Andy Marsh, the chief executive of Plug Power, reacted at a press conference organised by Business Finland in Helsinki on Tuesday, 30 May 2023. Marsh said the American fuel-cell company has laid out plans to build three green hydrogen plants in Finland, identifying the country’s functioning infrastructure, commitment to reducing carbon emissions and recent accession to Nato as pull factors. (Emmi Korhonen – Lehtikuva)

PLUG POWER, a fuel-cell company headquartered in Latham, New York, on Tuesday unveiled a tentative plan worth an estimated 5.6 billion euros to build three hydrogen plants in Finland – in Kokkola, Kristiinankaupunki and Porvoo.

The American company is expected to make a final investment decision on the projects in 2025–2026.

Innovation Practitioners Community board members.

Finnish innovation leaders have joined forces to establish a community organization that promotes innovation, known as the Innovation Practitioners Community (IPC). Finland's weakened competitiveness and slow economic growth necessitate a focus on strengthening and activating innovation activities. The goal of the Innovation Practitioners Community is to enhance innovation knowledge and serve as an open and international peer network for innovation leaders and professionals engaged in innovation work.

Flow Festival 2022. Photo: Hayley Le / Shoot Hayley

Teosto, which collects royalties for composers, lyricists, arrangers and music publishers, achieved a record result in 2022. This information is included in Teosto’s annual report and financial statements, which were approved by Teosto’s General Meeting on 17 May 2023.

In 2022, the total royalties for the use of music collected by Teosto reached a record high of EUR 80.7 million (2021: EUR 70.1 million).

Finnair aircraft at Helsinki Airport on 30 March 2023. The Finnish majority state-owned airline has announced changes to the carry-on baggage allowances of its most affordable ticket types on flights within Europe, describing the changes as an attempt to ensure smooth boarding and passenger comfort. (Markku Ulander – Lehtikuva)

FINNAIR on Tuesday announced it will rein in the amount of carry-on baggage on its flights by trimming the baggage allowances for its most affordable ticket types.

The Finnish majority state-owned airline revealed that it will replace its economy light ticket type with a new ticket type called superlight on all journeys within Europe. Passengers with superlight tickets will only be allowed to carry on a single bag, which must be stowable under the seat in front of them.

Circular economy has great potential in different phases of construction. The Helsinki circular economy cluster program carried out a reuse pilot at Katajanokanlaituri. In it, usable furniture and materials were transferred from the demolition site for reuse elsewhere before the demolition work began. Image: Kari Ylitalo

The World Circular Economy Forum 2023 (WCEF2023) will be held in Helsinki, Finland, from May 30 to June 2, 2023. This event will bring together the world's leading circular economy actors to find solutions for how to reconcile our economic system with the limits of nature and to accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable future. The forum will focus on circular economy solutions that can help prevent biodiversity loss, as materials and their value are utilized repeatedly, reducing waste and minimizing the impact on the environment.

LEHTIKUVA

A recent survey conducted by the Finnish Federation of Entrepreneurs, called the Yrittäjägallup, has revealed that many Finnish businesses have reported a weakening in profitability. The study, which took place between April 18th and April 28th, surveyed 1,041 small and medium-sized business representatives across Finland.

According to the results, expectations for the economic development of businesses over the next year have weakened since March.

Finnish buyout and growth investors have continued to support the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Finland, investing over half a billion euros in 75 unlisted companies in 2022. Despite the economic uncertainties caused by the pandemic, private equity investors have maintained a stable level of investment activity over the past five years, annually investing an average of half a billion euros in around 80 SMEs to help accelerate their growth.

The goal of the Taitaja2023 event is to improve the quality and visibility of vocational education. Photo: Omnia

The Taitaja2023 event challenges companies to collaborate in solving the shortage of skilled labor. The event brings together educational institutions and companies to develop future professional skills, ensuring that the competition's tasks are work-relevant, with companies contributing to their design. The cooperation between vocational education and the labor market is crucial in solving the challenge of matching skilled labor with the needs of the job market.

LEHTIKUVA

54% of companies hope for tax reductions by the government to improve Finland's competitiveness and employment rates, according to a survey by the Chambers of Commerce. In addition to increasing local agreement, tax reduction was seen as the most popular option to improve Finland's competitiveness and employment rates. When asked which tax reduction would help companies the most, 71% of companies responded that reducing labor taxes would. The survey received responses from 1560 Chamber of Commerce member companies.