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Finland

Finland is a small knowledge-intensive economy with an industry that has not recovered yet from the economic crisis and other external shocks. The manufacturing sector has been downsizing reflecting both an industrial restructuring (particularly in electronics due to changes in Nokia’s business) and losses in competitiveness. The economy is dominated by high and medium-high technology and still has a strong specialisation in ICT, wood and paper industries, metal-machinery and basic metals.
Although the Finnish STI system performs rather well by OECD standards (high investment in human capital and education), socio-economic indicators such as inequality, unemployment and productivity stagnate or reflect a downtrend. Labour productivity is below the OECD average and has stagnated since 2013. Exports remain weak due to eroded competitiveness, and the slowdown of the Russian economy. High-tech goods as a share of total exports dropped from 23% in 2005 to 6% in early 2016.
The government is currently implementing an austerity agenda, intending to level off the GDP-to-debt ratio, and budget cuts also affect expenditure on R&D and innovation. The Strategic Government Programme of the Prime Minister has been launched in 2015 based on five strategic priorities: i) Employment and Competitiveness; ii) knowledge and education; iii) wellbeing and healthcare; iv) bioeconomy and clean technologies; and v) digitalisation, experimentation and deregulation.
Hot Issues
Improving transfers, returns and impact of science
STIO Questionnaire Responses
Fostering sustainable/green growth
STIO Questionnaire Responses
Supporting R&D and innovation in firms
Improving the governance of innovation system and policy
STIO Questionnaire Responses
Promoting structural adjustment and new approaches to growth
STIO Questionnaire Responses
Selected Highlights
Universities and public research
STIO Questionnaire Responses
ICT and Internet infrastructures
STIO Questionnaire Responses
Clusters and regional policies
STIO Questionnaire Responses
Skills for innovation
STIO Questionnaire Responses
Globalisation
STIO Questionnaire Responses
Relevant Indicators

- Gross domestic expenditure on R&D
- Business enterprise expenditure on R&D
- Higher education expenditure on R&D
- Government intramural expenditure on R&D
- Public sector expenditure on R&D, financed by industry
- Government budget outlays for R&D
- ICT investments
- Tertiary education expenditure
- Employment in S&T occupations
- Internet users
Related Country Reports

- Finland (Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs 2016: An OECD Scoreboard), 2016
- Finland: Start-up workshop for the under-30s (The Missing Entrepreneurs 2015: Policies for Self-employment and Entrepreneurship), 2015
- Start-up Grant, Finland (Inclusive Business Creation: Good Practice Compendium), 2016
- Finland (The Call for Innovative and Open Government: An Overview of Country Initiatives), 2011
- Finland: Intellectual asset management among high-growth SMEs (High-Growth Enterprises: What Governments Can Do to Make a Difference), 2010
Related STI Outlook Resources
