Pieksämäki firms target defence boom at Paris expo

Three Pieksämäki-based companies will join the Eurosatory defence industry fair in Paris next week, as the city seeks a share of the sector’s rapid growth, Yle reports.

The biennial Eurosatory is one of the world’s largest defence expos, with the 2024 edition drawing over 2,000 exhibitors from more than 60 countries. This year, seven firms from South Savo will attend, three of them from Pieksämäki—a notable figure for a city of roughly 17,000.

Local industrial firms have seen rising demand for defence and dual-use products. VR Fleetcare, a rail transport specialist, won a 2024 tender to supply railcars to NATO forces. This spring, VR opened a new railcar maintenance centre in Pieksämäki, including a wheel-set lathe hall.

Karoliina Tilaeus, Pieksämäki’s business development director, notes fierce competition for defence contracts. “If companies want repeat orders, they must be visible. Firms in Central Europe, for example, compete with Finnish companies in areas like logistics,” she says.

Industrial employment in Pieksämäki is growing, with welding skills in short supply. “Machine shops report hiring new workers almost weekly,” Tilaeus adds.

Finland will send a record delegation of over 50 companies to the Paris event. Pieksämäki’s participants are VR Fleetcare, vehicle body manufacturer Piako, and water-drone specialist Variboats. Four Mikkeli-based firms—Observis, Bertin Environics, Savox, and AMS Corporation—will also attend, alongside the Savo Defence network and Mikkeli’s development company Miksei, sharing a joint stand.

Eurosatory has been held since the 1960s. In 2025, Mikkeli hosted smaller defence industry mini-fairs at the Karkialampi garrison area.