Finnish Research and Innovation Policy in the 21. Century

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1 Finnish Research and Innovation Policy in the 21. Century President Anneli Pauli Lappeenranta University of Technology Oslo 24 November, 2015

2 R&D in Finland R&D funding 6.5 billion business sector accounts for 68% Government R&D funding 2.0 billion R&D input 3.1% of GDP (estimate) Public R&D spending 0,96% of GDP universities and 24 polytechnics Source: Statistics Finland 2015; Ministry of Education and Culture Map: Academy of Finland

3 R&D expenditure in Finland , by sector 6.3 billion in 2014 in total Source: Statistics Finland; Academy of Finland

4 Public research in Finland Source: Academy of Finland

5 Government research funding in 2015 Source: Statistics Finland; Academy of Finland

6 Development of knowledge-based society: the national R&I system 1990s Perspective on development: innovation system EU membership Government s supplementary funding programme: pushing Finland to the forefront Creation and rapid expansion of the Doctoral programmes Creation of postdoctoral system National Centre of Excellence strategy and programmes Priority given to competitive funding: Academy of Finland and Tekes International evaluations of research fields and disciplines

7 Period of harmonization 2000s Evaluation of 1990s investments, policies and actors Establishment of Finland s position as an important science and technology policy player in the world Strengthening of global cooperation Development of the European Research Area (ERA)

8 Period of structural development, 2005 Government resolution in 2005 on the structural development of the public research system Universities Act Revision of the Act on the Academy of Finland Research and Innovation Council of Finland (innovation included) Structural development of sectoral research Strategic Centres for Science, Technology and Innovation Strengthening of Nordic cooperation as a building block of European Research Area

9 Current science policy in Finland The development of scientific research is based on the Government Programme of Prime Minister, governmental resolutions and policy outlined by the Research and Innovation Council and Ministry of Ecucation and Culture Ministry of Education and Culture Aim support the strategic profiling of higher education institutions and to enhance the impact of higher education, research and societal outreach of them strengthen collaboration and agree on division of work between higher education institutions and research institutes further develop national research infrastructure policies ensure openness of science and research increase internationality

10 Research and innovation policy reform programme (Research and Innovation Council 2014) Key development areas of R&D policy are: a radical reform of the higher education system promoting the exploitation and impact of R&I results strengthening new sources of growth, intellectual capital and entrepreneurship. Other key targets for development are: improvement of the overall knowledge-base of the population and selective support for cutting-edge skills reform of the public sector and closer cross-administrative cooperation targeting of R&D funding

11 Recommendations by the Academy of Finland State of Scientific Research in Finland report Key recommendation: Towards higher quality research through selection, de-selection and collaboration - Universities to develop their research profiles so as to focus on their key strengths and the new initiatives emerging from these - Division of work and collaboration, along with de-selections and longterm investment in the areas of strategic value - Opportunities for collaboration between universities and government research institutes to be leveraged better Specific recommendations - Active and open recruitment - Systematic and long-term international collaboration - Strategic selections and collaboration in the construction and use of research infrastructures - The research funding system to encourage making selections - Evidence-based planning and decision-making to be raised to a new level in science policy

12 Functionality of Finnish system for higher education and research STRENGTHS - Several important reforms have already been made, including an autonomy reform and new acts for universities and for universities of applied sciences (UAS) - Strengthened academic leadership through the reforms - Increased connection to the surrounding society through inclusion of external members of the HEI boards - A few mergers between HEIs have contributed to slightly fewer HEIs - The merger that resulted in the establishment of Aalto University has received significant attention internationally and is generally seen as a success - Well-developed innovation system; an innovation leader according to Innovation Union scoreboard - High performance of the schooling system; highly raked in international tests WEAKNESSES - Few internationally top-ranked HEIs - Existence of barriers towards transfer across the dual system for students - Low level of foreign recruitment of academic staff at HEIs - Scattered HEI landscape with comparatively many HEIs, some of which are quite small - Small subjects exist at many HEIs - Low level of internationalisation in the system as a whole - Underdeveloped level of cooperation between universities and UAS - Legal barriers towards deeper cooperation and mergers between universities and UAS - The innovation system does not contribute sufficiently to commercialisation of knowledge and creation of new jobs - Long study times Source: Towards a future proof system for higher education and research in Finland. Publications of the Ministry on Education and Culture, Finland 2015:11. Authors : Göran Melin, Frank Zuijdam, Barbara Good, Jelena Angelis, Johanna Enberg, Derek Jan Fikkers, Jaana Puukka, AnnaKarin Swenning, Kristel Kosk, Jesse Lastunen, Stijn Zegel

13 University reform - most significant change in the Finnish research system has been the university reform universities as independent institutions under public law or the Foundations Act - bulk of university funding still comes from the state budget through the Ministry of Education and Culture - university boards to include outside members, and rectors gained a stronger position - universities in the position to pursue a more active recruitment policy

14 First impacts of the new University Act - more strategic governance and management - strengthened financial management - improved stakeholder collaboration - university units still relatively small in international comparison - profiling of universities going on Source: Ministry of Education and Culture Yliopistolakiuudistuksen vaikutusten arviointi [In Finnish only]

15 University mergers - Helsinki University of Technology, Helsinki School of Economics and University of Industrial Art and Design Helsinki into Aalto University - University of Kuopio and University of Joensuu into University of Eastern Finland - University of Turku and the Turku School of Economics into the new University of Turku - planning phase: University of Tampere, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere University of Applied Sciences: Tampere 3

16 University of Eastern Finland In ,000 students and 2,800 members of staff In 2015 better ratio academic staff to administrative staff Positive impact to education and research Outputs (including competitive funding) significantly better than the two universities separately Challenge: three of the four faculties are situated at more than one campus most innovative digitalized education environments utilised in the forefront Source: UEF administration

17 University of Eastern Finland RAE more ambitious goal setting (best globally in unique strengths) - great potential partially exploited (many researchers satisfied with their own achievements) - need for long-term university strategy to build up strenghts - more emphasis on quality of research (rather than quantity) - reduce administrative burdens towards agility - bolster interdisciplinary in research and education: strong research programmes - flexible mechanisms to share teaching responsibility - more rotation of researchers - top level international recruitments - increase international research funding - more active leaderships in international research consortia - make a visibility strategy

18 Integration of Turku School of Economics to University of Turku Integration can offer students a larger selection of choices in minors More courageous and forward-looking faculty changes would have facilitated more efficient profiling process Benefits to the Business School: increased quality of research and better access to large digital data sets Benefits to the University: integration of Finland Futures Studies Centre (from the Business School) gave the University an unique and strong profiling field

19 Government research institutes - public functions and a diverse range of research activities - emphasis on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research - functional and structural integration of government research institutes Enhancing the quality and relevance of research - part of research funding of universities and research institutes were pooled to found Strategic Research Council (2014) at the Academy of Finland; to support policy-making and address the major challenges facing society funding based on open competition - clusters can apply funding: at least 3 teams from at least 2 research organisations; at least 3 research disciplines main review criteria 1. societal relevance and impact 2. scientific quality

20 LUKE - Natural Resources Institute Finland - started in the beginning of A merger of the government research institutes MTT Agrifood Research Finland, the Finnish Forest Research Institute, the Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, and the statistical services of the Information Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry - research and expert organization promoting bioeconomy and sustainable use of natural resources - 1,600 employees - brings together expertise in renewable natural resources and responsible food production; provides innovative solutions that promote new business activities - research on natural resources benefits the consumers by providing information on health and well-being, and by supporting the vitality of Finnish nature

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