience. They are equipped with

Finnish saunas, designer kitchens

and free Wi-Fi. Larger houses come

complete with their own private

swimming pool and jacuzzi.

The resort offers 120 beds in the Pool

Villas. Pelican Apartments are more

suitable for the needs of couples and

smaller groups. The golfers spend

their evenings at the clubhouse bar

& restaurant with a Nordic vibe,

where they can try international

selection of dishes prepared from

fresh and locally sourced

ingredients.


Sand Valley 23, 14 - 400 Pasłęk

www.sandvalley.pl

+48 552 482 400

info@sandvalley.pl

Activities

7

Activities

Vistula Sauna

The Floating sauna in Warsaw was designed in 2020 by Kwadratura and Marek Piwowarski.

It was opened in 2021 and is operated by Miami Wars. The sauna occupies the area of 15 m 2 and

is moored at the Czerniakowski Port. This project is a part of the implementation of the civic

budget in the capital city of Poland. The idea was submitted by Filip Pelc. The Vistula Sauna

encourages the inhabitants of Warsaw to visit the Czerniakowski Port and spend more time

amongst the greenery.

Source: Miami Wars

Source: Miami Wars

The city-nature dichotomy is currently a subject of criticism.

The initiative of residents of Warsaw proves the need

to implement innovative ideas related to nature. In contrast

to the Vistula Boulevards, the Czerniakowski Port is quiet

and peaceful. The Vistula Sauna is a perfect place for a calm

contemplation of the natural surroundings. The port is

home to beavers, otters and river birds. Most of the shores

remain in their natural state. The panoramic window,

characteristic of sauna architecture, allows visitors

to observe the port, especially the flora and fauna

of the Vistula River.

Source: Miami Wars

The floating part is built of metal elements and wood.

The hull, posts and upper deck is made of steel.

The structure of the walls, external facade and the internal

finishing of the walls are wooden. The sauna-ship can be

towed to another place, which makes it possible to use

the sauna in completely new, surprising spaces. Moreover,

it is completely demountable and 100% recyclable.

Source: Miami Wars

The Vistula Sauna can be used by a maximum

of eight people. The facility is equipped with a toilet,

shower, changing rooms and rest area. On the roof there is

a large upper deck where the visitors can sunbathe.

The sauna can also be used by people with disabilities. It is

open every day from 6 am to 12 am and the residents are

able to enjoy it free of charge between the hours of 8 am and

12 pm, 2 pm and 3 pm, as well as 5 pm and 6 pm. Everyone

can also book the sauna in advance.

Port Czerniakowski 136, Warszawa

www.kwadratura.waw.pl

www.saunawisla.pl

www.miamiwars.pl

+48 791 197 500

rezerwacje@miamiwars.pl

Activities

9

Activities

Warta Poznań

Warta Poznan Football Club was established in 1912, which makes it the oldest football club

in Poznan and one of the oldest in Poland.The Club was set up by a group of young people who did

not want to join the teams run by Germans in Prussian Poznan.

Robert Ivanov, a Finnish professional

footballer, currently plays for club Warta

Poznan as a defender. He was born in Helsinki

in 1994 and has made his debut for the Finland

national football team in 2019.

Warta footballers are two-time winners of the Polish

Football Championship, in 1929 and 1947. They were

runners-up five times, and were in the top three of football

sides in the country fourteen times. Warta Poznań currently

Source: Warta Poznan

has a place in the top ten most-titled football clubs

in Poland. The scorer of the first ever goal for Poland

at the World Cup was Warta Poznan’s ace striker, Fryderyk

Scherfke.

Shortly after promotion to the 1st Division, the Club found

itself in dire straits. It was rescued in 2018, when Bartłomiej

Farjaszewski and his Finnish wife, Niina Farjaszewska,

bought the Warta Poznań Football Club and repaid its debts.

In life and in business, Niina claims to be guided by sisu,


which is unique in Finnish culture. It can be described

as a certain type of perseverance or strength

of will that can push you through a stone -

a mentality of never giving up.

The situation of Warta Poznań steadily

improved. In 2020, a team that nobody was

backing achieved a historic success and was

promoted to the Polish Ekstraklasa after

being absent for 25 years. The most clearly

visible symbol of positive changes in

the Club is the stadium lighting completed

in June 2020 with its four, large characteristic

masts.

Warta Poznań’s calling card has always been

the schooling of new generations

of footballers. Since the beginning of 2020,

all training of children and youth players

takes place at the Warta Poznań Academy.

In line with tradition, and at the same time

following the latest models, the club

is schooling over 360 male and female

sportspeople.


Warta wants to be a socially engaged club.

Warta is one of the five clubs in Poland that

established an amp football section,

i.e. football for amputees. The girls’ section

has also been operating since last year.

The values of sustainable development and

care for the environment are very important

to the club. The club also promotes

an ecological lifestyle.


Jana Spychalskiego 34, 61-553 Poznań

www.wartapoznan.pl

+48 608 271 521

info@wartapoznan.pl

Activities

11

Business

ATC

ATC was established in 2009 in Lodz and has been producing semitrailers for tractor units and

trailers for trucks ever since. Finnish Antti Vaisanen works in the sales department

of the company, where he is responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships mostly

with international customers.

Source: ATC

The products offered by ATC are manufactured based on

individual projects, in accordance with the needs

of customers. The extensive experience of engineers - from

the design and construction department - allows ATC

to implement any, even the most complex, orders.

The production department is a group of high-class

specialists in the field of construction of semi-trailers, with

many years of practice in the country and abroad in leading

European companies.

The company also advises the clients in the fields of design

and utility. Thanks to their long experience, the specialists

working at ATC are able to recommend the best and proven

solutions which optimize the costs of transport activities

and raise the standards of use.

Source: ATC

The company has an extensive offer, which include:

one- to five-axle low-bed semi-trailers, low-bed semitrailers

with hydraulically steered axles, low-loader semitrailers

with a detachable hydraulically controlled balcony,

single beam and double-beam stretch low-loaders,

extendable low-loaders with a recessed load bed, tow truck

semi-trailers, platform semitrailers, specialist semi-trailers,

low loaders trailers, platform trailers and container trailers

for all types of containers.

The vehicles manufactured by the company pass technical

tests in accordance with all the EU guidelines without any

difficulties, both those carried out in the country and,

for example, tests conducted by the international concern

DEKRA.

Source: ATC

Dupois 114/116 Lok.A1.1, 93-465 Łódź

www.atc.net.pl

+48 517 849 968

antti.vaisanen@atcnet.fi

Business

13

Business

Business Finland

Business Finland is the Finnish government organization for innovation funding and trade, travel

and investment promotion. Business Finland’s 600 experts work in 40 offices globally

and in 16 regional offices around Finland. Business Finland is a part of the Team Finland network.

Source: Business Finland

Activities of the organization focus around key industries,

i.e.: bio & circular Economy, cleantech, energy,

food & beverage, health & wellbeing, ICT & digitalization.

The local advisors identify market opportunities, consult

and make high-value connections in the respective markets.

The office of Business Finland in Warsaw serves not only

inquiries related to Poland, but also to other countries

of the region, e.g.: the Baltic States, Czech Republic,

Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Croatia and others.

“If your company seeks for new markets and new

opportunities, I encourage you to contact our advisors.

Our team of experienced advisors, with strong local

expertize and business acumen – Zofia, Agnieszka, Piotr,

Anna and Radek - will help you within Business Finland’s

mandate,” – says Kirsi-Maarit Poljatschenko, Senior

Director, Head of Region Europe Central.


Team of Warsaw office:

• Piotr Hajdecki,

• Radek Kukuła,

• Anna Łomża,

• Zofia Stelmaszczyk,

• Agnieszka Wróbel.


Warszawa

www.businessfinland.fi

+48 508 983 253

piotr.hajdecki@businessfinland.fi

Business

15

Business

Espeo Software

Espeo Software was founded in 2008 by Sylwia and Pawel Rogowicz, who lived and worked

in Tampere, Finland for over 4 years. After working with countless large Finnish enterprises

and gaining experience in agile working methods of software development companies,

they decided that it is time to build something on their own. When Sylwia and Pawel returned

to Poland, they founded Espeo with the idea to take the innovative practices from Finland into

their company culture and core working methods. They combined the Finnish attachment

to agile work and attention to usability with Polish software development talent.

