The Finnish System of Innovation - Lessons for Switzerland? Since the beginning of the nineties Finland has experienced tremendous economic and technological changes that have attracted a great deal of international attention. From an economic and innovation policy perspective, Finland now plays a major role in Europe - a marked contrast to the seventies and eighties. Growth rates have increased dramatically as have high-tech exports. Examples of the Finnish success story are Finnish companies like Nokia. Moreover, international benchmark studies comparing education, research, competitiveness, and innovation regularly rank Finland at the top.
The study we are conducting aims at describing and analysing the Finnish system of innovation (main success factors, good policy practices in the field of innovation policy) and, based on our findings, drawing policy lessons for Swiss innovation policy. The first part of the study will sketch the development and the institutional regulations of the Finnish system of innovation. This also involves answering questions such as: How can Finland's specific historical situation be characterised? What factors have contributed to Finland's spectacular economic growth? How did the economy diversify? To what extent has Finland's innovation and technology policy contributed to the success? Will the Finnish model be likely to persist in the future?.
We will then go on to examine key areas of the Finnish system of innovation - the education system, the research system, knowledge and technology transfer, as well as the role of private enterprises. This part of the study will deal with questions like: What are the main characteristics of the Finnish education system, in particular the adult learning structure? What are the strategies pursued and instruments used in the research system? How do public and private actors in the research system interact? What framework conditions are relevant for Finnish companies' innovation capabilities? What does the entrepreneurial context look like? What technological areas is private R&D channelled into? What role does Nokia play in the Finnish system of innovation? To what extent does Finland depend on Nokia? We are intending to take a closer look at five areas, which are of particular interest from a Swiss perspective:
- Finland's innovation strategy and innovation policy;
- The use of evaluation and quality assurance in the Finnish system of innovation;
- Adult learning/life-long learning;
- Tekes' role in the Finnish system of innovation;
- Entrepreneurship in Finland/Nokia's role in the Finnish system of innovation.
We drawing on a number of existing studies investigating (aspects of) the Finnish system of innovation. In order to increase validity, we have also conducted in-depth interviews with various key actors in Finland. The study has been commissioned by the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences and is being conducted by Professor Hotz-Hart from Zurich University and his team.
