Finnish Regions Research Articles

Y chromosome sequencing data suggest dual paths of haplogroup N1a1 into Finland.

The paternally inherited Y chromosome is highly informative of genetic ancestry, therefore making it useful in studies of population history. In Finland, two Y-chromosomal haplogroups reveal the major substructure of the population: N1a1 enriched in the northeast and I1a in the southwest, suggested to reflect eastern and western ancestry contributions to the population. Yet, beyond these major Y-chromosomal lineages, the distribution of finer-scale Y-chromosomal variation has not been assessed in Finland. Here, we provide the most comprehensive Y-chromosomal study among the Finns to date, exploiting sequences for 1802 geographically mapped Finnish Y chromosomes from the FINRISK project. We assessed the distribution of common Y-chromosomal haplogroups (frequency ≥1%) throughout 19 Finnish regions and compared the autosomal genetic backgrounds of the Y-chromosomal haplogroups. With such high-resolution data, we were able to find previously unreported sublineages and resolve phylogenetic relationships within haplogroups N1a1 (64%), I1a (25%), R1a (4.3%), and R1b (4.8%). We further find novel geographical enrichment patterns among these Y-chromosomal haplogroups, most notably observed for haplogroup N1a1 dividing into two lineages with differing distributions. While sublineage N-Z1934 (42%) followed a northeastern enrichment pattern observed for all N1a1 carriers in general, sublineage N-VL29 (22%) displayed an enrichment in the southwest. Further, the carriers of N-VL29 showed a higher proportion of southwestern autosomal ancestry compared to carriers of N-Z1934. Collectively, these results point to distinct demographics within haplogroup N1a1, possibly induced by two distinct arrival routes into Finland. Overall, our study suggests a more complex genetic population history for Finns than previously proposed.

After-use of cutover peatland from the perspective of landowners: Future effects on the national greenhouse gas budget in Finland

Recently, increased attention has been drawn to the greenhouse gas emissions of the Land use, Land use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector. In the Finnish LULUCF sector, the soil-originated emissions from the after-use of cutover peatland have become a more relevant question. This is due to the rapid increase in the number of former peat-harvesting sites, caused by the decline in the combustion of energy peat due to its high CO2 emissions. We conducted a nationally representative survey to study which after-use options of cutover peatlands are preferred by landowners. Based on the preferred after-use options, we estimated their impact on the national greenhouse gas emissions in the Finnish regions in 2035, and what factors influence the landowners’ choice of after-use options. We found that the four most popular after-use options for landowners were afforestation (71%), agriculture (24%), production of wind and solar power (22%) and rewetting (18%) when the respondent chose the three most attractive options. However, there were clear regional differences in the preferred after-use options, which might lead, if realized, to different soil-originated emissions at the regional level. The preferred after-use options could produce emissions of 0.35 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent a year (Mt CO2 eq y−1) by 2035 in Finland. Most of these emissions (30.1%) would come from South Ostrobothnia in western Finland, mainly due to the indicated high interest in agricultural after-use. Most landowners prefer financially profitable after-use options, such as forestry, agriculture, as well as wind and solar energy production in cutover peatlands. However, environmentally oriented landowners favour many kinds of actions to support biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and water protection in cutover peatlands. It is crucial that economic productivity and the greenhouse gas sinks of cutover peatlands be considered simultaneously to meet the climate targets of the LULUCF sector in Finland.

Building dynamic capabilities in the transition toward a knowledge-based bioeconomy: a case study of three Finnish regions

ABSTRACT This paper analyses the role of various organisations’ dynamic capabilities in regional transitions toward a knowledge-based bioeconomy. It offers a more nuanced understanding of regional path development and agency by elucidating the concept of dynamic capabilities in regional contexts and analysing the roles and types of the dynamic capabilities of various organisations. This empirical research is based on case studies conducted in three Finnish regions using a combination of interviews, documents and statistical data. The paper argues that it is important to take a systemic perspective in analysing dynamic capabilities and look at simultaneous changes in different types of organisations.

