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The delegation visited Helsinki and Oulu, the city of technology on the Bay of Bothnia, as shown on the map.
The Finnish Parliament and government departments, and their Science and Technology Policy Council, chaired by the prime minister, are the key drivers in the public sector for guiding an integrated, coordinated and coherent National System of Innovation. The Policy Council plays an advisory role to government and reviews science and technology policies every three years. Currently, the main priority areas are the Information Society, the Wellness Society (including medical and biotechnology), and the Environment. The Innovation System in Finland supports the investment of public funds in technology innovation as a stimulus for economic growth. In all sectors of the research and development (R&D)-innovation value chain, from cabinet ministers and industry captains to academic researchers and R&D managers, a clarity exists of the fundamental role of technology exploitation in wealth creation for the country through the growth and development of new firms and industries. In 2001 Finland spent 3,6% of GDP on R&D (up from 3,37% in 2000), which is one of the highest investment rates in the world. In fact, during the past decade, the Finnish government has continued to show its commitment to a technology and innovation driven economy by annually increasing its investment in research and development. Some impressions from the report on the visit will be featured in a forthcoming issue of NewsBits. |
Learning from Finland's technology and innovation-driven economy
The Finnish National System of Innovation is characterised by high levels of national alignment and enrolment, considerable integration, an appropriate and quality education system and good relations between education, research and industry.
