Partnership networks of the Finnish maritime cluster: Research focus on Chinese markets (SeaChi)

The Chinese economy is continuing to grow rapidly. The large size of China and its enormous population guarantee that the market volumes are always large in any business sector. Large multinational enterprises have grabbed this opportunity. The development must also be followed by Finnish SME companies operating as suppliers to the big players. The growth of the Chinese market also provides business expansion opportunities for SMEs. China has declared that its objective is to be the leading shipbuilding nation by 2015. As a result, more and more ships and marine equipment manufacturing will transfer to China. The development also provides an opportunity for Finnish companies in the maritime sector. Many components are already delivered from Finland to China, but in the future there could be a need and pressure to manufacture the products closer to the market. Thus, Finnish suppliers need to watch the development of the Chinese market and create strategies to take advantage of it. SME companies have more limited resources than multinational enterprises. Cooperation with partners can lower the barrier to their establishment in China.