Finland Investor Confidence Barometer 2026: Companies in Finland Are Ready to Grow
The Finland Investor Confidence Barometer 2026 sends a clear message: companies already operating in Finland are ready to grow. According to the survey, 54% of respondents expect their workforce in Finland to increase over the next two years, and 44% plan to raise their R&D investments. Among large foreign-owned companies, the share planning to increase R&D investment rises to 49%.
The results underline the importance of foreign-owned companies to Finland’s economy. Although they account for only around 1% of companies operating in Finland, they generate a much larger economic impact through jobs, exports, value added, tax revenues, and R&D activity.
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Originally published on 12 Mar
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Hurtigruten is launching a new sailing from Copenhagen to Tromsø via North Cape as one of three new routes along Norway’s coast. The new itinerary gives Scandinavians and international travelers the opportunity to journey from the continent to the Arctic, with stops in some of Norway’s most iconic coastal towns and natural areas.
Demand from Scandinavia is growing strongly. The number of Danish customers has increased by 17 percent from 2024 to 2025, while the number of Swedish travelers has grown by 20 percent during the same period.
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Originally published on 12 Feb
Estonia’s defence sector is making rounds even beyond Europe, and this week has demonstrated its digital capabilities at the World Defence Show in Riyadh. According to the official press release, the delegation members have secured three memoranda of understanding with regional and international partners.
The agreements, signed during the 13 February 2026 event, included partnerships between Threod Systems and Saudi Arabia’s First Shield, DefSecIntel Solutions and Oman’s The Armored Group, and Frankenburg Technologies and South Korea’s Hanwha. The deals cover autonomous systems, surveillance, counter-unmanned aircraft systems (counter-UAS), and digitally integrated defence technologies.
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Originally published on 13 Feb
Chambers & Partners has published the Chambers Global Guide 2026, once again recognising Ellex among the leading law firms in the Baltics in Corporate/Commercial and Dispute Resolution.
The 2026 results reflect the strength of Ellex as one integrated Baltic team, combining top-tier department rankings with broad individual recognition across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
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Originally published on 13 Feb
On Sunday, 15 February 2026, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), and the CBSS Secretariat will jointly host a roundtable side event at this year’s Munich Security Conference (MSC 2026). The session will focus on countering hybrid threats in the Baltic Sea Region.
The session will be chaired by Dr Gustav Lindström, Director General of the CBSS Secretariat, and is due to include interventions from Mr Radosław Sikorski (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, and Chair of the CBSS), Ms Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir (Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland), Mr Espen Barth Eide (Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway), and Mr Martin Roger (Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia).
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Originally published on 13 Feb
Latvian space technology startup Deep Space Energy has raised €350,000 in pre-seed funding from two sources: firstly the local Outlast Fund and secondly from Linas Sargautis, co-founder of the Lithuanian space startup NanoAvionics (now Kongsberg NanoAvionics).
Space technology startup Deep Space Energy has raised €350,000 in pre-seed funding from two sources: firstly the local Outlast Fund and secondly from Linas Sargautis, co-founder of the Lithuanian space startup NanoAvionics (now Kongsberg NanoAvionics).
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Originally published on 13 Feb
NIB has agreed on a credit facility of up to EUR 50 million with SIA Rīgas ūdens to support a 2025–2028 investment programme for wastewater treatment and clean-water infrastructure. The aim is to improve service reliability and quality and to cut non-revenue water.
The total programme cost is EUR 235 million and is also co-financed by a EUR 70 million loan from the European Investment Bank, as well as funding raised through green bond issuances.
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Originally published on 12 Feb
Strong and durable collaboration between cultural actors and tourism stakeholders across Northern Sweden and Northern Finland could play an important role in strengthening regional development in the Bothnian Arc. This conclusion is presented in a new white paper produced within the ACCENT project, a cross-border collaboration between the University of Oulu, Luleå University of Technology, LTU Business, and the Oulu Culture Foundation.
The white paper, Opening pathways to sustainable cultural tourism in the North, presents evidence-based insights from the ACCENT project on how culture-led tourism can support sustainable regional development across Northern Sweden and Northern Finland.
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Originally published on 9 Feb
Students from technical schools in the Pomeranian region, specializing in renewable energy, have embarked on a unique educational journey into the offshore wind industry. Launched by Equinor and Polenergia, the “Setting the Course for Offshore” program opens the door for young people to the world of offshore wind – one of the fastest-growing sectors of the Polish economy.
The program is delivered in cooperation with partners: Pomeranian Employers, the Polish Offshore Wind Energy Chamber, Rumia Invest Park, and the Pomeranian Offshore Renewable Energy Competence Centre.
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Originally published on 9 Feb
Last week, Rail Baltica hosted a delegation from Port Polska during a working visit to Riga. Port Polska is a Polish state-owned special purpose vehicle (SPV) responsible for the delivery of a strategic national transport infrastructure programme with strong European added value and global impact.
The visit focused on knowledge exchange related to the delivery of large-scale European transport infrastructure projects. Discussions covered grant management under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), institutional capacity building, financing models, and the practical challenges associated with the implementation of complex cross-border rail projects.
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Originally published on 11 Feb
The Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) invites proposals for projects focusing on strengthening security and resilience in the Baltic Sea Region under its Project Support Facility (PSF) 2026 call, which opens on 15 February 2026. Applications will be accepted until 31 March 2026.
The PSF 2026 call seeks innovative projects that foster understanding, cooperation, and mutual trust, contributing to a safer, more resilient, and sustainable region. Proposals should align with one of the CBSS’s three long-term priority areas, promoting sustainable partnerships and macro-regional cooperation.
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Originally published on 5 Feb