The Government adopted the Team Finland strategy update for 2015
(Translation. Originally published in Finnish on 5 June 2014)
At its plenary session on 5 June the Government adopted a strategy steering the activities of the Team Finland network for 2015. The Government decides on the strategic priorities guiding the network's activities annually.
The first Team Finland strategy was adopted in June 2013. The strategy update adopted further develops and intensifies the Team Finland activities and addresses the operational priorities for next year.
Current trends in the global operating environment and in the Finnish national economy present a challenge for the next strategy period, which extends until the end of 2015. Structural changes and sluggish global demand will continue to dampen Finnish exports for quite some time, while risks in the developing markets have grown. Government involvement is needed to support companies in their internationalisation efforts, and to pave the way for foreign activities and foreign investment in Finland. Actions to enhance country branding are also called for.
The developing of internationalisation services progresses
The first annual strategy provided the basis for a reform involving the spin-off of Finpro's chargeable consultation services into a separate company, and a shift towards the allocation of government subsidy to public services that promote the internationalisation of SMEs. Steps were also taken to improve the efficiency of the Foreign Service. Good progress has been made with regard to these actions, and the reformed services will be made public in early autumn.
The developing of internationalisation services will be further continued in various areas next year. Funding services, market information, services facilitating network building between companies and operations in developing countries, among others, will be focused upon. The regional service model regarding state-funded internationalisation services will be finalised to ensure well-functioning and efficient operation.
The priorities concerning impact on external markets are only slightly updated. Outside the EU, Finland has three key priority areas in terms of trade policy during the current strategy period: The United States, Russia and China. The thematic priorities of trade policy are, among others, prevention of protectionism and certain regulatory issues, such as IPR issues, public contracts and technical regulations.
Special attention to attracting inward investment in Finland
Special attention will be paid to promoting foreign investment in Finland. Finpro (Invest in Finland) will be given a stronger profile as a point of contact and network builder for investment promotion activities within Finland. The whole network's competence in promoting investment will be strengthened and cooperation between Invest in Finland and regional Finnish players will be increased.
Steering of country branding and the related operating model will be improved. The funding of country branding projects will be pooled to enable easier implementation of cross-organisational projects. The thematic key priority areas for country branding will remain unaltered. Furthermore, changes in the foreign policy environment require the ability to react quickly to various situations through country branding.
Cooperation aims for better services
The development of the Team Finland network during the first operational year has been swift. Special attention has been paid to creating more-structured working styles and to implementing changes involving organisational roles and responsibilities considered necessary in the early stages of the strategy's implementation. The internal building stage will be followed by externally visible changes: improved service level and more efficient use of public resources.
With regard to steering the international network, a new approach will be adopted to enable the Government to coordinate the provision of state-provided services more efficiently. The aim is to ensure that Finland has strong expertise in key markets and the available resources are focused rather than equally dispersed over a network. The Team Finland offices in the most important countries will be developed into strong, regional centres capable of providing companies with a wide range of services, of supporting smaller teams and of coordinating regional projects if necessary.
In the upcoming strategy period, special attention will be paid to measuring the impacts of Team Finland activities and ensuring the optimal use of public resources in the areas that most benefit the national economy. To this end, regular assessment of the results and impacts of the entire Team Finland network will be initiated.
Inquiries: Tuomas Tapio, Head of Unit, Government External Economic Relations Unit, Prime Minister’s Office, tel. +358 295 160 190, and Peter Westerstråhle, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 50 596 160 193, Prime Minister’s Office
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The Team Finland network brings together players that promote Finland’s external economic relations, the internationalisation of enterprises, foreign investment in Finland and the country’s image – both at home and abroad. The key players in this network are state-funded organisations such as ministries, diplomatic missions, Finpro, Tekes, Finnish cultural and science institutions, Finnvera, Finnfund and regional service providers operating under the auspices of Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment. The network functions in close cooperation with a number of actors representing the business sector and the culture and education sector.