Rapporteur Elina Björklund submits her report on reforming Team Finland’s foreign functions

Rapporteur Elina Björklund submitted her report on reforming the Team Finland network’s foreign functions to Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio and Minister of Economic Affairs Wille Rydman on 31 January 2025.

The ministerial working group on employment and entrepreneurship decided on renewing the management structure of the Team Finland network and integrating the foreign functions of Business Finland into the Foreign Service on 14 June 2024. Based on the decision, Elina Björklund, Chairperson of the Board of Reima Group, was appointed on 27 June 2024 to serve as the rapporteur preparing the integration of Business Finland’s foreign functions into the Foreign Service.

Björklund and the working group formed to support her completed their work in January 2025. The rapporteur’s report contains comprehensive recommendations for implementing the reform.

“Finland needs growth through exports. This reform is an opportunity for Finland to ambitiously renew the promotion of exports. In the future, the system will have to provide most efficient and tailored support for companies focusing on internationalisation and be competitive with peer countries,” says Björklund.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio thanks Björklund for her very thorough work: “I would like to extend my warmest thanks to Elina Björklund for her thorough and comprehensive work, which lays a strong foundation for the reform of the Team Finland network. As the report sets out, trade and politics are closely intertwined, so it is natural to bring together the Foreign Ministry’s foreign policy expertise and the trade expertise of Business Finland’s foreign functions. This way we can best support the internationalisation of companies and intensify our efforts to advance exports.”

“Rapporteur Björklund’s proposals are well justified and provide a solid foundation for further measures. The key to the transfer is that businesses will continue to be offered tailored, high-quality services for their growth and internationalisation,” says Minister of Economic Affairs Wille Rydman.

In the next stage, preparations for integrating the functions will begin under the leadership of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The reform is based on the Programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government that aims to enhance the promotion of exports and develop services for companies.

Summary of the report (PDF, 0.7 MB, 3 pages)