Sitra.fi has a new look. All the content has been organised in logical categories, including Sitra's external Internet resources at Facebook, Twitter...
ABB invests in Sitra's target company Viola Systems Oy and becomes its minority shareholder. Strategic partnership between ABB and Viola Systems to address the rapid growth in the smart network business ABB makes a 20% venture capital investment in Viola Systems, a Finnish-based supplier of wireless communication solutions for electrical networks. The investment strengthens the offering and position of ABB in the rapidly growing business of smart grids.
The strategic agility for strong societies and economies workshop focused on exploring the applicability of strategic agility and the opportunities it may offer in public sector management and renewal. The workshop gathered together a group of the world’s leading scientists, representatives of OECD, Sitra and INSEAD as well as senior management from the ministries of OECD member states to discuss solutions for the challenges faced by public administration.
The winners of the Apps4Finland contest were awarded on 22 November in front of a full house in the Vanha ylioppilastalo. The contest, now staged for the third time, inspired a record number of citizens to develop new ways to utilise the open databanks of the public administration. The contest was organised by the Finnish Association for Online Democracy together with Forum Virium Helsinki.
Sitra has re-started training activites through Synergise Finland forums for future opinion leaders, and will continue with courses related to sustainable financial policy for current decision makers. The Synergise Finland forums will result in practical experiments and activities that intend to resolve social problems. The first Synergise Finland forum implemented 16 pilot experiments that sought answers to what new work means to Finnish society.
A number of projects carried out within Sitra’s Public Leadership and Management Programme have offered people the opportunity to participate in service development as both users and developers. While many projects are still in progress, much has already been achieved and made available for refining and sharing. Practical experiences from these projects have been collected in the brand-new web publication.
Focusing on seven business cases from Finland, Forget innovation – focus on value creation, explains how innovation activities should be developed. The authors want to bring attention to new, surprising and genuinely human-centred operating methods. Companies and communities should act differently if they truly want to create value for customers.
By the end of 2012, Sitra will adopt a project-based organizational model focused on the implementation of three themes related to sustainable well-being. At the same time, Sitra will reinforce its role as a societal educator and networker and intensify its R&D activities. The aim is to enhance Sitra’s strategic agility.
Ilmasto-opas.fi, a new website bringing together climate information under one address, was opened today, 20 October. The website provides information about the Finnish climate and climate change, analysed down to individual regions. The Swedish and English versions of the site will be launched later this year.
Sitra joined the Green Office network a year ago, when environmental work within the Sitra organisation was launched. Sitra’s target is to continuously reduce its emissions with the aim of becoming completely carbon neutral by 2017, which is also when Sitra will be celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Fortum and DCNS have today signed a Letter of Intent on cooperation in the field of wave power research and development in France. A joint feasibility study for a wave power demonstration project located in France is planned to be starting by the end of 2011. This may open new doors for AW-Energy.
Sitra has been successful in its main mission, i.e. providing added value to society. As a networker, Sitra has promoted other actors' readiness to change. An overall evaluation of Sitra's operations, conducted by Ramboll Management Consulting Oy, indicates that businesses and citizens have also benefited from Sitra's activities.
