Finns have long been considered to lead one of the happiest lifestyles in the world – and who doesn’t strive to achieve a high-level of contentment in their everyday lives? Ranked the happiest country in the world for four years in a row, the key indicator for this high perception of well-being, especially during the pandemic, has been trust.
In Finland, people generally trust each other and the government. This has played a strong role in helping find and implement successful Covid-19 strategies.
For the first time, Finland was also ranked number one in the UN’s international comparison of sustainable development.According to this ranking, Finland has achieved or is close to achieving most of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. More work remains in fighting climate change, in achieving sustainable consumption and production as well as in conserving biodiversity.
Finland has one of the most ambitious climate goals – of being carbon neutral by 2035. Ensuring adequate climate finance is crucial to making set goals and strategies a reality. By co-chairing the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action, they encourage the integration of climate action into national budgeting. Many truly impactful measures lie in this domain.
The Standard ChannelMore>>Connecting companies, research organizations and the public sector, Finland offers a unique platform to develop and commercialize clean solutions.Finland also has one of the coolest and fastest-growing startup scenes in the world backed with strong government support. Hence, Finland offers growth potential and business opportunities for foreign investors. For example in 2020, Finnish startups received a record amount of investments, totaling €951 million (HK$8.37 billion) of which FDI accounted for 57 percent.
Finland’s competitive energy systems have fostered innovation in renewable energy, power-to-x and biofuels. They are also actively working on the creation of a European battery ecosystem, as Finland has all the key components this value-chain – from raw materials to applications to recycling expertise.
Moreover, our know-how in digitalization and smart energy contribute to global energy transformation. In manufacturing, their strengths are sustainability, innovation and digitalization. This is why Finland is home to world-class process engineering, automotive, maritime and intelligent vehicle production
A major part of Finland’s economy has for centuries been based on its forests. Today, there is a new biofuel and wood-based fibre boom leading to new biochemicals and advanced biomaterials. Finland’s 2025 vision is that sustainable bioeconomy solutions and a circular economy will form the basis of welfare and competitiveness.
International growth requires international expertise. They are looking for experts, entrepreneurs, and startups, as well as international researchers and students. To attract talent, Finnish universities offer over 500 programmes taught in English. The Finnish Startup Permit makes it possible for international growth entrepreneurs to build a company in Finland and to become part of our vibrant startup ecosystem.
As the pandemic situation and restrictions discourage from travelling abroad, Finns and friends of Finland in Hong Kong have made efforts to bring a bit of Finland here this festive season.
On December 6, Finland will light up the TST Clock tower in blue between 6-10 pm. All will be welcome to celebrate Finland!
(https://www.facebook.com/ConsulateGeneralFinlandHongKongAndMacao/posts/4835882613145259)
QUICK FACTS:
Full Country Name:Republic of Finland
Capital:Helsinki
Total area:338,462 sq km
Government:parliamentary republic
Population:5,533,793 (2020)
Religions:Lutheran 67.8%, Orthodox 1.1%,Other 1.7%, Population Register or Unknown 29.4%
Offical Languages:Finnish, Swedish, Sami
GDP per capita:€42,936 (2020)
Exports:€57.332 million (2020)
Exports – commodities:chemical industry products, forest industry products, metal and metal products, machinery and equipment, electric and electronics industry products
Imports:€59.420 million (2020)
Imports – commodities:chemical industry products, electric and electronics industry products, transport equipment, machinery and equipment, products from mining and quarrying