Mission Statement: to assist the integration of foreign residents living in Spain
By John Smith • Updated: 07 Nov 2024 • 11:55 • 1 minute read
Finnish digital specialist Filip Bovin Credit: Filip Bovin
Arguably, Filip Bovin who moved from Finland to Spain prior to the pandemic should be classed as an early Digital Nomad.
“Like many of my compatriots, I moved to Spain with my family because of the weather and the fact that I was looking to move into a friendly, family orientated society.
“When the pandemic hit, it was very worrying as a I had a wife and son to support, so discovered that the only way to do this was to take to the internet and I’m pleased to say it has worked very well.”
Currently living in Torrox (Axarquia) Filip runs a number of digital companies, the fastest growing being NeduAI and he conducts business throughout the world employing staff as each project requires.
Another of his companies Tutors concentrates on Finnish students and each year he brings a number over to Spain as part of an ongoing Erasmus programme.
Having lived in small Spanish towns he compares the lifestyle to that in Finland and sees some major differences.
“In Finland there is far more State support for young people and they are encouraged to leave home and become independent at an early age, whilst in Spain, it certainly isn’t the same and with lower salaries generally, young people often simply can’t afford to leave home and stay with family into their 30s.
“Both have positives and negatives and sometimes in rural Spain, it seem likes it’s more who you know than what you know that counts.”
Filip works hard, has joined a number of Spanish and International groups and in what little spare time he has, enjoys climbing and joint gym activities.
He can get by in Spanish, but in part, that is because he is not scared or embarrassed to attempt to communicate even if it’s not always perfect.
Although Spanish bureaucracy is often blamed for delays and difficulty, Filip takes a laid back attitude, saying that “every country has its own form of bureaucracy so wherever you are, if you haven’t grown up with it and therefore don’t understand it, it can be complicated to cope with.”
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Married to Ophelia in Gibraltar in 1978, John has spent much of his life travelling on security print and minting business and visited every continent except Antarctica. Having retired several years ago, the couple moved to their house in Estepona and John became a regular news writer for the EWN Media Group taking particular interest in Finance, Gibraltar and Costa del Sol Social Scene. Currently he is acting as Editorial Consultant for the paper helping to shape its future development. Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews
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