Source: Espeo Software

Digital consultancy with strong Finnish roots

Espeo Software builds and designs holistic custom web and

mobile applications by providing the software development

team that the client needs. It inspires and empowers clients

to focus on their business goals without having to worry

about the background processes. With strong Finnish roots,

it is driven by the Finnish innovative spirit to create state-ofthe-art

solutions. Although the delivery center with over

70 people is headquartered in Poznań, Poland, Espeo

has been working with Finnish companies for more than

13 years. Today the daughter company, Espeo Software Oy

in Finland, is led by Managing Director Aki Inkeroinen, who

joined the company in 2015 after working in the Finnish IT

industry for more than 20 years at companies like Dell and

IBM. Espeo Finland enables stronger collaboration onsite

with clients on the project and gives them access to topnotch

Polish developers.


End-to-end project development

From the very beginning, Espeo’s team wanted to specialize

in creating amazing web and mobile applications and user

centered UX/UI Design, and deliver dedicated IT systems

that make clients into market leaders. From the business

idea to a full project maintenance and support, Espeo takes

responsibility for the whole project lifecycle. In addition,

Espeo has been building solutions for enterprises using

the private blockchain Hyperledger Fabric. As a result,

we are able to provide our clients with significant added

value as blockchains add a level of transparency and

efficiency that cannot be reached with other solutions.


Baraniaka 6, 61-131 Poznań

www.espeo.eu

+48 618 480 065

hi@espeo.eu

Business

17

Business

Finnish Trade Guild

The Finnish Trade Guild (FTG) was established in the early nineties as an informal organization

integrating and supporting companies with Finnish share capital operating on the Polish market.

Since March 2004 FTG has been an integrated National Section of the Scandinavian-Polish

Chamber of Commerce (SPCC). SPCC is one of the largest bi-lateral Chambers of Commerce

in Poland. Its headquarters are in Warsaw, and is regionally represented in Krakow, Poznan

and Wroclaw.

Source: Finnish Trade Guild

Board of the Finnish Trade Guild (2021):

• Marcin Bruszewski (Fortum), Chairman, SPCC

Board Member;

• Tuomas Asunmaa (Spondeo), Vice Chairman,

SPCC Board Member;


The Finnish Trade Guild is a focal point for its member

businesses operating in Poland, representing their views

and interests, organizing cultural and networking events

(such as annual Summer Picnic, Crayfish Party,

Independence Day’s Night and other FTG-organized social,

business and VIP meetings), liaising and cooperating with

third parties and providing business support that adds

value and complements SPCC membership benefits. Some

of these include: additional access to market and business

information, support with promoting legitimate business

interests and contacts with decision makers, networking

in form of SPCC business mixers, professional development

and information exchange in form of topical seminars and

conferences, access to SPCC and FTG member data base,

use of the SPCC office meeting room in Warsaw free

of charge, cooperation with other bi-lateral Chambers

of Commerce in Poland and the Nordic and Baltic

Embassies.

• Markku Ekholm (Suomen Unipol), SPCC Board

Member;

• Esa Tuomi (Nordea Bank);

• Tomasz Konarski (YIT Poland);

• Piotr Hajdecki (Business Finland);

• Piotr Pruś (Ecovis).

Deputy Board Members:

• Maria Onikki-Gorski (Leinonen);

• Harri Reiman (HRX).

FTG represents business sectors from finance and insurance

to manufacturing, logistics and transport, accounting,

telecommunications, building and construction, IT, legal

services, wholesale and retail trade, power and fuel

industry, chemical industry, paper and packaging and metal

industry, to name a few.


Marszałkowska 142, 01-061 Warszawa

www.spcc.pl/en/node/73

+48 228 497 414

Business

19

Business

Huuuge

Huuuge Games brand exists since 2014 - however, the company’s history is much longer.

In 2002, Finnish Anton Gauffin – currently the CEO and President, founded a mobile gaming

company in northern Finland called Gamelion. The company grew and quickly opened a first

studio in Poland (2006) in order to take advantage of the technical talent needed to build more

games on more and more phones.

Henric Suuronen, who is a member of the Board of Directors of the company, strategic advisor

and one of the investors, also comes from Finland.

Source: huuugegames.com

games. Their core franchises are Huuuge Casino and

Billionaire Casino. Both constitute around 88% of Huuuge

total revenues. Their new franchises constitute 12% of total

revenues and their stake is increasing dynamically.

Source: facebook.com/HuuugeGamesCompany/

At first, the Huuuge Games only made games for larger

publishers – including Sony and EA Games. Nowadays

the company develops and publishes games that are easy

to play, great for small breaks and longer sessions alike,

and designed around our social-first, “play together” ethos.

The social-first nature of the

games is based primarily

upon the ability

of the players to chat, play

and compete with

one another in game and in

real time. The concept of

playing together with

others is central

to the company’s approach

to game design.

Huuuge is one of the fastest-growing mobile free-to-play

games developers and publishers, with a mission

to empower billions of people to play together, and a vision

to transform mobile gaming into a massively social

experience. The company has 10 offices in 8 countries

worldwide, 600+ people on board, 200M+ player

connections, 1M+ daily active users of its games and players

from 195 countries. In 2021, Huuuge Games made history

after making the largest IPO offering in Polish history,

as well as to date the largest in the European mobile

gaming sphere.

Huuuge Games is one

of the market leaders

in implementing real time

multiplayer mechanics

at scale in social casino

Source: facebook.com/HuuugeGamesCompany/

Rondo Daszyńskiego 2b, 00-843 Warszawa

www.huuugegames.com

+48 538 637 061

info@huuugegames.com

Business

21

Business

ICEYE

ICEYE started as a project in 2012 and became a company in 2014. It was established by Finnish

Pekka Laurila and Polish Rafal Modrzewski, who were both in the university group working

on Aalto-1, Finland’s flagship satellite project at Aalto University.

In 2018, the company launched the first Polish-Finnish observation satellite into orbit.

The commercial satellite called ICEYE-X2 weighs approximately 85 kg and is equipped with

ICEYE`s SAR (synthetic aperture radar), which allows to conduct observation of the Earth`s

surface regardless of weather conditions. Work on the device took three years, and its

integration was carried out over 6 months in Finland and Poland.

Source: ICEYE

As CSO, Laurila has been instrumental in establishing and

directing the company’s strategy, and previously as CFO,

raising the initial $20M funds for ICEYE. Laurila joined

forces with Modrzewski to create synthetic-aperture radar

microsatellites to solve various large-scale issues the world

faces, including those related to the melting ice caps,

ice monitoring, agricultural issues, and analytics focused on

terrestrial observation. Modrzewski brings with him a wide

domain of expertise in engineering through his years

as a researcher.

The company is tackling this crucial lack of actionable

information with world-first aerospace capabilities and

a New Space approach. ICEYE’s radar satellite imaging

service, with coverage of selected areas every few hours,

both day and night, helps clients resolve challenges

in sectors such as maritime, disaster management,

insurance, finance, security and intelligence. ICEYE

is the first organization in the world which successfully

launched SAR satellites with a launch mass under 100 kg.

Source: ICEYE

ICEYE Poland was established in 2017 in Warsaw and was

the firm’s first office outside of its headquarters in Espoo,

Finland. It is one of ICEYE's Mission Operations Centers

to control communications with the satellite constellation.

The customer service team was also incorporated into

the Poland office to provide technical assistance, access

to information and image request services. The office is led

by ICEYE’s Polish operations managers Robert Wagemann

and Witold Witkowicz, who is responsible for all Polish

recruitment efforts as well as scaling ICEYE’s customer

services to a maturing base of clients.

Source: ICEYE

Wspólna 70, 00-687 Warszawa

www.iceye.com

poland@iceye.com

Business

23

Business

Lahdelma & Mahlamäki

Architects

Lahdelma & Mahlamaki Architects is a Finnish company which designed the POLIN Museum

of the History of Polish Jews and, more recently the Zurawie mixed-use block in the Gdansk

Shipyard area.

Founded in 1997, Lahdelma & Mahlamaki Architects was the creation of long-term architectural

partners Ilmari Lahdelma and Rainer Mahlamaki. Rather than approaching a project with the aim

to push or challenge an architectural trend, Lahdelma and Mahlamaki take each design

with no preconception, constructing solutions which are fundamentally contextual

and responsive to their situation. Each project is its own thesis, delivering an experience totally

unique to that building.

POLIN, the Warsaw Museum of the History of Polish Jews,

sits alongside the memorial to the Jewish Ghetto Uprising

and tells the story of Polish Jews not only in the contents

of the museum, but also in the public spaces and views

to each other and the rest of the city. Lahdelma

& Mahlamäki Architects brought to the project

a level

of modesty – rather than creating a loud statement – that

spoke of the time in which it was constructed, whilst also

being the vessel for past and future stories of Polish Jews.

