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.

At the informal meeting of the EU competitiveness ministers on 21 July 2020, ministers responsible for research and innovation will discuss the EU’s ability to use research and innovation as a tool to address the current and future challenges in society. Three EU initiatives proposed by the German Presidency will serve as a basis for these discussions. State Secretary Kimmo Tiilikainen will represent Finland at the meeting on behalf of Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä.

On 17 June 2020, the Government submitted a legislative proposal to Parliament in which it proposed a reform in the system used to measure and bill district heating, district cooling and water consumption.