National Technology Agency
The 'National Technology Agency (known until 1999 as the Technology Development Centre) (Finnish language: Innovaatiorahoituskeskus Tekes or simply Tekes) is an organization for research and technology development in the Republic of Finland. It was formed on 1 July 1983. According to the Agency, its purpose "is to promote the competitiveness of Finnish industry and the service sector by assisting in the creation of world-class technology and technological know-how". Its annual budget is four hundred million EUR. Its funds come from the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Locations
The Agency is based in Helsinki. It has fourteen regional Employment and Economic Development Centres (also known as the T&E Centres) throughout the Republic. The Agency also has offices in Beijing, Brussels, Tokyo, Silicon Valley, Shanghai, and the District of Columbia. The Agency claims to employ 320 people.
Brief history
The Centre was founded primarily in response to an economic recession during the 1970s. At its formation in 1983, it employed twenty people. It began researching energy technology in 1995.