On the second day of the EU-Tanzania roadshow in Finland, Tanzania's delegation visited several sites, including the EU's only nickel smelter and a mineral-processing research center. The critical raw minerals group visited the Pori Research Center of Metso, a global provider of sustainable technologies and services for the aggregates, minerals processing, and metals refining industries. The center conducts research, testing, and product development in mineral processing, hydrometallurgy, battery materials, and smelting technologies.
The delegation also visited Boliden Harjavalta, described as one of the world's most efficient copper and nickel production facilities. The facility operates the only nickel smelter in the EU, alongside a copper smelter, a copper refinery, a precious metals refinery, and sulphuric acid plants. The smelting technology at Harjavalta is recognized as one of the most energy-efficient available, with exceptionally low carbon and sulphur dioxide emissions.
The nickel matte produced at Harjavalta enables the production of refined nickel with significantly lower CO₂ emissions than the global industry average. The visit emphasized safety, environmental performance, operational efficiency, and ongoing investments that support sustainable growth and competitiveness. This visit is part of the EU-Tanzania Investment and Business Forum 2026-2027 roadshows.
The digital delegation from Tanzania visited the headquarters of Nokia in Espoo, where presentations covered the company's transformation into a company focused on the AI supercycle and future 6G technologies. The discussion turned to digital sovereignty, digital public infrastructure, and cybersecurity, including Tanzania's vision of becoming a digitalized society and moving towards a cashless economy.
The delegation then attended a high-level ICT and digitalization sector luncheon hosted by Finland's Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, Ville Tavio. The luncheon was attended by Tanzania's Deputy Minister of State in the President's Office for Planning and Investment, Hon. Dr. Pius Stephen Chaya. The delegation also visited the Finnish Information Security Cluster and Gofore, a Finnish digital transformation consultancy and technology company.
At the Finnish Information Security Cluster, the discussion centered on cybersecurity, digital sovereignty, and the European approach of sovereignty by design. Gofore presented a roadmap towards a well-functioning digital society and shared Finland's experience in developing centralized digital systems and services. The Italian leg of the roadshow starts on 1 October, at Cesena Fiera, and covers agribusiness and agri-food, digital transformation, and renewable energy and power.
The Italian leg of the roadshow will bring together Tanzanian and Italian officials to discuss investment opportunities and project pipelines in various sectors. The event will include breakout sessions on agribusiness, digital transformation, and renewable energy and power. B2B, B2G, and B2F matchmaking meetings will also be held on the final day.
Key points
- The Tanzanian delegation visited the EU's only nickel smelter and a mineral-processing research center in Finland.
- The delegation also explored digital firms, including Nokia, and discussed cybersecurity and digital sovereignty.
- The roadshow will continue in Italy, focusing on agribusiness, digital transformation, and renewable energy and power.