Representations of Entrepreneurship in Local Media: A Comparative Analysis

Entrepreneurial culture is a key element of the success of entrepreneurial ecosystems. Previous studies have shown that regional levels of entrepreneurial activity tend to remain persistent over long periods of time and that cultural attitudes in favour of entrepreneurship and rooted in the history of the region can influence innovation activity and new business formation today. Prior research has studied the entrepreneurial culture investigating individuals’ perceptions, attitudes, values, and entrepreneurial personality fit. However, such approaches fail to address the importance of social representations of entrepreneurship as a part of entrepreneurial culture. The aim of this study is to increase understanding about the local entrepreneurial culture within entrepreneurial ecosystems by analysing local media representations of entrepreneurship as indications of local entrepreneurial cultures in the entrepreneurial ecosystem context. The research was carried out as a comparative study of two Finnish regions: Päijät-Häme and South Karelia. The primary research data consists of 120 newspaper articles from regional daily newspapers. The results suggest that in the studied regions local media particularly helps transmit entrepreneurial success stories as an ecosystem service. Also, narratives of entrepreneurial ambition, innovativeness and risk acceptance were transmitted to the local audiences. Some regional differences were also detected, which might reflect the different historical backgrounds and regional levels of entrepreneurial activity. This paper presents the preliminary results of the study which are of value for both ecosystem actors and policymakers designing initiatives to strengthen the local entrepreneurial culture and public discourse promoting entrepreneurship.

Mapping spatio-temporal variations of shrinkage in Finland

It is commonly stated that a large share of Finnish regions are shrinking in terms of their population and local economy, which naturally poses challenges for balanced regional development. However, and rather surprisingly, there has been relatively little methodological discussion in Finland on the measurement of shrinkage: how to determine whether a region is shrinking or not? The main aim of this paper is to analyse shrinkage through spatio-temporal indicators and to discuss the variety and complexity of the task. Empirically the paper utilises three commonly used indicators (population, employment, and housing vacancy), three different analysis periods (long, medium and short) and five different spatial scales (regions, sub-regions, municipalities, postal code areas and grids). The results underline how volatile the results are depending on these three choices (indicator, analysis period and spatial scale) when aiming at determining, which of the regions under investigation are shrinking. Depending on the indicator choices and analysed spatio-temporal scales, different shares of Finnish regions can be identified as shrinking. Thus, care is needed when considering which indicator(s), analysis periods and spatial scales are selected for conducting statistical analyses on shrinkage particularly if the results are applied in policies.

Exposing the role of relational capabilities in business–research–government cooperation: examples from the transition towards a bioeconomy in Finland

ABSTRACT An organization’s capability to build, handle and exploit relationships and learn from these relations, defined here as relational capabilities, is increasingly important in a networked economy and in innovation activities. The paper introduces a framework that helps understand and analyse the relational capabilities of various organizations engaged in innovation activities. Based on theoretical discussion and empirical analysis the paper argues that the literature on organizational level capabilities and relational capabilities would benefit from deeper integration with the systems of innovation perspective. The empirical findings from three Finnish regions indicate that relational capabilities become particularly relevant in research–business–government cooperation contributing to innovation in the field of bioeconomy. Relational capabilities embedded in an organization’s capability configurations can boost the efficient use of that organization’s resources, bring greater flexibility, a chance to create value in networks and support renewal and innovation. Missing or underdeveloped relational capabilities may also hinder an organization’s ability to tap into the economic opportunities that arise leading to failures at the regional and system level thus hampering the transition towards a bioeconomy.

Associations between Sports Videogames and Physical Activity in Children

Abstract Objective: The aim of the study was to examine the associations of sports video gaming behaviour in the sociological concept of Physical Activity Relationships (PAR) and to see if sports video gaming differs by gender. Methods: A convenience sample of children between 11–12 years of age (n = 114) from three Finnish regions completed a questionnaire on perceptions of their video gaming and physical activity habits. Differences by gender were tested by contingency tables, and blockwise binary logistic regressions were used to examine the strength of association with physical activity behaviour in PAR. Results: Almost all girls had low importance to video gaming and over two thirds (71%) reported their frequency in sports video gaming was less than monthly. Sports video gaming was positively associated with physical activity behaviours (OR = 3.4, CI = 1.3–9.0), but when combined with perceived physical activity importance and spectating in sports, the association was no longer statistically significant. There were no differences in gender for non-sports video gaming. Conclusions: For children who partake in sports video games, the activity can be an integral part of their overall PAR. These preliminary results require further exploring prior to drawing societal implications or sports video games or applying them for intervention to promote physical activity.

