In its plenary session on Thursday 28 December, the Government decided on the main themes for strategic research in 2024. In line with the decision, the themes will be ‘Water as an element of wellbeing, security and peace’ and ‘The future of democracy’.

The misallocation of labour and capital in the Finnish business sector has increased in the 2000s, which has significantly retarded productivity growth. The concentration of labour to companies with lower productivity is a key factor in retarding growth. A more efficient allocation of labour could be influenced, for example, by dismantling incentive traps and increasing labour mobility and wage competition, states a recent study by Aalto University and ETLA Economic Research.

On Wednesday 11 May, Prime Minister Sanna Marin met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo. The prime ministers discussed bilateral relations and the current security situation, especially Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its consequences, along with the security environment in Asia.