The basic form of the building is compact and reserved,

not detracting from or overshadowing the surrounding

park. From a distance its envelope blends into its

Source: LMA

surrounding – dappling the light and reflections with its

international awards, such as European Museum Academy

Prize 2016, Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture

Award 2008 or Eurobuild Award 2013 for best design

of a commercial or public building. In 2017, Finns presented

at POLIN their own exhibition as a part of the celebration

of Finland's centenary.

Source: LMA

Source: LMA

staggered panels. As one gets closer, the panels reveal

clusters of letters – spelling POLIN in Latin and Hebrew

letters (in English ‘Poland’ or ‘rest here’). At the same time,

cut right through the building is a soft, undulating gorge –

connecting the monument to the Uprising, with the park

and the city. In one sense the form looks to evoke ideas

of the parting of the red sea and the cracks in Polish Jewish

history. Regardless of what symbolism the visitor decides

to attach to it, the space creates a calm silence, a transition

between outside life and the wealth of history contained

within the museum. POLIN Museum was awarded several

Source: LMA

Tehtaankatu 29 A, FI-00150 Helsinki

www.lma.fi

+358 10 315 43 00

info@lma.fi

Business

25

Business

Navigo

Finnish education system is gaining popularity in Poland with more and more schools applying its

famously effective methods. Some of them, like Navigo schools, base their entire model on

Finnish schooling, combining it with Polish education system requirements. Other institutions

choose only some of the techniques which make them similar to the schools in Finland.

In public elementary school in Radowo Małe students are

taught how to put theory into practice, e. g. by applying

mathematics in the kitchen. Meanwhile, No Bell school

in Konstancin – Jeziorna near Warsaw offers classes

in communication, empathy, logic, and critical thinking.

While most of Finnish schools in Poland are only available

for elementary education, No Bell is also a high school.

Another primary institution with no bells is Mikroszkoła

Włochy in Warsaw – the students there have little

homework and the methods of teaching are based on

understanding how the brain works.

Source: Navigo

Navigo elementary schools are currently open in Warsaw,

Poznań, and Wrocław. The chain will also open a high

school in Wrocław next year (2022/2023). Their approach

is based on:

• trust instead of constant control – teachers and students

are encouraged to be independent and creative,

• responsibility – teachers choose their own methods

of conducting classes and are accountable for the effects

of their work; students actively take part in planning

their education process by using competence maps and

Source: Navigo

working with tutors in upper grades,

• practical application of knowledge – education

in Navigo prepares children for their adult life

in a modern, constantly changing world full of new

technologies,

• contact with nature – children spend as much time

as possible outside,

“creative boredom” and group projects. Subjects in grades

4th and up are divided into subject blocks and students

have their abilities tested using the Gallup test – all of this

to show them how to teach themselves and develop

individual talents.

• minimalism – applied in different ways - for example

in spatial arrangement within the school, lack

of homework, or time for rest during the school day,

• support – teachers build individual relations with

every student and support children’s talents and

passions, as well as offer individual assistance

if needed.

No grades, tests or bells are present in Navigo schools.

The older the students are, the more time they spend

working on their own. Within the day, there is a time for

Source: Navigo

Source: Navigo

Source: Navigo

Warszawa, Poznań, Wrocław

www.navigo.szkola.pl

+48 506 198 083

warszawa@navigo.szkola.pl

Business

27

Business

Polar Night Software

Polar Night Software was established in 2020 in Lodz. The company provides a broad range

of services related to the development of digital products and services for companies across

multiple industrial domains.

Finnish Henri Jaaskelainen, the Founder and CEO, created the software consultancy company

with his international top-notch team. Three of his partners also come from Finland

– recruitment specialist Ilkka Suhonen, IT sales executive Anssi Pakkanen and Antti A. Luostarinen.

Source: linkedin.com/company/polar-night-software/

The engineers at Polar Night Software are responsible for

delivering top quality software solutions using cutting-edge

technologies and tools.

The company not only offers design of the technical

architecture, but also implements it on a robust code and,

on top of that, manages the project management. Moreover,

the team takes care of the customers’ existing software and

can extend it with new features or custom integrations.

The employees have an experience with both legacy and

modern technologies on multiple platforms. They are

specialists in providing a variety of maintenance services,

some of which are bug fixing, new features development,

migration and code refactoring.

The company has an impressive portfolio of projects that

helped the customers take their business to the next level.

For example, the engineers from Polar Night Software

designed and built a mobile application, Oulan

Hetitulkkaus, which allows Oulan Group’s customers

to access interpreter services on demand when they need it.

The company also delivered a highly reliable and well

organised partner integration layer for LVS Brokers Oy.

The developers master the following main technologies:

React, Angular, TypeScript, Python, C#, .Net, Java, Node.js

and JavaScript in general. Polar Night Software provides

end-to-end deliveries, team extensions and consulting on

best practices of nearshoring software development

for business executives and managers.

Source: facebook.com/polarnightsoftware/

Wólczańska 125, 90-521 Łódź

www.polarnightsoftware.com

+48 731 407 479

contact@polarnightsoftware.com

Business

29

Business

Spondeo

Spondeo was established in 2014 in Poznan. Its mission is to help companies to grow in the Polish

and Central and Eastern Europe markets.

Finnish CEO Tuomas Asunmaa co-founded Spondeo with his wife, Weronika Gidel-Asunmaa.

He came to Poland from Oulu in 2005 and has ever since worked closely with the market.Tuomas

takes pleasure in supporting the Scandinavian community in the country - he is currently a Board

Member of the Scandinavian-Polish Chamber of Commerce and Finnish Trade Guild in Poland.

Source: Spondeo

Spondeo has 4 business lines: go-to-market, remote

recruitment, Sales as a Service and advisory projects.

Spondeo provides recruitment services mainly in the Polish

and Finnish markets, but has also projects in the UK and

Germany. Location does not matter, as they have had

remote recruitment in their DNA since 2011. Their

customers are mainly in manufacturing, engineering,

logistics, services and IT sector – and in 2021 they have

recruited the entire range of workers from basic production,

to the Country and Factory manager level. Besides

traditional recruitment and direct search, Spondeo can also

assist with contracts and advising in employment matters,

salaries and policies.

Spondeo is built on transparency, agility and embracing outof-the-box

solutions. The team focuses on simplifying

processes, ideas and communication in order to make things

more efficient. Our attitude is hands-on, favoring getting

things done vs. fancy powerpoints. The main goal is to be

a fair, fast, friendly a flexible partner, and have some fun too.

In 2021, Spondeo had over 30 clients - mostly Finnish

companies already active in the Polish market or looking for

an entry – from startups to stock-listed companies.

Go-to-market consulting can be a one-time project, typically

a market study, real estate search or business partner

identification, or involve longer-term local responsibility

and assist with the whole business launch process. Spondeo

has experience in greenfield operations, factory

establishment, M&A, team building and providing local

business support. Advisory cases are typically second

opinions, company opening/closing, and different kind

of problem-solving.


Sales as a Service includes traditional door opening - sales

partner and customer identifications, sourcing and

approaches by phone and digital channels. We can also offer

support by leasing our staff to act as a local Sales or Project

Manager. Besides Poland, we have provided this service

during 2011 on the pan-European level and beyond.

Source: Spondeo

Poznań

www.spondeo.pl

+48 514 615 048

tuomas@spondeo.fi

Business

31

Business

Suomen Unipol

Suomen Unipol Oy was established in 1979 in Finland. The company specializes in imports

and sales of Polish industrial chemicals and plastics. It takes care of sales, transport, warehousing

and distribution on behalf of our customers and principals. Solid experience, careful planning

and large volumes allow cost-efficient and high-quality operations. Suomen Unipol’s suppliers

include many leading Polish chemical companies, the most important of which is Ciech S.A.,

With operations on the global market.

Source: Suomen Unipol

Suomen Unipol’s total annual sales reach about 20 million

euros. Every year the company delivers close to 100,000 tons

of different chemicals and raw materials to the Finnish,

Scandinavian, Baltic, German and other nearby markets.

It designs all transport and warehousing operations

together with the customers, partners and suppliers in order

to address the individual requirement of each customer.

Truck deliveries from country to country can be arranged

in a few days and from the warehouses within a few hours.

The services offered by Suomen Unipol also include

chartering bulk vessels and tankers, and, upon request, rebulking

and packaging.

The product palette consists of a wide range of chemicals

and plastics which are delivered to, among others, food,

glass, metal, paint, cable, mining and paper industry.

Suomen Unipol also delivers products for hospital

and laboratory use, and for water treatment plants.

For years, the company has been the market leader

on the Finnish soda market and has now achieved the same

position in Estonia.


