Finland’s competitiveness is increasingly built on expertise, research and the ability to renew itself. At the same time, the world around us is changing faster than perhaps ever before: technological development is accelerating, geopolitical uncertainty is increasing, the climate crisis and green transition are reshaping economic structures, and skill requirements are evolving rapidly.
Finland has an internationally high-quality research and education system. At the same time, international assessments have highlighted the need for renewal and structural reforms to generate sustainable growth. For example, the OECD has identified the reform of higher education, talent shortages and the opportunities created by the clean transition as key factors for Finland’s future competitiveness.
In Finland, we are becoming increasingly aware that international competition is not determined by who produces knowledge, but by how quickly and effectively knowledge is transformed into new solutions, companies, expertise and societal renewal. Accordingly, Finland’s strategic choices in research, development and innovation policy have rightly emphasised risk-taking, attracting investments, and strengthening collaboration between research and industry.
In 2025, the Foundation renewed its strategy to respond more strongly to the transformations challenging Finland’s innovation and competence system. The new strategic focus areas emphasise strengthening collaboration between the humanities and businesses, as well as supporting the integration of international top talent into Finland. Examples include our new TIA Connect networking programme, which brings humanities researchers together with companies to address research challenges, and the TIA Seed funding instrument aimed at international top-level researchers. At the same time, the Foundation’s core mission remains unchanged: we build collaboration between research and industry to strengthen Finland’s long-term capacity for renewal.
During the year, four new members were elected to the Foundation’s Board, beginning their terms at the start of 2026. At the same time, I would like to warmly thank the outgoing Board members and Chair for their valuable work for the Foundation.
Petro Poutanen
CEO, Finnish Research Impact Foundation
