NordenBladet — Finland’s plan to build a new museum for architecture and design has taken an important step today as the Ministry of Education and Culture, along with the City of Helsinki, have established a new project organization to coordinate the planning of the new museum. Kaarina Gould – former Program Director of Helsinki’s World Design Capital year in 2012, current Executive Director of the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York – has been appointed to lead the project. A high-level steering group has been formed to supervise the project, with Timo Laitinen, Director General of Finland’s State Treasury, as Chair.

The new museum will merge two existing museums, the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum, and function as the national museum in these fields.  Once established, the museum of architecture and design will be housed in a new building, constructed in the South Harbour of Helsinki as part of the overall development of the district. An architecture competition for the museum is planned for a later stage of the project.

The decision to move ahead with the new museum is based on in-depth surveys and an initial concept plan drawn up in 2018–2019 by the Ministry of Education and Culture, the City of Helsinki, and the two museums. During the preliminary planning phase, a management and funding model for the museum was also formed.In 2021, a foundation will be established for the new architecture and design museum to manage the present museums’ collections. Museum operations will be coordinated by a limited liability company, to be established later, which will be fully owned by the foundation.

The state of Finland and the City of Helsinki are expected to provide equal shares of capital to the museum foundation. In its fourth supplementary budget proposal for 2020, the Government undertook to capitalise the new museum foundation with a maximum of EUR 60 million. “The revival of cultural activities along with sustainable growth provide a path towards a brighter future. Architecture and design are our strengths, and they play an important part in providing sustainable solutions for society. The new museum brings together unique content, competence and creativity. We are working towards a world-class architecture and design museum with a concept that fosters new experiences and insight,” says Anita Lehikoinen, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Culture.

“Global competition between cities will increase notably. As a result of the Covid crisis, the prerequisites for a good life, as well as human and social capital will play an important role alongside more traditional attractions. In the era we live in, the courage to dream big and invest in the future is needed for nations to succeed. Meanwhile, design and architecture play an increasingly crucial role in solving global problems. There could hardly be a more opportune time to establish a new museum for architecture and design,” says Jan Vapaavuori, Mayor of Helsinki.

“This new stage on the path to the realization of the New Architecture and Design Museum has been prepared with great care. We are happy to start working with the project organization, as we now move forward with the outlines for the operating principles, core contents and guidelines for the new building and museum. Architecture and design are Finnish strengths, which have helped in realizing the values of the Nordic welfare model. The new museum can lead the way and encourage us to discuss, learn, and experience different ways of building a new model of the future welfare state,” say museum directors Carina Jaatinen (Museum of Finnish Architecture) and Jukka Savolainen (Design Museum).

The next stage is to produce a comprehensive plan that will allow the funders to make final decisions on the implementation of the project. This phase of the project, led by the newly appointed Project Director Kaarina Gould, will launch on May 1st, and is expected to last until late 2023. Gould, experienced with large scale international projects and initiatives such as the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012, will work alongside the teams of the two museums, the organizations of the City of Helsinki, and the Ministry of Education and Culture to secure the foundations for building a pioneering museum of international calibre.

“Sustainability and pioneering thinking are the key values that the new museum – both as a concept and a new building – will be built upon. Audiences, architecture and design communities in Finland, and the world, have been awaiting this museum for decades. Now the time is right. The past year can be seen as a catalyst for the work that lies ahead – the challenges the pandemic has put on cultural institutions form an obligation and an opportunity to reinvent the museum,” says Kaarina Gould.

Supporting and supervising the project will be a steering group, chaired by Timo Laitinen, Director General of Finland’s State Treasury. Other members include leadership from the City of Helsinki, Ministry of Education and Culture, Ministry of Finance, directors and chairpersons of Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum, and a number of experts from fields of design, finance, and urban development.

NordenBladet — Prime Minister Sanna Marin will attend a video meeting of European Council members and participate in the Euro Summit on 25 and 26 March.The March European Council is being held remotely due to COVID-19.

