Finland’s development policy has traditionally focused on gender issues, education, and climate. But now, as part of a new policy released last year, the country is also prioritizing digitalization and connectivity.
“We are combining the ‘green transition’ with the digital effects,” Ville Skinnari, Finland’s minister for development cooperation and foreign trade, told Devex. The country can differentiate itself as a development actor when it comes to innovation both in the technology sector and with social innovations, he said.
Finland views digitalization as a key enabler of some of its educational and other priorities, and it is ramping up investments in the sector through its development finance institution, the Finnish Fund For Industrial Cooperation — better known as Finnfund — Skinnari said. He was recently in Washington, meeting with U.S. officials to explore forthcoming partnerships on issues of digitalization and the green transition, as well as gender-based investments.