Suomen Unipol belongs to the Chemical Division

of the Association of Finnish Technical Traders and is part

of the Responsible Care program which links responsibility

for environmental, health and product security within the

chemical branch. The company is a member of Finnish

Packaging Recycling RINKI Ltd, thus bearing

environmental responsibility with respect to reuse of

packages. It is also fulfilling the requirements

of the European Union’s REACH regulations in accordance

with the FECC’s (The European Association of Chemical

Distributors) guidelines.


Karapellontie 8, FI-02610 Espoo

www.unipol.fi

+358 96 823 26 0

suomen.unipol@unipol.fi

Business

33

Business

Tactic Games

Tactic Games, which publishes games under the brand Tactic, was founded by Aarne Heljakka

in 1967 in Pori, Finland. That is where the company manufactures about 5 million board games

every year. Polish branch of Tactic Games was established in 2012 in Krakow.

Polish players enjoy and trust the company. Tactic products were distinguished with the title

of Good Brand 2020 – Quality, Trust, Reputation. This distinction is awarded to the most

promising and recognizable brands on the Polish market.

Source: Tactic Games

Tactic Group is an international, growing, well-known and

successful group of companies. It is one of the strongest,

most productive and fastest developing marketers of board

game products in Europe. Tactic sells its products in over

70 countries around the world. The company has been

a leading creator and producer of best-selling board games

for several decades.

In addition to the board games business, Tactic is also a fastgrowing

distributor of the most appealing toy brands and

a successful publisher of children’s books. The company is

known for high quality products, very professional sales

personnel, accurate and prompt deliveries, excellent

customer service and the capability in identifying the latest

trends.


The main focus of Tactic is to produce entertaining games

that offer moments of genuine, warm fellowship, and which

add content to miscellaneous social situations. Their

offering includes various categories of games divided into

3 main groups - for children, adults, and families. Tactic’s

goal is to be number one in board games through creating

the feeling of wanting to play again and again.


For over 50 years Tactic has developed thousands of game

projects and localized countless games. Only the most

exciting new game ideas meet the company’s high

development standards as it aims to bring the best possible

entertainment for players of all ages. Together with wellchosen

classic games, their products offer an outstanding

price-quality ratio in games of strategy, skill and chance.

Top brands include: Kimble, Alias, iKNOW, Wanna Bet,

Flags of the World and many more. Tactic also produces

some of the trendiest outdoor games, such as the Finnish

throwing game Mölkky.


Kocmyrzowska 13A/14-15, 31-750 Kraków

www.tactic.net

+48 723 735 774

biuro@tactic.net

Business

35

Business

Valkea Media

Valkea Media was established in Warsaw in 2000. The Founder, Esko Kilpinen, comes from Finland

and currently holds the position of Chairman of the Board in the company.

Source: valkea.com/en/

Valkea started with one title called Aktivist, which was

focusing on the nightlife. It turned out to be hugely

successful at the beginning of the millennium

and spearheaded transformation of the nightlife scene

in Poland. The company grew quickly through establishing

new titles and acquisitions.

Source: facebook.com/ValkeaMedia/

Over the last fifteen years, Valkea Media has transformed

itself from a traditional print media house to a custom

content production house creating a full spectrum

of effective cutting-edge communication solutions to our

clients, whether it is on or off-line content ranging from

social media marketing, video, print and events.

Valkea’s own media brands set it apart in the advertising

agency landscape. The company consistently leverages

many years of media-savvy experience to conduct

successful content, native, PR, and classic marketing

campaigns for its clients. The best-known titles today are

probably two English language magazines: Warsaw Insider

and Warsaw Business Journal.


Some of the latest projects include: Manufaktura – Poland’s

biggest shopping center – choosing Valkea as strategic

creative advisor. Ecco shoes (Danish brand) buying

influencer marketing, events, social media marketing and

TV campaign from Valkea. Douglas (the cosmetic shops)

buying website development, content solutions

& performance marketing from Valkea, Zabka –

the convenience retailer, with more than 7,000 shops

in Poland, buying monthly services for internal

communication from Valkea.


Jerzego Ficowskiego 15, 01-74 Warszawa

www.valkea.com

+48 801 800 278

newbusiness@valkea.com

Business

37

Culture

Aleksandra

Michta-Juntunen

Aleksandra Michta-Juntunen is a Pole who moved to Helsinki in 2007. She is deeply fascinated

with Finland, Finnish people, culture and cuisine, and decided to share her passion with people

from Poland. For this reason Aleksandra became an author and culinary blogger. She also collects

Finnish translations of Polish literature, enjoys wandering in endless Finnish forests and relaxing

in the sauna. There are several interviews conducted with Aleksandra by Polish journalists,

in which she talks about her experiences from Finland.

Source: finskiesmaki.blogspot.com

conversations with various people who live there.

Moreover, the publication makes it easy for the readers

to apply the newly-acquired knowledge from the book into

their daily life – in order to be as happy as people living

in the Northern Europe.

Source: finskiesmaki.blogspot.com

Aleksandra often visits Poland, where she gladly attends

meetings with her Polish readers and shares her personal

insight into Finland. The participants have an opportunity

to ask questions, admire unique photographs taken

by Michta-Juntunen and even try salmiakki, traditional

candy brought straight from Finland.

Fińskie smaki (Finnish flavours) is the only blog written

in Polish, which focuses exclusively on Finnish cuisine and

Finland. Aleksandra regularly publishes recipes for Finnish

dishes – either present in her Finnish family from

generations or created by herself. She also posts interesting

articles about habits, language and the history of Finland.

Aleksandra’s book, Finlandia. Sisu, sauna i salmiakki,

was published in 2019. The readers have a chance to take

a closer look at the contrasts that rule in the incredibly

diverse, multi-layered society of Finland. The author

debunks some - and confirms other - stereotypes about

Finnish people, thoroughly describes the true meaning

of sisu and explains little known habits and celebrations

typical for Finland.

Michta-Juntunen is also a co-author of a book Codziennie jest

piątek. Szczęście po nordycku (Every day a Friday. A Nordic way

of happiness). It includes interesting information about

Nordic countries and the collection of fascinating

Source: facebook.com/finskiesmaki

Helsinki

www.finskiesmaki.blogspot.com

finskiesmaki@gmail.com

Culture

39

Culture

Books

about Finland

Books about Finland by Polish writers concern different areas of Finnish world. Magdalena

Tomaszewska-Bolalek introduces the readers to Finnish cuisine, while Malgorzata Sidz proves

that Finnish society is not as homogenous as it might seem.

Many books by Finnish writers were translated to Polish and are appreciated by the readers from

Poland, e. g. Guide for a xenophob. Finns by Tarja Moles or famous Moomins by Tove Jansson

(originally written in Swedish).

Private collection of M. Tomaszewska-Bolałek

Private collection of M. Tomaszewska-Bolałek

M. Tomaszewska-Bolałek is a journalist, specialist in food

culture, head of Food Studies at the SWPS University

and a winner of several world culinary awards.

She conducts meetings, gives lectures, organizes cooking

classes and writes the blog Kuchniokracja. Her book, Tradycje

kulinarne Finlandii (Culinary traditions of Finland), has a lot

to offer to the readers who look for unusual flavours.

As a result of a turbulent history, Finnish dishes are

influenced by Swedish, Russian and Sami cuisines.

Traditional meals are endearing in their simplicity. There is

a great respect for products that for centuries were often

difficult to obtain. Other important features of Finnish

cuisine include use of natural foods and rational

management of ingredients.

M. Sidz spent five years in Finland, while studying

at the University of Turku. Her book, Kocie chrzciny

(Cat’s christening) includes series of talks with Finns about

their various views and experiences. The author also

explains intricacies of Finnish history and national identity.

The reader is invited to take a thorough look at Finnish

culture beyond stereotypes and expectations. Sidz opens the

doors into the Finnish houses, where the readers can see

diligent, forbearing people - who enjoy celebrating, but also

often have to struggle, for example with loneliness. Finland

is presented as a country full of contradictions

and divisions; wonderful and difficult at the same time.

Private collection of M. Sidz

Private collection of M. Sidz

m.tomaszewska@hanami.pl

gosia.sidz@gmail.com

Culture

41

Culture

Finhome

Finhome Ltd. is a Finnish-Polish family business established in 2016. The Finnish Home is located

just next to the city of Poznan in peaceful Kliny village, surrounded by idyllic forest - perfect

for outdoor activities in nature. The company runs a complex of wooden log-buildings:

120 m 2 house, sauna and grill-house, situated on 3000 m 2 garden – called Finlandia SPOT

(@finlandiaspot). The complex was built between 2017 and 2020, in collaboration with almost

30 Finnish business partners.

Source: Finhome

Finlandia SPOT by Finhome is a perfect meeting and

education spot for organized groups up to 25 people – like

buiness partners, families and friends. It offers a spacious

meeting room, 8 sleeping places, kitchen, a sauna building,

hot-tub, grill house and fire place. All the buildings are wellequipped

and have access to free Wi-Fi. At Finlandia SPOT

all visitors can feel relaxed by nature - like at home.

