Games for Health Finland wins a European Enterprise Promotion Award in Luxembourg

Games for Health Finland, which promotes innovative solutions in the health and wellness sector, was chosen as the national winner in the 9th European Enterprise Promotion Awards. The awards were presented at the SME Assembly held in Luxembourg from 18 to 20 November 2015.

Games for Health Finland was entered in the award category of "Improving the business environment", which recognises innovative policies that promote enterprise start-up and growth, simplify legislative and administrative procedures for businesses and implement the "ink Small First" principle in favour of small and medium-sized enterprises. The Grand Jury Prize for the entrepreneurial initiative considered the most creative and inspiring in Europe was won by Creative Quarter from the United Kingdom *).

"This is great recognition for our work in developing business activity, where through open-minded activities we have succeeded in improving the business environment, skill base and global competitiveness of companies," says a happy Arto Holopainen, a Senior Advisor at Kuopio Innovation.

Games for Health Finland has helped improve regional sustainable development. The Finnish competition jury chose the Games for Health Finland initiative as the only Finnish entry in that category as representing innovative co-creation and a cross-sectoral experimental culture as well as supporting the generation of new innovations and enterprise in the health and wellness sector.

"Games for Health Finland was considered an innovative and original project that has already created jobs in the local economy; open co-creation, an experimental culture and multidisciplinary approach have accelerated the creation of new business initiatives as well as new businesses," says the national contact person (CP) for the competition, Service Director Jaana Hernelahti of the Varsinais-Suomi TE Office.

This is Kuopio Innovation's second national European Enterprise Promotion Award following last year's success for the Runway project, where innovations are put on a commercialisation fast track. (Read more here)

Kuopio has an active and multidisciplinary operating environment that accelerates the R&D activity of companies and promotes the development of new and enabling technologies. Innovation by companies and the commercialisation of innovative solutions is promoted through systematic activity. Various measures have paved the way for operating models that will further the creation of reference markets for companies' new products and solutions.

About European Enterprise Promotion Awards 2015
The objectives of the European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA) are to identify and recognise successful activities and initiatives undertaken to promote enterprise and entrepreneurship, showcase and share examples of best entrepreneurship policies and practices, create a greater awareness of the role entrepreneurs play in society and encourage and inspire potential entrepreneurs. Projects carried out at the national, regional or local level can take part in the Awards. The Awards have been issued since 2006.

The members of the Finnish 2015 competition jury were Service Director Jaana Hernelahti of the Varsinais-Suomi TE Office, who was the national CP, and Labour Market Counsellor Jarmo Palm, Ministerial Adviser Pertti Hämäläinen and Senior Inspector Anne Kuoppala of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy.

About Games for Health Finland
The objective of Games for Health Finland is an operating model that enhances the business environment and generates new innovations in the health and wellness sector as well as encouraging potential entrepreneurs and supporting company growth through co-creation and a cross-sectoral experimental culture. The activities bring together companies in the health technology, ICT, gaming and design sectors and companies in the health and wellness service sector.

Games for Health Finland is entering a deeper phase (2015–2018) through the active and multidisciplinary Health Game Lab operating environment being promoted by Kuopio Innovation, which supports entrepreneurship, accelerates the R&D activity of companies, fosters the development of new and enabling technologies as well as innovation by companies and the commercialisation of innovative solutions through systematic activity.

The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, the Regional Council of Northern Savo and the City of Kuopio.

* Creative Quarter describes itself as an 'incubator without walls', which aims to support creative SMEs to generate prosperity and create jobs. It develops highly-skilled local workforce who are ready to compete with one another to transform The Creative Quarter area in the city to make it a great business location. The initiative has supported over 700 businesses and has created just over 600 jobs. It has also contributed to the development of over 7,500 sq m. of new workspace for SMEs, entrepreneurs and creative businesses.

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