In the Impact Study of Sustainability, 4FRONT together with Technopolis Group assessed how Business Finland’s RDI funding has contributed to sustainability during the 2020–2025 strategy period.
The results show that sustainability has become an integral feature of innovation and competitiveness in companies. Around three quarters of all funded RDI projects already include sustainability objectives, and these projects tend to outperform others in environmental outcomes and export growth.
Public RDI funding clearly demonstrates strong additionality: many sustainability-oriented projects would not have materialised without it. At the same time, the study highlights that public funding practices have not yet fully caught up with this shift. Sustainability remains unevenly embedded in funding criteria, advisory services and impact measurement. Behavioural change among “follower” companies is still limited, and impact indicators largely track activities rather than outcomes.
The study also underlines the importance of systemic approaches to sustainability and the role of ecosystems and coordinated action in major transitions. Business Finland’s growing emphasis on leading companies, ecosystems and missions is well aligned with this direction, although their full impacts will take time to materialise.
Report: Impact study of sustainabilility. Unlocking the full potential of businesses
Picture: Business Finland