Factors affecting the regional distribution of organic farming

Organic farming is recognised as a potential approach to achieve a more sustainable food system and promote rural development. Thus, many countries have set targets to increase the share of organic cultivated land. In Finland, the target was to increase the share of organic farming to 20% of the total area under cultivation by 2020. Although the share of organic agricultural land has gradually increased, there are still significant regional differences. The aim of our study is to identify the factors that affect these differences. Previous research has generally excluded factors such as subsidies from the analysis; therefore, this study explores the relevance of subsidies, as well as other key factors, within the context of the uneven regional distribution of organic farming in Finland. The data sources include research from the literature, official statistics, and a large survey of organic farmers. Using qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), we identify three different pathways that have led to higher organic shares of agricultural land in certain Finnish regions. The three regions with the highest organic shares utilise the first pathway, which includes a long organic heritage, a focus on dairy farming, and an important reliance on subsidies. We conclude that the regional variation in organic farming in Finland is due to a combination of different factors, rather than any single factor. Moreover, subsidies are a key factor that should be considered when reviewing the reasons for regional variations in organic farming.

Facilitating the participation of civil society in regional planning: Implementing quadruple helix model in Finnish regions

The engagement of a wide range of stakeholders has become a key element in regional planning, particularly in the development of regional research and innovation strategies for smart specialization (RIS3) in Europe. The quadruple helix model from the literature on regional innovation systems has been raised on the forefront of RIS3. This comes in spite of the fact that the literature surrounding the quadruple helix model (i.e., the collaboration among the university, industry, government, and civil society) is still in its infancy compared to the well-established triple helix model. Our paper addresses this gap and explores how regional authorities can facilitate the participation of the fourth helix (civil society) and ensure democracy of the participatory policy process. We adopted a grounded theory approach and collected primary data through interviews with regional authorities in Finland. Based on 28 interviews from all 18 Finnish mainland regions, we identified three mechanisms for facilitating the participation of civil society: information exchange, feedback, and co-creation. For policy-makers, our paper provides recommendations on how to overcome impediments in the engagement of civil society in regional planning.

A new bottom-up method for the standard analysis and comparison of workforce capacity in mental healthcare planning: Demonstration study in the Australian Capital Territory.

The aims of this study are to evaluate and describe mental health workforce and capacity, and to describe the relationship between workforce capacity and patterns of care in local areas. We conducted a comparative demonstration study of the applicability of an internationally validated standardised service classification instrument-the Description and Evaluation of Services and Directories-DESDE-LTC) using the emerging mental health ecosystems research (MHESR) approach. Using DESDE-LTC as the framework, and drawing from international occupation classifications, the workforce was classified according to characteristics including the type of care provided and professional background. Our reference area was the Australian Capital Territory, which we compared with two other urban districts in Australia (Sydney and South East Sydney) and three benchmark international health districts (Helsinki-Uusima (Finland), Verona (Italy) and Gipuzkoa (Spain)). We also compared our data with national level data where available. The Australian and Finnish regions had a larger and more highly skilled workforce than the southern European regions. The pattern of workforce availability and profile varied, even within the same country, at the local level. We found significant differences between regional rates of identified rates of psychiatrists and psychologists, and national averages. Using a standardised classification instrument at the local level, and our occupational groupings, we were able to assess the available workforce and provide information relevant to planners about the actual capacity of the system. Data obtained at local level is critical to providing planners with reliable data to inform their decision making.