Source: Finhome

The Finlandia SPOT team represents understanding

of Finnish and Polish business, education and cultural

needs, and stays in collaboration with multilevel network

of experts and business support organizations in Finland

and Poland. The team has over 15 years of experience

in running international projects, matchmaking events

for different sectors, as well as boosting international

marketing and PR projects.

At Finlandia SPOT, groups can order tailor-made services

(B2B meetings, matchmaking and networking events)

or choose one of the programs for groups: Outdoor

Adventure (Survivals in Zielonka Forest or Wild Kitchen

lesson), business workshops (team building, creative

marketing, PR and CSR), family & friends workshops (DIY,

ceramic, open fire cooking), workshops for foreigners

(Traditional Polish evening/weekend), language

workshops.

Source: Finhome

Finlandia SPOT Team is open for all suggestions related

to the programs and ready to adjust all types of workshop

to the group's requirements.

Source: Finhome

Source: Finhome

Kliny, ul. Miła 14, 62-004 Czerwonak

www.finlandiaspot.com

www.finhome.pl

magdalena.jankowska@finhome.pl

tero.jamsa@finhome.pl

Culture

43

Culture

Finnish studies

in Poland

Finnish Studies in Poland are currently offered by three universities in Poland – Adam Mickiewicz

University in Poznan (since 1975), University of Warsaw (since 2007) and University

of Gdansk (2015).

The scope of study includes language, literature, culture and the history of Finns and Finland.

The students are taught language theory, grammar, translation and linguistics.

In addition, Finnish Studies acquaints with the literature of outstanding Finns and the works

of Finnish scientists.

In all three universities the enrolment for Finnish studies

takes places every two years (since 2016 - every year

in Warsaw). The students have also an opportunity to spend

one or two semesters (in every cycle) living and studying

in Finland as a part of Erasmus program.

In 2005, at Poznań AMU Finnish studies became combined

with Hungarian studies. Therefore, currently there is

philology with specialization Finno-Ugric studies – Finnish

philology. The students can earn their Bachelor’s degree

in three years and Master’s degree in two years.

Source: amu.edu.pl

www.amu.edu.pl

karkacz@amu.edu.pl

In Gdańsk, the students have a chance to gain knowledge

of Finnish and Finland by choosing Scandinavian studies

with Finnish specialization. The university describes

the degree as more interdisciplinary than a traditional

philology.

The focus is put not only on a language and culture,

but for example, also on international law, as well as Finnish

economy and business.

www.uw.edu.pl

neofilologia@uw.edu.pl

Source: fil.ug.edu.pl

At the University of Warsaw, besides Finnish, the students

are additionally required to study Hungarian or Estonian.

Since 2010, there is a student association Majakka

by The Department of Hungarian Studies. It aims to better

understand and promote Finnish culture. In both Warsaw

and Gdańsk, it takes four years to earn a Bachelor’s degree.

This is due to the difficulty of the Finnish language and

the fact that the learning process is one of building blocks.

The extension of the undergraduate education allows

students to achieve a language proficiency at the C1 level,

which enables them to use Finnish at work. The graduates

often find employment in international corporations which

provide customer services or outsourcing

(for example accounting).

Source: irk.uw.edu.pl

www.fil.ug.edu.pl

films@ug.edu.pl

Culture

45

Culture

Finnish wooden

houses in Warsaw

Otwarty Jazdow (Open Jazdow) in Warsaw is an intimate, full of green settlement of wooden

Finnish houses. It was built right after the end of World War II at the Jazdow Street, near

Polish parliament. It is a rural community in the center of Warsaw, unique on both Polish

and European scale.

Image by Michał Augustyn

Image by Mateusz Potempski

The wooden houses were a part of the reparations which

Finland was forced to provide to the former USSR following

World War II. The Jazdów estate initially consisted of

90 houses built for the employees of the Warsaw

Reconstruction Office (Biuro Odbudowy Stolicy), whose

task was to prepare large-scale post-war reconstruction

projects. Over the years, the settlement has become smaller

with many houses leased by foreign governments for the

use as embassies, or repurposed. However, while it has

shrunk, part of the Jazdów estate remains, with a total of 27

houses, of which 7 are inhabited by locals, the remaining 20

being occupied by various NGOs and other organisations

with conservation in mind.

established to work on a project to preserve several houses.

The residents of the estate invited NGOs and informal

groups to cooperate during the Night of Museums 2013.

The success of this action resulted in the Śródmieście

District agreeing to lend vacancies from June to November

and the creation of the Open Jazdów initiative. A unique,

open to social and culture-shaping space was created -

dozens of associations, foundations, informal groups and

sponsors have been involved in its activities. In 2021,

the Partnership Open Jazdów (established in 2015) was

distinguished by the European Commission for its

exceptional commitment to the protection and development

of the common European heritage. The organization is open

to cooperation with Finnish companies.

Two Finnish houses are also located in the Pole

Mokotowskie park. Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuściński

used to live in one of them. The city council has recently

allocated PLN 2 million (EUR 0.43 million) for

the renovation of both houses.

In 2010, the authorities of the Śródmieście District took steps

to displace the inhabitants and complete liquidation

of the estate. Stowarzyszenie Mieszkańców Domków

Fińskich Jazdów (Finnish Houses Residents Jazdów

Association) was established, which made efforts

to preserve the settlement. In 2012, the Ambassador

of Finland, Jari Vilén, became interested in the estate that

was being closed down. In 2013, a Polish-Finnish group was

Image by Patrycja Drzazga

Jazdów 10/5, 00-467 Warszawa

www.jazdow.pl

otwarty@jazdow.pl

Culture

47

Culture

Grupa Pohjola

Grupa Pohjola is a group established by five Poles who met while studying Finnish at Adam

Mickiewicz University in Poznan. They wanted to share their passion and knowledge about

Finland with as many people as possible, so they decided to create a Facebook fanpage and

later a blog.

The Facebook page by Grupa Pohjola is currently followed by almost 2,000 people. The authors

regularly publish interesting pictures and news. From time to time, the fans have a chance to take

part in competitions and win some Finnish awards – usually recently published books.

Source: facebook.com/grupapohjola

Grupa Pohjola’s blog is focused on everything related to

Finland, Finnish culture and language. The authors,

who besides Finland have different passions and

experiences, aim to introduce the country from as many

different perspectives as possible. There are six main

sections of the blog:

• culture – includes five following subsections:

movies, lifestyle, literature, music and visual arts.

There are reviews of books written in Finnish and

books about Finland; movie recommendations;

information about different genres of music and

cultural events;

• ecology – articles like Lahti – green capital of Europe

2021 or a thorough explanation of the issue with

an excess snow in Helsinki, which often ends

up in the Baltic Sea;

• Finnish language – several creative lessons

of Finnish; information about available summer

courses in Finland; interviews with university

students of Finnish studies;

• history – prehistory of Finland; introduction

to the fascinating Finnish mythology; the country

during WWI, civil war and WWII; origins of Santa

Claus; Polish elements in the history of Finland;

• politics – in this section the authors explain

the specifics of Finnish political system from

scratch and present current issues in Finnish

political scene. The blog is the only source

of articles on Finnish politics available in Polish;

• travel – photos and unique observations from

the authors’ various trips to Finland; useful

information about Finnish airlines; comparison

between certain habits which differ in Poland and

Finland; tips on how a reader can become

poronhoitaja - start his/her own reindeer farm.

Kuba, Jenot, Paulina, Natalia, Aleks, and Pazur

- the members of Grupa Pohjola - are constantly working on

improving their online presence. They are also open

to cooperation in order to get more individuals interested

in Finnish culture.

Source: facebook.com/grupapohjola

Poznań

www.grupapohjola.pl

pohjola@grupapohjola.pl

Culture

49

Culture

Kalevala

Kalevala is known as “the only Finnish village in the world located outside Finland.” It was

established by Michal Makowski, who came up with the idea during one of his visits in Finland.

He became so fascinated with the country and its people that he decided to bring the essence of

the Finnish world to Poland. Kalevala village introduces visitors to the Finnish history, culture

and customs.The project was approved by the Finnish government.

