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4 Eur. Networks L. & Reg. Q. 48 (2016)
Digital Competitiveness in Finland and Its Driving Forces

handle is hein.journals/enlr4 and id is 51 raw text is: 48 | Country Reports Finland Digital Competitiveness in Finland and its Driving Forces Pdl Beldayesi* 1. Introduction - The Research This article completes the in-depth research into Swe- den's and Finland's digital competitiveness.' Finland's world class performance, in several aspects of inter national competitiveness, is hard to combat. In par ticular, the status of the country's digital evolution is impressively ahead of most of the European Union Member States. Digital competitiveness is an essen- tial element of a country's international competitive- ness; and Finland, in this respect, is also aworld leader. This input tries to contribute to the understand- ing of the reasons for this phenomenon.2 The research focused on the factors behind Fin- land's digital competitiveness and, in particular, the role that different national institutions play in it. This final study introduces how the national digital agen- da is planned, what influence it has on businesses and local authorities, and analyses the role of the na- tional sector regulator in the process. The preliminary assumptions were that where there is a strong nation- al regulator, the digital agenda is better implement- ed, and businesses perceive a stouter impact of cen- tral digital planning. This, in return could encode higher digital evolution, literacy and the uptake of the advancement of digital economies. As the research results show, this assumption, partly, was overturned. Lecturer, John Cabot University, Rome; Lecturer, Kroli Gispir University of the Reformed Church, Budapest. 1 See P Bel6nyesi, 'Digital Competitiveness and Digital Evolution - Why Are Nordic Countries Ahead?'(201 5) 3 ENLR, 215-222. 2 The research was, in part, supported by the 2015 Faculty Development Grant of John Cabot University, Rome. The author is affiliated with the university as a member of the Eco- nomics and Finance, and the Business Administrations Facul- ties. 3 During the interviews, I was assisted by the representatives of the Finnish authorities. Thank you: Johnny Holmstrdm (City of Por- voo), Martin Andersson (Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority, FICORA), Marko Lahtinen (Finnish Federation for Communications and Teleinformatics, FiCom), Pauli Pullinen and Kari Ojala (Ministry of Transport and Communications). The information in the study is being provided as summaries of what the discussions contained. As this provides room for personal The contextual research was complemented by on- site interviews in Finland, in October 2015.3 11. Finland's Competitiveness Finland's economic growth has taken off at a slow pace after the financial crisis: following a decreasing negative growth in 2013, as of early 2015, economic progress has taken an upward slope.4 According to the European Commission's (the Commission) pro- jections, the pace of the country's economic develop- ment should continue to increase in 2016. Other macroeconomic indicators are reassuring, too: infla- tion is modest, around 1%, unemployment is stable at 9%, and public debt is relatively low, while the country's current account balance is close to zero.s Nevertheless, the Commission recommended that Finland brought the excessive deficit below 3%,6 and that it adjusted its fiscal sustainability gap. Similarly, the Commission suggested that Finland increased its productivity and effectiveness of the public services. Finland - with a per capita GDP of E35.ooo - ranks first in the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Europe 2020 Index, too, and it has been among the top coun- tries for the past years.8 It ranks number one among the EU Member States also on the Smart Growth Sub- interpretations, they do not necessarily represent the intervie- wees' views. 4 European Commission, Economic and Financial Affairs, Finland, available at <http://ec.europa.eu/economy-finance/eu/countries/ finland-en.htm> Last accessed on 11 March 2016. 5 Ibid. 6 From 3.2% in 2014 and from a projected 3.4% in 2015. 7 National recommendations - Finland, Brussels, 13. May 2015 (COM(201 5)275 final), available at <http://ec.europa.eu/ europe2020/pdf/csr201 5/csr21 5finland-en.pdf> Last accessed on 11 March 2016. 8 World Economic Forum, 'The Europe 2020 Competitiveness Report - Building a More Competitive Europe', 13, available at <http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEFEurope2020 _CompetitivenessReport_2014.pdf> Last accessed on 11 March 2016. ENLR 1| 2016

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