Tekes tells mobile business: Vamos! — MobileMonday Global: Industry News

^{EUR 160 million program under preparation} Tekes tells mobile business: Vamos!

9 Feb 2005 at 19:52 GMT Timo Poropudas

Tekes, the major Finnish provider of pubic support for the development of technology, is putting together a new program supporting mobile business development. Vamos (Value Added Mobile Services) program follows a successful NETS program with total investment of EUR 260 million. Pauli Berg, a technology specialist at Tekes estimates that his organization might invest EUR 60 million, or even more, in Vamos program. Under the Tekes rules this means that the coming partners would be expected to bring in about EUR 100 million over the life of the program. So far Berg has lined up about twenty companies for the preparatory work, including Finnish wood industry giant Metso. The preparatory work is open to all interested and willing to put in the needed work. Participating organizations represent industries like ICT, energy, constructions, pulp&paper, traffic&logistics and services. “The program will focus on developing mobile business services rather than on technology,” Berg said at February MobileMonday in Helsinki. Tekes will organize open seminars and workshops during the spring for the purpose of planning the program. “In the workshops we will define goals with benefits and results to be reached and actions and means for reaching the goals.” Berg says that the aim is to start first projects during the second half of 2005