Source: facebook.com/kalevalapl/

In winter, Santa Claus visits the village. The guests are also

encouraged to take walks with friendly Siberian Husky

dogs, go for trips in the mountains, take part in toboggan

rallies and use a specially created educational path.

Even if the guests decide not to stay overnight in a tent, they

can take part in a tour of the village, light a fire together

in the Finnish sauna, taste Finnish delicacies and have

a great time during various events that take place there.

The visitors can purchase products from Finland in a store

located in Kalavala, for example the famous Finnish Baby

Boxes or liquors such as Minttu, Salmiakki, Koskenkorva

Sauna or Valhall.


Kalevala is located in Borowice near Karpacz. The choice

of the Karkonosze Mountains was not accidental -

the nature there in many aspects resembles that found

in Finland. Numerous attractions are waiting for guests

in Kalevala - Finnish saunas, lavvu tents, barrel bathtubs

and barbecue cabins. The reindeer, which permanently live

in the village, were also brought to Poland from Finland.

Thanks to the VR technology, the hosts are able to organize

the Northern Lights displays. The movies, recorded with

a 360-degree camera, can be enjoyed while sitting

on a comfortable deckchair outside - with a blanket, hot

chocolate and Scandinavian music on headphones.


Laponśka 1, 58-564 Borowice

www.kalevala.pl

+48 500 290 965

recepcja@kalevala.pl

Culture

51

Culture

KIRJA

Kolektyw Tlumaczy Literatury Finskiej KIRJA – Finnish-Polish Literary Translators Collective

KIRJA – is a group of Polish enthusiasts of the Finnish language, literary arts and culture.

The members met for the first time at the workshop for Finnish literature translators in March

2018 and at the beginning of 2019, they established the Kirja collective. Another valuable result

of the same workshop was the anthology of translations, which was also published in 2019 and is

now available on the group’s website.

Source: KIRJA

thoughts about a book on an event page established by Kirja

on Facebook and Instagram. The fans have also

an opportunity to take part in many interesting

competitions on Facebook page. The awards are usually

latest books.

Source: KIRJA

The Kirja’s page on Facebook is currently followed by

almost 1,200 people. The authors regularly publish news

about the latest translations, reports and curiosities from

the literary life of Finland. They also celebrate important

events, such as International Translation Day. There are

currently nine members of the Kirja collective - all listed and

thoroughly described on the website. They come from

different parts of Poland, live in different countries,

are of different ages and varying tastes when it comes to

their beloved literature. However, what connects them is

that they all flawlessly speak Finnish and, in one way

or another, Finland plays a significant role in their lives.

The main goal of the Kirja group is to popularize Finnish

literature in Poland. The members regularly attend book

fairs and reading events, publish reviews, meet agents and

representatives of publishing houses, talk about important

events from Finnish literary life (for example via Instagram

or Facebook live), create podcasts and – of course –

regularly read and translate plenty of books. They are also

open to cooperation with any people and organizations

interested in Finnish literature.

The translators from Kirja organize various creative events,

for example, there were already two editions of a challenge

to read one Finnish book during the summer (topic and

language could have be chosen by the reader).

The participants were then encouraged to share their

Source: KIRJA

Poland, Finland

www.kolektywtlumaczykirja.com

kolektywtlumaczykirja@gmail.com

Culture

53

Culture

Mannerheim:

Polish Years

“Mannerheim: Puolan vuodet (Mannerheim: Polish Years)” is a book by Anna and her husband,

Jukka Soisalon-Soininen.

He is a Finn who has lived in Poland for about 30 years. The author works also as a journalist,

licensed tourist guide and organizer of trips for groups and individuals in Poland, Finland

and other parts of Europe.

Mannerheim: Puolan vuodet is a valuable and interesting

addition to the literature on Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim,

one of the most famous figures in Finnish history.

He commanded the Finnish armed forces during the World

War II and went on to serve as the president of Finland.

As he writes himself, he spent the best years of his life

in Poland.

After graduating from the St. Petersburg Cavallery School

in 1889, Mannerheim was assigned to the regiment in Kalisz

on the German border. “I had nothing against my placement

in Poland, to which I always was glad to return to. The more

I got to know the Poles, the better I understood them and

enjoyed them”, he wrote. In 1911, Mannerheim was

appointed commander of the regiment stationed in Warsaw.

There he was invited into Polish high society, for example,

Zamoyskis, Potockis, Krasinskis and Radziwills, of which

many he knew already since the times when he was buying

horses for the tsar’s stables in Petersburg. Counts Maurice

and Adam Zamoyski and Prince Zdzislaw Lubomirski with

Private collection of Jukka Soisalon-Soininen

his wife Marie were some of his best friends. Mannerheim’s

As a politician and leader, but also privately, as a grey

eminence, Mannerheim laid the foundation for diplomatic

relations between Finland and Poland. He kept Poland and

Poles in his heart throughout his entire life. Mannerheim:

Polish Years sheds new light on Marshal

Mannerheim’s relations with Poles, shows how Poland

influenced his way of thinking and makes it possible

for a reader to look at Poland through his eyes.

The book was published in Finnish a year ago and will also

be available in Polish in 2022.


friendship with Princess Lubomirska continued in

correspondence and in personal encounters for a long time.

In 1914, Mannerheim was bestowed the command

of the Cavalry Brigade. After Germany declared war against

Russia, his troops fought in southern Poland, and he stood

witness to the destruction of the Polish countryside, of

which he was ashamed. He visited Poland after the end

of the World War I – in 1919, to meet Pilsudski. He managed

to free some his Polish friends from concentration camps

during World War II, for instance count Aleksander

Zamoyski.


+358 50 501 54 50

jukka.soisalonsoininen@gmail.com

Culture

55

Culture

Paula Wolski

Paula Wolski is a singer, songwriter and musician.The artist, who originally comes from the South

of Finland, has spent the better part of the past decade living in Krakow. She plays ukulele

and sings bluegrass and country, as well as folk tunes inspired by traditional Finnish music.

Besides her career as an artist, she also works as a Finnish language teacher.

Image by Marcin Świdziński

Lato (meaning barn in Finnish and summer in Polish), her

debut album, was recorded in the summer of 2020

in the sublime Polish wilds of the Bieszczady mountains.

With the fine input of Kraków-based musicians A. Partyka

(percussion), M. Bigulak (bass) and K. Chmura (guitar), this

album has fused Paula's rich influences into her own

distinctive style – at times melancholic, often buoyantly lifeaffirming

– replete with mature bittersweet songs of love

and loss.

Image by Marcin Świdziński

Some of the songs on the album include: Aamul’ varhain -

pastoral, with a sound that is at once intimate and

expansive, conjuring visions of warm fireplaces and

spreading wilderness; On jo myöhä - one of the most

engaging tracks there, showcasing not only the versatility

of that instrument in skilled hands but Wolski’s talent

for composition, and Minun silmät ja sinun silmät, which

in contrast, rattles along with something of a bouncing,

exotic rhythm.

Text: Shaun O’Neill

Wolski grew up singing folk songs at school, while her

home life swayed to the beat of her father's penchant for

country music. Not surprisingly, Paula's subtle yet

characteristic sound floats somewhere between the two.

Now based in Poland, her finger-picking style of ukulele

playing and voice harkens back to classic Americana – but

with a twist. All of her songs flow through her native

Finnish and are skillfully interwoven with elements of folk

and bluegrass. The soothing dulcet tone of her vocal

delivery is reminiscent of iconic female crooners like Gillian

Welch, Iris Dement and Alison Krauss.

Image by Agnieszka Zielonka

Kraków

www.paulawolski.bandcamp.com

paulawolskimusic@gmail.com

Culture

57

Culture

Puola Nyt

Puola Nyt (Poland Now) is a community page on Facebook.It was created in 2013 by Finnish Tapani

Karkkainen and it currently liked by over 2,600 and followed by over 2,700 people. The posts are

regularly published, sometimes more than once a day.

The administrators of the page are following

news and making the Finnish public familiar

with the recent development of Polish culture

and society, new trends and events. Poland

is being looked at from a plural and liberal,

Nordic perspective. Puola Nyt makes it possible

for Finnish speakers to always be up-to-date with

a complex situation in the entire country.

Facebook users can follow the content free

of charge and are encouraged to share their

constructive opinion in the comments. Puola Nyt

is a Finnish-speaking page - therefore,

the Facebook users are asked to write exclusively

Source: Puola Nyt

in Finnish. The comments, which offend others,

include lies, hate speech or trolling, are quickly deleted. Users

who repeatedly behave inappropriately are permanently

blocked from the page. As a result, the page manages

to maintain friendly and informative content.

