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Application of the of for the relocation of the European Medicines Agency to TABLE OF CONTENTS

In safe hands 3 A SMOOTH TRANSITION 5 The new location of the European Medicines Agency 7 Continuity and a smooth handover 10 LIFE IN HELSINKI 13 Livable Helsinki 15 Easily accessible 17 Superb and internationally acclaimed education 21 Employment, social security and healthcare 26 A NEW CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN HEALTH 28 A strategic decision – EMA alongside ECHA 30 Helsinki – a hub for the life sciences 32

emahelsinki.fi 2 — Helsinki for EMA In safe hands

The most crucial criterion for transferring the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to its new location is the ability to affect a smooth transition. To get the job done.

Placing EMA alongside the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki enhances the EU’s global regulatory competitiveness.

Finland, simply stated, is known synergies to create a centre of Finland and the Helsinki for its capacity to get the job excellence for the protection of possess top class expertise in the done. As a committed EU member human health. life sciences in terms of a high- and in our many roles on the glob- quality talent pool, -leading al stage – from diplomatic conflict This decision is not a simple research, strong support servic- resolution to UN Peace- question of within es, and functioning networks of keeping missions – we are viewed the EU or among potential host collaboration among academia, as a partner to be entrusted with states. This is a global compe- industry and the public sector. challenging processes. tition, and to create the world’s most competitive regulatory As we will demonstrate, Helsinki The following application is based agencies, the centres of chemical offers an excellent, -situated on a precise plan for the transfer and pharmaceutical regulation location, fulfils each of the selec- of EMA directly to newly built, should be located in one . tion criteria, and proposes a plan modern, permanent premises which is readily implementable in in central Helsinki. In Finland, Helsinki offers a neutral and the short window the situation af- such plans are not a precursor geographically well-positioned fords – while being cost effective to delays, hiccups or unforeseen base for such a partnership of from both the perspective of the obstacles. They are simply the agencies. We believe that locating EU and that of the host member first stage, documenting how the EMA and ECHA in the same city state. rest of the action will unfold. would strengthen both agencies’ strategies, and increase their The Goverment of Finland, It is the thesis of this application competitiveness globally. Indeed, together with the City of Helsinki, that the EU should make the once this possibility is considered, is committed to bringing the strategic decision of placing EMA it becomes very difficult to argue EMA to the new home it alongside ECHA, exploiting their the contrary position. deserves.

3 — Helsinki for EMA Helsinki ticks all the boxes

1. The assurance that the agency 4. Excellent employment can be set up on site and take up its opportunities, social security and functions upon the date of the United medical care for both spouses and Kingdom’s withdrawal from the Union children Helsinki offers newly built, ideally located Helsinki offers comprehensive localisation services premises that fulfil all accessibility and technical to the families of the agency staff. ECHA is acclaimed requirements, with three attractive backup as the best example of the establishment of a new alternatives. agency, with strong employee retention (as little as 3-5% expert employee turnover in the first five 2. The accessibility of the location years). Flight connections between Helsinki and the capitals of the EU member states are numerous, frequent 5. Business continuity and punctual. Helsinki is now the most popular Helsinki offers an excellent, well-situated location, congress city in the Nordic region – and is well fulfils each of the selection criteria, and proposes placed to host the annual 30,000 EMA visitors. The a plan which is readily implementable in the short proposed premises are less than 20 minutes’ drive window the situation affords. According to ECHA from the airport. executives the establishment of the agency was characterised by exceptional host city and country 3. Outstanding education facilities for collaboration – flexible, highly ambitious, and well the children of agency staff organised. Helsinki offers high-quality multilingual early childhood education. The city has a number of 6. Geographical diversity excellent internationally focused schools, including While Finland fully respects the desirability of the of Helsinki. The Helsinki region geographical spread in setting up new agencies, has four universities and six universities of applied relocating EMA alongside ECHA in Helsinki enhances sciences that offer high-quality education in a wide the EU’s global regulatory competitiveness. range of fields.

4 — Helsinki for EMA A smooth transition

5 — Helsinki for EMA ”Finland will guarantee a smooth transition for the European Medicines Agency, and provide an excellent base for its future operations. Our plan demonstrates that the relocation to Helsinki will be both swift and cost effective for all parties, with the needs of agency employees fully accounted for.

We firmly believe that the EU should make the strategic decision to locate two agencies – the European Medicines Agency and the European Chemicals Agency – in one city, creating a centre of excellence for the protection of human health.

Thanks to increased data processing capabilities, biology and chemistry are coming to define this century. Helsinki as an capital is a critical enabler for the European Medicines Agency to stake a claim on this territory.“

– Sipilä, Prime

66 —— HelsinkiHelsinki forfor EMAEMA The new location of the European Medicines Agency

Relocation of a institution such as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) requires a suitably large, modern working space, with excellent connections to both air transport and the major sites within the hosting city itself. Helsinki is able to provide exactly such a space.

Finland has conducted an in-depth review The proposed , Fredriksberg, is an Finland’s main of all potential EMA premises in the on-going office construction project that candidate for new EMA premises Helsinki region. There are a total of four fulfills the tenants requirements, and it possible options that fit the requirements is still possible to modify the final design. and timeframe. The first phase of the new building will be finalised by May 2018, and the remaining However, Finland proposes that EMA three phases by the end of 2019. will relocate to central Helsinki, in the In order to facilitate a smooth transition, district. The location has excellent Finland has created a preliminary timeline transportation connections and is in close for the relocation (as shown on page 12). vicinity to and schools.

