Go8 Backgrounder 29 - The University-Innovation Nexus in Finland

A major policy shift in the 1990s saw the Finnish state become an active player in innovation, which changed the research-innovation nexus substantially. This shift was characterised by the introduction of differentiated tertiary education qualifications (polytechnics and universities), the consequences of which were remarkable achievements in Finland’s higher education and innovation sectors.

Being a small but advanced industrial economy with limited resources and markets, Finland is dependent on external trade and the internationalisation of research and innovation. The backgrounder looks in detail at Finnish university and innovation systems and the nexus between them, drawing on Nokia as a case study. It concludes that strong national vision and an acceptance of the need for national investment building on human capital rather than natural resources has been an important factor in promoting and facilitating flows of information, technology and funding between the education sector and business.

Go8 Backgrounder 29 - The University-Innovation Nexus in Finland