Post by Teemu Seppälä

Riihimäen kaupunki - City of Riihimäki - highly performing international NATO epicenter! It was a great honour to host Antti Häkkänen, Minister of Defence, and Sanni Grahn-Laasonen , Minister of Social Security, together with Timo Heinonen, Member of Parliament, in Riihimäki today. The visit continues the recent landmark development of establishing a NATO Deployable CIS Module in Riihimäki — further strengthening the city’s role in Finland’s and the Alliance’s defence ecosystem. We had the opportunity to present the latest progress of Defence Innovation Network Finland (DEFINE) and discuss how we are supporting the growth of defence and dual-use companies through concrete actions and measurable results. Minister Häkkänen emphasised Riihimäki’s growing role as an international NATO city, highlighting the strong momentum and impact of the DEFINE ecosystem. Minister Grahn-Laasonen recognised the importance of focusing on high-level talent and growth-oriented companies as a foundation for long-term success. Our shared priority remains clear: enabling companies to grow, innovate, and deliver capabilities that strengthen security and resilience. The outlook for Riihimäki — and for Finland’s defence innovation ecosystem — is very strong. #DefenceIsHappiness Puolustusministeriö - Försvarsministeriet - Ministry of Defence of Finland Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö - Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, FI Puolustusvoimat - Försvarsmakten - Finnish Defence Forces SAKO Ltd Millog Oy Häme University of Applied Sciences, HAMK Riihimäen Tilat ja Kehitys Oy Riihimäki-Hyvinkää Chamber of Commerce Miia Nahkuri Leinonen Mikael Lauri Jormanainen Hannele Saari Aarno Yrjö-Koskinen Tero Nuora Jouni Eho Marja Heinimäki Erja Eiro Samuel Koivisto