77 —— EMAHelsinki to Helsinki for EMA As was the case with the Europian of schools and daycare facilities nearby, Chemicals Agency (ECHA), construction as are the offices of a number of the city’s of the new premises will be subject to VAT other major companies and institutions. exemption, with savings being passed on to the agency in the form of reduced rental Along with our principal suggestion, one of fees. In addition, the Government of the alternative is located close Finland and the City of Helsinki are willing to the Finnish Medicines Agency’s Helsinki to cover all rental costs on this property office, one in the newly established district from August 2018 until 31 March 2019. of and the third in the very centre of Helsinki. With each of these four The building is a twenty-minute drive from options, EMA will have a good position in Helsinki International Airport, and offers negotiations and ensure it acquires the excellent public transport connections to all premises that best fit its needs. of the city’s most popular sites. Residential areas are also close at hand, with a number

Building location • Vallila is an that has seen sizable investment in recent years. It is a high-end business district home to several companies engaging in banking and finance. Two of the largest banks in Finland have their headquarters in this area. Vallila is part of the quickly evolving -Vallila-Kalasatama axis, and includes with the two largest development sites in the Helsinki region. • The area has excellent transport connections: Centrally located by tram, bus and train lines and the international airport is also only twenty minutes away by car. • There are also several international schools and daycare centers less than 15 minutes away from the building. • EMA visitors will have easy access to the wide selection of hotels located in central Helsinki.

Time schedule • Fredriksberg is a new construction being built in four phases. The first phase of 7,500 m² will be finished in May 2018, and phases two–four of (19.500 m²) will be completed in stages by Q1/2019. • The tenant may install themselves in stages, which will enable a smooth transition.

88 —— HelsinkiHelsinki forfor EMAEMA EMA to relocate directly to its new permanent home

Offices and EMA staff providing daily service • The building will have 18.500 m² of modern, for around 500 lunches. Simultaneous advanced office space including: seating of 350 people and an additional seating 50 can also be • Space for 1,300 office work stations provided. with an open plan setup. 10-20% of • Loading bay with security control and the work stations can be built into over 2.1 metre height access to technical individual offices according to tenants’ rooms. preferences. • Storage room capacity of 300 m² located • Internal meeting rooms for EMA staff: close to loading bay and area. 14 for 10 people each and 7 for 20 • Both general parking and diplomatic people each. Equipped according to the parking can be provided in close tenants’ technical, IT and audiovisual proximity the building. requirements. • Over 200 general and diplomatic parking places can be provided with additional Meeting room space for places in nearby parking halls if required. experts and delegates • 6,000 m² conference centre with rooms IT facilities of varying sizes can be provided in the • All required areas provided with high- building: quality wireless internet connection and otherwise built according to tenants’ • Five large meeting rooms: two for 120 requirements. Wi-fi on all floors throughout people each, one for 100 people and two the premises. for 70-85 people each. One additional • All technical rooms will be equipped with 100-person room for multifunctional use uninterruptible power supply and 24/7 air can also be provided. conditioning. • Medium and small meeting rooms: two • Main and secondary equipment rooms will for 35 people each and ten for 4-10 also be provided with internal connectivity people each. to technical rooms. • Possibility to combine the larger meeting • 25 m² IT build room and 50 m² IT store rooms to provide an additional capacity room can also be provided. of 200 people. • An AV control room will be provided to • These are equipped according to the monitor and control audiovisual equipment tenants’ technical, IT and audiovisual in the meeting rooms. requirements. (Including translation booths, broadcast and recording Security equipment and voting system per seat). • The building will have the ability to provide a high level of security for EMA. • An auditorium for 300 people, four training • Security in the building perimeter will be rooms for 20 people each, delegate lounge provided with access control systems and for 50 people and break-out space will all video surveillance. be provided in the building. • Finland is home to various critical data-centres, and its cyber security is Physical structure and public areas considered to be among the best globally. • The following areas can be provided in the building: In addition • An enclosed bicycle parking area with • A 250 m² reception space with high adjacent changing room and shower accessibility, security office and separate facilities. lounge for pharmaceutical industry • Recycling and waste-management system visitors. provided throughout the building. • A 500 m² separate enclosed lounge to • The building will be environmentally work as the pharmaceutical industry area. friendly, targeting a BREEAM rating of • A 1700 m² restaurant for delegates “Excellent”.

9 — Helsinki for EMA Continuity and a smooth handover

The most crucial criterion for transferring EMA to its new location is the ability to affect a smooth transition without disturbing EMA’s daily operations and potentially putting European public health at risk. Finland is fully aware of the importance of the various functions of EMA, and will pay special attention to the continuity of daily operations required by this relocation. This will encompass employee retention, supporting the personnel base with an abundance of local experts, and the provision of a detailed relocation plan to enable the minimum possible interruption for each of the agency’s functions.

In addition, Finland will leverage the ex- • The City of Helsinki will grant a one-year pertise and experience of its own national public transportation pass for all EMA medicines agency, FIMEA, which has direct personnel. experience in establishing new offices, effi- • The Government of Finland guarantees ciently recruiting new staff, and working in a that all benefits currently granted to multisite manner. Most of the agency’s staff ECHA personnel will also apply to EMA work in the Helsinki . The employees. agency is ready to offer all help necessary • In addition, health and social security throughout the relocation and beyond. benefits for family members of ECHA are in the process of being enhanced. These Employee retention improvements will also apply to the fami- In order to retain as many current em- lies of EMA employees. ployees of EMA as possible, Helsinki will • A helpline for other issues related to the provide the following support: relocation.

