Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment begins preparations for special economic zone pilot for east Finland
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment appointed a working group on 17 August 2026 to prepare a fixed-term experiment on a special economic zone in eastern Finland. The working group will prepare the necessary framework and draft legislation for the experiment.
The aim is to prepare a special economic zone model, which will accelerate company investments, increase the availability of skilled labour and speed up the launch of projects in eastern Finland. At the same time, the preparation will support Finland’s long-term regional and industrial policy objectives.
The working group will define the areas, objectives, means and duration of the experiment and create a plan for assessing its impacts. The working group will prepare a draft act and a memorandum assessing the key content of the legislation by 31 March 2027. After that, the draft bill and the memorandum will be sent out for public consultation.
During the preparation, the working group will ensure the experiment is compatible with the EU’s National and Regional Partnership plan that strives to promote regional vitality.
Key ministries are represented in the working group, which is supported by a group of experts and a secretariat. The working group will report on the progress of the preparations to a steering group consisting of State Secretaries. The term of the working group will end on 31 December 2027.
The fixed-term experiment on a special economic zone is part of the measures of the programme for eastern Finland submitted to Prime Minister Orpo. Prime Minister requested Harri Broman, the special representative for eastern Finland, to prepare a proposal for a special economic zone. Based on the proposal, the Government decided in its spending limits discussion in April 2026 to launch a project for draft legislation for the preparation of temporary special economic zones.
Inquiries:
Tiina Korhonen, Director General, Chair of the working group, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 295 047 138
The Ministry’s email addresses are in the format [email protected]