The finalists for the Ernst & Young national Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 competition were announced today, on December 1, at Finlandia Hall. Unikie is one of the seven finalists. In mid-January, EY will reward the entrepreneur of the year among the seven finalists for the achievement of innovative improvements in their own business area.
“Reaching the finals is a great honour for the work we have been doing. We owe our thanks to the whole talented team”, says Unikie’s CEO Esko Mertsalmi gratefully.
”As a company, Unikie has had a great journey thus far. We have renewed some of the practices in the field of software, and at the same time believed in the strong Finnish technology know-how as an export company. This concept has produced results and our target-oriented growth will continue”, Mertsalmi adds.
The core of Unikie’s operations can be found at the intersection of intelligent vehicle and communication technologies. Competences such as artificial intelligence, sensor fusion, information networks and data security offer a unique competitive edge for the company.
“Vehicle technology, including information networks and data security, is going through a major transformation globally. This enables Unikie’s growth path and we will stand out in this digital revolution, thanks to our extensive technological competence basis, in particular. Our competence includes embedded development, device and edge processing combined with IT systems, and the data security solutions that crosses them all,” Mertsalmi highlights.
The five-year-old Unikie is the third most rapidly grown technology company in Finland (2019), employs over 300 people, and gets about one third of its turnover from exports. The turnover forecast for Unikie in 2020 is approximately 35 million euros.
What is the EY Entrepreneur of the Year (EoY) competition?
EY Entrepreneur of the Year is a highly esteemed international special recognition award for successful entrepreneurs. It encourages expansive, responsible entrepreneurship and spurs on entrepreneurs who inspire others through their vision, leadership, and achievements. Entrepreneur of the Year supports those who create growing and profitable business, providing them with recognition in more than 60 countries in entrepreneur competitions on regional, national, and global levels.
Entrepreneur of the Year is based on personal interviews with the entrepreneurs. In these extensive interviews, the candidates are examined from the perspective of different entrepreneurial areas, such as strategy and innovativeness – financial key ratios are just one of the many aspects. For more information, see www.eoy.fi.
The seven finalists of the main competition:
- Anne, Atte ja Reijo Karppinen, DYNASET Oy, Ylöjärvi
- Annaleena Hakola, Hakola Huonekalu Oy, Kurikka
- Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Kesla Oyj, Joensuu
- Ville Silvasti, Kuljetusliike Ville Silvasti Oy, Jyväskylä
- Topi Paanen, Peikko Group Oy, Lahti
- Markku Tuomaala, Puuilo Oy, Vantaa
- Esko Mertsalmi, Unikie Oy, Tampere
