Extractive waste and other mineral waste account for three quarters of all waste generated annually in Finland. In its final report, the working group exploring ways to utilise extractive waste proposed eight measures to remove obstacles to utilisation.

Minister of Economic Affairs Wille Rydman will attend the annually organised PDAC, the world’s largest mineral exploration and mining event, and the meeting of mining ministers in Toronto, Canada on 3-4 March 2024. The main theme of the meeting will be responsible mining and the clean transition.

Minister of Economic Affairs Wille Rydman will attend a ministerial meeting of the future minerals Forum in Saudi Arabia on 9.1.2024.The Forum offers an opportunity to present Finnish mining expertise to the Saudi Arabian, African and Asian markets. During the Forum, the Minister together with Finnish mining and mineral industry operators will attend events to promote bilateral trade and investment relations and partnership projects. The Minister will also meet his key colleagues in Saudi Arabia.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has appointed a steering group to prepare a minerals strategy in accordance with the Government Programme. Kimmo Tiilikainen, Director General of the Geological Survey of Finland, will chair the steering group. The strategy will be completed at the end of 2024..

Maarit Merla has been appointed Managing Director of Finnish Drug Discovery Center Ltd. She will start in the position on 1 January 2024. Finnish Drug Discovery Center Ltd is a wholly state-owned company with special assignment, which belongs to the administrative branch of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and falls under its ownership steering. The company serves universities and research institutes, operators in clinical drug research and companies in the sector across Finland.