Topic

Industry & innovation

Commentary

The big “how”: New ways to govern industrial policy

Effective governance is crucial in the face of uncertainty, not only to resolve problems of coordination but to carve out long-term strategies that don’t risk other crucial societal objectives. We share a series of methodologies specifically designed for coordinating industrial policy despite strategic uncertainty.

Hot Summer of Research and Innovation Policy – What’s Cooking in Brussels

Demos Helsinki travelled to Brussels in May to find out what are the current science policy trends and discussions related to universities’ role in the society. Here are our four picks on the discussions research institutions and science enthusiasts should follow. 1. What will the European moonshots be? The science…

On an expedition in the US: Why open innovation and participatory processes stumble or succeed?

This year Demos Helsinki’s Head of Co-creation Outi Kuittinen visits the New School and Harvard as a Fulbright Scholar to explore how open innovation and participatory processes stumble or succeed. And will bring you the insights. Co-creation, open and participatory processes for innovating services and for planning policies are slowly…

Publications

The path to strong sustainability: Research agenda for the wood-working industry for 2025–2035

In a world racing towards new carbon-neutral innovations, how can companies in the wood-product industry maintain their competitive edge? This research agenda highlights how the wood industry can seize opportunities in the sustainability transition through innovation and research. By prioritizing long-life products and collaboration across sectors, Finnish companies can lead the way to a path of strong sustainability.

An operative model for implementing missions

The government must be able to find novel solutions to the greatest challenges of our time, such as the climate crisis, new security threats, an ageing population, and technological transformations. Directional mission-driven research and innovation policy provides an approach for the government to implement its strategic objectives by solving complex challenges with actors in different sectors.

Missions for governance: Unleashing missions beyond policy

How can governments pursue meaningful industrial policy in the 21st century? How can they incentivise new markets to lead the twin transition? How can they create good jobs for future disadvantaged workers? Most importantly, can the current setup of government achieve these essential transformations? In this white paper, we propose a way to think about and implement missions that can unleash them beyond mere policy tools, launching a new type of governance for the 21st century.

Projects

Navigating impactful R&I policy and technology neutrality

As technological breakthroughs can play a critical role in addressing societal challenges, research & innovation (R&I) policy needs to shift the focus from merely appreciating the inherent value of technology development to exploring how they can be harnessed for achieving key societal goals. This project aims to produce a knowledge base to ensure Finland’s R&I policy is strategically impactful while remaining supportive of emerging technologies.

Exploring the future of Sub-Saharan agriculture

In late 2022, Demos Helsinki facilitated a series of workshops to enable national agri-food organisations in Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Tanzania to define new opportunities and risks by looking at long-term changes in agriculture.   The Beyond Farming Collective — a 3-year programme led by Bopinc — aims to establish a…

The present and future of sustainability in Finland’s technology industry

Survey results show that Finnish technology companies are moving away from “sustainability strategies” and towards sustainable strategies.   Technology Industries of Finland has emphasised the importance of corporate social responsibility and sustainability. In the past years, the organisation has incentivised and encouraged socially and environmentally responsible behaviour among its members….

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