1. FINLAND FUTURES RESEARCH CENTRE Turku School of Economics and Business Administration

2. 2 Is jointly founded by Turku’s three universities 1992. It is an auxiliary unit of the Turku School of Economics and Business Administration. The Centre has offices in Turku, Helsinki and Tampere. Personnel: 40-45 depending on project situation (2004- 2005) Number of different development, education and research projects is 52 (in September 2005) Organization structure: Director and executive board with seven members –Goal is to form research groups under main themes of action Finland Futures Research Centre

3. 3 Focus areas of the Centre Foresight Visionary management and strategic planning Creative economy and cultural research Environmental research Basic research and methodology development in futures research Education and training Finland Futures Academy Masters programme Graduate School Future Focus

4. 4 Number of projects

5. FUTURES STUDIES AND FORESIGHT IN FINLAND Committee for the Future (Parliament of Finland) Committee for the Future (Parliament of Finland) Finland Futures Research Centre Finland Futures Research Centre Finnish Association for the Club of Rome Finnish Association for the Club of Rome Finland Futures Academy Finland Futures Academy Finnish Society for Futures Studies Finnish Society for Futures Studies National and regional foresight units National and regional foresight units Millennium Project: Helsinki node Millennium Project: Helsinki node

6. 6 Southwest Finland in Europe

7. 7 The features of Southwest Finland 54 municipalities and 5 sub-regions with 453 000 inhabitants (8,5 % of the whole population of Finland) Strongly concentrated in every way in Turku sub- region The most industrialized region in Finland; at the same time still strong agricultural production and processing ICT-sector developed rapidly in the 1990’s Considerable inputs in biotechnology from mid 1990’s in Turku sub-region

8. 8 Unemployment rate (%) in Finland in 1991-2004 (Southwest Finland in red, Finland in black)

9. 9 The features of Southwest Finland Human capital –24 % of over 15 year olds have a higher education degree (in 2002) –21 000 students in the universities –10 000 students in the polytechnics –12 500 students in secondary education units Regional weakness: No technical university

10. 10 The features of Southwest Finland Innovativeness –Expenditure in R&D in 20013 607 M€ (12 % of Finland’s whole expenditure) –6 % of the Finnish patent applications has come from this region during 1998-2002 –18 000 jobs in the information sector in 2003 (8 % of the whole country)

11. 11 The features of Southwest Finland Concentration –Net immigration to the region from other regions and abroad (mainly to Turku and Salo sub-regions) –23 % of the jobs in secondary sector (19 % in the whole country) –Biggest growth industries during the last few years by employed persons have been wholesale and retail trade, hotels and restaurants and business services –Strong sub-regional differences (e.g. 61 % work in ICT- sector in Salo sub-region, in half of the municipalities 15-25 % of the work force work in the primary sector)

12. 12 The features of Southwest Finland Infrastructure –Quite a good road network, investments in motorways –International harbors –International airport –Lots of cultural heritage sites, buildings, landscapes –Land use: 60 (80) % in forestry, 30 (7) % in agriculture, 7,5 % built land –Dependent on electricity import

13. 13 The features of Southwest Finland Enterprises –39 % in service sector, 22 % in wholesale and retail trade, 14 % in construction, 13 % in manufacturing and 13 % in other sectors. –ICT-sector diminished in terms of export value in 2002 after 10 years of growth –Investments in biotechnology from 1990’s especially in Turku sub-region –Growth is expected in business services, welfare services (especially for older people), ICT- content production and cultural production

14. 14 The features of Southwest Finland Institutions –Three universities: University of Turku (15 000 students), Åbo Akademie University (6600) and Turku School of Economics and Business Administration (2000). –Two polytechnics with 10 500 students –Sub-regional development centres –Turku Science Park –Regional Council of Southwest Finland –Employment and Economic Development Centre

15. 15 The features of Southwest Finland The quality of nature and living environment The overall state of the nature is fairly good Large archipelago as a recreation area Pressures to build the shores and coast lines Eutrophication has effected the quality of water system City of Turku and its surroundings are a regional growth centre in which services are concentrated, small municipalities cannot guarantee same level of services Municipalities differ from each other in terms of economic success, but they are more successful in southwestern Finland than in the average in the whole country

16. 16 The features of Southwest Finland Development networks –Networking has increased during the last ten years in regional development (public-public and public-private partnerships) –Organizational, structural and mental rigidities hinder the optimal use of networks Image –Several regional advantages: Recreation possibilities (especially in the Turku archipelago), international universities, human capital, cultural history heritage and historical sites etc.

17. 17 Contact information Dr. (Soc. Sc.), Director Juha Kaskinen Finland Futures Research Centre / Finland Futures Academy Turku School of Economics and Business Administration Rehtorinpellonkatu 3 20500 Turku, Finland Tel. +358 2 4814 599; Mob. +358 40 5439 645; Fax +358 4814 630 juha.kaskinen@tukkk.fijuha.kaskinen@tukkk.fi www.tukkk.fi/tutu