• Information and help in organising Neverthless, it is likely that the turnover of employee’s children’s education, with EMA staff will be significantly higher during dedicated personnel. the relocation phase than is normally the • Assistance with (temporary and perma- case. Thus, normal recruitment processes nent) housing by a real estate agent. Hel- may not be sufficient to ensure uninter- sinki and the neighbouring communities rupted function. In case the timetable of will provide a large selection of apart- relocation is very tight, Finland is ready to ments and . Commuting times contribute to the search for new tempo- are very reasonable due to the well-de- rary and permanent staff to bridge the veloped public transport network. gap in expertise. The Helsinki region has • Information and job- assistance contractors that offer skilled manpower for for spouses. various regulatory, assistant, secretarial,

10 — Helsinki for EMA and IT tasks. In case scientific experts The overall plans of the building naturally need to be recruited from the Helsinki have to be accepted by EMA at an early region, the has excellent uni- phase of planning (immediately after the versities and covering all compe- decision and at the latest in early 2018). tencies needed. EMA would naturally be an The first part of the new building will be interesting career opportunity for experts available by the of 2018, giving within many areas related to the pharma- enough time to finalise the interiors and ceutical realm. install the required IT infrastructure. In this phase, we assume that the IT staff of EMA Supporting the EMA relocation plan would be heavily involved. However, Finland Finland has consistently and strongly sup- has a great number of IT and telecommuni- ported the role of the centralised regulato- cations experts, along with companies that ry processes coordinated by EMA. Finland can be used as temporary contract agents has, among other things, developed ideas or contractors. Finland will help in finding to support the active participation of all the contractors with the necessary capaci- members – including the smaller and mid- ty to execute tasks allocated by EMA. dle-sized agencies – in the EU regulatory network (e.g. the multinational assessment The moving of EMA functions could take team concept). place in various phases. Personnel in- volved with certain functions and com- Finland is highly committed to synchro- mittees could move to Helsinki during nising its support plan with the relocation the summer of 2018. This would allow for plan of EMA. Finland would naturally follow piloting of the new EMA premises. These the detailed relocation plan of EMA and kinds of functions could include the entire looks forward to working in very close col- veterinary or inspection processes, or the laboration with the EMA staff immediately staff involved with oversee- after the decision of the relocation has ing human medicine (COMP, PDCO, CAT). been made. Finland is also ready to offer Individuals from other functions of EMA various scenarios for the move. could also start to move and work from home in Helsinki or participate in meet- We assume that the move might take place ings through an office in Helsinki. Where in phases instead of all at once at the end appropriate, the Finnish Medicines Agency of March 2019. Consequently, while the (FIMEA) could help in organising commit- office building is being finished, help will be tee meetings. needed from the technical staff of EMA to oversee the finalisation of the interior and technology of the building to make sure that all requirements are fulfilled. Phased transition will require special arrange- ments to connect the old and new site on one hand, and EMA and its stakeholders, notably NCAs and the pharmaceutical industry, on the other.

11 — Helsinki for EMA Helsinki for EMA: preliminary timeline

TRANSITION EMA GOVERNANCE PERSONNEL PROCUREMENT

National transition 08/2017 Preliminary steering group procure- National ment transition Preliminary measures EU decision to locate EMA in Finland 11/2017 steering presenta- conducted group tion to EMA by City of National proposal for a precise EMA established personnel Helsinki transition plan on living in Negotiations on the headquarters Helsinki agreement Head- Official quarters premises agreement procure- Finland’s transition office EMA staff 01/2018 negotiation ment to be established in London visits to Helsinki

Headquarters agreement concluded 03/2018 Premises procurement National process finalised steering Other Transition office group to be supporting 04/2018 opens in Helsinki transformed services to joint procure- transition ment steering Phase one of the 05/2018 group with premises ready EMA and other EU IT and other relevant supporting institutions infrastructure to be built 06/2018

Planning/ First wave of EMA families to 07/2018 implemen- move to Helsinki First wave tation of all of EMA services families to required move to First EMA operations for EMA 09/2018 Helsinki to start in Helsinki operations

Phase two of the premises 12/2018 finalised Second wave of EMA families to Second move to Helsinki wave of EMA families to move to Helsinki

Phase three of the premises 01/2019 finalised Final wave of EMA New premises fully in use 03/2019 families to move to Helsinki

EMA in full operation in Helsinki 04/2019

08/2019 12 — Helsinki for EMA Life in Helsinki

1313 —— HelsinkiHelsinki forfor EMAEMA ”Helsinki surprises visitors with elements that come together in a completely unique way. In Helsinki we believe that you are closer to the perfect functional city than you may ever get elsewhere.

Helsinki is astoundingly beautiful – still unspoilt. is always nearby. Helsinki is also a rapidly growing cosmopolitan city, welcoming to all. Life here is based on the four cornerstones of our culture: equality, world-class education, maker culture and the aim of bringing out the best in everyday life for all inhabitants.

I warmly welcome the families of EMA personnel to Helsinki, home of around 1.3 million residents. We’ll do our utmost to make your move an easy and enjoyable one. ”

– , of Helsinki

1414 —— HelsinkiHelsinki forfor EMAEMA Livable Helsinki

Helsinki is renowned for offering an exceptionally high quality of life, with an outstanding modern transport system, great infrastructure, and a high degree of social trust. Everything simply works. Helsinki is at the top of global (quality of life) rankings.

Helsinki is an exceptionally livable city • Helsinki is the third best city in the world Helsinki can be found consistently at the in terms of technology, innovation and top of global rankings when it comes to entrepreneurship. (J. Gibson, M. Robin- quality of life and the general satisfaction son & S. Cain, CITIE – City Initiatives for of the population. Technology, Innovation and Entrepre- • Helsinki ranks first in life quality (Crea- neurship, 2015). tive City Index 2014). • People living in Helsinki are the second • People living in Helsinki have the highest most satisfied with cultural facilities satisfaction with the place where they among inhabitants of EU capital live (, Quality of (, Satisfaction with cultural facil- Life in European Cities 2015). ities in EU capital cities 2015). • Helsinki is the most honest city in the • is the best in the world world (Readers Digest, Most Honest (Lonely Planet, Helsinki takes the world’s Cities 2015). best airport award for 2016).

1515 — — Helsinki Helsinki for for EMA EMA An open city Functional, reliable and green For years the guiding principle behind the Helsinki is known for its exceptionally high development of Helsinki has been the idea levels of social trust, a place where bicy- that a city is not just a place or a group of cles can still be found where they were people living their busy lives side by side. left unlocked, and for its public trans- For us, it is the people of Helsinki who system, which runs clockwork. together make the city thrive. Everything simply works here. Due to the rarity of traffic jams, you will The residents are generally tolerant and never miss a single flight or a working day open-minded. A pioneer in information in Helsinki. The traffic is smooth and the technology, Helsinki is one of the most public transport excellent. digitally advanced cities in the world. Helsinki is also a rapidly growing city that In Helsinki, 40 per cent of the total land likes to welcome all visitors, guests, and area is made up of green spaces such as new inhabitants. , , fields and wetland. There is a major conservation area and bird In Helsinki, an open city also means open sanctuary right in the geographic centre government and minimal hierarchies. of the city. Nature is always nearby. Half There is always access to the highest gov- of Helsinki faces the open , and the ernment or city leaders, an easy integra- metropolitan area boasts 130 kilometres tion into society and even access to the of shoreline. office HANSEL which guarantees better prices and deals for the agency.

71% 48% of speak of Finns speak three English. different languages.

Finland is the 1st in equal treatment of women at work (Economist’s Glass Ceiling Index 2015). 1616 —— HelsinkiHelsinki forfor EMAEMA Easily accessible

For a number of years, Helsinki Airport has successfully pursued the strategy of becoming the principal hub for European travel to and vice versa. As a result, connections with the major European cities are numerous, frequent and punctual. In addition to this extensive connection network, the airport prides itself on the quality of its service offering, widely considered to be among the best in .

In terms of accessibility within the city, trains – including a direct rail connection Helsinki offers a remarkably modern, from the city’s main railway station to the reliable and efficient public transport sys- airport. tem, which is ranked well in international comparisons. A train network (now Cyclists are also well provided for, while in the process of expansion) is one major the immediate and its sur- transport method, accompanied by tram rounding areas remain a very walkable and bus routes and regional overground prospect.

1.1km 20min to by car to Helsinki Airport

EMA premises

6 tram lines and 50 bus 900m lines in 1 km radius to Sörnäinen

1717 —— HelsinkiHelsinki forfor EMAEMA International accessibility There are also services from , Helsinki Airport is an important air traffic , , , and and hub in Europe and is the leading long-dis- a daily train service (travel time 3.5 hours) tance traffic airport in , to and from St. Petersburg, Russia. connecting Europe and Asia with the fast- est and most direct routes. Approximately Local transport 60 serve Helsinki, and the airport Helsinki is, in practice, a walking city. It is boasts more than 180 international land- compact, centralised, and easy to navigate ings each day. In addition to the extensive on foot. Most hotels, as well as the major connection network, the airport prides sights and major points of interest, are itself on its service quality, which is among within walking distance from the main of Europe’s best. provides compli- railway station, which usually marks the mentary and unlimited wireless access at central point of the city. Helsinki Airport. Helsinki has an excellent, punctual public For the coming expansion will make it transport system consisting of bus, tram, possible to serve 20 million passengers. metro, local railway and ferry services. Helsinki Airport’s strengths include short Compared to other cities worldwide, the transit times, friendly staff and world class public transport is considered very safe. service. The development programme will continue until 2020. Helsinki also has 1,200 kilometres of routes, 730 kilometres of them From Helsinki, there are 118 direct flight paved. Approximately 500 kilometres of routes to Europe and the Middle East, sev- these routes run in recreational areas and en to America and 18 to Asia. There 90 kilometres on waterfronts. are several daily and direct connections to Helsinki from EU capitals and other major The City of Helsinki is committed to European destinations, most within a promoting green values in all its - two-three hour flight. This ensures the re- tions and hopes that they are taken into quired flight frequency and carrier selec- consideration in all events and activities tion. Helsinki also serves as a hub to Asia. organised within the city. For example by has more than 80 direct flights a offering participants in major congresses week from Helsinki to 14 destinations in the chance to use public transport free of Asia. Finland is exceptionally well connect- charge, the city’s decision-makers want to ed considering the size of its population. promote environmentally friendly modes of transport in the city. Finnair has had the best on-time perfor- mance among European major carriers Accommodation and congresses (with 90% of flights arriving on time) for • 100 hotels and hotels in the several years in a row, making it Europe’s Helsinki region: 15,000 rooms. most punctual carrier. ranks as • All hotels centrally located. the best for on-time flights. • Wide choice, including both of hotels within the city centre, international 2017 has seen the launch by other opera- chains and independent hotels. tors, of several new direct European con- • There are outstanding congress facil- nections from Helsinki. Other operators ities and services available in Helsinki. have also increased in 2017 the frequen- Helsinki is rated as one of the best cy of their flights between Helsinki and congress cities in the world. European cities such as , , , Reykjavik, and Kiev. Helsinki offers exceptional congress and meetings facilities for EMA. Helsinki Airport is located 19 km from the Helsinki’s strengths as a congress city centre of the city. The transport time to the include first-class congress facilities, fine city centre is 25 minutes with a direct train hotels, professional service providers, connection (departs every 10 minutes), and diverse services and a unique, 15-20 minutes by taxi. There is a regular air- innovative environment. port bus running every 20 minutes between the airport and the city centre, and several local buses are also available.

