About Demos Helsinki

As a journalist, you contribute to the future by highlighting ideas that matter. Whether you are already writing a story or looking for inspiration, Demos Helsinki can provide trustworthy commentary while remaining joyful and optimistic about societies and our future.

Governments and other organisations come to Demos Helsinki looking for new ideas, concepts, points of growth, and strategic change when old tools become outdated. Our people lead the way in challenging the status quo to bring about positive societal change. We work with global actors, including the United Nations, OECD, European Commission, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and many others, to reshape societies.

_70A5891

Get the unexpected angle of any story — big or small

Demos Helsinki experts always provide useful context that can promote public dialogue and increase the stakes of any story. All of our experts are available for comments, and you can find them here. Otherwise, see if something sparks your interest from the featured topics below:

Cutting-edge research and evidence-based policies

Cutting-edge research and evidence-based policies

We have an extensive research portfolio that explores the dynamics of institutions and society.

See our latest research -> 

Public administration and governance

Public administration and governance

Our current institutions, tools, and policies are not fit for purpose. We have been building a number of approaches, models, and frameworks that can create a new type of governance — one that can instigate and sustain just transformations. 

See our relevant research, projects, experts, and thoughts ->

Sustainability and post-sustainability

Sustainability and post-sustainability

Our experts have 20 years of experience studying societal and behavioural trends regarding the sustainability transition, while also carrying out direct engagements with governments, companies, universities, and civil society to accelerate a just transformation.  

See our work and experts on Sustainability & Climate Action ->

New economic thinking, wellbeing economy, new economic indicators

New economic thinking, wellbeing economy, new economic indicators

Our economic system has revealed its pain points. We believe that there are economic interventions that go beyond policy. What if our economies focused on wellbeing instead of growth? What if new key indicators replaced GDP? 

See our work on big economic questions ->

Industrial policy for the post-industrial era

Industrial policy for the post-industrial era

Industrial policy is about governance — and we said before it was cool. Governments are now dealing with strategic uncertainty and a gap in capacities, while also missing the right tools to engage meaningfully with critical-industry leaders. 

See our work and experts on Industry & Innovation ->

Emerging technologies and how to design, develop and deploy them equitably

Emerging technologies and how to design, develop and deploy them equitably

Technology cannot be treated as a sector. We consistently develop research and recommendations on the responsible and ethical deployment of technologies, the rollout of ethical AI, and the future of work, governance, and regulation in a digitalised era.  

See our work and experts in Technology ->

See our work and experts around ethical AI ->

The future of care, healthcare, and welfare

The future of care, healthcare, and welfare

Demands for care are growing due to a number of factors. Our work shows the need to integrate care in all economic sectors and all aspects of life.

See our work and experts on the future of care -> 

See our work and experts on health and wellbeing ->

Cities, their challenges, and their opportunities

Cities, their challenges, and their opportunities

Cities can lead essential transitions by instigating and sustaining collective action. Our 20+ years of experience in urban transformations reveals city-governance gaps and opportunities. 

See our work and experts in Cities -> 

See our work and experts in Construction -> 

Connect with the right expert

Connect with the right expert

Send your request to angeliki.vourdaki[at]demoshelsinki.fi, including your name, publication, and a short summary of what interests you. Our colleague, Angeliki, will help direct you to the right person. 

Latest news

See what Demos Helsinki has been up to.

The World Needs Big Ideas – Demos Helsinki Publications of Early 2019

Demos Helsinki publications of early 2019 include the next era social security models, governance innovations for the 21st century, and futures brief for growth-seeking companies that want to create the success stories of the future. 


→ Continue reading

Wärtsilä, Tieto, St1, Fortum and Demos Helsinki launch Innovation Community initiative to speed clean energy targets

Wärtsilä, Tieto, St1, Fortum and Demos Helsinki have introduced their Innovation Community initiative aimed at drastically accelerating the global energy sector’s transition to cleaner, more environmentally sustainable energy generation. The announcement of this initiative was made in Helsinki at the Slush 2018, the world’s leading startup event. Innovation Community is…


→ Continue reading

It’s time to go beyond experimentation – Demos Helsinki in the OECD

Over the last years, it has become obvious that governments could benefit a lot more from experimentation. Experimentation helps co-designing solutions, policies, and services together with potential end users. It mitigates risks because it enables the fast process of turning ideas into practice. Without immediate ‘fear of implementation’, governments are…


→ Continue reading

Demos Helsinki wants to accelerate the global change – we need you aboard

We live in strange times. By many standards, the world is a better place than ever before. We are wealthier than ever before and many of the UN millennium goals have been reached. Poverty rates have been halved and more girls are able to go to school. Solar energy has…


→ Continue reading

What can workplaces learn from early childhood education about learning? 5 tips from Finnish kindergarten teacher

In the report about the future of work for the Finnish Prime Minister’s office, we noticed that the most essential skill in the work life of the future is learning. It might even go further – work will become learning.


→ Continue reading

Uutuusteos tutkimuksella vaikuttamisesta ja tiedeviestinnästä

Tutkimuksesta toimintaan – tieteentekijän opas viestintään ja vaikuttamiseen kokoaa yhteen viestinnän ja vaikuttamisen parhaat työkalut tutkimushankkeiden eri vaiheisiin. Kirjan on kirjoittanut Demos Helsingin tutkimuksella vaikuttamisen asiantuntija Iina Koskinen yhteistyössä Maria Ruuskan (Kaskas Media) ja Tanja Sunin (Helsingin yliopiston yrityspalvelut). Tuoreen väitöstutkimuksen mukaan päätöksenteossa kuunnellaan herkällä korvalla taloudellista eliittiä ja etujärjestöt pääsevät…


→ Continue reading

See our previous media coverage