Latest content

Our latest updates, thoughts, and events — as they roll out.

All
  • All
  • AI
  • Business
  • Cities
  • Civil service
  • Construction
  • Democracy
  • Economy
  • Foresight
  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Industry & innovation
  • Justice
  • Public governance
  • Skills & work
  • Society
  • Sustainability & climate action
  • Sustainability governance
  • Technology

Foresight and policymaking: lessons from Singapore and Finland

Finland and Singapore both lead in foresight-driven policymaking. Finland emphasizes cross-sector collaboration and futures research, while Singapore focuses on strategic scenario planning within government. Despite these strengths, both face challenges in fully integrating foresight into decision-making, underscoring the need for stronger institutional frameworks and capacity-building.


→ Continue reading

The Tragedy of the Form

The “tragedy of the form” refers to society’s reliance on outdated structures designed for the industrial era, limiting our ability to address systemic challenges like the climate crisis. Despite a recognised need for collective action, existing forms are increasingly not fit-for-purpose, hindering real transformation and requiring new, more adaptive models.


→ Continue reading

Forms Matter – Foreword

Foreword by Juha Leppänen The Tragedy of the Form Here is something we rarely talk about: the “form” in “transformation”. We pursue systemic change from forms designed for the industrial era. How can we transform societies if we don’t challenge our forms first? Demos Helsinki community, though with some notable…


→ Continue reading

Imagining change through science at Demos Helsinki Research Encounters

In Imagining Change Through Science – Demos Helsinki Research Encounters, we explored how science and research have shaped societal change.


→ Continue reading

16 Horizon projects later, our goal is the same

Demos Helsinki is currently involved in 14 Horizon Europe projects. From exploring the societal impacts of new technologies to tackling climate challenges, these projects reflect a growing demand for research that sparks systemic change. Discover how we are working across disciplines to shape fairer, more sustainable futures.


→ Continue reading

Demos Helsinki is part of three SRC-funded research projects on democracy and water security

These three research projects are: 1) Reducing polarisation via material participation (MaDem); 2) Coastal waters under pressure – safeguarding a healthy Gulf of Finland in a changing geopolitical and environmental landscape (CoWup); and 3) Safe Water for All (WaterFall).


→ Continue reading

Missions – Advancing Strategic EU Priorities through Multilevel Action

Drawing on almost five years of Cities Mission implementation, Demos Helsinki and its partners from Dark Matter Labs and the Mission Board argue that mission governance has reached policy readiness. Its mechanisms have been tested, its governance infrastructure is in place, and it offers a transferable model for delivering on EU strategic priorities at scale.


→ Continue reading

Towards more systemic crisis governance: lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic in Finland

Finland managed the Covid-19 pandemic comparatively well. Yet the longer the crisis lasted, the more visible the limits of the governance system became. This brief examines what a prolonged crisis revealed about institutional strength, societal vulnerabilities, and the kind of governance future crises demand.


→ Continue reading

Better is possible: why — and how — business leadership can be renewed

Decades of low growth in Finland may be a symptom of a weakened capacity for renewal inside organisations, including the country’s top businesses. In this report, we explore the role that Finnish companies play in the current growth environment and document what business leaders think should be done next. We conclude with key recommendations for boards and executive teams to create the conditions for a renewed purpose in business, one that fits the current Finnish context and reveals underused capacity for renewal.


→ Continue reading

Sorry, there are currently no upcoming events. Please follow us to get the latest updates!