HIGHLY EDUCATED EXPERTSTAKE CENTRE STAGE

As we all in Finland and elsewhere realize, there is an urgent need for us to succeed – and succeed fast – in research, development and innovation concerning the sustainability of our future on planet Earth.

For these R & D efforts to be successful, we need a collective societal ambition to invest in them, both financially and intellectually. We need high quality teamwork
and efficient financing between companies, universities, research institutions and public sector operators. Our R & D system must become better among other things in
supporting cross-sector cooperation.

But above all, we need people with exceptionally high level of expertise and ambition to research, develop and innovate in the fields of natural, environmental and forestry sciences. These professionals, who might not receive or even want the biggest headlines, take the actual centre stage when we need to find solutions for the most burning problems concerning sustainability in today´s and tomorrow´s world.

For a small-scale economy and society such as Finland, building global sustainable future for everyone is a largescale opportunity. Therefore, it is vital, that our competence and expertise in natural, environmental and forestry sciences is world class, in the present and in the future. Mediocre and average will not be nearly enough, because that will bring mediocre and average results.

To make it clear, if we as the Finnish society truly want to succeed, we need to be top of the line in both educating experts and investing in R & D in the fields critical for sustainable future. This means top of the line in terms of relative volume, but also in terms of efficiency with which we produce results that benefit our quest towards sustainable future and bring well-being and success to the Finnish people.

Read more in our report Kestävän tulevaisuuden rahoitus (Financing the Sustainable Future) on our website www.loimu.fi.

Mikko Salo,
Executive Director
Loimu – Union of Professionals in Natural,
Environmental and Forestry Sciences