Themes to be discussed at the video meeting include the COVID-19 pandemic, the single market, industrial policy, the digital transformation and the economy, the Eastern Mediterranean and an information point on Russia. The Euro Summit, which will also be held as a remote meeting, will focus on strengthening the international role of the euro. President of the United States Joe Biden will join the video meeting during the non-agenda portion on Thursday evening.

NordenBladet — The employment service pilots (TE pilots) launched by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment during spring 2021 are part of the Government’s working capacity programme, which aims to improve access to and conditions of employment for persons with partial work ability or disabilities, and to coordinate services better. 

With the help of the TE service pilots, the service needs of jobseekers with partial work ability will be identified better and jobseeker and employer services will be connected into one service package. The pilots will also seek educational opportunities for jobseekers and increase cooperation with organisations. The themes of the pilot projects have been chosen together with work ability coordinators, TE Offices and experts from the partnership network.

The eight areas selected for the pilot are:
North Ostrobothnia ELY Centre
Uusimaa ELY Centre
North Karelia ELY Centre
South Ostrobothnia ELY Centre
Lapland ELY Centre
Pirkanmaa ELY Centre
Ostrobothnia ELY Centre
Häme ELY Centre

A total of 13 ELY Centres applied for funding. The funding can be used for the procurement of services under the Act on public employment and business service and for employment policy projects.

NordenBladet — The domestic ownership programme presents a vision of a Finnish ownership society in 2030 where ownership is widely appreciated and ownership is considered as a common good. The culture of responsible ownership and accepting the growth in prosperity are part of the Finnish identity. The attitude to ownership is open and encouraging.

The working group led by Member of Parliament Juha Sipilä submitted its report to Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä on 24 March 2021. The task of the working group was to identify means to strengthen, diversify and promote equality in the Finnish ownership of companies.

Working group proposes almost 70 measures to be implement in the short or longer term
Some of the proposed measures are related to the current challenges faced by companies and households. The majority of the proposals, however, aim to make the Finnish society and people considerably stronger than at present to meet the challenges of the future.

“Finland’s economic growth and success are in our own hands. Through competent domestic ownership we can promote productivity and investments. In the end, what ownership is all about is ways to finance the welfare society, that is, the citizens wellbeing and future,” Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä says.

“Economic growth is an absolute necessity to ensure the services of our welfare society. This, in turn, requires a strong ownership society where we should have even larger numbers of competent owners. To strengthen the equity capital that serves as the stabilising keel and facilitator of growth for business, we must have committed ownership and remove the bottlenecks in financing. Fortunately, economic and productivity growth and, through these, the wellbeing of us Finns are in our own hands,” says Juha Sipilä, Member of Parliament and chair of the working group.

Several proposals concerning the business environment and financing of companiesFinnish economy is based on a strong group of SMEs owned by private entrepreneurs and families that invest in Finland and perform well in the export market. The key idea in the proposals is to make sure that adequate and proportionate incentives and financing instruments are offered to companies in all stages of their development. Broad-based and professional competence in ownership is needed in all stages of the companies’ lifecycle.

The proposals will promote and strengthen the investment opportunities for business angels, business environment for entrepreneurs, and financing options for companies. There are several proposals concerned with smoother transfers of ownership, including an impact investment project to promote the transfers.The working group also wishes to develop models for employee ownership of companies, including making it easier to set up employees’ mutual funds. Options should be taken into account in attracting international experts.

Stronger economic competence and positive attitude to ownership
The working group considers that the Finnish society should also invest in a positive attitude and competence in ownership at all levels of education, starting from primary and secondary education. The curricula should be reviewed and updated to provide adequate content related to economic competence, and scientific research should be increased.

The aim of the programme is that people would regard saving, investing and ownership as natural elements of their own lives. The working group proposes that the equity savings account would be further developed e.g. by raising the maximum amount of funds to be invested in the account to EUR 100,000. People are also encouraged to save for retirement on a voluntary basis by owning shares.

Report is based on several consultations
The working group heard more than a hundred experts and held six regional consultations on the theme “towards responsible domestic ownership”. A total of 24 organisations sent their comments in writing, and several online surveys were organised to get the views of companies, other stakeholders and private citizens.