18 — Helsinki for EMA 60 180 airlines serve international 118 direct flight Helsinki landings every day routes to Europe and the Middle East, 7 to North America and 18 to Asia

There are several daily and direct connections to Helsinki from EU capitals and other major European destinations, most within a 2–3 hour flight.

19 25 km from the minutes to the train connection city centre city centre with to city centre a direct train departs every connection 10 minutes

1919 —— HelsinkiHelsinki forfor EMAEMA Major congress venues like the Most major international hotel chains have Hall, Helsinki Congress Paasitorni, Marina a presence in Helsinki. The annual room Congress Center and Messukeskus occupancy rate of Helsinki’s accommoda- Helsinki are all situated near the city tion providers is around 70%. centre, making it easy for congress visitors to enjoy the social programme, the city’s Helsinki constantly ranks among the top cultural offerings and shopping. All of 20 congress cities in the world according these venues can be reached on foot or to UIA (Union of International Associa- by public transport. tions), reaching the 15th spot in the 2016 international ranking. Helsinki is now the The Helsinki metropolitan area boasts most popular congress city in the Nor- about 15,000 rooms, ranging from first- dic region and the 10th most popular in class hotels to for those on tighter Europe. Altogether the statistics published budgets – so there is a plentiful supply by UIA cover about 1500 cities globally. The of accommodation to the experts list of international associations, especially and delegates. Most hotels are within 1.5 in the medical field, who have chosen Hel- kilometres of the city centre and breakfast sinki to host their conferences is long and and are (usually) included in the room rate. impressive. For example, in the summer of In 2017, the average nightly rate 2016 Helsinki hosted the Annual Meeting was 72.78€ (Source: TAK).The hotel capac- of the European Society of Human Repro- ity exceeds the peak hotel room capacity duction and Embryology ESHRE attracting requirement of 350 rooms/day. more than 9,200 participants, and the European of Allergy and In 2016 alone the hotel capacity in the Clinical Immunology Congress EAA- Helsinki area increased by almost a thou- CI reached an all-time highest sand new rooms, and this positive trend participation number of over will continue. By 2021 the capacity will 8,000 in 2017. grow by another 1500-2000 rooms with several new openings in for example the Tripla complex in the Pasila area, a new 500-room property in connection with the Helsinki main railway station and expan- sions in existing properties.

2020 —— HelsinkiHelsinki forfor EMAEMA Superb and internationally acclaimed education

Finland prides itself on its education system, which has become a benchmark for other leading nations in this sector. One of its hallmarks is its accessibility in terms of language, with English and other foreign-language schools being popular alternatives for Finnish parents who wish to boost their children’s language skills, as well as those of multilingual families.

Helsinki is the flagship city in this respect, pre-primary to higher education is free of with a number of excellent internationally charge in Finland for EU nationals. focused schools, including the European School of Helsinki, which was established Finnish have ranked at the top in 2008 to serve the needs of the children end of the PISA scores for many years. of employees of the ECHA. The PISA results for the Helsinki capital region are even higher than in the rest of A competitive educational offering is to be the country. Yet the quality differences found to meet all age criteria, from pre- between schools are low in Finland in gen- school daycare to higher education, and all eral. The focus in education is on learning feature a strong multi-lingual component. rather than testing the students.

The Finnish education and school system Local are responsible for The main objective of Finnish education providing early childhood education and policy is to offer all citizens equal opportu- care for children under school age. Com- nities to receive education. Education from prehensive schools are maintained by the

21 — Helsinki for EMA municipalities and other education provid- ers. Less than two per cent of comprehen- sive school pupils go to a private or state school.

Multi-lingual education opportunities in Helsinki Early childhood education and care In Helsinki families can choose early childhood education for their children either within municipal daycare or private daycare. Most of the non-municipal inter- national daycare centres in Helsinki offer education for children from three or four years of age.

Municipal daycare The right to municipal daycare for a begins after the parents’ maternity and parental leaves end. There are over 320 municipal daycare centres in Helsinki for children between one and five years of age, and instruction is mainly given in Finnish and Swedish. The city also offers so-called enriched education or dual-language in- struction at some of the daycare centres: English ( and Siltamäki), French ( and Latokartano), Spanish (Käpylä) and Russian (). These daycare centres have native-speaking kindergarten teachers.

Most of the instruction is given in Finnish and about 25% is given in the accompany- ing language. Municipal daycare would be available to EMA staff on the same terms as for other citizens in Helsinki, with only a small additional education allowance (100 per month).

Private daycare There are also around 115 private day- care centres In Helsinki, of which 40 offer education in languages other than Finnish and Swedish. Daycare is offered in English, Estonian, Russian, French, Spanish and . The private daycare centres host around 3400 children in Helsinki.

