Autumn 2009 will see the launch of Sitra’s new five-stage development programme entitled Wellsprings of Finnish Vitality. The programme will generate measures based on the various views on how Finland’s operating environment will be affected by the financial and economic crises currently shaking the word, climate change and the development in ICT.
The goal is to identify the key factors through which Finland can strengthen and reinvent its vitality, and improve its competitiveness and welfare. The chairperson of the programme is Sari Baldauf, who was invited to take up the position by Sitra said
“Issues such as rewarding work and future opportunities for people are extremely important from the perspective of the entire society. We must have the courage to rethink deeply rooted ways of thinking and attitudes in our society.”
The development programme comprises three forums that bring decision-makers together to discuss issues prepared in workshops by experts in different fields. The programme will end in March 2010.
“We will invite a wide range of decision-makers and leaders from different fields to contribute to the programme. We are positive that we will be able to put together a group that has strong visions and the courage and creativity needed to identify the wellsprings from which Finland’s vitality and future success will take root,” says Mikko Kosonen, President of Sitra.
The development programme is supported by a Sitra research programme that is examining the structural changes resulting from the financial crisis. The research work is being carried out by leading Finnish economists, who will assess the long-term effects of the crisis on the national economy and economic policies.
The Wellsprings of Finnish Vitality development programme will commence with the first forum on 21 September 2009, with Professor Paul Krugman as the keynote speaker.
Further information
Kari Tolvanen, Executive Vice President, Sitra
+358 9 6189 9270, firstname.lastname@sitra.fi
Elina Kiiski, Information Officer, Sitra
+358 44 540 3367, firstname.lastname@sitra.fi