PR TIMES AFRICA PRTimesAfrica (March 2016) | Page 54

of books borrowed (18 per person per annum)
with a public library available in every municipal-
ity.
HEALTH FOCUS
Huge investment outlays in research, over the
years, has moved Finland to the top of the ladder
in healthcare as Finns are some the healthiest
people on earth with life expectancy having
improve from about 68years in 1960 to 80years
currently. This is as a result of innovations in
healthcare management and greater awareness
on the benefits of healthy lifestyles from the gov-
ernment. The Finnish healthcare system provides
a holistic and high quality service from pre-birth
and new born/post-birth to specialist care for
the aged. One of the most important Finnish
health innovations isn’t the many new technol-
ogies & innovations but a simple box (known as
the “baby box”) which is given to each expectant
mother, with all relevant items for a new born,
while the baby also gets to sleep in the box.
INNOVATION ECONOMY
Finland has redesigned its economic map from
the time of its independence in1917 when ser-
vices comprised 30% of GDP to the year 2010
when services contributed 70% of GDP. For al-
most 20 years Finland’s economy grew in tandem
with its global mobile phone manufacturer, Nokia,
however Nokia’s demise has birthed a number
of Finnish start-up businesses based on tech-
nology innovations. From Rovio’s popular game,
Angry Birds, to Eniram software that helps cut
fuel consumption in commercial shipping, many
of Finland’s start-ups are dominated by youths
who are just starting out in working life. There
is a strong focus on mentorship and support
systems for start-ups with the annual, chief of
which is the annual Slush event in Helsinki, which
is a platform for entrepreneurs and tech talent
to meet with top tier investors and media. The
2015 edition which held in November had 15,000
attendees from attendees all over the world,
including 1700 start-ups, 800 venture capitalists
and 630 journalists.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
COUNTRY
FACTS
Finland is also a pioneer in effective and sustain-
able environmental and natural resources man-
agement, in a world that only ever thinks about
mindless consumption of natural resources with-
out recourse to the effects of such choices on
the environment and future generations. Finland
ensures that its forest reserves, which is the ma-
jor natural resource, is sustainably managed by
ensuring that what is produced is more than that
which is harvested. With a vision to become a
key player in the emerging bioeconomy the Finns
have made huge investment outlays and hold ex-
pertise in the fields of Biorefining, Water Manage-
ment and chemistry, solid waste management
& recycling. While a European Union directive
against dumping of textile waste in land fill sites
comes into effect in January, 2016, Finns have
been in the cutting edge of resea