Finnish jobs, well-being and prosperity are based on successful companies. A competitive environment requires the strengthening of the market economy conditions through predictable economic policies, which are based on scientific research.
Etla Economic Research produces information based on economic research on key issues for the Finnish national economy and especially business sector, and contributes to the economic policies in Finland. This requires scientific reliability as well as courage and activity in the social debate.
Reliability is achieved through scientific competence and research integrity. Competence is ensured by being Finland’s best place to work for PhDs in economics oriented towards applied research that assists economic decision-making, and by encouraging researchers to publish in peer-reviewed journals and collaborate with qualified international colleagues.
Etla aims to be Finland’s most significant economic research institute for economic policy-making.
We strive to ensure that the rest of the research community, including researchers from disciplines outside of economics, political decision-makers, authorities, interest groups, companies and the media perceive Etla as a cooperative partner.
We believe information is useful when it is relevant to decision-making, produced at the right time with the most advanced methods and high research ethics, and presented in a clear and easily understandable form.
When information is reliably, up-to-date and usable for decision-makers, the use of research information in decision-making increases.
Finland’s economic policy should be based on scientific research and recognize the importance of business sector success as the precondition of the well-being of Finns more clearly than at present.
The aim is to produce information on how economic policy can promote competition between companies and operating conditions in Finland and improve the competitiveness of Finnish production on the world market.
The research focuses on the effects of key major movements (megatrends) on the operating conditions of business sector and the preconditions of Finland’s economic policy.
The focus of labour market and education research is the transformation in work and adaptation to it. Technological development, globalization and demographic change affect the labor market in many ways and pose challenges to labor force and education policy. The research group comprehensively investigates these phenomena.
The research examine the effects of competition, digitalization and the data economy, as well as public sector actions such as regulation and innovation and competition policy, on companies’ strategies, innovations and market operations. The subject of interest is especially the possibilities of innovation-driven growth in Finland and what kind of measures can be taken to promote growth. The research targets are also the background factors of the success of export companies as well as trade policy changes and their economic effects.
The main focus of public finance research is on issues related to the financing of social security and the division of labour between the private and public sectors. In the analysis of the economic policy, the sustainability of the public finances and the creation and evaluation of related operational strategies, are emphasized. The research subjects of macroeconomy are the development of the overall economy in Finland and in the world and its effects on Finnish business life.
The research deals with the renewal of companies, industries and the national economy. Discontinuities and transitions related to globalization, technological development and company structures are often the focus of interest. Almost every project involves cooperation with companies or other stakeholders.
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