Associations between gambling severity and criminal convictions: implications for the welfare state

This study addresses criminal convictions, social disadvantage and problem gambling as an interwoven set of problems. It makes use of data from a population-based gambling survey (n = 7,186) conducted in three Finnish regions. The survey data are combined with national registers to examine associations between sociodemographic factors and gambling severity, comparing persons with and without a criminal record. Gambling behavior included past-year (2016) gambling severity and perceived life-time problem gambling. Social disadvantage was assessed using sociodemographic factors such as education, employment status, level of income and receipt of basic social assistance. Logistic regression analysis showed that both past-year problem or pathological gambling (OR: 2.725) and perceived life-time gambling problems (OR: 2.363) were associated with having a conviction, compared to recreational gambling. Low education, unemployment, low income and receipt of basic social assistance were associated with receiving a conviction. When gender, age and sociodemographic factors were controlled for, odds ratios for both past-year gambling problems (OR: 1.223) and perceived life-time gambling problems (OR: 1.586) did not remain statistically significant. The current study suggests that preventive efforts against problem gambling and interventions in criminal justice systems should be expanded to incorporate the aim of reducing social disadvantage.

Русскоязычная иммиграция в Финляндию: новые формы, тенденции, последствия

Until the 1960s, Finland was more often the country of origin than the country of destination. Once a depressed area, it soon turned into a welfare state, becoming one of the most attractive countries for international migrants. Since Finland’s labour market and society are beset with demographic problems, the country gladly accepts labour migrants, particularly those from neighbouring states. Most EU immigrants coming to Finland are Estonians. Immigration from without the EU — from Russia and other former Soviet countries — has, however, an even greater potential. Non-EU immigration falls into several categories — from seasonal labour migration to the relocation of top specialists and entrepreneurs. Currently, family reunification, marriages, and student and labour migration account for most migration from Russia to Finland. This article attempts to study immigration to Finland from neighbouring countries, primarily from Russia. The result of the study is an analysis of principal channels of international migration to Finland. These are family reunification, student migration, top specialist relocation, and the expansion of Russian business. Finland is in dire need of healthcare specialists, researchers, business development and IT specialists, and other professionals. For example, Russia-bordering Finnish regions lack upper and middle-level healthcare specialists. The focus of the study is on the professional and socio-demographic structure of labour migration to Finland and the country’s migration policy on the adaptation and integration of Russian-speaking immigrants. The article gives a general picture of Finland’s migration policy on labour migration from Russia and other countries. In collecting and processing materials, data from official websites of Finland’s Migration Service and Employment Service, the database of Statistics Finland, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the Finnish National Agency for Education were used.

Management Practices and Allocation of Employment: Evidence from Finnish Manufacturing

We analyse variation in the management practices across countries and across regions within a country. For cross-country comparisons we use the Finnish Management and Organizational Practices Survey (FMOP) to calculate a management score for Finnish manufacturing that is compared to corresponding measures obtained from similar data in the US and Germany. Scores measured by unweighted averages of the establishments in these countries show that Finland is only slightly behind the US and on par with those of Germany. With the FMOP data, we then perform an Olley-Pakes decomposition of the management score using a moment-based estimation procedure. Our decomposition shows no statistically significant differences in the unweighted average scores between Finnish regions, but reveal some significant differences in the employment weighted averages (i.e. aggregate scores) that can be attributed to the differences in the allocation of the labour force between establishments within regions.

Accessibility of the near-border regional markets in Russia and Finland: Evaluation methodology and its application results

