Finland–US partnership
USA and Finland have long-standing ties in both economical and scientific activities. For decades, Finnish researchers have been conducting fruitful cooperation with their US counterparts and developing cutting-edge technologies and scientific breakthroughs together in various fields. These links are likely to be further strengthened in the future due to a number of bilateral agreements that have been concluded between Finland and various US states in recent years. Bilateral cooperation documents have been prepared with the aim of expanding the partnership in specific disciplines, such as 5G/6G, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, green transition and bioeconomy. However, the cooperation documents do not exclude cooperation between other scientific fields, and potential common interests exist on several topical research areas.
In addition, bilateral scientific relations between the countries have been strengthened in recent years through joint funding programmes. In 2020, an initiative was launched between the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Research Council of Finland, in addition to which the Research Council of Finland and the National Science Foundation (NSF) have had a joint programme to support bilateral cooperation. These two funding opportunities have strongly advanced Finnish–US research cooperation and are likely to increase further in the near future. In addition to funding programmes, higher education and research cooperation is carried out, for example, through the Finnish–American Research & Innovation Accelerator (FARIA). FARIA has been an important support in building research and higher education networks between key regions and actors in Finland and the United States. With this excellent operational environment, Finland is in a great position to strengthen its cooperation with the United States in the higher education and research sectors.
Changes in the geopolitical situation have undoubtedly forced several countries to seek more reliable partners. The war in Ukraine and the general deterioration in global stability have led to a situation where new alliances are needed. Finland generally has a good reputation, and NATO membership has clearly further increased its global appeal, so the country has been an attractive option for a new kind of cooperation. As politics and research are full of interdependencies, it is expected that joint research activities with Finland and US will also evolve due to the changes in the political situation.
Strategically important West Coast
Globally, US universities are always at the top of rankings. California has several highly ranked and well-funded research universities, including UCLA, UC Berkeley, Stanford and Caltech. There are more than 400 higher education institutes (HEIs) in the state, which is known as the world’s most important innovation and technology hub. HEIs in California have long supported translational research and entrepreneurship, and these support activities have also led to the formation of numerous innovation hubs. This entrepreneurial spirit and support for entrepreneurship has also increased economic power; as an economic region, California is the world’s 4th largest economy. Strategically, there are several reasons why Finland should invest in research and innovation cooperation with the State of California.
In addition to California, the focus in promoting cooperation between Finland and the United states will be on other Western States, which have already concluded state-level memorandums of understanding (MoU) with Finland. Besides the US, Western Canada, especially British Columbia and Alberta, offers attractive opportunities for cooperation. Common factors between Canada and Finland include similar climates and nature and a highly educated population. There is also common ground in the research sector, especially in the fields of bioeconomy, forestry, arctic technologies, artificial intelligence, smart cities and wireless networks. In these areas in particular, there are opportunities to establish mutually beneficial cooperation. Cooperation opportunities have also been explored in the field of medical research.
In addition to cooperation in research and innovation, the aim is to increase mobility and student exchange between the countries. The United States is the world’s most attractive destination for student exchanges, and its top universities have always attracted a large number of international students from a variety of disciplines. Since the decline caused by the years of the pandemic, the number of international students has returned to the level of the previous years and, in the academic year 2021–2022, almost one million students from more than 200 different countries began their studies at US higher education institutes.
Knowledge and cooperation
Finnish HEIs and the Finnish research sector generally have a good reputation. However, Finland is still relatively unknown among students in the US, so there is still a lot to do in country branding and promoting mobility opportunities. The Fulbright programme is one example of an excellent platform promoting Finnish–US research cooperation, research opportunities and knowledge exchange. It has already built a strong alumni network consisting mainly of researchers and teachers. The numerous English-language study modules and qualifications offered by Finnish HEIs also make Finland a more attractive alternative for research and study exchanges.
In the coming years, it will be particularly interesting to observe the joint path of the two countries. Finland and the United States share many values and scientific objectives. While the US is a leading country in various research fields, it also needs international expertise, knowledge exchange, research ideas and innovations from foreign countries, like Finland. Finland and the United States are well placed to work together to solve global challenges through research and scientific cooperation.
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