Obviously Sustainable’s Post

🎉 We just published our latest report "Anticipation of Workforce and Education Needs as a Tool for Strategic Social Policy," in collaboration with Työn ja talouden tutkimus LABORE. 🔎 Every society aims to anticipate future workforce and skills needed to prepare for and influence societal changes. In Finland, such foresight activities have been in place since the 1960s, but the lessons from these decades have not been comprehensively examined. In today's rapidly evolving world, preparing for future workforce and education needs is more critical than ever. Our report evaluates the quality of anticipation efforts in Finland from 1979 to 2021 and offers recommendations to enhance the quality and impact of foresight in decision-making. Key insights from the report: 💡 Historical analysis of workforce and education needs anticipation in Finland (1979-2021) 💡 Presenting an evaluation framework for quality of foresight developed in the project, which consists of identified four critical dimensions: transparency, credibility, operationalization, and reader-friendliness 💡 Recommendations for further development of anticipation and foresight activities with a focus on 1. more diverse reporting of anticipation information for different target groups and closer integration of parallel anticipation projects 2. development and clarification of quantitative and qualitative anticipation methods and their respective roles and 3. increased networking and cross-administrative coordination among anticipation experts and users. 🗝 Access to credible and actionable foresight knowledge enables proactive positioning for future societal changes. We invite you to explore the report and join the conversation on how we can collectively play a part in a more prepared and proactive society. 📌 Read the report (In Finnish) here: https://lnkd.in/dcArHVRw #Skills #FutureOfWork #EducationPolicy #StrategicPlanning #Research #Foresight

Focus in RDI! 🔥 ”We must seize economic reform and engage in growth-oriented innovation, because Finland’s asset is expertise.”, says Antti Vasara, VTT. I could not agree more. The pivotal and enduring way to strengthen our economy is to renew through #education and through #research, #development, and #innovation. With R&D activities, we can generate solutions that are beneficial for society and for which there is demand in the world, such as digital solutions and health, environmental, and energy technologies. A sustainable economy means products and services that offer solutions to significant global challenges, such as climate change, resource sufficiency, circular economy, clean energy production, responsible use of artificial intelligence, or improving human health.

Nice paper from Sanni Tiitinen about workplace bullying in academia. Read, share and get inspired so that hostile behaviors stop!

💎At Aalto University again yesterday with another session of Impaktly ”Case Studies in Sustainable Business”, now with the topic of respecting #humanrights across the value chain. 💎Thank you Cecilia Lindström and Gabriela Gamero Gorostiza from Kalmar for sharing your human rights journey and for clearly linking the importance of respecting human rights to the core of Kalmar’s business. 💎The questions from the students were pure gold (to mention a few): - How to engage with workers in human rights audits? - Are companies willing to increase their price points to ensure living wage is paid in their supply chains? 💎I’m confident that when this generation is making business decisions, the lens will also be on human rights!

🎄 Day 18 of our Christmas calendar: Knowledge sharing and impact 🎄   Our professors Kaisa Henttonen and Hanna Lehtimäki were among the researchers who were invited to propose measures to boost economic growth in Finland. The report has been prepared for the #Kasvuriihi working group appointed by the Prime Minister, Petteri Orpo. The report delivers concrete proposals for the government's mid-term review to boost the growth of the private business sector. The report presents 45 measures including measures related to the green transition (12 measures), capital markets (11), RDI (10), labor supply and skills (6), business dynamics, competition promotion and trade policy (3) and digitalization (3). Find the report here: https://lnkd.in/d4hJd8Kq   Keep an eye out for more highlights from our team as we continue our Christmas calendar series! 🎅 Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia – The Finnish Academy of Science and Letters I UEF Research Center for Sustainable Circular Economy (CECE) I UEF RESOURCE I UEF Business School I University of Eastern Finland #cece #uefcece #sustainability #circulareconomy #christmascalendar #countdown #highlights #sharinginformation #sharingknowledge #thisisus #achievements

Sitra and Alice Labs have collaborated to explore the fascinating subject of people's relationship to time and its impact on our willingness to work for a better future (article only in Finnish) https://lnkd.in/d9754aC9

I was stopped by the thoughts of talent researcher Kari Uusikylä. If technology doesn't promote civilisation, what grounds do we have to value it? What about learning—do we see it as a way to increase competitiveness? As a resource? The mindset should not only be long-term but also focused on quality of life. Development requires learning skills, both individually and collectively. A good life and the emergence of innovations, in turn, first need socio-emotional skills. Economics alone seems unable to create a shortcut to these. However, the development of creativity and strengths is of great significance to the individual. That’s health and well-being, which one would think would be valued in many countries. Here, with Mr. Kari Uusikyläs thoughts and green tea for this Sunday morning 🍵 #technology #innovation #learning #competitiveness https://lnkd.in/dkZB3JiF

Pssst… Did you notice #DEI4SME project’s mention in Tekniikka&Talous? Have a look ➡ https://lnkd.in/d-Mcbi3Q In her column, Leena Kunttu discusses the #hypothesis of the Earth having a twin planet and how that second planet’s #ecosystem would #differ or #develop. She links her #reflection with the European Union wanting to promote #equality in the society to #drive European #competitiveness. The #article mentions that the #evolution of the #people would certainly present #differences, but which ones is the #question. The #comparison is made with twin siblings, with identical shaped comes possible different #environments. The column mentions #openmindedness, #solutions, #respect and #cooperation. Would #initiatives on #diversity, #equity, and #inclusion be implemented? Would the #values of this twin planet be similar as the Earth’s? Leena writes that “considering #DEI accelerates #development”. Our DEI4SME #project links to this #statement as the #goal is to #create a #tool to #implement DEI #values in #SMEs. We need you, #enterprises, to #elaborate a #useful tool. So, if you want to take part in our project, tell us here >> https://lnkd.in/dgKNTkDj DEI4SME project partners. University of Vaasa E.N.T.E.R. Kaunas University of Technology IHK-Projektgesellschaft mbH Ostbrandenburg Room466 by WKO Steiermark Technology Centre Merinova Oy European Union Opetushallitus - Utbildningsstyrelsen - Finnish National Agency for Education

Circular economy 💚 national resilience The Finnish Government has today published a study by Ramboll Finland, Demos Helsinki and Finnish Institute of International Affairs - FIIA, which highlights that reducing the consumption of natural resources, devices, and energy enhances preparedness for various crises ♻⛑ The study states that the transition to a circular economy is a prerequisite for the renewal of our economy. Thus, it is also a change that has a strong impact on our national security as well as the maintenance and development of our comprehensive security. The less natural resources, equipment and energy we need to produce and ensure society's functions, the more resilient we are in the face of various crises ⚙ "The operating models of the circular economy can increase crisis resilience, but in terms of technologies, this requires both national and international changes to established operating models and markets. At the same time, the connection between these fields is still poorly recognized both among circular economy experts and security experts. Mutual understanding and cooperation is a prerequisite for ensuring a circular economy transition that is effective and improves Finland’s comprehensive security." Very interesting to see these two topics interlink more in the future 👀 #circulareconomy #nationalresilience #security Embassy of Denmark in Finland

Todays best read: Use standards for a faster transformation of Norway. An article written by me and Petra N. Andersen. "The authorities want to stimulate for more innovation and faster restructuring in Norway. To succeed we need a common language and good standards for «innovation». The article is in Norwegian so, use google translate.