Etla - research to support policy-making

Research activities focus on two thematic areas

Theme 1: Impact of Economic Policy. The aim is to provide information on how economic policy can promote competition and business conditions between companies in Finland and improve the competitiveness of Finnish production on the world market.

Theme 2: Impact of Driving Forces (Megatrends). The research focuses on the driving forces’ (megatrend’s) effects on the business sector and on the preconditions of economic policies

Research is carried out in four research groups

ETLA Economic Research is engaged in applied economic research with emphasis on questions central to the Finnish economy and business sector.

Labour market and education

Labour market and education

Research on labour markets and education focuses on the transformation of work and adaptation to it. Technological change, globalization and demographic change are reflected in the structure of the labour force and skills required in the labor market. At the same time, the employment rate should be raised to strengthen public finances.

Growth, international trade and competition

Growth, international trade and competition

Research examines the role of competition in the economy. The focus is on the functioning of the markets and the impact of regulation and public sector activity on market dynamics. The programme provides a large amount of empirical analysis based on firm- and individual-level data on the competitive strategies of companies, barriers to entry in the market and the impact of public policy on competition and the operation of companies.

Macroeconomy and public finances

Macroeconomy and public finances

The main focus of public finance research is on structural issues related to taxation and social security. The long-term problems of economic policy are addressed in particular from the perspective of population ageing, with an emphasis on the uncertainties and risks associated with economic and demographic development. The policy analysis focuses on the sustainability of public finances and the evaluation of related operational strategies.

Business renewal

Business renewal

The research of new technologies deals with the impact of the creation, emergence and application of new knowledge on businesses, industries and society. The focus is often on the discontinuities and changes related to technological development. Many of the programme’s projects are strongly interdisciplinary. Almost every project involves cooperation with companies or other stakeholders.

Selected research

Research began 2023 Research ends 2024

The project examines the environmental products and services offered by Finnish companies. In addition, trade barriers that may have an impact on the market success of Finnish products and solutions are mapped in export countries. The project also assesses

Research began 2022 Research ends 2025

Etla and Labore are evaluating two experiments funded by the The Service Centre for Continuous Learning and Employment (Secle) on promoting continuous learning. The aim of the experiments is to determine how participation in continuous learning could be increased

Research began 2022 Research ends 2023

The aim of this research project is to better understand the development of emission intensity (greenhouse gas emissions/value added) in different industries, to examine Finland’s coal competitiveness in the European context, and to use the information gathered in the

Research began 2023 Research ends 2024

The utilization of data offers opportunities for value creation and productivity growth in all sectors of the economy. New data-based companies and products, business models, value chains and public services are generated, but very little is known about their

Research began 2023 Research ends 2024

In Finland, it is possible for secondary education students to complete both a general education matriculation degree and a vocational degree. They can be completed either consecutively or in parallel as a combined degree. However, the effects of completing

Research began 2023 Research ends 2024

Sustainable development and a carbon-neutral society are built on new products and solutions from the circular economy. In addition, the solutions of circular economy are also expected to create new types of business opportunities for Finnish companies. However, the

Research began 2022 Research ends 2023

At the same time as the importance of services in developed economies has grown, service companies and service operations have increasingly become exposed to international competition. Although some service functions still require a local presence, some services can be

Research began 2023 Research ends 2024

This research project studies the effects of business subsidies granted for companies due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It compares the goals of these subsidiaries to their performance, and thereby their success. It also studies the effects of the business

Research began 2022 Research ends 2023

The aim of this research project is to analyse the resilience of various companies and industries, i.e., their crisis resistance, the factors influencing it, and the ability to recover from a crisis. In addition, the project will look at

Research began 2022 Research ends 2023

In Europe, the direction of bargaining on the terms of employment has been from centralized systems towards more decentralized negotiation systems, which means that negotiations are moving closer to company-specific bargaining at the company level. However, Finland’s bargaining system

Research began 2022 Research ends 2024

This research project aims to produce new, policy‐relevant information on factors that enhance the attractiveness of Finland for productive companies and talented individuals. Maintaining the Finnish welfare state requires robust economic growth. To achieve this, Finland needs to increase R&D

Research began 2022 Research ends 2024

The Finnish economy has witnessed slow economic growth since the financial crisis in 2008. The business landscape and innovation patterns have changed during the past decade, e.g., through the new sustainability goals arising from climate change and tightened competition