What does Southwest Finland bring to the bigger picture?

Earlier this year, I presented Southwest Finland’s new strategy and was asked how it differs from the strategies of other Finnish regions. I found this frustrating, as I could not answer the question. I had been so focused on our own strengths that I had not made the comparison.

The question stayed with me. Since then, I have explored the topic further and now know that although regional strategies in Finland are broadly similar, Southwest Finland clearly has its own distinct profile. What sets us apart in particular are our westward orientation, the Archipelago Sea, our innovation priorities, and our implementation and monitoring model.

The West and Nordic cooperation guide the entire strategy

Southwest Finland’s vision is to act as a bridge-builder connecting the whole of Finland to the West. We emphasise broad Nordic and continental European cooperation, aiming to create a unified economic area between the Nordic capitals. Alongside mental, business and cultural connections, we are also actively exploring the possibility of a fixed link to Stockholm. This is an ambitious and impactful long-term initiative, also important from the perspective of security of supply.

Other Finnish regions are of course not confined within their borders either—internationalisation is a core element of all strategies. However, the weight that Southwest Finland places specifically on Nordic and westward cooperation is exceptional and represents a stronger strategic choice than in most other regions.

Our location by the Archipelago Sea is visible and tangible

All Finnish regions emphasise sustainability and environmental values in their strategies, and many align their actions with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. However, Southwest Finland’s strategy includes a distinctive focus: improving the condition of our local sea area. Our goal is to remove the Archipelago Sea from HELCOM’s hotspot list. Equally important is our ambition to be nature-positive—meaning actively improving the state of nature, not just minimising or halting biodiversity loss. At least six other regions share this goal.

Many objectives that strengthen regional vitality, both in Southwest Finland and elsewhere, will require careful assessment of their overall impacts. We must accept that human activity has consequences, and even careful planning does not eliminate all environmental effects. Still, our strategy clearly states that development in Southwest Finland should aim for solutions that are as positive as possible in economic, social and environmental terms.

Internationally competitive development work

Regional strategies address business, employment, education, tourism and culture, and increasingly, regional innovation. In regional development, innovations are not only products but also social services that address societal challenges.

Southwest Finland has five key innovation priorities: maritime industry, food innovations, health solutions, smart solutions, and sustainable business development. In these areas we are internationally competitive, and we find similar priorities both elsewhere in Finland and among European regions.

Connected value chains create new opportunities! Interestingly, well over half of Finland’s regions identify bioeconomy and circular economy as a particular strength. In Southwest Finland, this theme falls under sustainable business development. This is a welcome shared ground, provided each region finds its own angle within it.

Leading the way in implementation and monitoring

In preparation for the upcoming anniversary year of the City of Turku, we have been identifying areas where we can still be pioneers. Beyond the strategy’s content, our Regional Developer Forum is a unique structure among implementation models for regional strategies. Sometimes I wonder whether we ourselves fully appreciate this. Other regions also have effective networks and working groups, but to my knowledge they are not as structurally embedded. It may not be perfect—but it is still significant.
In line with our strategy, we also aim to remain agile, maintaining the ability to adapt to changes in the operating environment.

Alongside implementation, we have invested heavily in monitoring. In our new strategy, we introduced the EVP index (vitality, attractiveness, retention) developed in our region. This allows us to compare our potential with other regions more comprehensively than traditional statistics. Monitoring is also carried out through qualitative evaluation, open barometer surveys, and portfolio approaches.

Ultimately, it comes down to feeling

Facts, analysis and models are important, but I believe that emotion determines our commitment to shared strategies and programmes: do the words feel natural, and do they evoke positive associations? Visualisation supports this, and Finnish regions have clearly invested in this aspect.
In Southwest Finland, we want our visual identity to emphasise that the strategy belongs to everyone. On the cover, a heart beats—moving, in my interpretation, on shared waves—and inside you will find a curious lifelong learner, an enthusiastic innovator, and a well-being-oriented and courageous partner, among many other characters.

So, are all regions alike—dull or grey? No. Our strategic documents convey each region’s unique ambition, passion and sense of humour. In Southwest Finland, we have a strong direction of our own—and our own way of building partnerships.