For the Finnish technology industry to remain at the forefront globally, it must be able to anticipate changes in its operating environment.
(in English below)
Technology Industry ry is launching a collaboration More Than Strategy’s and Futures Platform in order to develop the organisation’s and the sector’s foresight capabilities. The aim is to strengthen the ability to identify changes in the operating environment, understand their impact on the technology industry and, above all, utilise foresight in decision-making and in supporting member companies.
The world has changed rapidly. The crises of recent years, geopolitical tensions, the rapid development of artificial intelligence, the debate on Europe’s strategic autonomy, the impacts of climate change and shifting global interdependencies are challenging companies to assess the future in a new way. For the technology industry, understanding these changes is particularly important, as the Finnish economy and companies in the sector are heavily dependent on exports and integrated into global value chains.
”Our operating environment has become more fast-paced and uncertain. Companies must be able to identify changes earlier and assess what they mean for their own business. Foresight helps us to do this.”, says the Head of Foresight and Preparedness at Technology Industries of Finland Akseli Koskela.
In this project, foresight is seen, above all, as a means of strengthening agency. The aim is not to predict the future, but to develop a better understanding of alternative courses of development and their implications. The insights gained from foresight must be reflected in concrete terms in decision-making, operations and the identification of new opportunities.
Managing Director of More Than Strategy Sointu Kouki explains that ”one of the best things about foresight is that it helps us identify those questions about the future which, when answered, lead us to discover new opportunities. There is a lot of talk about growth in society at the moment. At the heart of growth is keeping abreast of what is happening in the operating environment and considering how these changes might affect our own activities.”
”The value of foresight lies in its connection to decision-making and concrete actions. It enables us to make more future-proof decisions, broaden our options and also identify new innovations and opportunities for growth,” confirms the Head of Foresight at Futures Platform Marianna Mäki-Teeri.
In particular, this work strengthens Technology Industries of Finland’s ability to identify emerging global trends and weak signals, interpret their potential trajectories, and assess their impact on companies in the technology industry. The aim is to build a broader and more systematic understanding of what is happening in the operating environment of technology industry companies – including developments beyond their own sector and immediate sphere of influence.
Identifying questions we haven’t thought to ask
Key issues for the future of businesses include, for example, critical technologies, new growth opportunities, the impact of artificial intelligence on industry and the world of work, and the availability of skilled workers. The aim of foresight is also to help businesses identify issues that they have not yet thought to ask about.
”We aim to enable our member companies to integrate global megatrends into their own business operations. The aim is to help companies identify their own future threats and opportunities, and to act on that basis,” Koskela summarises.
More Than Strategy brings expertise in foresight processes and strategic thinking to the project, whilst the Futures Platform provides international future intelligence and foresight tools. The aim of external partners is to introduce new perspectives, challenge established ways of looking at the operating environment, and bring globally relevant information to meet the needs of the technology industry.
In the long term, the aim is to strengthen Technology Industries’ role as an identifier and interpreter of future changes, and to provide member companies with better conditions to prepare for these changes, build growth and seize new opportunities.
The future is not just something we have to adapt to; we can also actively influence it and help shape it. The aim of the project is to strengthen agency and help identify drivers of growth and ways to achieve them. It also aims to strengthen Finland’s position as a pioneer in the technology industry and to build foresight capabilities that will benefit both the Technology Industry Association, its member companies and Finnish society as a whole..
Further information
Sointu Kouki
Managing Director, More Than Strategy
+358 50 5931394
[email protected]
Akseli Koskela
Head of Foresight and Preparedness, Technology Industries of Finland
+358 44 2771780
[email protected]
Marianna Mäki-Teeri
Head of Foresight, Futures Platform
[email protected]
To remain at the forefront of the global technology industry, Finnish technology companies must anticipate changes in their operating environment.
Technology Industries of Finland is launching a partnership with More Than Strategy and Futures Platform to develop the foresight capabilities of both the association and the sector. The aim is to strengthen the ability to identify changes in the operating environment, understand their impact on the technology industry and, above all, apply foresight in decision-making and in supporting member companies.
The world has changed rapidly. The crises of recent years, geopolitical tensions, the rapid development of artificial intelligence, the debate on Europe’s strategic autonomy, the impacts of climate change and shifting global dependencies are challenging companies to assess the future in new ways. For the technology industry, understanding these changes is particularly important, as Finland’s economy and companies in the sector are heavily export-driven and integrated into global value chains.
“Our operating environment has become more fast-paced and uncertain. Companies must be able to identify changes at an earlier stage and assess what they mean for their own business. Foresight helps us to do this,” says Akseli Koskela, Director of Foresight and Preparedness at Technology Industries of Finland.
In this project, foresight is seen, above all, as a means of strengthening agency. The aim is not to predict the future, but to gain a better understanding of alternative development pathways and their impacts. The knowledge generated through foresight should be reflected in concrete terms in decisions, actions and the identification of new opportunities.
Sointu Kouki, CEO of More Than Strategy, describes foresight as follows: “One of the best aspects of foresight is that it helps us identify the questions about the future which, once answered, enable us to discover new opportunities. There is currently a great deal of discussion in society about growth. At the heart of growth lies staying attuned to developments in the operating environment and considering how these changes may affect the way we operate.”
“The value of foresight is realised when it is linked to decision-making and concrete actions. It enables decisions that are better equipped to cope with the future, broadens the range of options and helps to identify new innovations and opportunities for growth,” confirms Marianna Mäki-Teeri, Director of Foresight Analysis at Futures Platform.
The work will, in particular, strengthen Technology Industries of Finland’s ability to identify emerging trends and weak signals from around the world, interpret their possible future trajectories and assess their impact on companies in the technology sector. The aim is to develop a broader and more systematic understanding of developments in the operating environment of technology sector companies — extending beyond the sector itself and its immediate impacts.
Identifying questions that have not yet been asked
Key questions for the future of companies include critical technologies, new opportunities for growth, the impact of artificial intelligence on industry and working life, and the availability of skilled talent. Through foresight, the aim is also to help companies identify questions they do not yet know to ask.
“Our aim is for our member companies to be able to link global megatrends to their own business. The goal is for us to help companies identify their own future threats and opportunities, and take action on them,” Koskela summarises.
More Than Strategy contributes expertise in foresight processes and strategic thinking, whilst Futures Platform brings international futures intelligence and foresight tools to the project. The aim of the external partners is to introduce new perspectives, challenge established approaches to analysing the operating environment and provide global insights to meet the needs of Technology Industries of Finland.
In the long term, the aim is to strengthen Technology Industries of Finland’s role in identifying and interpreting future changes, and to provide member companies with better conditions to prepare for change, drive growth and seize new opportunities.
The future is not merely something to adapt to; it can also be actively shaped and built. The aim of the project is to strengthen agency and help identify the drivers of growth, as well as the ways to realise them. The aim is also to strengthen Finland’s position as a pioneer in the technology sector and to develop foresight capabilities that benefit Technology Industries of Finland, its member companies and Finnish society.
Further information
Sointu Kouki
CEO, More Than Strategy
+358 50 5931394
[email protected]
Akseli Koskela
Director, Foresight and Preparedness, Technology Industries of Finland
+358 44 2771780
[email protected]
Marianna Mäki-Teeri
Director of Foresight Analysis, Futures Platform
[email protected]
