Digital Commerce Finland, a societal and collaborative company founded to help digital commerce grow faster, has begun operations. The new community will include online stores and SMEs of the commercial sector as well as a wide range of parties interested in and influencing digital commerce.
“Our goal is to build the world’s most competitive digital commerce community,” said Ville Simola, who will start as the CEO of Digital Commerce Finland in November. “We want to use the entire network to spur market growth and Finnish competitiveness, as well as strengthen the attractiveness of the industry.”
Simola has diverse experience in digital business, innovations and startups. He also has unique experience in managing community organizations. He joins the company from Maria 01 where he was CEO. Mirva Sandström has been appointed digital commerce director. She has extensive experience in the development of digital services and e-commerce, and most recently was responsible for IKEA Finland’s e-commerce business.
The launch of the community is supported by six founding organizations: the Finnish Commerce Federation, Keskisuomalainen, Paytrail, Posti, Sanoma and the Association for Finnish Work. These and future partners will enable the community to provide, among other things, primarily free services, events and training.
The operations of Digital Commerce Finland will be centered on online stores, brands and SMEs of the commercial sector. Various parties with strong ties to digital trade and its success in Finland, such as service providers, educational institutions, organizations, public sector players, development companies and private equity firms, will also be widely invited to join the activities. Operations will start gradually during the autumn of 2023.
“Our success is built on an active and enthusiastic community. Some of the most essential elements include encounters between experts, the creation of networks, peer support and the resulting faster learning,” said Sandström. “Together we will build the industry’s competitiveness and growth, as well as its recognition and attractiveness, both in Finland and internationally.”
Products and services will be built for players at different stages of growth. The service package particularly includes events and training on current topics. There are also plans to build a dedicated meeting space for online retailers, including an e-commerce accelerator for companies with promising growth prospects.
