Finnish entrepreneurship on the rise

Early-stage entrepreneurial activity has increased significantly in Finland in the last five years, indicates the 2008 research of Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). GEM surveys the entrepreneurial activity of 43 countries. The level of early-stage entrepreneurial activity in Finland is above the average among all innovation-driven economies. The prevalence rate for the established business ownership (businesses in operation for more than 42 months) in Finland ranks the country among the top of all the innovation-driven economies.

The GEM research, which was carried out for the tenth time last year, shows that in the comparison of the overall entrepreneurial activity of 18 innovation-driven economies Finland is in the sixth place. Among all the 43 GEM countries Finland ranks as the 13th, and among the Nordic countries as second. The 2008 overall entrepreneurial activity among the adult population was 16 per cent.

- Finnish entrepreneurship has definitely changed its course towards a more positive direction, and trust in entrepreneurship has increased. However, growth-driven entrepreneurship is still relatively scarce, comments Professor Anne Kovalainen from Turku School of Economics, which carried out the research.

The research shows that Finnish adult population is clearly the most active of all countries in attending entrepreneurship training. Up to 40 per cent of Finnish adults in working age have taken part in some form of entrepreneurial training after their basic vocational education.

GEM research in Finland is carried out annually and based on approximately 2000 interviews among the country’s adult population and 50 interviews of specialists. The implementation of the GEM research in Finland in 2008 was funded by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy and the Ministry of Education.

http://www.gemconsortium.org/