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International top experts to participate in seminar on funding for RDI activities

Government Communications Department
Publication date 27.9.2021 8.08 | Published in English on 27.9.2021 at 12.41
Press release 546

The Parliamentary Working Group on Research, Development and Innovation will hold an open international seminar on Wednesday 29 September. The seminar will explore the latest international developments in public research and development funding. Particular attention will be paid to practices through which public investments can increase the overall amount of RDI activities and encourage the private sector to invest in RDI.

The seminar will feature talks by internationally recognised experts in RDI policy research. Professor of Economics Philippe Aghion will outline the basic principles and significance of public RDI activities based on the latest research data. Dirk Pilat, Deputy Director of the OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation, will delve into the best practices that the public sector can use to encourage private RDI investments. Professor Sylvia Schwaag Serger from the University of Lund will present principles and means to support the long-term sustainability of public RDI funding.

The seminar is part of the working group’s ongoing work exploring how to increase long-term funding for research and development in Finland.

“We have managed to attract the best international experts in the field to our seminar to consider the latest developments in RDI funding. For the members of the working group, this is an excellent opportunity to obtain up-to-date information on the impact of RDI activities and on best international practices. It is also important that the seminar is open to all and will contribute to the public discussion on RDI activities,” says working group chair Matias Mäkynen.

The event will be held virtually. After the presentations, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions. The parliamentary working group will also consult with the speakers in its meeting after the event.

Finland aims to increase research and development expenditure to four per cent of GDP by 2030.  In April 2021, Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Government decided to set up a parliamentary working group to promote Finland’s RDI objectives. Appointed by the Prime Minister’s Office, the working group will operate from 18 June to 31 December 2021.

Each parliamentary group has one member and one deputy member in the working group. The Under-Secretary of State of the Prime Minister’s Office and the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment serve as its permanent experts.

Inquiries:

Matias Mäkynen, Member of Parliament and Chair of the working group, tel. +358 9 432 3059
Antti Pelkonen, Science Specialist and Secretary-General of the working group, Prime Minister’s Office, tel. +358 295 160 533
Laura Kotila, Communications Specialist, Prime Minister’s Office, tel. +358 50 470 6965 (Requests for interviews with seminar speakers)