Tapani Kärkkäinen, the Founder of Puola Nyt, arrived

to Poland for the first time in 1984. In 1987, he came back

to Kraków to study Polish. He also spent the academic year

1991/1992 in Warsaw, preparing his Master's thesis

on the relationship between Poland and Russia

in Mickiewicz's "Pan Tadeusz". Kärkkäinen is a translator and

journalist, whose specialties and objects of interest are

Poland, its culture and literature, the multicultural heritage

of Central and Eastern Europe, as well as minority and

religious issues. He often gives lectures on these topics

at universities and book fairs. In 2008, Kärkkäinen was

distinguished with Erkki Reenpää Award for a skillful

translation of Polish literature. In the same year, he received

a medal for the promotion of Polish culture. In 2011,

the President of Poland awarded Ihim the Order of Merit

of the Republic of Poland. In 2013, Kärkkäinen received

the Mikael Agricola Award for an excellent Finnish translation

of one of Olga Tokarczuk's novels.

Source: Puola Nyt

Source: facebook.com/puolanyt

Source: facebook.com/puolanyt

www.facebook.com/puolanyt/

tapani.karkkainen@saunalahti.fi

Culture

59

Culture

Sebastian Musielak

Translator Sebastian Musielak was born in Poznan, where he earned his degree in Finnish studies

at the University of Adam Mickiewicz. His first translation from Finnish was published in 2004.

He has also worked as an interpreter - among others at the bus factory in Wroclaw

and at the Helsinki shipyard Aker Yards.

For over twenty years now he has worked as a freelance

interpreter, who makes a living translating literature.

Musielak is motivated by the desire to transmit emotions

aroused by literature to new readers. He worked towards

this goal for years by translating from Finnish into Polish

about 35 novels and several shorter texts included in other

publications.

Works translated by Sebastian Musielak include detective

novels by Mika Waltari, science fiction by Johanna Sinisalo

and youth literature by Salla Simukka. He has cooperated

and still cooperates with the most important Polish

publishers - Rebis, Świat Książki, Czarne, Wydawnictwo

Literackie, W. A. B., Książkowe Klimaty, Zielona Sowa,

Pauza, Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, Dwukropek

and Marpress. In 2015, Musielak founded the publishing

company Oficyna Wolny Tor, which for three years

published a few Finnish modern classics in e-book format.

Private collection of Sebastian Musielak

He is also a supporter and mentor of young

translators in both Poland and Finland. Currently,

he is the director of the international course

for beginner translators of Finnish prose into

foreign languages, which is held biannually

in Helsinki.

In 2008, Musielak was awarded the prize

of the Literatura na Świecie magazine in the New

Voice category for the translation of the novel

by the Finnish writer Daniel Katz, The Colonel's

Woman. In 2017, the Ministry of Culture

of Finland awarded him the annual state award

to a distinguished translator of Finnish literature

into a foreign language on the recommendation

of FILI – Finnish Literature Exchange. According

to Minister for European Affairs, Culture and

Sport Sampo Terho, who handed out the award,

the prize is a special mark of honour for those

who make Finnish literature a part of world

literature.

Image by Jakub Koniecki

Besides Musielak, there are also other

accomplished Polish translators of Finnish works.

For instance, Iwona Kiuru already translated over

30 books for children and adults, and Bożena

Kojro releases her translations under her own

publishing house which focuses on the literature

from Northern Europe (especially Finland).

Image by Adam Wittmann

Suchy Las near Poznań

ww.stl.org.pl/profil/sebastian-musielak/

seba.musielak@gmail.com

Culture

61

Culture

The Embassy of Finland

in Warsaw

The Embassy of Finland in Warsaw is an official representative of the Finnish Government

in Poland.The position of the Ambassador is currently held by Juha Ottman, while Erja-Outi Heino

is the Deputy Head of Mission.

The main responsibilities of the Embassy are to: promote and strengthen political, economic and

cultural relations between Finland and Poland, share information on both countries to various

interest groups in Finland and Poland, and provide consular services according to the Consular

Services Act.

Source: The Finnish Embassy in Warsaw

The Embassy provides service to Finnish companies

together with Business Finland - Finnish government

organization for innovation funding and trade, travel and

investment promotion. The Business Finland office

in Poland is led by Senior Director, Head of Central Europe

Region Kirsi-Maarit Poljatschenko, currently staying

in Berlin. The Embassy together with Business Finland form

a business support team called Team Finland in Poland.

The Embassy of Finland in Warsaw is present on social

media, such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

and Poland, and take part in strengthening Finland’s image

abroad. They can also advise Finnish companies,

for instance, in obtaining information about local business

culture and in finding cooperation partners. Honorary

Consuls can also provide information, advice and guidance

for Finnish citizens, who are temporarily visiting Poland.

Certain types of notarized certificates can be acquired

through the Honorary Consuls, yet they do not accept

passport applications nor do they handle matters pertaining

to visas or residence permits.

There is also the Embassy of Poland in Helsinki and five

Honorary Consulates of Poland in Finland (in Espoo,

Kuopio, Tampere, Turku, and Jyväskylä).


Honorary Consulates of Finland in Poland

In addition to the team in Warsaw, Finland has nine other

representations in Poland – Honorary Consulates

in Gdynia, Białystok, Kraków, Poznań, Szczecin, Wrocław,

Kielce, Olsztyn and Toruń. Honorary Consuls are private

individual, who take care of their tasks on a part-time basis

without remuneration.

Together with diplomatic mission, the Honorary Consuls

promote economic and cultural relations between Finland


Chopina 4/8, 00-559 Warszawa

www.finlandabroad.fi/web/pol

+48 225 989 500

sanomat.var@formin.fi

Culture

63

Culture

Towarzystwo

Polska - Finlandia

Towarzystwo Polska - Finlandia (TPF) was established in 1928. Its headquarters is a traditional

Finnish house located in Warsaw.The institution brings together people related to and interested

in Finland and Polish-Finnish cooperation.

The main activities of TPF include spreading knowledge about Finland, promoting Finnish culture

and values, and maintaining friendly relations between Poland and Finland. TFP usually publishes

the reports from recently organized events on its Facebook page.

From private collection of TPF

Source: TPF

The members of Towarzystwo Polska - Finlandia aim

to make it an important and permanent point on the cultural

map of the Polish capital. They invite everyone to come and

visit – people young and old; fans of metal and traditional

music; individuals interested in books, movies and dance.

TPF strives to maintain friendly relations and interest of

people connected with Finland in various ways: individuals

in relationship with Finns, Finns living in Poland, Poles who

have lived in Finland, students of Finnish studies and all

other people who already know and love Finland. Apart

from that, the organization wants to introduce new

individuals to the Finnish world. The members believe that

Finland has something to offer for everyone – books

enthusiasts, board games players, photographers, students

(future engineers and economists), historians, etc. The goal

of TFP is to help interested people develop both

in he structures of the institution as organizers and

originators of events, as well as simply by enabling

participation in lectures, workshops and other valuable

meetings in some ways related to Finland.

Source: TPF

TFP also encourages everyone to learn Finnish language

in order to better understand Finland, the country’s history

and culture. The institution organizes several courses

in various forms - individually or in small groups,

on a chosen level of advancement, in Warsaw or remotely.

What is more, the participants have an opportunity to take

part in a Finnish summer course taught by Helsinki

Summer University.

Source: TPF

Jazdów 10/8, 00-467 Warszawa

www.seura.eu

+48 606 290 008

seura@seura.eu

Culture

65

Maps

Finnish production companies in Poland

FSP Steel Painting

HK Scan

Hydroline

Cargotec

HT Laser

Prevex

Reka Rubber

Ruukki

Stofix

TedGifted

Termex Fiber

Alteams

Fiskars

Kemira

Arnon

Darekon

Gebwell

Promeco

Wartsila

Pyroll

Stalatube

Scanfil

Uponor Infra

Stora Enso

Axopar Boats

Saxdor Yachts

VA Varuste

Xo Boats

Świecie

Valmet Automotive

Koskisen

Fortaco

Fortum

Teknoware

UPM Raflatac

Walki

Paroc

Scanclimber

Eltete

Metsä Tissue

ORAS Olesno

Wipak

Fortum

Heatmasters

Huhtamaki

Lammi Fundament

Miilux

PURMO

Scanfil

Nordkalk

U-Cont

UPM Kymmene

Amerplast

NTM

Teknos

YIT

PKC Group

Tikkurila

Finnish IT/Tech/BPO companies in Poland

Norian Accounting

Tieto

Unikie

Etteplan

F-secure

Bilot

Bitcomp

Nordcloud

Avaus Marketing Innovations

In4Mo

Metsä Group Services

Digital Workforce

Eficode

ePassi

Nordea

Polar Night Software

Etteplan

Dunning Kruger & Associates

Nokia

Siili Solutions

Solteq

Tieto

UPM

Signal Solutions

Górny

Śląsk

Barona ICT

Amer Sports

Tieto

Frosmo

Iceye

LVS Brokers

Kodit.io

Nokia

Nordea (IT)

