How is Finnish research policymaking guided?

Text terhi hautamäki image istock english translation marko saajanaho

The Research and Innovation Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, is an advisory body. Providing guidelines for strategic choices is related to the decision to significantly increase the amount of public RDI funding in Finland in the coming years.

Therefore, do these strategic choices influence the future allocation of public RDI funding, Research and Innovation Council Secretary General Johanna Moisio?

Yes. Strategic choices affect the decision-making and direction of different administrative branches. For example, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment takes them into consideration in their own scientific policymaking, such as Academy of Finland funding.

What might these strategic choices mean? Do they determine which research topics, fields, or business sectors are considered important?

The decisions do not approach the business sector level, and they are not particularly detailed. The intent behind them is to point the way for RDI policymaking – where our strengths lie and what Finland should invest in long term. The choices should support the decision-making; that is how concrete they need to be.

Each financier makes their own choice on what to fund. They have always made that choice and will continue to do so. The strategic choices are meant to tell the whole system what issues in Finland require additional RDI measures and where they should be strengthened.

For example, no specific R&D funding allocation is seeded by these choices. Ultimately, researchers, research organisations, and businesses decide what to research and what that requires.

How is the research field taken into account?

The research field has been able to participate in a consultation in November and can do so again in February. Our November survey received 130 responses, and our stakeholder event had about 300 participants. The research field is prominently represented in the Research and Innovation Council.

What are the current focal points of Finnish RDI policymaking?

A multi-year R&D funding plan was published in June. One of its main focuses is strengthening cooperation. Other focal points include increasing RDI activity in businesses, strengthening expertise and research careers, improving infrastructure, increasing international cooperation, and obtaining EU funding, which requires an additional national counterpart.

How is the work progressing?

Early this year, the data on existing RDI activity focal points is combined with foresight material. The Finnish Government is preparing their Report on the Future. For that purpose, dozens of factors for change have been identified, relating to matters such as the international context, economy, society, and environment.

For example, this foresight work is compared to our existing strengths in research and development – where the blind spots are and what should be improved.

The next stakeholder event will be held on 28 February, and the next written consultation between 22 February and 10 March. The schedule is quite tight. The strategic choices should already be finished in March.