22 — Helsinki for EMA Pre-primary education In Helsinki, basic and general upper Pre-primary education is provided for six- secondary education is offered in Finnish, year-old children in the year preceding the Swedish and English by the City of Helsinki beginning of . and some private education providers, and The goal of pre-primary education is to im- in English, French, German and Russian by prove children’s opportunities for learning international schools located in Helsinki. and development. Since 2015, participation There are also several upper secondary in pre-primary education has been com- vocational institutions in Helsinki that offer pulsory for all children in Finland. Pre-pri- some education in English. mary education is provided free of charge. Pre-primary education follows schools’ The City of Helsinki offers primary, basic operational and holiday timetables and and upper secondary level education offers four hours of instruction per day mainly in Finnish and Swedish but also including breakfast and lunch. in English and bilingual Finnish-Spanish and Finnish-Estonian. There are over 120 Basic and general publicly funded comprehensive schools upper secondary education and about 30 upper secondary schools Comprehensive school provides a general in Helsinki. The municipal education in education and general knowledge and is English and Finnish-Spanish have aptitude typically given in comprehensive schools. tests. The City of Helsinki is prepared to The nine-year basic education – or com- expand municipal education services in prehensive school – is compulsory for all English to satisfy the needs of families of children aged between seven and 16 and is EMA employees. free of charge. International schools in Helsinki Local authorities and the state are re- Helsinki has several international schools sponsible for organising basic education. that offer pre-school, primary and second- Anyone with a certificate from lower ary or upper secondary level education or with a corresponding in English, French, German and Russian. completed syllabus can apply for general One of the schools is the European School upper secondary education. An individual of Helsinki, established in 2008 to serve may also be admitted as a if they the education needs of the children of the have an otherwise sufficient readiness to employees at ECHA in Helsinki. It offers take up the studies. education in English, French and Finnish (see overleaf). General upper secondary education (“lukio” in Finnish) provides, as its name suggests, general education and does not qualify the students for any particular occupation. At the end of general upper secondary education, the students take a national matriculation examination. Those who pass the matriculation examination are eligible to apply for further studies at universities, universities of applied sciences and vocational institutions. It is also possible to complete the EB- and IB-degree, the Reifeprüfung, the French baccalauréat and the Finnish matriculation examination in Helsinki. They are all equiv- alent when applying to higher .

23 — Helsinki for EMA THE EUROPEAN SCHOOL OF HELSINKI THE FRENCH-FINNISH SCHOOL OF HELSINKI The school is located in the centre of Helsinki, and A French-Finnish school with almost 600 students, is accredited by the ’ Network run by the Finnish state and accoding to the and maintained by the . It has Finnish school system. Students graduating there a two-year nursery cycle, a five-year primary cycle receive the Finnish matriculation examination and and a seven-year secondary cycle. The school the French government grants students diplomas primarily admits children of staff of equal value to the French baccalauréat. as provided in the Convention Defining the Statute http://hrsk.fi/fr/accueil/ of the European Schools. If the decision is made to relocate EMA in Helsinki, the Finnish government THE GERMAN SCHOOL OF HELSINKI will invest in further expansion of the European A partly bilingual German and Finnish-speaking School of Helsinki. http://www.esh.fi school with over 500 pupils. The school is a member of the German Schools Abroad Network DAS. THE ENGLISH SCHOOL http://www.dsh.fi/de/ A private, school based on Christian values which has over 400 pupils. OF HELSINKI Instruction in two-year primary school (five-six- An independent, co-educational school with about years-olds), comprehensive school (classes one- 250 pupils. ISH is an International Baccalaureate nine) and high school. The high school prepares World School, with IB programs offered from students for the Finnish matriculation examination, Kindergarten to 12. Instruction is in English, as well as the internationally acknowledged SAT with the school divided into a Lower School and Cambridge examinations. http://www.engs.fi/ (Kindergarten through Grade 5) and Upper School (Grades 6-12). https://www.ishelsinki.fi/ THE FRENCH SCHOOL JULES VERNE A French school managed by a non-profit association of parents of students, subject to Finnish . The school welcomes children from all nationalities starting from age three. https://ecolejulesverne.fi/en/

The French-Finnish School of Helsinki

EMA The English School

European School of Helsinki The German School of Helsinki The French School Jules Verne

International School of Helsinki

HELSINKI CITY CENTRE

1 km

500 m 500 m 24 — Helsinki for EMA Higher education the Arts Helsinki offers artistic education. There are four universities and six univer- Finnish higher education offers two al- sities of applied sciences in the Helsinki ternative paths: the traditional research region, all of which offer high-quality edu- universities and the newer universities cation in a wide range of fields and plenty of applied sciences. The universities of of study programmes in English. There are applied sciences focus on innovation and about 100,000 students and a rich student finding new ways of applying existing re- life in the region, and almost half of the search results, in joint projects and close working age population have a higher- cooperation with the relevant industries. education degree. There are several high-quality universities of applied sciences in the Helsinki region The is one of the offering higher at the world’s leading multidisciplinary universi- bachelor level. The biggest are Metropo- ties. In international university rankings, lia, -Helia and Laurea University of the university typically ranks among the Applied Sciences. top 100. It offers first class education and research, for example in climate and Most of the universities and the universi- atmospheric sciences as well as personal- ties of applied sciences and some of the ised medicine and research. Aalto vocational schools in the Helsinki region University also ranks highly in several offer further education in English. For fields, and offers world-leading top educa- example Executive Educa- tion and research e.g. in the fields of art tion is placed highly in global rankings. and design, materials science and com- puter scienceamongst other. The Hanken Scool of Economics offers education in Swedish and English and performs well in international rankings. The University of

2525 —— HelsinkiHelsinki forfor EMAEMA Employment, social security and healthcare

From an international perspective, Helsinki is an attractive location in which to seek employment. The vast majority of major Finnish companies have long since adopted English as a working language in order to attract and retain the best possible candidates from abroad. is at an excellent level, and the market for skilled workers offers much potential, particularly in technology, media and the sciences.