Together with the report of the working group, three background reports were also published: Subsidiary economy and foreign corporate acquisitions in Finland: a threat or opportunity? (Tero Luoma), Description of the business environment of domestic ownership (background report of the working group’s secretariat) and “Business environment of ownership and policy measures in reference countries”. (4Front Oy).

A collection of articles was published earlier in the Business Review (Yrityskatsaus) under the theme “Responsible and competent domestic ownership”. These four reports and the theme issue of the Business Review constitute a comprehensive package to learn about the environment of domestic ownership in Finland.

NordenBladet — The main topic of the informal video conference of the European affairs ministers on 23 March were the preparations for the video conference of the members of the European Council, to take place on 25–26 March 2021. The ministers also had a debate on the European Semester for economic policy coordination, and they were briefed on the ongoing preparations for the Conference on the Future of Europe. Finland was represented at the Council meeting by Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Tytti Tuppurainen.

The European affairs ministers exchanged views on the draft conclusions for the March European Council. The European Council meeting agenda features the EU response to the COVID-19 pandemic, enhancement of the single market, industrial policy, digital transformation and the economy, the eastern Mediterranean, and relations with Russia. Finland underlines that all efforts should be made to speed up the delivery timelines for coronavirus vaccines. Finland is ready to advocate a common European vaccination certificate and to promote global solidarity in order to guarantee vaccine availability.

“Ensuring timely delivery of vaccines continues to be our first priority. We must do our utmost within the EU to speed up vaccinations. Vaccines drive into an exit from the coronavirus crisis,” says Minister Tuppurainen. “The EU must also be better prepared for potential cross-border health threats. We need an EU-wide pandemic preparedness plan that would be built on a cross-border emergency response mechanism jointly agreed upon in advance. It would allow for better coordination of measures and restrictions at Member States’ borders,” the Minister says. As for the single market, industrial policy, and digital transformation and the economy, Finland’s goal is to have the single market reinforced in a manner that will strengthen sustainable growth, competitiveness and crisis resilience within the EU. A strong and more integrated single market is the best assurance when striving to achieve strategic autonomy for the EU.

Finland also finds that the EU should pursue its policy on Turkey on a consistent and long-term basis. Diplomatic efforts should be continued to find lasting solutions to the problem areas in the relations. The readiness expressed by Turkey for more constructive interaction is welcomed. It is essential to note that this is an enduring change in attitude that will define Turkey’s future activity and concrete actions in the eastern Mediterranean, too. Should Turkey revert to its practices that encourage confrontation and instability, the EU must deliver a united and strong response. The EU should also express its concern over the problematic democracy, rule of law and human rights development in Turkey. “I am much concerned about Turkey’s decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention combating violence against women. We call upon Turkey to return to the Convention,” says the Finnish Minister for European Affairs. The European affairs ministers moreover held a debate on Council measures related to the 2021 European Semester, during which the Member States align their budgetary and economic policies with the objectives and rules agreed at the EU level. The European Semester is the main tool for evening out disparities between Member States, for promoting employment and social cohesion and for maintaining stability in the euro area. This year, the recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area also provides policy guidance on the priorities that euro area Member States should pursue in their Recovery and Resilience Plans. Finland finds it important that the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN (Agenda 2030) would also be acknowledged as part of the European Semester. The euro area recommendations are acceptable for Finland.

In addition, the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union reported on the state of preparations for the Conference on the Future of Europe. The joint declaration of the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission on the Conference on the Future of Europe was signed on 10 March 2021. The declared goal is to launch a top-down, citizen-centred process for hearing the views of EU citizens on the current challenges and opportunities of the Union. The outcomes of the Conference will be reported to the European Council in spring 2022.

In the General Affairs Council (GAC), the Member States are primarily represented by their ministers for European affairs. The tasks of the Council include preparations for the European Council meetings. The GAC is also responsible for a number of cross-cutting policy areas, including negotiations on the multiannual financial framework and EU enlargement. Questions relating to the rule of law are also an established part of the Council’s agenda.