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VAASA PARKS

www.vaasaparks.fi

Business sector: Development and marketing of business parks and facilities, property and facility management, rental of business premises

Owners: Technology centre Merinova, City of Vaasa and Wedeco Oy Ab

Turnover: €4 million

Employees: 5–6

Vaasa Parks Oy Ab was founded in 2000 when it had been recognized that there was a need for an operator who focused on corporate business premises and plot use in the region. Vaasa Parks’ own facilities are located at the techno-logy house Futura I, which was actually the company’s first new construction site, completed in 2002. Now, more than 15 years later, Futura I has been followed by three other technology houses as well as numerous other office and production premises. The company has worked as a real estate developer for properties of a total value of close to 100 million euros, of which two-thirds are tailor-made projects for example for Wärtsilä, Citec, The Switch and University of Vaasa.

“Vaasa Parks operates in a wide range of roles, but the core business idea has remained the same; we create ground-based operating opportunities for companies in the area,” says Ulla Mäki-Lohiluoma, CEO of Vaasa Parks.
The activities of Vaasa Parks are strongly proactive, which means that the company actively participates in regional development projects and works closely both with client businesses and local authorities as well as public development companies.
“The strength of the Vaasa region is the public-private partnership (PPP) operating model, which allows very flexible and rapid responses,” says Mäki-Lohiluoma.
At the present time, Vaasa Parks is involved in the development of the GigaVaasa factory site. The actors in the region have co-launched the GigaVaasa project in order to make it possible to bring a major battery factory investment to the region.
“The EnergyVaasa ecosystem in the region is ideally suited for energy storage and battery factory solutions. We create the preconditions, for example, by seeking out plots and ensuring recompletion of permits in advance so that actors interested in the area have the prerequisites to move quickly with their own plans,” says Mäki-Lohiluoma.

Mäki-Lohiluoma explains that the requirements for business premises have become more technically advanced and the need for modularity has increased. Companies desire multi-space solutions for their office premises, which can be used flexibly and according to the tasks at hand. During the planning and construction of production and warehousing facilities, increased importance is given to the customer-oriented functional approach.
“In many of the specific locations we are involved in, the user of the premises has participated closely in the design from the very beginning,” says Mäki-Lohiluoma.

VAASA PARKS

www.vaasaparks.fi

Business sector: Development and marketing of business parks and facilities, property and facility management, rental of business premises

Owners: Technology centre Merinova, City of Vaasa and Wedeco Oy Ab

Turnover: €4 million

Employees: 5–6