Regions of the Russian Federation significantly differ in many indicators of the social economic development. As a result, the Russian regions are characterized by a high level of differentiation. Geographic location is one of the factors which is recognized by many scholars to be a pivotal prerequisite in supporting the uneven distribution of regional development. In this context, special attention is paid to the near-border regions being the areas with a competitive advantage, that is, they have an opportunity to interact economically from their near-border location which, first of all, provides transport accessibility. What is more, the near-border regions possess specific features which affect their indicators in social economic development and can be explained by a greater accessibility of the regional market for the trans-border economic cooperation. Along with that, the review of the literature reveals that the accessibility of the regional market on the near-border territories is not examined enough. Thus, the purpose of the research is to develop the methodology aimed to evaluate the accessibility level of the regional market on the near-border territories and to develop a classification of regions by their periphery level. The object of the study was the regions in the Russian Federation and Finland, which are the territories with near-border location, the subject of research is the regions’ differentiation by the accessibility level of the regional markets on the near-border territories. The study is scientifically novel in its methodological tools for evaluating the accessibility level of the regional market, which identifies the role of geographical location in the region’s economic development. To achieve the given purpose, the authors applied the evaluation methods for the accessibility of the regional market, the methods being based on the Euclidian distance calculating tools and cluster analysis. The distance between the regions was found by the geographic coordinates – latitude and longitude – converted into kilometers and was the basis to construct a distance matrix and to calculate the periphery index of the regions in the Russian Federation and Finland, which accounts for the volume of regional market measures by the region’s population size. Thus, periphery index was offered to be calculated on the basis of synthesis of two indicators: geographic location of the regions from one another and the volume of the regional market. The obtained matrix of the distances helped to provide a comparative analysis of the geographic accessibility of the regional markets in the Russian and Finnish regions, their cartographic model was prepared, the model focuses on the regions which are periphery and may find it difficult to enter the market of other regions with their products. The regions in Finland are classified into central, semi-periphery, and periphery ones depending on the periphery index. It has been found that the territorial location of the Finnish regions matches the classical scheme of regions location by groups under W. Christaller’s approach “center-periphery”: remote regions are periphery, the regions closer to the central part are central ones. The Russian Federation regions are reasonably divided into central, semi-central, semi-periphery, and periphery, which is due to a greater geographic area. It has been revealed that the Russian regions show a significant gap in the periphery index. For example, the remote regions of the Far Eastern Federal District with their periphery index from 4000 to 8500 refer to the periphery regions. At the same time, some near-border regions go to the group of semi-central regions because geographically they are accessible for other regional markets, and the index periphery ranges from 1610 to 3000 (the Republic of Karelia, Leningrad Oblast). The development of the evaluation method to analyze the accessibility of the regional market of near-border territories and the results of its testing is theoretically and practically valuable since they expand methodological tools aimed to study the role of geographic location in the regions, economic development and could be applied to develop the strategies of inter-regional, trans-border, and international cooperation of the Russian Federation. Further research is connected with the justification and development of strategy for the international relationship between the near-border regions with regard to the accessibility of these regional markets, as well as identification of a set of measures of management impacts aimed to smooth out the differentiation level of the Russian economic space.

Nation-wide profile of women using hormonal contraception in Finland in 2017

Abstract Background Up to 69% of European women use contraception. Nordic countries have traditionally high levels of contraception use, of welfare and social equality. However, the uneven population distribution across the Finnish territory makes the easiness of access to health care structures and trained professionals an important issue in relation to effective contraception use. Understanding the patterns of contraception prescription and their underlying determinants is crucial to guarantee the best contraceptive option for each woman. Methods In Finland, users of hormonal contraception (HC) can be identified from register records only starting from 2017. This nationwide, register-based study includes all women with at least one HC prescription in 2017, and a reference cohort of non-users, matched by age and municipality. Through linkages to Finnish National Registers we retrieved sociodemographic data. We calculated national and regional rates and distributions, and compared distributions with t-test, Kruskal Wallis or Chi-squared test. Results The HC cohort included 294445 women aged 15-49 years (mean 28.9, SD 8.6), 25.8% of Finnish women of that age range. The majority of them were unmarried (71.8%) and employed (71.6%). Compared to non-users, HC users were more often unmarried, a cohabiting couple without common children, employed, had upper secondary or bachelor level education, and higher annual income (p < 0.001). Differences between HC users and non-users were non-homogenous across 70 Finnish regions. Conclusions These preliminary results show different sociodemographic correlates of HC use across Finnish regions. Our findings will guide public health strategies aimed at guaranteeing the best contraceptive option for each woman across the whole country. Key messages Sociodemographic correlates of HC use differ across Finnish regions. These differences may reflect differences in access to health care services, in prescribers’ characteristics and in HC methods.

Place leadership and the challenge of transformation: policy platforms and innovation ecosystems in promotion of green growth

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we explore how place leadership aims at producing transformational changes in the context of green growth. We ask what the main leadership strategies are that key actors pursue to gain leverage in their efforts to boost green growth. We use the well-known categories of transactional and transformational leadership. The following are the main research questions: (a) What do place leaders do to boost green institutional paths? (b) How do they aim to amplify their limited power base? and (c) How do they amplify their ability to influence both place-based and placeless agents? We scrutinize these questions in the context of green path development in two Finnish regions. The empirical study follows a two parallel single case study design. The cases in this paper deal with the cleantech-related path development in the Tampere city-region and bioeconomy-related path development in Central Finland. The two case studies were carefully chosen to illustrate the two main green growth-related industries in two different Finnish regions. The empirical data was based on 30 interviews of the national and local/regional development agencies as well as from firms and research/educational organizations. Additionally, the written material from the Internet, relevant journals, related newspaper articles and respective policy documents were analysed.

