Hyppää sisältöön
Media
Valtioneuvoston kanslia etusivu

FinnSight 2020 foresight forum explores the Finland of future generations

Government Communications Department
Publication date 11.12.2020 14.19 | Published in English on 15.12.2020 at 14.25
Press release 785
Tulevaisuusselonteko-logo

This year’s FinnSight day focused on the Government report on the future, in which the Government and Parliament discuss issues affecting the future of Finland. In line with the Government report on the Future, the theme of the FinnSight 2020 foresight forum held on 10 December was the Finland of future generations. The FinnSight 2020 event is part of the preparations for the Government report on the future and Finland’s national foresight activities.

State Secretary Henrik Haapajärvi gave the opening speech at the event.

“Our near future has become more uncertain, and our assessment of the situation changes rapidly. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought rapid and profound changes to the international operating environment, but in spite of everything, we have made progress on a number of common issues related to the future. With its report on the future currently under way, the Government aims to honour its promises of policy reform, particularly those related to new forms of interaction and commitments to long-term objectives,” said Haapajärvi in his opening words. State Secretary Haapajärvi has also launched series of blog posts about the work of the Government Foresight Group, which will be published on the foresight and futures work section of the Prime Minister’s Office website.

Haapajärvi’s speech was followed by greetings from European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, who thanked Finland for its foresight work and hoped for close cooperation in the future. The Commission published its Strategic Foresight Report earlier this autumn. Finland shares the European Commission’s views on the importance of ensuring that short-term initiatives are based on longer-term prospects. In line with the Government Programme, the Government uses foresight and research data to support its strategic decision-making.

Chair of the Committee for the Future Joakim Strand, who spoke at the event, stressed the role of the Committee for the Future in Finland’s national foresight network as both a provider and user of foresight-based information, while ensuring that foresight-based information and competence are also utilised in Parliament. Secretary General of the Government report on the future Jaana Tapanainen-Thiess highlighted the importance of identifying a variety of possible scenarios of future development. This is particularly significant from the perspective of resilience, as each scenario comes with its own threats and opportunities that require different measures to support preparedness. The foresight forum also featured a session on the 2030 Youth Agenda’s visions for the future, along with a panel discussion on how to promote the participation and inclusion of young people in decision-making.

The keynote speakers at FinnSight 2020 are all participating in a new series of dialogues about the future. As part of the work on the Government report on the future, the Prime Minister’s Office is holding 50 dialogues with Finns and people living in Finland on the future of Finland in cooperation with the Timeout Foundation. The aim of the dialogues is to deepen understanding of the main issues Finland will face in the future and to provide a better sense of the experiences and mindsets of people from different backgrounds. 

The first part of the Government report on the future provides an overall picture of the future operating environment through the scenario work exploring the Finland of future generations. The work is being carried out in cooperation with all ministries. Key features of work on the Government report on the future are wide-ranging inclusivity, co-creation and collaboration. The report will be submitted to Parliament in autumn 2021.

The FinnSight 2020 foresight forum was organised by the Prime Minister’s Office, the Academy of Finland, the Finnish National Agency for Education, the Ministry of Education and Culture, Sitra, Business Finland and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.

Follow the discussion on Twitter using the hashtags #FinnSight and #tulevaisuusselonteko.

Inquiries: Jaana Tapanainen-Thiess, Secretary General, Prime Minister’s Office, tel. +358 295 160 593, [email protected]; Jenni Lahtinen, Project Coordinator, Prime Minister’s Office, tel. +358 295 160 470, [email protected]