Finland’s economic upswing has resulted public and private primary care centres, in strong growth to the labour market. as well as the Helsinki University , Since 2015, employment vacancies have are regarded as world-class healthcare been on the rise. Indeed, due to econom- providers. In addition to the provisions ic growth, there are labour shortages made to all the country’s inhabitants, Fin- especially in high-tech start-ups, and in land will offer a tailored package to spous- certain service industries. The share of es and families of the agency’s employees English-speaking employment vacancies to help them find new homes, schools, and has also grown accordingly. other necessary facilities to support them in relocating. In the Helsinki region, English-speaking vacancies can be found in almost any in- International House Helsinki: dustry, from the financial sector to health a one-stop shop service sector, academia, sales and marketing, The City of Helsinki and its partners are and management positions. Most of these currently in the process of setting up a vacancies are in the fields of language and one-stop shop service for international communication, information and communi- newcomers – International House Helsinki cation technologies, leadership positions, – which will make available a wide range of and in high-tech industries. government and other support services under one roof. International House Hel- Social security and healthcare are vital sinki is a place where newcomers can get components of Finnish society, and Finns their paper work sorted out, talk to service have learned to take their availability and counsellors and receive help, for example, high level of service for granted. Helsinki’s in finding a job, language training or a so-

26 — Helsinki for EMA cial or professional network. International House Helsinki also arranges low-thresh- old info sessions for new arrivals on a variety of topics such as procedures, work, housing, education and leisure activities.

The service is expected to open for cus- tomers in 2018. el location services for Special location services for spouses and families In order to make it easy for spouses of EMA personnel to find jobs in Helsinki, the City of Helsinki will offer comprehensive lo- calisation services. These services will be available for housing and other settlement purposes, such as daycare, schools etc., to make the relocation of EMA employees and their families as easy as possible. The ECHA relocation process demonstrated that these are typically needed for a peri- od of at least one year.

Furthermore, the City of Helsinki will make an agreement with a brokerage company that will help EMA staff and families to find suitable residential solutions in Helsinki. The City of Helsinki will cover the estate expenses.

2727 —— HelsinkiHelsinki forfor EMAEMA A new centre of excellence for the protection of human health

2828 — — HelsinkiHelsinki forfor EMAEMA We look forward to welcoming the European Medicines Agency’s experts to our community of medical and pharmaceutical professionals, and to providing a stable and supportive home for their families.

Finnish expertise in the health and medicines sector is strong, particularly in fields that are important with respect to the future, including biobanks, genome research and biomedicine.

Finnish expertise and the strong support guaranteed by the national Medicines Agency FIMEA would guarantee EMA’s smooth relocation to Finland, while the agency’s presence in the same city as ECHA would create a true centre of excellence and a competitive regulatory edge globally for the EU.

– Pirkko Mattila, Minister of Social Affairs and Health

2929 —— HelsinkiHelsinki forfor EMAEMA A strategic decision – EMA alongside ECHA

Finland believes that the EU should make the strategic decision of placing the European Medicines Agency (EMA) alongside the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki, exploiting their synergies to create a centre of excellence in the protection of human health.

The decision of where to locate the Eu- Synergy with ECHA ropean Medicines Agency is not a simple ECHA is located in Helsinki. The task of the question of competition within the EU or ECHA is to evaluate the risks of chemicals among potential host states. This is a glob- to human health and to the environment. al competition, and to create the world’s The staff of ECHA have been very satisfied most competitive regulatory agencies, the with their new home in Helsinki, and the centres of chemical and pharmaceutical turnover of staff has been very low. There regulation should be located in one city. is already a Memorandum of Understand- ing between the ECHA and the EMA aiming Helsinki offers a neutral and geographical- to ensure coherence and consistency in ly well-positioned base for such a part- scientific views. There are also common- nership of agencies. We firmly believe that alities in technical and organisational locating EMA and ECHA in the same city issues between these two organisations. would strengthen both agencies’ strate- More synergies could be found in various gies, and increase their competitiveness areas, for example the development of globally. Both agencies’ employee reten- (risk assessment)technology (applying the tion and attractiveness to new candidates principles of 3R, metabolomics, in silico would also benefit. toxicology etc.), and especially in the area of environmental risk assessment of med- As well as leveraging the learnings ab- icines. Finland, together with ECHA and sorbed in setting up ECHA in the city a EMA, is ready to explore further functional decade ago, synergies with the existing synergies between the two agencies in agency can also play a role in the relocated Helsinki. institution’s smoothly continued opera- tions.

30 — Helsinki for EMA Synergy with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)

Pooling staff and expertise

Working processes and tools

Efficiencies via common facilities and services Helsinki

Creating the world’s leading regulatory centre of protection of human health

3131 —— HelsinkiHelsinki forfor EMAEMA Helsinki – a hub for the life sciences

As one of the innovation leaders within the European Union (European Innovation Scoreboard 2016) and as a forerunner in personalised healthcare and medicine, Finland and its life science hub Helsinki represent a vibrant and forward-looking environment for EMA and its operations.

