FROM STATINGPOSSIBILITIESTO TAKING ACTIONArctic Growth in Finland and Nordic Cooperationin the North Eero Hokkanen

Northern Lights Corridor SeminarOlos Polar Center, Muonio, Finland26.11.2014

WHO?� 9/2014 – Coordinator, Verbatum Oy / Esko Aho

� 5/2014 – Advisor to the CEO, Finland Chamber of Commerce

• Growth from the North expert group / FI, NO, SE

� 5/2014 – 8/2014 Trainee, Ministry of Transport and Communications

� 4/2012 – 12/2013 Political Officer, Embassy of Finland in Oslo

� Master of Social Sciences, University of Turku

• Major: Political Science, International Relations track

• Thesis: ”Arktisia aikeita vai todellisia toimia? Vertaileva tutkimus

Suomen ja Norjan arktisista politiikoista 2010–2013”

FINLAND

�Element: earth sea

�Motivation: growth growth/vitality

�Main driver: mining/tourism energy

�Policy base: trade region/industry

�Policy status: speciality priority

�Execution: diverse coherent

Need for active Arctic policy?

Domestic or foreign?

NORWAYARCTIC POLICY IN

Norways budget support to Arctic policy/projects in 2015:

� over 350 m€

Finlands budget support to Arctic policy/projects in 2015:

� ? (not budgeted separately)

Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (Tekes) Arctic Seas programme 2014 – 2017

� 100 m€ (of which 55 m€ fromthe private sector)

MAGIC WORDS & LACK OF LEADERSHIP

�”cleantech”, ”green mininig”, ”snowhow”…

�”Finland is…”, ”Finland has…”, ”Finland offers…”

�ACTION!• Wariness in the business sector

• Stagnation in bureaucracy

�LEADERSHIP!• No new national initiatives since PM Paavo Lipponen outlined

ambitious goals for the EU’s Northern Dimension in 1997

�PRIORITIZING! • 53 objectives and 124 action points is not a strategy

• Three concrete objectives to the next Government’s programme

ARCTIC GROWTHIN FINLAND

�From asking WHAT to asking HOW

�From sluggishness to being seen & heard

• Talking costs nothing

�Courage to do thingsdifferently

• Suomi-talo, Tromsø

• Team Arctic Finland

IN SEARCH OF ARCTIC CHAMPIONS

�å hoppe etter Wirkola syndrome?

�Helsinki has understood that Arctic growth is a nationalcause, but doesn’t have own champions for it

� irritation, indifference or even arrogance when ’hearing sporadic regional voices

�More coherent regional voices, less regional rivalries

�The bureaucracy is not a monolith, spread yourmessage far and wide

�Political priority, political champion(s)

NORDIC THREESOME

Suomesta Ruotsiin Norjaan Portugaliin

2010 571 121 159

2011 552 119 135

2012 589 122 137

2013 570 132 152

�Border obstacles• construction industry

�”Visit Arctic Scandinavia”

�Strenghtening ties in education & research

�Prioritized transport routes

�One voice

�IT, weather & ice services

VAIHTO-OPISKELIJAT 2010-2013(LÄHDE: CIMO)

Suomeen Ruotsista Norjasta Portugalista

2010 73 27 130

2011 73 52 115

2012 66 34 132

2013 61 25 151

BIGGEST WINNER - FINLAND

�Investors, partners, job opportunities, big projects, newfrontiers, well-funded research programmes etc. in two of our closest neighbors

• Changing the investment guidelines of Government Pension Fund Global?

• Lobbying together in the EU (e.g. TEN-T revision in 2023)

• We should be in Svalbard already!

�Arctic oil spill preparedness and response

�Arctic data connections, cloud services, safer NSR

�Building roads & energy efficient housing across thecircumpolar region

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

Arctic Frontiers 2015

Policy section 19.-20.1. in Tromsø

eero.hokkanen@outlook.com

http://fi.linkedin.com