The Finnish Government's decision to allocate more funds to research has proven to be a success. Additional appropriations have resulted in higher company profitability, better skilled staff and more product innovations. Demand for highly educated personnel has grown fast, but job opportunities for people with lower educational levels remain minimal. Integration of the new and the old economies presents an important field of work for maintaining conventional jobs and creating news ones. Future success rests on skilled people. A permanent goal in Finland should therefore be to improve educational opportunities for both the younger and the older population.