The Story of Finland

A silhouette of Helsinki rooftops in sunset, Helsinki cathedral in the background.

To succeed in a constantly changing world, you have to change as well. Finland has reinvented itself in just one short century – and we’re still at it. Our national character and Northern heritage have boosted us to the top of all kinds of country rankings from quality of life to freedom of speech.

The mindset that drove us to build a new society is still hardwired into us – and it continues to drive us forward today. The Arctic climate gave us guts – or ‘sisu’ as we call it. We always look for a practical solution – turning setbacks into steps forward. We’re pragmatic and focused on functionality – making sure that things work and keep on working. Our unique relationship with nature means sustainable thinking comes naturally to us.

The only thing we have a lot of is trees and water. People, not so much. That’s why we believe in equality and take good care of each other – and know the value of doing things together. We’ve always known that that to stay ahead you have to make the most of what you have, including people. Today, we could brag – if Finns did such a thing – that we have one of the most educated workforces in the world.

We take pride in being a bit quirky, and prefer actions to words. We say what we do and do what we say. That’s why Finland is the most functional country in the world, and the Finnish handshake the most reliable. Why not give it a try?

We can change and succeed together.