Finland's Innovation Must Become Ownership
Why Finland's R&D excellence needs to translate into global companies and visible brands.
Wow. This is truly an incredible achievement.
And more importantly, it shows the real strength of Finland.
This kind of success highlights what Finland is actually good at: software, hardware, science, and R&D. The country has an enormous amount of deep technical knowledge, long-term research experience, and engineering culture. This is not new — it has been built over decades.
What bothered me in recent years was this:
Finland increasingly acting only as an outsourced R&D center for other companies and countries. Finnish teams doing world-class work, but someone else owning the product, the brand, and the long-term value.
That is why achievements like this matter so much.
This is the kind of development Finland can truly own, stand behind, and export to the world. Not just talent, not just labor, but products, companies, and visions that are born here and grow from here.
For the future of the country, this is critical.
Innovation without ownership is not enough
This point should be emphasized more clearly:
Finland already has incredible scientific, technological, and R&D capabilities. But without strong companies, visible brands, and global products, the benefit to the country stays far below its real potential.
When innovation turns into ownership, companies, and exports, the impact multiplies. Jobs stay in the country. Knowledge stays. Experience accumulates. Confidence grows. The ecosystem gets stronger.
That is why initiatives like this should be supported even more.
Institutions, public bodies, investors, universities — all of them should continue to support and actively encourage these kinds of ventures. Not just with words, but with real commitment, long-term thinking, and courage.
Finland does not lack talent.
Finland does not lack ideas.
Finland does not lack technical depth.
What it needs more of is successful, visible, globally competitive companies that carry this knowledge forward and turn it into lasting value.
Congratulations to Marko Lehtimäki and Donut Lab.
This is exactly the kind of success Finland needs — and should replicate.