Topic

Public governance

Commentary

A humble approach

Our mission is to imagine and co-create a vision and a reality for the next era.   We exist to help bring about the transformative change that recognizes today’s and tomorrow’s challenges and crises and imagines new paths forward that are fair, sustainable, and joyful.   Our time requires a…

The future does not exist

The world is full of chance, chaos, and things we don’t have a tested solution for. As such, companies try to eliminate uncertainty by either using data to predict trends or employing complex forecasting methods. Yet, neither of these models has any relevance unless we devote some time to thinking…

Four blockchain experiments to transform the public sector

Blockchain-based currencies were designed to be independent of public monetary institutions or states. Meanwhile, public organizations are investing a lot in utilizing blockchain-based technologies. Distributed ledger technology (DLT) is believed to have the potential to allow public services to improve effectiveness, reduce friction between agencies, reduce bureaucratic barriers, boost public engagement,…

AI governance to avoid bias and discrimination

Artificial intelligence (AI) can enable great societal benefits by allowing for more efficient and personalized services. Indeed, automated decision-making systems based on machine learning algorithms are increasingly utilized in essential public or private services like recruitment, education, finance, health care, advertising, and policing. However, this can also give rise to…

Finnish education system: a success story rooted in humility

The Finnish education system is widely acknowledged as one of the best in the world. It has been studied and celebrated by filmmakers, journalists, researchers, educators, and policymakers. Finnish students have been front-runners in every PISA test since 2000. Ninety-three per cent of Finns graduate from university or At the…

What happens next?

As Covid vaccines roll out, we start to think about the time when our societies will reopen. Various estimates say that it will take between half a year to two years—at least with the limited knowledge we now have. As a result, the focus is shifting away from the crisis…

Publications

Digitaalisen yhteiskunnan korjausopas – REPAIR-tutkimushankkeen julkaisu

Strategisen tutkimuksen neuvoston rahoittama REPAIR-tutkimushanke käsittelee algoritmisten järjestelmien murtumia. Hankkeen uudessa julkaisussa Digitaalisen yhteiskunnan korjausoppaassa tarkastellaan kuuden tutkimustapauksen ja kahden toimintamallin avulla murtumien vaikutuksia, niiden korjaustyötä sekä mahdollisuuksia oppia niistä.

Towards long-term governance – From future awareness to action

How can countries strengthen their capacity for long-term governance and ensure that future generations are taken into account in decision-making? In this white paper, we highlight ways to promote anticipatory governance based on the views of key Finnish stakeholders. By translating the Finnish experience into a broader context, we aim to provide universally applicable strategies for advancing long-term governance and promoting intergenerational justice.

Generative Shared Intelligence: A direction for governments in the uncertain environment of the late 2020s

The notion of a “polycrisis” has become a defining feature of contemporary governance, and traditional administrative methods are increasingly inadequate. In this publication, Professor Sir Geoff Mulgan’s concept of “Generative Shared Intelligence” offers a model for addressing multidimensional problems in governance, emphasising the need for more flexible and collaborative structures designed for the sole purpose of sharing intelligence.

Projects

South Sudan builds long-term thinking while addressing present needs

Without a shared vision of the future, decisions made today may inadvertently lead us down the most familiar paths, not the right ones. 

Circular Economy Green Deal – a steering instrument for collective action towards circularity

The Circular Economy Green Deal is a novel Finnish steering instrument that catalyses collective action for systemic change towards circularity based on voluntary commitments. Demos Helsinki had the honour of leading the co-creative process that led to the creation of the Circular Economy Green Deal.

KT4D: Fostering democracy through knowledge technologies

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems can undermine democracy via the cultural disruptions they create, the power dynamics they shift, their tendency toward opacity, and the speed at which they change. The KT4D project investigates how democracy and civic participation can be facilitated in an era of rapidly changing knowledge technologies — such as AI and big data, thereby mitigating the risks of such technologies and identifying how they can be used to reinforce democratic governance and trust in public institutions.

People

Themes