Swappie

Teleste

Wolt

Maps

67

Maps

Finnish sales offices/services in Poland

Ductor

Europress

Spondeo

Allstars Engineering

Beweship

Deltamarin

Elomatic

Eltel Networks Telecom

Ensto

Finnlines

Nokia

Kipinä

Kemira

Konecranes

Lago Logistics

Peikko

Ukkone

AFRY

Valmet

Ramirent

BMH Technology

Comatec

Molok

Vilpe

Caverion

Lago Logistics

Outokumpu Distribution

Renta

Tamtron

Tactic Games

Ahlstrom-Munksjö

Ahola Transport

Geobear

Greencarrier

Halton

HRX

Kemppi

Kiilto

Kone

Leinonen

Lindstrom

Martela

Metso

Neles

Nokia

Nokian Tyres

Onninen

Orion Pharma

Pellon

Raisio

Nowa Era (SANOMA)

Telko

Valkea Media

Maps

69

Buying and selling

should be easy

The cloud-based Pagero Network connects

buyers and suppliers to digitalise and

automate the exchange of orders, delivery

documents, invoices and payments – no

matter how many borders their operations

may cross. Find out more at pagero.com.

Infographics

TOP25 Finnish companies in Poland in terms of sales (mil EUR) (2020, 2019*)

Headcount

Company name

Sales (mil EUR)

6127

Nokia

482

1404

Stora Enso

471

1271

Cargotec

409

612

UPM Raflatac

373*

815

Onninen

227

815

419*

Fortum

Purmo

183

173

3084*

Nordea Bank

168*

1135

735

1844

408

543*

513

343*

290

471*

39*

310

267

369

394

77

700

117

Scanfil

Paroc

PKC Group

Ruukki

Tikkurila

Nowa Era

Metsa Tissue Krp.

Kone

Fiskars

Outokumpu

Valmet

Technologies & Services

Nordkalk

Valmet Automotive

Ramirent

Axopar Boats

Eltel

Teknos

Data source: dnb.com

72*

64

60

56

44

42*

39

34

81

71*

70*

117

114

109

100

156

145

100 mil 200 mil 300 mil 400 mil 500 mil

Infographics 71

Infographics

TOP10 Fast growers (2021, 2020*, 2019**)

Sales growth multiplier 2017-2020

Company name

Sales (mil EUR)

32,7

Nordcloud

6,6*

7,7

6,5

Digital Workforce

Koskisen

2,6*

5,4*

4,4

YIT Development

26,2*

4,3

Axopar Boats

41,7**

4,2

Solteq

3,3*

3,5

HT Laser

8,3*

3,4

2,9

2,6

Teknoware

FSP Steel Painting

Lago Logistics

4,1*

5,0

6,0*

30x 20x

10x

Data source: dnb.com

10 mil 20 mil 30 mil 40 mil

www.fspcorp.com

From the forest to the van

Koskisen is a Finnish family company that

was founded more than 100 years ago.

We process Finnish wood into products

that stand the test of time.

Under the brand name Kore ® , we design,

manufacture and deliver high quality

LCV cargo space lining sets comprising

floors, walls and wheel arch covers to

fit all the most common delivery vans

available in Europe.

Our Kore service center and main CNCmachining

center, with total over 70

employees, is located in Toporów, near

beautiful Łagów Lubuski.

We are evolving, growing and constantly looking for new

professionals to join our young, international team!

Koskisen Sp. z o.o.

Ul. Nowa 6, Toporów

66-220 Łagów Lubuski, Poland

www.kore.koskisen.com

www.koskisen.com

73

Meet our Team

Tuomas Asunmaa

linkedin.com/in/tuomasspondeo

Tuomas founded Spondeo together with Weronika in 2014, and since that he has helped over 120 companies to do business

in Poland and CEE. Tuomas started his journey in Poland in 2005, and has lived in Wroclaw, Warsaw and now in Poznan

since 2015. He likes Polish pragmatism and never stopping dynamics and enjoys making some "funny" observations. In free

time he is passionate about music, books, sports and art and is fighting against the world by ordering 5 Finnish newspapers

in a paper format to Poznan. His biggest accomplishment of all times is the fact their 6-year old daughter speaks fluent Finnish.

Andrzej Wiśniewski

linkedin.com/in/wisniewski-andrzej

Weronika Gidel-Asunmaa

linkedin.com/in/weronika-gidel-asunmaa

Weronika is an HR expert, online recruitment, and headhunting professional with 10+ years of experience. She is passionate

to connect Spondeo’s clients' from a wide range of businesses with top talents. You'll also meet her in various market entry

and consulting projects with a recent focus on sustainable design and circular economy. Weronika loves slow-flow yoga,

downhill skiing, Helsinki summers, and frosty winters of Lapland. Proud mother of Maria, growing to be an independent

and empowered young girl. Lucky wife of Tuomas;)

Andrzej joined Spondeo in 2016 only with common knowledge about Finns and Finland. Since then, he has praised Finnish

honesty, creativity, and a sarcastic sense of humor. Outside of the world of economics, Andrzej spends his free time hiking

and trekking in mountains and woods, riding a bicycle around the city, and taking a Finnish sauna in winter.

Besides, he likes going to film festivals and listening to alternative music.

Piotr Worsztynowicz

linkedin.com/in/piotr-worsztynowicz

Piotr joined Spondeo in 2018 and ever since has been engaged in sales projects for our industrial and IT customers.

He is a graduate of European Studies at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan and MBA of Georgia State University

program at University of Economics in Poznan. He loves to spend his time with his family and his three kids keep him quite

busy. When he finally has time for himself he likes to hit tennis balls and read good literature.

Tomasz Wnuk

linkedin.com/in/tomasz-wnuk

Tomasz is a student at the Poznan University of Economics and Business, majoring in international economic relations,

specializing in international business. In February 2021, Tomasz joined the Spondeo forces to take part in pan-European

partnership projects. He bases his future career on the belief in the effective combination of altruism and sustainable

business. In his free time, he practices bodybuilding, mindfulness and develops interests in the politics of eastern countries.

His favorite book is The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.

Anna is a graduate of Poznan University of Economics and Business and joined Spondeo in June 2021, having opportunity

to take part in various recruitment and market entry projects. Since she approaches life with deep thoughtfulness

and imagination, besides her interest in international business, she is happy to create graphics, draw and read psychology

books in her spare time. Designing this catalogue gave her a lot of satisfaction.

She is also a fan of spontaneous travels and a healthy lifestyle.

Julia Morta

linkedin.com/in/julia-morta

Anna Jędrzejewska

linkedin.com/in/jedrzejewskanna

Julia Morta is responsible for marketing and consulting at Spondeo. Working on the catalog gave her the opportunity

to discover how many diverse Finnish businesses and cultural elements can be found in Poland. Julia earned a Bachelor’s

degree in Economics from Poznań University of Economics and Business and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree

in Management. She is an enthusiast of books, travels, and “The Matrix”. In her spare time, she enjoys taking long walks

with her spaniel as well as playing the harmonica.

Matvey Kashyn

linkedin.com/in/matvey-kashyn

Matvey is Junior Business Consultant at Spondeo and is working tightly with CIS market, also responsible for primary

potential clients search. Currently studying International Business he is combining work and studies, in order to get

professional experience in multinational team. The rest of his time Matvey spends playing guitar and reading, of course

sometimes he can't help lying in bed and watch films for the whole weekend.

Big family, busy schedule and PS5 don't let him get bored.

GO-TO-MARKET PROJECTS

• Market researches & Market potential evaluations

• Sales partner network building

• Early phase kick-offs

• Study trips and business partner search

ADVISORY

• HR – contracts, cultural conflicts, labor law, salaries

• Finance – how to organize accounting; special cases

• Second opinions & mystery shopping

• M&A’s – sourcing, contacting, PM

SALES AS A SERVICE

• Sales or Project Manager leasing

• New client & RFQ acquisition

• Lead Generation

• Client & partner sourcing

• Fairs and events

(REMOTE) RECRUITMENT

• Remote recruitment projects

• Direct Search

• Recruiter lease

Locally in Poland and remotely in Finland.

Trusted us:

www.spondeo.fi linkedin.com/company/spondeopoland tuomas@spondeo.fi

75

Finnish Business & Culture in Poland

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