Helsinki could soon become one of Europe’s top spots for foreign property investment, ft.com reports.
The Helsinki Business Hub, which is a public body set up to attract overseas investment into the Finnish capital, is ramping up its efforts to entice foreign nationals to set up home in the city.
As it stands, Helsinki is placed at 12th in the list of most popular European locations for foreign investment. By 2020, however, the Business Hub is looking to break into the top five.
Many of the expat professionals currently making their way to the Finnish capital are doing so from the country’s largest neighbour, Russia. Whilst not wanting to alienate the lucrative Russian market, Business Hub chief executive Micah Gland is looking to widen Helsinki’s appeal to the whole of Europe.
One such benefit he hopes will encourage professionals to make the move is that Helsinki benefits from being an eight hour flight away from both New York and Beijing.
Helsinki currently has a population of 600,000, which is expected to increase by 50,000 by 2021. Greater Helsinki, meanwhile, is home to around 1.4 million people. To house any new additions, planning chiefs have had to get creative with housing, which include the development of new, ‘floating’ properties.
Helsinki’s deputy mayor, Hannu Penttila, told ovimagazine.com of the market trends: “Young couples like to live in the city and we are responding to this pronounced trend towards urban living.”
