Assessment: The Team Finland operating model has clearly improved – the internal division of tasks and the service promise must be further clarified

The determined promotion of exports and internationalisation in Finnish business life is increasingly important. An efficiently operating Team Finland network plays a key role in this. According to an assessment published by the Government’s analysis, assessment and research activities on 6 June, the operating model of the network has clearly developed but there is still room for improvement in the network activities.

Especially SMEs and midcap companies that operate on the international market have benefitted from export promotion services, in particular over the short term, and have managed to increase their exports to new markets faster than other companies. On the other hand, the analysis did not find statistically significant impacts with regard to turnover, added value and productivity. However, indications of longer-term impacts on companies’ business operations could be detected in the qualitative assessment.

The Team Finland operating model and the network’s customer guidance have clearly developed, which has improved the impacts yielded by internationalisation services. There is still room for improvement in the network’s internal division of tasks and flow of information and the service promise still needs clarification. In addition, private-sector internationalisation services are not used efficiently enough as part of the Team Finland network. According to the assessment, the challenges related to the guidance and operations of the network can nevertheless be solved on the basis of the current operating model.

In the future, it is important to continue to develop the knowledge base of the impact monitoring and assessment of internationalisation services and the Team Finland network.

Recommendations for developing the operating model

The assessment recommends the following actions, among other things, for developing the Team Finland operating model. Some of the recommendations have already been promoted in the ongoing internal development work of the network:

• Sharper focus for the network’s strategic targets
• Clarification of the network’s service promise and service offering
• Intensification of mutual cooperation and exchange of information in the network
• More systematic integration of joint Team Finland targets with performance guidance
• Development of the division of tasks and exchange of information in the international network
• Clarification of the role of regional operators as part of the national operating model and sharing of the good practices of regional operating models
• More efficient linking of private internationalisation services as part of the service offering of the Team Finland network
• Stronger linking of investments and talent attraction as part of the promotion of exports and internationalisation
• Strengthening of the knowledge base of the Team Finland network’s impact assessment

The assessment was conducted by 4FRONT Ltd and Etlatieto Oy Ltd.

Inquiries: Vesa Salminen, Managing Director, 4FRONT Ltd, tel. +358 40 1252 370, vesa.salminen(at)4front.fi, Ilkka Ylhäinen, Researcher, Etlatieto Oy Ltd, tel. +358 50 413 3783, ilkka.ylhainen(at)etla.f and Anne Rothovius, Chair of the assessment project steering group, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 29 5063 532, firstname.lastname(at)gov.fi

The Government’s joint analysis, assessment and research activities (VN TEAS) produce data used to support decision-making, everyday operations and knowledge-based management. They are guided by the Government’s annual plan for analysis, assessment and research. The content of the reports published in the publication series of the Government’s analysis, assessment and research activities is the responsibility of the producers of the data in question and does not necessarily represent the view of the Government. For more information, visit https://tietokayttoon.fi/en.