To drive innovation and business opportunities in Finland’s mobile ecosystem and beyond, Nokia and Microsoft have jointly agreed to each invest up to 9 million euros over three years in a new mobile-application-development program at Aalto University. The program, called AppCampus, has been established to foster the creation of innovative apps for several mobile ecosystems, including Windows Phone, Nokia Symbian and Series 40, to create a new generation of self-sustaining mobile startups.
AppCampus will launch this May, led by Aalto University. The programme is expected to attract thousands of application proposals from students and entrepreneurs worldwide. Aalto University will also contribute premises, coaching services, and access to both business and academic networks. Mobile entrepreneurs who participate in AppCampus will also receive support, training, funding, and mentoring by mobile-industry veterans, who will help them commercialize their apps while retaining intellectual-property rights for their innovations.
‘AppCampus offers a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to put their ideas into practice and create world-class mobile products. Our focus is to foster innovation and help local developers create successful businesses: this programme will help create opportunities not just in Finland, but all over the world by connecting them with consumers from over 190 countries that download millions of apps every day through their Nokia phones’, says Marco Argenti, SVP, Nokia Developer Experience & Marketplace.
‘The partnership between Microsoft and Nokia is a critical investment in this growing ecosystem’, said Jyrki Katainen, Finland’s prime minister, ‘and represents an exciting opportunity and access to global markets for our local startup community.’
