- Minister Plenipotentiary for Trade Dr. Ahmed Maghawry: The Ministry of Trade and Industry is ready to provide training opportunities for Egyptian engineers to localize Finnish technologies in Egypt.
- The Commercial Advisor at Embassy of Finland in Cairo: There is strong Finnish interest in investing in Egypt with a focus on exports to Finland.
- Managing Director of Tiba Manzalawi Group: There are vast prospects for investment partnerships between both countries aimed at exporting air-conditioning systems to Africa and the Middle East.
- Regional Director for the Middle East and India at Metso: The company seeks to transfer its technology to the Egyptian market for mineral extraction and processing with lower water, energy consumption, and carbon emissions.
- CEO of MB Engineering Group: Egypt's free zones framework provides suitable regulatory foundations to enhance investment cooperation between both countries.
- CEO of Finnish renewable energy company Merus: The transition toward industrialization creates greater opportunities for localizing the production of solar energy storage batteries in Egypt.
Within the framework of the Egyptian government's efforts to strengthen international partnerships and drive investment, the fifth session of Egypt-Finland Business Forum was launched under the title “Engineering, Collaboration and Technology Transfer Opportunities" with high-level participation from government representatives and business leaders from both sides, in the presence of Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister, Dr. Mohamed Farid Saleh, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, and Alexander Stubb, the Finnish President.
In his speech, Minister Plenipotentiary for Trade Dr. Ahmed Maghawry, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, emphasized significant opportunities for transferring Finnish technology to Egyptian industries, particularly in mining, engineering industries, and renewable energy. He noted that Finnish industrial systems are leading in improving production efficiency and optimizing the use of resources such as water, energy, and raw materials. He added that combining Egyptian and Finnish expertise in the industrial sector would create inspiring economic success stories.
Moreover, Dr. Maghawry announced the readiness of the Ministry of Trade and Industry to coordinate efforts between both sides and provide training opportunities for Egyptian engineers and workers, aiming to better utilize human capital and enable them to design integrated solutions tailored to the needs of the Egyptian industry, supported by Finnish technical expertise.
He further stated that Egypt possesses all the necessary components for a successful partnership with the Finnish business community, including a large consumer market, a strong industrial base, a strategic geographic location that makes it a global logistics hub, and trade agreements connecting Egypt to more than 70 countries worldwide.
Mr. Yasser Shawky, Commercial Advisor at Embassy of Finland in Cairo, stated that the common feature among Finnish companies participating in the forum is their focus on sustainable commercial and investment relations, in addition to environmental sustainability. He noted strong Finnish government and business interest in investing in Egypt with the aim of exporting to Finland. He added that aligning Finnish technology with Egyptian industry will produce goods that meet Finnish market needs, a goal that the Finnish Embassy has focused on in cooperation with the National Initiative for Development of the Egyptian Industry “Ebda."
Eng. Shady El-Manzalawi, Managing Director of Tiba Manzalawi Group for Air Conditioning Manufacturing, stated that combining Finland's advanced air-conditioning technology with Egypt's regional leadership in this sector will provide vast opportunities for investment partnerships between both business communities to export to Africa and the Middle East. He noted that air-conditioning systems account for 40% to 50% of household electricity consumption in Egypt and the region due to high temperatures, highlighting the importance of cooperation with Finland in electricity-saving technologies and intelligent control systems, alongside Egyptian efforts in training and accelerating digital transformation.
Mr. Kamal Pahuja, Regional Director for the Middle East and India at Metso, announced the company's desire to transfer its technology to the Egyptian market, focusing on mineral extraction and processing with reduced water, energy consumption, and carbon emissions, thereby ensuring greater economic success for Egypt's mining sector.
Mr. Ahmed Bahaa Shalaby, CEO of MB Engineering Group for Electrical Products, emphasized that Egypt has the appropriate regulatory framework to enhance investment cooperation between both countries, particularly through its Free Zones Framework aimed at export-oriented manufacturing. He also highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises in both countries, which requires further government support and improved access to financing.
Mr. Kari Tuomala, CEO of Finnish renewable energy company Merus, stressed that there are significant untapped opportunities for cooperation between both countries in the field of solar energy storage batteries, especially amid Egypt's rapid shift toward industrialization. He noted that this is reflected in the company's sales in Egypt, which increased by 15% over the past year, indicating greater potential for localizing battery manufacturing operations in Egypt.
