Finnish logistics company thrives on BRI

Olli Pohjanvirta, CEO of Nurminen Logistics, poses for a photo during an interview in Helsinki, Finland, on Aug. 15, 2023. (Photo by Matti Matikainen/Xinhua)

Thanks to the initiative, not only has the railway infrastructure along the route been greatly improved, but a road of solidarity and cooperation has also emerged, Pohjanvirta said.

HELSINKI, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Finnish enterprise Nurminen Logistics had already recognized China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a significant opportunity for collaboration back in 2015 when it decided to participate in the initiative, said Olli Pohjanvirta, the company's chief executive officer.

"As we had been working with Russian and Kazakhstan railways for years, it was logical for us to recognize the huge potential that China's initiative would bring for business between China and Europe," Pohjanvirta told Xinhua in a recent interview.

With its extensive experience in cross-border railway cooperation, Pohjanvirta said that Nurminen's ambitious goal was to become the leading container train operator between China and Scandinavia, which it achieved in 2021 with its Chinese partners.

Olli Pohjanvirta, CEO of Nurminen Logistics, poses for a photo during an interview in Helsinki, Finland, on Aug. 15, 2023. (Photo by Matti Matikainen/Xinhua)

According to Pohjanvirta, Nurminen Logistics currently serves over 1,000 direct customers in 10 European countries, operating 10 to 15 full trains every month. The company has established an office in Shanghai, east China.

"We have a lot of long-term customers, who have managed to grow their businesses between China and Europe thanks to our service," Pohjanvirta said, noting the huge demand for the China-Europe Railway Express.

Thanks to the initiative, not only has the railway infrastructure along the route been greatly improved, but a road of solidarity and cooperation has also emerged, Pohjanvirta said.

"Very big efforts have been successfully implemented by the Finnish, Russian, Kazakh and Chinese customs and railway companies to make the trains run fast through state borders," he said, noting that such collaboration is a manifestation of the spirit of "unity."

"With the railway, China and the EU (European Union) have a very secure and fast connection, which helps unite the commercial growth potential," he said, adding that the delivery time between China and Finland has been impressively shortened.

"The reduction in transit time not only decreases the required working capital and CO2 emissions but also shortens order processing and planning," Pohjanvirta said. "Additionally, railways offer competitive pricing and contribute to the development of areas that are distant from seaports."

Aerial photo taken on June 23, 2022 shows a cargo train, which marks the 10,000th trip made by China-Europe freight trains operated by the China-Europe Railway Express (Chongqing), waiting for departure at Tuanjie Village Central Railway Station in Chongqing, southwest China. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

Pohjanvirta believes that collaboration is essential between the businesses of the two robust economies, the EU and China, and that the world needs more cooperation now than ever.

"Each company must analyze its risks, and the EU and China should find a common way of helping companies in their businesses," he said.