The reform of the Team Finland international network aims to clarify customer services

The ministerial working group on employment and entrepreneurship decided on renewing the management structure of the Team Finland network and integrating the foreign activities of Business Finland into the Foreign Service on 14 June 2024.

Minister of Economic Affairs Wille Rydman and Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio has appointed Elina Björklund (M.Sc., Economics), Chairperson of the Board of Reima Group, to serve as the rapporteur preparing the reform of the Team Finland network of business services abroad to integrate the foreign functions of Business Finland with the Foreign Service.

The ministers also appointed a working group to support the rapporteur. Its members include Senior Ministerial Adviser Maija Lönnqvist (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment), Under-Secretary of State Jarno Syrjälä (Ministry for Foreign Affairs), Senior Ministerial Adviser Johanna von Knorring-Rosenlew (Ministry of Finance), Director Risto Vuohelainen (Business Finland), Director of International Affairs & Trade Päivi Pohjanheimo (Finland Chamber of Commerce), Director Timo Vuori (Confederation of Finnish Industries) and Director Harri Jaskari (Federation of Finnish Enterprises).

Business Finland and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs are implementing the change in such a way that the process does not affect the customer service experience nor does the service path suffer. After the change, Finnish companies will receive even clearer and more efficient service for internationalization and increasing exports.

The reasoning of the decision is based on two main aspects

First, the importance of trade and export promotion is increasing, trade and policy are increasingly intertwined, and this trend is expected to continue.

Secondly, resources are scarce. Having two separate and parallel organizations abroad was not seen as most efficient structure. Also when international relations, market knowledge and business know-how is combined, we can offer more holistic services to Finnish companies.

More information

Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland press release 14.6.2024:
Changes to management structure and foreign functions of Team Finland network