New research helps Finland develop preparedness and comprehensive security

The co-research project set out to examine which critical functions of society are essential under all conditions. It also studied future trends and drivers of change that impact critical functions of society. According to the research report, a shift towards a holistic approach is needed: criticality in society is not a fixed list of services and infrastructure but a changing context-dependent phenomenon that emerges from needs and interdependencies. The report presents eleven recommendations for assessing critical functions. “The research gives an up-to-date overview of the critical functions of our society and of their interdependencies and future trends. Its premise is a shift towards a dynamic and holistic approach where the interdependencies of functions make disruptions in one function spread to others. The research has produced valuable information that we can use in strategic planning and decision-making and to improve our comprehensive security. All this will make our society better prepared,” says Janne Kuusela , Chair of the Security Committee and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence. Petteri Korvala , Chair of the Monitoring Group for the research project and