Creative Industries Finland
Global Development Finland at Red Yellow Blue (RYB)
Creative Industries in Finland are a vital component of its economy, contributing approximately €14 billion in turnover and encompassing over 130,000 small businesses and entrepreneurs. These industries span various sectors, including design, fashion, media, games, and architecture, and are recognized for their innovation and global reach.
Economic Impact
The creative sector accounts for about 2.9% of Finland’s total value added to the economy. Despite a slight decline since 2016, the sector remains a significant contributor to economic growth and employment. Government initiatives aim to increase this share, aspiring to reach levels seen in reference countries where it constitutes up to 7% of the economy.
Key Sectors
- Design and Architecture: Finnish design is renowned for its minimalism and functionality, with brands like Marimekko and architects such as Alvar Aalto achieving international acclaim.
- Fashion: Finland’s fashion industry emphasizes sustainability and innovation, with designers gaining recognition for eco-friendly practices.
- Media and Games: The country has a robust gaming industry, home to companies like Rovio Entertainment, creators of “Angry Birds,” and Supercell, known for “Clash of Clans.”
- Performing Arts: Finland boasts a vibrant music scene, from classical compositions by Jean Sibelius to contemporary acts like HIM and Nightwish.
Support and Development
Organizations such as Creative Finland play a pivotal role in supporting the growth of the creative economy through networking and communication. They offer insights into the creative economy by highlighting news, phenomena, and people within Finland’s creative industries. Additionally, the Ministry of Education and Culture oversees policies related to the creative economy, aiming to integrate creative expertise into all business areas.
Challenges and Future Outlook
While Finland’s creative industries have a strong foundation, challenges such as the recent decline in their economic share necessitate strategic efforts to revitalize growth. The government’s focus on enhancing the sector’s contribution to the economy reflects a commitment to fostering innovation and competitiveness on a global scale.
In conclusion, Finland’s creative industries are integral to its cultural and economic landscape. With continued support and strategic development, they are poised to achieve significant growth and further solidify Finland’s position in the global creative economy.
Creative Finland
What does Finnish creativity mean? We roll up our sleeves and get to work.
Here, in a corner of the world with the most darkness and the most light, we have always had to be resourceful to survive. That is why our creativity is interwoven with a focus on solving problems. Finnish creativity is an ability to entirely re-imagine the world with the mind of an artist, and with the mind of an engineer, begin to solve things for a better tomorrow.
According to the United Nations, Finland is the happiest country in the world. What makes us so happy, you may ask. From the perspective of creativity, our happiness comes from the freedom to choose your path in life, to strengthen your inner world, to do what you are passionate about. This freedom is the wellspring of Finnish creativity: the ability to see the world in your special way and happily try out new things. Finns are a nation of inventors, with a strong design tradition and unique ways of thinking and doing.
Out of the silence-loving mind have sprung soundproofed spaces, in which you can enjoy peace and quiet during the working day. In fact, we redesign the workday, give our employees an assurance of happiness, relax in our urban lives with the soundscapes of nature, and ask little old ladies to knit us woolen hats that bring sparks of joy into the hustle and bustle of daily life.
Creative Finland is your window into the Finnish creative know-how.
> creativefinland.fi
Economy
highly industrialized, export-based EU economy and euro user; high per capita GDP; major timber, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics industries; manageable public debts; rigid labor laws impose higher regulatory burdens
Finland has a highly industrialized, largely free-market economy with per capita GDP almost as high as that of Austria and the Netherlands and slightly above that of Germany and Belgium. Trade is important, with exports accounting for over one-third of GDP in recent years. The government is open to, and actively takes steps to attract, foreign direct investment.
Finland is historically competitive in manufacturing, particularly in the wood, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics industries. Finland excels in export of technology as well as promotion of startups in the information and communications technology, gaming, cleantech, and biotechnology sectors. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland depends on imports of raw materials, energy, and some components for manufactured goods. Because of the cold climate, agricultural development is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products. Forestry, an important export industry, provides a secondary occupation for the rural population.
Finland had been one of the best performing economies within the EU before 2009 and its banks and financial markets avoided the worst of global financial crisis. However, the world slowdown hit exports and domestic demand hard in that year, causing Finland’s economy to contract from 2012 to 2014. The recession affected general government finances and the debt ratio. The economy returned to growth in 2016, posting a 1.9% GDP increase before growing an estimated 3.3% in 2017, supported by a strong increase in investment, private consumption, and net exports. Finnish economists expect GDP to grow a rate of 2-3% in the next few years.
Finland’s main challenges will be reducing high labor costs and boosting demand for its exports. In June 2016, the government enacted a Competitiveness Pact aimed at reducing labor costs, increasing hours worked, and introducing more flexibility into the wage bargaining system. As a result, wage growth was nearly flat in 2017. The Government was also seeking to reform the health care system and social services. In the long term, Finland must address a rapidly aging population and decreasing productivity in traditional industries that threaten competitiveness, fiscal sustainability, and economic growth.
Source: World Factbook