Finland’s tribute to life-enhancing technological innovation

Finland’s economy is consistently ranked among the most competitive in the world. With a cutting-edge information infrastructure, highly educated workforce, strong innovation system and high R&D expenditure, Finland is also poised to stay among the world leaders in high technology.

Historically, forests have been a stalwart force in Finnish industry. In the last couple of decades, the biggest success story has been the country’s rapidly expanding electronics industry. Today the major export sectors are electronic and electrical products, pulp and paper, machinery and equipment, metal products, transport vehicles, timber and wood and chemicals.

• Finland is one of the world’s most-competitive economies and leading information societies
• Information on Finnish industry, companies and business life
• Finland as an investment opportunity

Pioneer in humane high-tech development

Finland can also be considered a pioneer in the integration of technological and humane values. Standard of living is high. Internationally Finland emerges as an equal country with moderate wealth and gender disparities and very little extreme poverty. It is fitting for Finland, a competitive welfare state, to celebrate and nourish the dialogue between technological and humane values.

By awarding the Millennium Prize, the Finnish industry and government hope to uphold humane technological development also in the future.

• General information on Finland

Education and innovation system

Finland has repeatedly come out top in OECD studies of learning results among 15-year olds (PISA), with high performances in all the four areas of mathematics, science, mother tongue and problem solving. The Finnish higher education system comprises two sectors: universities and polytechnics. The network of 20 universities and 29 polytechnics covers well the whole country. All universities are state-run.

Finland’s innovation system builds on active university-industry cooperation, public-private partnerships, effective R&D policies and public support organizations. Finland is a world leader in collaboration and knowledge transfer between companies, universities and research institutes. Corporate R&D funding, competitive public funding and other external financing represent half of university research funding.

• Finland succeeds in OECD Pisa Survey
• Information on Finnish education system
• Data on Finnish science and technology