Why Finland?
The business environment in Finland is easy and efficient. Both the public and the private sector are committed to investing in research and development, and the country’s highly educated people have a positive can-do attitude towards innovation.
Finnish businesses and scientists already have cutting-edge expertise in the following fields:
- Forestry and chemical and metal industries
- ICT, software and electronics
- New materials
- Environmental technology
- Biotechnology and diagnostics
- Functional foods
- Knowledge-intensive services
Leader in innovation
According to the World Economic Forum, Finland is one the world's top countries in innovation. Finland is ranked the world's number one in terms of higher education and the availability of scientists and engineers, and it leads other Nordic countries in patenting.
The Innovation index covers quality of research institutions, company spending on R&D, university and industry research collaboration, availability of scientists and engineers, utility patents and intellectual property protection.
(World competitiveness report 2010–2011, WEF)
A competitive economy
The European Growth and Jobs Monitor is an annual ranking which measures the economic and social performance of 14 European countries according to criteria derived from the original Lisbon Agenda.
(The 2008 European Growth and Jobs Monitor)
The best education system in the world
Finnish teenagers top the OECD's PISA assessment in science and come second in mathematics and reading. According to Statistics Europe, as much as 40% of the workforce have graduated from a university-level institution or obtained a doctor’s degree.
(OECD, Programme for International Student Assessment PISA 2006)
Sustainable environment
The Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) evaluates the ability of countries to protect the environment. Finland is ranked first in ESI 2005 comparison because of its good water and air quality, high level of science and technology and efficiency of environmental governance. Norway, Uruguay, Sweden and Iceland are the other top countries in the comparison of 146 countries.
(Yale and Columbia Universities: 2005 Environmental Sustainability Index )