Genotyping and phylogenetic placement of Bacillus anthracis isolates from Finland, a country with rare anthrax cases

BackgroundAnthrax, the zoonotic disease caused by the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus anthracis, is nowadays rare in northern parts of Europe including Finland and Scandinavia. Only two minor outbreaks of anthrax in 1988 and in 2004 and one sporadic infection in 2008 have been detected in animals in Finland since the 1970’s. Here, we report on two Finnish B. anthracis strains that were isolated from spleen and liver of a diseased calf related to the outbreak in 1988 (strain HKI4363/88) and from a local scrotum and testicle infection of a bull in 2008 (strain BA2968). These infections occurred in two rural Finnish regions, i.e., Ostrobothnia in western Finland and Päijänne Tavastia in southern Finland, respectively.ResultsThe isolates were genetically characterized by PCR-based methods such as multilocus variable number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) and whole genome-sequence analysis (WGS). Phylogenetic comparison of the two strains HKI4363/88 and BA2968 by chromosomal single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis grouped these organisms within their relatives of the minor canonical A-branch canSNP-group A.Br.003/004 (A.Br.V770) or canonical B-branch B.Br.001/002, respectively. Strain HKI4363/88 clustered relatively closely with other members of the A.Br.003/004 lineage from Europe, South Africa, and South America. In contrast, strain BA2968 clearly constituted a new sublineage within B.Br.001/002 with its closest relative being HYO01 from South Korea.ConclusionsOur results suggest that Finland harbors both unique (autochthonous) and more widely distributed, common clades of B. anthracis. We suspect that members of the common clades such as strains HKI4363/88 have been introduced only recently by anthropogenic activities involving importation of contaminated animal products. On the other hand, autochthonous strains such as isolate BA2968 probably have an older history of their introduction into Finland as evidenced by a high number of single nucleotide variant sites in their genomes.

The state of knowledge management in logistics SMEs: evidence from two Finnish regions

ABSTRACTIn the present study, we report on the current state of knowledge management (KM) implementation in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in the logistics sector in Finland. In particular, we propose that KM practices could be utilised in the logistics industry to overcome threats from the competition and grasp opportunities presented by the current transitional period of on-going major changes such as digitalisation. Based on survey data collected in June 2017, we find that Finnish logistics SMEs focus on acquiring knowledge by recruiting and providing compensation for knowledge sharing, creation and utilisation. Conversely, there seems to be a lack of strategic approach towards management of knowledge resources, training, and development of employees and utilisation of modern information technology. Overall, logistics companies are in danger of underutilising their renewal capabilities and creative potential if they continue to overemphasise the traditional aspects of KM, such as acquiring knowledge through recruiting new employees.

Internationalization via export growth and specialization in Finnish regions

Finnish regions increased their exports in special industries from 1999 to 2013. This internationalization of industries in regions is measured by the adjusted Balassa’s revealed comparative advant...

Openness and Continuous Collaboration as the Foundation for Entrepreneurial Discovery Process in Finnish Regions

Entrepreneurial discovery process (EDP) is a bottom-up process engaging regional actors from academic, business, government and civil society together to identify new market opportunities and overcome the potential barriers to innovation. While EDP forms the key principle behind the smart specialization policy of European Commission, its operationalization has remained a challenge. We adopted a grounded theory approach to explore the dynamics of EDP through a case study in Finnish regions. Our aim is to identify the key underlying factors of EDP. Based on the semi-structured interviews with 10 Finnish regions during September 2016, we identified openness, engaging, focused networking and continuous collaboration as the key factors underlying EDP. Our findings contribute to the theoretical debate on what constitutes EDP in the context of smart specialization. We also provide examples for policymakers how to implement these factors based on our case study.