R&D in Finland – will the light switch on again or not?
The article examines research and development (R&D) investments in Finland and compares R&D intensity internationally.
R&D investments continued to decline in 2017, although early-year data suggested a turnaround. The main reason for the decline was the electronics industry, where a single one-off transfer of an R&D investment of approximately €200–300 million abroad turned the sector’s figures negative. Without this item, R&D investments would have grown moderately. According to forecasts, a return to growth would occur by 2019 at the latest, partly driven by Nokia’s 5G investments.
In international comparison, Finland’s R&D intensity is high, particularly in electronics, the food industry, and the manufacture of other machinery, but it is rarely at the very top of peer groups. The overall picture is one of consistently moderately high levels across most sectors—not world-leading, but not far from the top either. (AI translation)
