Nordic Centre Expo Channel Here we update the latest news on Nordic participation in Expo 2010
FININISH PARTICIPATION THEME
Well-being, competence and the environment
Finland, which will have its own pavilion in Shanghai World Expo 2010, will build its exposition around the elements of ‘a better life’ – well-being, competence and the environment – which also form a solid foundation for ‘a better city’.
Well-being encompasses competence and the environment
Well-being forms the basis for people’s aspirations for a better life. In Finland, it is taken to mean both material and psychological well-being, as well as a clean environment. The opportunity to continuously develop oneself and move around without restrictions are important elements of well-being.
One of the prerequisites for well-being is sufficient economic growth. The private sector plays a key role in this respect. Internationally speaking, the co-operation between the Finnish public and private sectors is exceptionally close and offers additional resources for the promotion of economic growth in the country.
Public services, provided by the state and municipalities, are essential to Finland’s prosperity. As the population ages, services related to health and caring become increasingly important.
Competence is based on education, research, innovation and creativity
Finland’s strategic choice to build its society on education, research, innovation and creativity can be seen in the abundant education, research and innovation investments made by the public and private sectors, as well as in the development of creative fields.
Support to lifelong learning is an important aspect of a knowledge society. In Finland, all citizens have the opportunity to use information society services irrespective of their place of residence or social status. Finland enjoys a plentiful cultural offering and its creative industries are growing strongly.
The state, universities and businesses work in close co-operation, giving a considerable boost to the generation of innovations and new technologies. Furthermore, the parties actively participate in international co-operation and promote international mobility to find experts.
The environment is a key competence area
Finland has abundant forest and water resources. However, since they are quite limited in variety, society has learned to use them in a sustainable manner. The importance of the sustainable use of natural resources and the conservation of nature is emphasised by the authorities, enterprises and citizens alike.
The northern climate has taught Finns to use energy efficiently and to save it everywhere. District heating and cooling ensure an even temperature in homes and workplaces – even when it is freezing outside. Energy efficiency also characterises industry, both big industry and small and medium-sized companies, irrespective of the sector.
Numerous world-class environmental technologies and applications for waste management, recycling, water purification, atmospheric and soil impurity monitoring, and many other purposes, have been developed in Finland. The use of clean technologies enables industry to be located close to urban environments.
Slogan
Finland has greater leverage in the international community than its size might lead one to believe. It is a country open to interaction and ready to share its skills and knowledge for the benefit of a better future.
Our slogan at the Shanghai World Expo is ‘SHARING INSPIRATION!’, where ‘sharing’ refers to our operating method and ‘inspiration’ to our resources. We welcome all visitors to share our inspiration at the World Expo.