In post-Nokia Finland, entrepreneurship became the goal: dissertation

Startup entrepreneurship In Finland it is considered a new and revolutionary phenomenon. However, the roots of startup entrepreneurship date back to the 1990s. Henri Koskinen, M.Sc. At the same time, startup entrepreneurship has changed the perception of entrepreneurship. -Entrepreneurship is seen not only as an independent, disciplined work, but also as a relaxed, cozy sense of unity and vibrancy, Koskinen says.

In recent years, startups have become familiar to Finns, thanks to the Slush startup event and successful Finnish companies such as Rovio, Supercell and Wolt. For many, startup entrepreneurship is like a passionate and creative tech entrepreneur who is revolutionizing the Finnish economy and entrepreneurship.

However, Henri Koskinen’s dissertation in the field of sociology shows that startup entrepreneurship is a continuation of the long-standing changes in Finnish economy and society.

In his research, Koskinen analyzed the implications given to entrepreneurship in the Finnish Government Program from 1979 to 2015, Finnish University Entrepreneurship, and Finnish Startup Guidebooks and Nonfiction Books in the 2010s. I am. We analyzed the material to find out what kind of “ideal entrepreneur” the text is creating.

-Start-up entrepreneurship encapsulates the change in meaning of entrepreneurship that has already begun at the turn of the 21st century, Koskinen says.
During the 21st century, entrepreneurship was increasingly seen as an innovative and highly skilled activity that generated economic growth.

In 21st century political discourse, entrepreneurship no longer means a particular way of working, but is part of the idea of ​​creating economic growth through innovation. Growth entrepreneurship plays a major role. According to Koskinen, the ideal entrepreneur is beginning to resemble an innovative startup entrepreneur.

Behind this, Finland transformed into a so-called knowledge economy in the latter half of the 20th century, aiming to compete with advanced know-how, innovation and new technologies.

In the knowledge economy, universities are more closely integrated with the competitiveness of the state, and in recent years universities have sought to promote entrepreneurship in many ways. For example, various business accelerators, incubators, and communities have been established in connection with universities.

-In such an environment, entrepreneurship is considered especially startup entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is not only passion and self-fulfillment, but also inspiring teamwork, Koskinen says.

Also, in Finnish startup guides and nonfiction literature, startup entrepreneurship is set as the opposite of traditional Finnish thinking as well as traditional entrepreneurship. According to Koskinen, this conflict is an important part of self-understanding of startup entrepreneurship.

-Entrepreneurship is not only an independent and disciplined work, but also a relaxed, cozy sense of unity and vibrancy, Koskinen says.

At the same time, the start-up entrepreneurial spirit is presented as a necessary direction for the new reality after Nokia’s collapse.

-But Finland’s entrepreneurship is very fragmented. Entrepreneurship is made up of farmers, self-employed people, and many employers. According to Koskinen, the majority of Finnish companies are still one in the traditional industry.

There are few start-ups, and the importance of start-ups in the labor market and the economy as a whole is far less than noticeable to the general public. Therefore, it is important to take a critical look at what entrepreneurship means in a given context and what goals it is used to pursue.

-Frankly, when promoting entrepreneurship in a festive speech, it can be said that it doesn’t mean you want more taxi drivers and beauticians, Koskinen says. ..

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Henri Koskinen, M.Sc., wrote his dissertation, “Towards a Startup-Finland? Saturday, May 14, 2022, 12:00 noon, for a public inspection at the University of Turku,” Post-Industrial Changes in Entrepreneurship in Finland. Meaning to do “(University of Turku, Publicum, Pub 1 Lecture Hall, Assistantinkatu 7, Turku).Papers can also be followed remotely Here..

The opponent is a professor Eva Yokinen (University of Eastern Finland) And Kastos is Professor Suvi Salmenniemi (University of Turku). The event is in Finnish. The field of dissertation is sociology.

The University of Turku is actively monitoring the status of the coronavirus and the instructions of the authorities. The university will update the guidelines as needed. Instructions and links can be found at utu.fi/koronavirus.