T methods
he Strategic Centres for Science, Technology and Innovation (SHOKs) were established as a policy concept in 2007 and organised around public- private partnerships. The aim was to help
accelerate the process of innovation and renew Finland’s industrial clusters by creating new competences and inducing radical innovations at the system level. In this context, SHOK operations have sought to apply new of
cooperation, International co-creation and interaction. cooperation is also intended to play an
important role. Furthermore, the testing and piloting of creative research environments and ecosystems constitutes an additional and essential element of their operation. In the organisational context of the centres, companies and research units are intended to work in close cooperation, carrying out research that has been jointly defined in the strategic research agenda of each centre. The research produced aims to meet the needs of Finnish industry and society within a five to ten year period. The SHOKs have, in the last five years, become one of the
main instruments of Finnish innovation policy and perhaps even its ‘flagship’ programme. Currently there are six SHOKs in operation: Cleen (in the area of environment and energy), FIMECC (in the metals and engineering industry), SalWe (in health and well-being), DIGILE (in the ICT and digital services sector) RYM (in the built environment sector) and FIBIC (Finnish Bioeconomy Cluster). The initial investment financing for the SHOKs has, in the
main, been provided by Tekes and by private industry. Between 2008 and September 2012, Tekes funded these SHOK programmes with a total of over €343 million. An average of 40 per cent of the research conducted by the SHOKs has however been co-funded by the companies involved. The Academy of Finland contributes to the strategic centres indirectly by funding leading-edge research carried out in the research areas covered by the SHOKs (€31m in 2011 and €5m for 2012–2014).
Energy and the environment: CLEEN Energy and environment issues are high on the Finnish government’s agenda, with one of their stated ambitions being to make Finland a global forerunner in developing an eco-friendly, resource and material efficient economy and sustainable consumption and production patterns. CLEEN was established in 2008 to facilitate and coordinate world-class industry driven research in the field of energy and environment. In 2014, seven programmes are in operation, with the research agenda including carbon neutral
energy production, sustainable fuels, resource
efficient production technologies and services, and finally the recycling of materials and waste management.
Bioeconomy: FIBIC In Finland, the most important renewable resources are growing and sustainably managed forest assets. Finland has outstanding resources at its disposal to become a pioneer in sustainable development and bioeconomics.
In the future
bioeconomy, wood and other biomass sources will be used for an even wider array of applications, from paper, packaging and buildings to biofuels and a broad spectrum of biomaterials and bioproducts. The Finnish Bioeconomy
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Cluster, or FIBIC, has activities in three different strategic focus areas: intelligent resource-efficient production technologies, future biorefinery and sustainable bioenergy solutions. Its high level of expertise in modern wood processing technology, from forests to consumers, is the basis for the development of radical new material products, new processes, energy products and service solutions.
Metal products and mechanical engineering: FIMECC FIMECC was established in Finland in 2008 to initiate, organise, and manage research programmes and other activities in the field of metals and mechanical engineering. It currently supports twelve different research programmes. It was designed to carry out long-term cooperative research through target-oriented industry-led and precompetitive programmes in fields most crucial for the future. The results of these have been excellent, providing breakthrough innovations of global importance.
Built environment innovations: RYM RYM was
founded in 2009 to help encourage built
environment innovation activity in Finland. It invests the funds and know-how of companies and public financiers of innovation in research areas most important for international competitiveness. Three themes have emerged as focal points: spaces that increase well-being, competitiveness based on resource wisdom, and a built environment that attracts investments. The aim is to build Finnish ecosystems of excellence in these areas. RYM offers real estate and construction sector companies, research institutes and universities a novel way of engaging in close, well planned and ambitious co- operation to develop and bolster cutting-edge expertise.
Health and well-being: SalWe SalWe is dedicated to encouraging innovation that promotes health and well-being. The research programmes are the operational core of SalWe. The products, services and methods that will be developed in the research programmes aim at maintaining and improving the functional capabilities of an individual, and the ultimate goal being prevention and treatment of
Started in 2007, there are
SHOKs in Finland and in a short space of time they have
6
become one of the main instruments of Finnish innovation
policy, funded by both public and private investment
diseases with major public health and economic impact. These diseases include obesity and metabolic syndrome; neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases; microbial infections and inflammations; malignant diseases.
Information and communication industry and services: DIGILE The internet economy is growing fast. Ever smarter services are also a means of increasing the productivity of work, and society at large. DIGILE aims to increase the pace of development of Finnish ICT and digital business, which in turn will ensure growth of the business of the whole sector, and therein the creation of new jobs. Nowadays, digital business is an essential part of all kinds of business as well as public services – not just ICT. DIGILE’s role is not only to bring together and systematise research and development, but also to ensure that the results of research are understood, applied and adopted as part of companies’ business practice.
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