City by the Sea

The Kotka-Hamina region's potential for growth and enterprise will be activated through co-operation and competence, with a view to forming significant centres of expertise. The benefits of the geonomic location will be increased through stronger input in the East know-how as well as in a top quality logistics cluster. In addition the region's key competencies are wood technology, information technology, metal industry networks, energy and environmental technology, tourism and food production and rural enterprises.

The regional business service company has an authorisation and resources from municipalities to promote especially common key competencies.

Kotka has one of the largest export ports in Kotka-Hamina region in Southeast Finland. The port has connections all over the world and modern international industry like paper, glass fibre, glass, metal and food. The port is not only for cargo. The Port of Kotka has a plan to get passenger traffic from Kotka to Russia and other destinations at the Baltic Sea.

The city will have a promising view in tourism; the town got as the first in Finland a sea aquarium with all Finnish fish species. The Maretarium welcomes all fish enthusiasts to see underwater life. And those who are really interested in fishes, may have a trip to fishing safari either for The River Kymi or The Gulf of Finland. Another attraction will be the Finnish Maritime Museum which will be located in the Old Port of Kotka when the Provincial Museum of Kymenlaakso will move there.

Young people are very important for the future development of every town. Many young Kotka people would like to stay in their hometown, but the problem is how to get work. There is Kymenlaakso Polytechnic in Kotka, but almost all graduated in information technology move to the metropolitan area. Kotka fights against this tendency to rebuild a school to ITC-Centre in order to make information technology companies to move Kotka and develop businesses here.