Open. Honest. Ambitious.

The Importance of Networking

By Lassi Noponen

Sometimes people in business here in the Nordics are reluctant to admit the importance of networking. As if by admitting it they are going to be perceived in a certain light that doesn’t reflect on them so well.

We strongly feel that, with our work at Cleantech Invest, our ability to network well is one of the critical factors that will affect our success in the global market. Not only do we need to network with peers (and customers) in the private sector, but we also need to do it with important stakeholders and partners in the public sector as well. Many of the technologies we are promoted need government partners and approvals in order to reach customers too.

We are providing solutions to change the way the world consumes energy and resources and there are always incumbents that have a lot to lose, and who try to slow down development. We need to promote our agenda with the political decision makers and when we network with partners, we are creating relationships that we are investing in for the long-term. To do otherwise would be greatly disrespectful and not in line with how we see ourselves as a company: open, honest, ambitious, unapologetic.

It definitely isn’t always easy going places and making introductions all of the time; we have our setbacks and closed doors at times, but we always keep working harder to reach our goals and build good relationships along the way.

We have a mission to help grow the companies of a cleaner tomorrow and we want to build relationships with like-minded shareholders and stakeholders who want the same thing.

Take this picture of myself with the Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti at the grand opening of the La Kretz Innovation Campus in LA last week where we had the change to discuss synergies between Nordic and California cleantech.

Mayor Garcetti is a rising star in American politics and a champion of many issues and causes, not least of which being the environment and building the capacity of the private sector and startups to innovate in this fabulous space. With our new pop-up office in LA it is important that we build relationships with the right stakeholders and partners. Mayor Garcetti as well as Mayor John Mirisch of Beverly Hills, are two such stakeholders.

The story behind this picture is one of taking the risk to launch an office in LA to begin with, which itself is the story of developing relationships over many years with partners in the Finnish diplomatic mission like LA counsel General Juha Markkanen:

Politicians such as ex-Minister Leneta Toivakka:

Both have opened inroads to the US market for Cleantech Invest, as well as many others.

In order to even be in the same room as the Mayor of LA, let alone present Cleantech Invest’s ideas, many years of positive relationship building, trust and respect around shared goals was needed.

At the end of the day, you have to go to places, knock on doors and make contacts for opportunities to open up. This may sound self-evident but too few growth companies actually take the time to do it. The reality is that there are interested investors, partners, and projects available all over the place, but you must go places and build relationships to find them.

Be bold. Be brave. Our common future depends on it.