Research and Innovation Council to hear stakeholders’ views on national strategic choices for RDI policy and activities

The Research and Innovation Council is identifying national strategic choices for RDI policy and activities before the Government’s mid-term policy review in April. As part of the preparations, the Council will hold a consultation round from 26 February to 10 March and an open stakeholder event on 28 February 2025. In the earlier stages of the process, stakeholders emphasised the need to take a long-term approach, ensure effectiveness and prioritise the role of experts, and made proposals for themes to be included in the strategic choices.

Based on earlier parliamentary work, the multiannual plan for the use of central government research and development (R&D) funding envisioned that Finland’s future success would be built on strategic choices in R&D. A key objective in R&D and in the direction of R&D projects is to recognise global and national societal challenges and the opportunities these create for RDI stakeholders while taking into account Finland's strengths.

The work to identify national strategic choices for RDI policy and activities is being led by the Research and Innovation Council in an inclusive and open process. The idea is that the Research and Innovation Council will decide on the choices in March before the mid-term policy review and will adopt a report on them in June 2025.

The preparation for the selection process began at an open seminar on 8 November 2024, which was followed by a stakeholder survey in late November and early December. At that time, the stakeholders suggested that the selection should take into account competence and RDI experts, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, data utilisation, breakthrough technologies, the health and wellbeing sector, environmental and sustainability perspectives, and resilience, security and defence. The stakeholders stressed the importance of taking a long-term approach, ensuring effectiveness and strengthening the knowledge base. They also expressed a wide range of views on how to best develop the RDI system. The Research and Innovation Council discussed a summary of the stakeholders’ proposals at its meeting in December. 

The work on the strategic choices will continue across administrative boundaries in the Research and Innovation Council and in the joint foresight work of Sitra and the Government’s RDI policy network, among others. The Research and Innovation Council will hold a discussion the strategic choices with the parliamentary RDI monitoring group at the beginning of March.

The Research and Innovation Council will hold a second stakeholder discussion on the proposed choices on 28 February at 9.00–12.00 in Helsinki.  The programme for the event is below. You can register using this link.  Please note that seating at the event is limited and participants will be accepted in the order of registration.

Inquiries:
Johanna Moisio, Secretary-General, tel. +358 295 160 625
Jussi Alho, Chief Specialist, tel. +358 295 330 388
Harri Länsipuro, Chief Specialist, tel. +358 295 047 305

Research and Innovation Council Stakeholder discussion: national strategic choices for RDI policy and activities

Friday 28 February 2025 at 9.00–12.00 in Helsinki, Mariankatu 9, Paja conference room and online 

Programme

8.30 Registration at the reception desk, coffee

9.00 Opening words, Johanna Moisio, Secretary-General, Secretariat of the Research and Innovation Council

9.15–9.45 Possibilities for strategic choices, Jussi Alho and Harri Länsipuro, Chief Specialists, Secretariat of the Research and Innovation Council

9.45–10.30

Panel discussion 1: Guiding principles for the strategic choices, perspectives on the selection process, proposed choices

Chair: Johanna Moisio

Panellists:

Riikka Heikinheimo, Confederation of Finnish Industries, Research and Innovation Council
Simo Hiilamo, Finnish Commerce Federation
Riitta Konkola, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Rectors’ Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences Arene
Ilkka Niemelä, Aalto University, Council of Rectors of Finnish Universities UNIFI 
Mikko Peltonen, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Questions from the audience in person and via remote connection

10.30–10.45 Break

10.45–11.30

Panel discussion 2: Proposed strategic choices and their impacts on society and regions in a changing world. How can we put the choices into practice?

Chair: Antti Pelkonen, Secretariat of the Research and Innovation Council

Panellists: 

Saara Hyrkkö, Member of Parliament
Mika Maliranta, Labour Institute for Economic Research Labore
Riikka Pakarinen, Finnish Startup Community
Eeva Primmer, Finnish Environment Institute
Ville Voipio, Technology Industries of Finland

Questions from the audience in person and via remote connection

11.45 Closing words