HIWE project has started 1.10.2022

HIWE project has started 1.10.2022

The High-skilled Internationals: Bottom-up Insights into Policy Innovation for Work and Entrepreneurship in Finland (HIWE) project has started in October 1, 2022. The research project is funded by Business Finland through the Innovation and Growth Research call. The two-year project is implemented together with the University of Turku, Turku School of Economics. The research consortium led by Associate Professor Tero Montonen of the University of Eastern Finland.

The HIWE project will provide research insights is into international talents’ experience of life and work in Finland. It will also look into the potential gaps between this experience and current innovation policies.

The project uses qualitative methods to generate new insights. The project will interview a large set of different groups representing highly skilled international talent across health and pharma, ICT and engineering, as well as the internatioanl business and tourism industries. It also maps key actors and activities supporting international talent in Finland and synthesises existing policies.

A key takeaway of the project will be developing and testing a novel way of formulating innovation policy in a collaborative process with multiple stakeholders. To challenge top-down approaches in policy making, the project engages key policy actors in a co-creative bottom-up process together with international talent.

One of the main outcomes of the HIWE project is a collaborative governance model for policy innovation with increased societal impact. The project also co-creates Policy Briefs and a Roadmap for Action to improve the conditions for international talent to work, innovate and establish companies in Finland.