An innovative environment for EMA lar. These are primary sources of new drug Thanks to digitalisation, advances in biolo- and diagnostics development, which entail gy and chemistry are coming to define this considerable commercial potential from century, with increased data processing the ecosystem viewpoint. capabilities taking the disciplines into new and uncharted territory. Helsinki’s Helsinki has strong capabilities in many advanced technological competences can technological application areas such as cy- be leveraged to help EMA engage with this ber security, wearable devices and sensor future. technology, IVD, monitoring and imaging supported by information and wireless The City of Helsinki is committed to devel- technology. A mature digital infrastructure, oping Helsinki as a leading life science hub a lively start-up environment, and estab- in Europe. The city, the Helsinki University lished capabilities in medical technology Central Hospital, the University of Helsinki and engineering provide a strong basis for and the Aalto University have created a the development of digital health solutions collaborative effort entitled “Health Capital which will become an integral part of medi- Helsinki”. Together they are developing a cal care in the near future. research-based innovation and business ecosystem. Health Capital Helsinki is an Furthermore, Helsinki is considered to unprecedented co-operation between sci- be one of the leading cities in having entific communities, a cutting-edge hospi- high-quality and comprehensive health tal, and a city known for its advanced open data in digital format, driven by the data policies and great service design. The country’s universal healthcare system, City of Helsinki has even opened its munic- universal identification number and inno- ipal health centres for clinical research. vation-friendly regulation. In this respect, Helsinki has globally recognised knowl- Helsinki is in a strong position to drive edge and researchers in certain disease EMA’s technological development. mechanism areas such as metabolic, Finland was the first country in the world neuroscience, oncology, and cardiovascu- to pass specific and comprehensive

32 — Helsinki for EMA biobank regulation. Also, Finland has Strong expertise the unique ability to combine biological Finland and the Helsinki region possess sample data patient records, national advanced expertise in the life sciences registries and other phenotype data. in terms of a high-quality talent pool, Finland’s high-quality care system with its world-leading research, strong support uniform standards and universal access services, and functioning networks of can provide a strong platform for product collaboration among academia, industry development, testing and clinical evidence and the public sector. The Helsinki region gathering in a real-life environment. There boasts a top-quality life-sciences talent is a wide range of stakeholders suitable pool of over 30,000 people who hold PhDs for collaboration, and all solutions devel- and Master’s degrees in related subjects. oped will likely be applicable to a wide range of service providers worldwide. There is strong expertise across all key specialties, with especially strong talent in The Finnish Government has also com- biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, mitted to developing the health sector in microbiology, pharmacology and bioinfor- Finland, and is currently implementing matics. the Health Sector Growth Strategy for research and innovation activities, with The talent pool is highly experienced (42% an extensive roadmap for 2016-2018. have more than five years of experience), Through the national genomic strategy with rich cross-industry expertise, espe- the government’s aim is that by the year cially with IT (34% of life sciences experts 2020 genomic data will be effectively used have worked in the IT sector). More than in healthcare and in the promotion of 3,000 life-sciences graduates enter the health and wellbeing. A legal framework talent pool every year. will be available in 2018 for the applica- tion of genomics. Genomics research is World-class research integrated into healthcare, and informat- Helsinki has a world-leading life-scienc- ics infrastructure is in place for effective es research , ranking as a top 10 application of genomics. research location globally in 34 out of 39

3333 —— HelsinkiHelsinki forfor EMAEMA fields of medicine. There are two world- The Helsinki University Central Hospi- class universities in the Helsinki region. tal is one of the leading healthcare or- ganisations in Europe in terms of both Life science is one key focus area at the volume and quality. The high standard University of Helsinki. The university has of treatment and continuous research internationally strong research in fields developing it are core competences. It has such as oncology, neuroscience and bioin- been ranked among the top 10 in Europe formatics. The University of Helsinki is the regarding academic medical research. oldest and largest institution of academic The University Hospital’s Comprehensive education in Finland, an international sci- Cancer Center (HUCH CCC) is the first entific community of 40,000 students and Nordic institution accredited by the researchers. In international university Organisation of European Cancer rankings, the University of Helsinki typical- Institutes (OECI). ly ranks among the top 100. Industry Furthermore, the University of Helsinki is The robust talent pool and research among the best medical campuses in Eu- expertise, combined with Finland’s lead- rope, bringing excellent research, teaching ership in IT and communications, form a vi- and medical care together every day. The brant life-sciences and med-tech industry robust research expertise of the campus in the Helsinki region. There are over 400 ranges from basic biological research to companies active in the Helsinki region in clinical applications. the life sciences, employing 21,000 profes- sionals. Aalto University, with 20,000 students and over 400 professors, excels in biomedical Famous for high-tech IT and communica- engineering, neuroscience and neurotech- tions, Finland has been one of the pioneers nology, biotechnology, biomaterials, and in health-related digitalisation. Finland has digital health. Areas of expertise include the world’s highest number of digital health medical and wellness devices, data sci- start-ups relative to the size of the country. ence and software engineering for health- Several leading health companies have care and wellbeing, biomaterials, biotech- recently chosen Helsinki as their strategic nology, and pharmaceuticals. research centres – proof that Finland rates highly in tight international comparisons.

34 — Helsinki for EMA The ECHA success story

ECHA is acclaimed as the best example of the establishment of a new agency, with strong employee retention (as little as 3-5% expert employee turnover in the first 5 years).

Exceptional host city and country collaboration – flexible, highly ambitious, and well organised.

Centralised information sharing with a one-stop shop for all stakeholders.

This was not just a technical process – we focused on the importance of help- ing personnel to adjust and making them feel at home, taking account of social networks and pre- and post-relocation activities.

Realistic information and transparency, leading to one of the highest satisfaction rates among EU agency employees.

3535 — — HelsinkiHelsinki forfor EMAEMA In 2009, the had to step down from hosting the 2012 European Athletics Championships. The selection process went back to square one, but with a renewed urgency. Decision makers concluded that only one country could step in and implement the event at such short notice. The championships were held successfully in Helsinki, Finland. emahelsinki.fi

Photos:36 — Helsinki Helsinki for Marketing EMA / Jussi Hellsten and Aalto University / Adolfo Vera, Nita Vera