NordenBladet — Based on a recent evaluation, the Finnish Environment Institute SYKE is a progressive research institute that is widely appreciated in society. It produces research and expertise of a high standard and its societal impact is significant. What SYKE could do, however, is show even stronger leadership as a promoter of sustainable development, both internationally and nationally.

The Ministry of the Environment commissioned an international expert group to conduct the evaluation. The task of the group was to assess the quality and impact of the expert services of SYKE, societal impact and sustainability leadership, cooperation and role in networks, and foresight and innovation. The group was appointed in May 2020, and it was chaired by Hanne Bach, Director of the Danish Centre for Environment and Energy of the Aarhus University.

Based on its work, the group also gives a number of recommendations to further improve the impact of SYKE. This impact could be strengthened if SYKE would also serve the private sector more broadly, define its priorities more clearly, focus more strongly on network leadership, and communicate on the basis of this in a more targeted manner. To crystallise its role in society, SYKE should also tell more clearly about its services to relevant stakeholders. The ministries responsible for the guidance of SYKE should cooperate more closely, which would ensure a more strategic approach to the guidance.

“The evaluation confirmed my view that SYKE is highly capable of producing important information for the needs of society and policy-making. It also gives us useful proposals for developing SYKE into an even more influential player, as well as suggestions how we can improve our work as one of the ministries responsible for the guidance of SYKE,” says Juhani Damski, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of the Environment.

“The report gives us good ideas of how to develop our solution-driven and cooperation-based activities and aim for even more innovative and international sustainability leadership,” says Eeva Primmer, Acting Director General and Research Director at the Finnish Environment Institute.The evaluation was conducted in June-September 2020.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi