Our most popular stories in 2022

As 2022 draws to a close, let’s take a look of the five stories that resonated the most with our readers over the last 12 months. Enjoy the recap!

Wondering what sparked the curiosity of our readers in previous years? Take a look at our lists from 2021 and 2020.

FINLAND CONTINUES TO PRODUCE EDUCATIONAL IDEAS

Finland is living up to its reputation for education excellence, and this article cast a spotlight on Finnish edtech companies that have been keeping themselves busy with improving learning outcomes around the world.

The article introduced edtech startups that graduated last spring from EdTech Incubator Helsinki, loaded with energy and useful insights to grow their ideas into valuable, scalable and internationally appealing businesses.

Among other industry advances mentioned in the article were fresh partnerships for New Nordic Schools in Brazil, as well as for Mightifier in Malaysia and Bermuda. Espoo-based Funzi, in turn, was boosted by a three million-euro investment to speed up its growth into new markets, and Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence (FCAI) joined forces with the Finnish Indian Consortia for Research and Education to launch a course designed to facilitate the utilisation of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

FINLAND WORKS TO RETAIN ITS INTERNATIONAL TALENT

Finland is doing its best to attract international talent and also finds it no less crucial to retain the international talent already residing here. In this article, we took a look at the numerous services available in Finland for international talent looking to climb the career ladder or pursue entrepreneurship.

“We believe that the professional integration of foreigners is a game-changer for making Finland globally competitive,” said Jessi Christian, head of marketing at The Shortcut, a Helsinki-based non-profit supporting international talent in professional integration. In early 2022, The Shortcut launched Spark Academy, a free entrepreneurship programme targeted at women and non-binary people.

Aalto University’s International Talent Programme and Åbo Akademi University’s CareerContact programme are targeted at international students seeking professional mentorship and networking in Finland. Startup Refugees focuses on the fast integration of asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants into the Finnish labour market, while Tampere-based Hidden Gems aims to ensure that expatriates’ spouses can establish their social identity and build careers in Finland.

NATURAL COSMETICS

Part of our Five from Finland series, this article highlighted five Finnish brands bringing the best out of what nature has to offer to create high-performance cosmetics that are kind to both the skin and the planet.

Luonkos’ face cleansing and body care cakes, Havu Cosmetics’ bio-based lip products, Henua Organics’ premium skin care line, Hetkinen’s forest-inspired balms and butters and HAVUKA’s artisan cosmetics based on Elias Lönnrot’s recipes represent a winning combination of pure natural ingredients and profound expertise in the beauty industry.

“The time for synthetic cosmetics is beginning to be over,” predicted Jenni Tuominen, director of product development at Henua Organics. “I want to believe that people want to use more organic products that do good to the skin and do not burden the environment.”

QUARTET FROM FINLAND MAKES IT TO FORBES' 30 UNDER 30 LIST FOR EUROPE

Illustrating the power that young entrepreneurs and leaders have to reinvent business and society, Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for Europe this year featured four Finland-based entrepreneurs. They are having an impact on technology, manufacturing and industry, media and marketing, and retail and e-commerce.

Iranthi Gomes, a Sri Lankan living in Finland, is a co-founder of Serviceform, a startup offering a suite of 13 tools that customers can use to convert website traffic, communicate with customers, manage marketing processes and run email marketing campaigns. Tuomas Hooli is CEO of Winda Energy, a wind farm developer with capabilities in project development, construction and operation.

Representing the media and marketing category was Jesse Pyy, founding partner of Bou, a branding agency working with a freelance roster of 1 000 across 30 countries. Meanwhile, Ere Partanen was recognised for his involvement in the success story of The Long Drink Company.

REPORT: FINLAND MAKING BEST PROGRESS TOWARD SDGS

Finland has been continuously moving toward achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and was recognised in early 2022 as the European and global pacemaker for sustainable development.

In the European Sustainable Development Report 2021, prepared by teams of independent experts at the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), Finland landed the top spot with an overall score of 80.75.

Finland’s EU-leading result indicates that the country has achieved or is on track to achieve seven of the 17 goals: no poverty; quality education; affordable and clean energy; decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation and infrastructure; reduced inequalities; and sustainable cities and communities.