Finns who move abroad often complain on social media about their struggle with bureaucracy, complete with: “So missing Finnish officials!”. The value of functional bureaucracy is not often seen until it is gone. Of course Helsinki has its shortcomings when thinking about talents who get to choose between cities. Särelä mentions a Stockholm-based friend, who when visiting Helsinki always notices how few foreigners there seem to be. “It’s the main reason my friend doesn’t want to move here.”
A
bout 15 per cent of Helsinki’s residents come from outside Finland. Although the figure is on the increase, there are still practices in place in Finland that favor its own citizens in getting jobs, such as a so-called means test. Considering the advantages of internationalization and networking, this can be seen as shortsighted. Where the 1900s were still governed by agreements between states, world trade is now largely based on urban networks. It is in the interest of cities to raise their profile in networks. Cities may not be able to influence geography, but they can influence their role. Let’s take the plan for a tunnel between Helsinki and Tallinn as an example – a dream of Helsinki city planning, and an expensive but appealing idea. Särelä says that if Helsinki manages to become a gateway and bridge between Europe and Asia, it could become a place for taking care of Baltic activities in global operations. ”From the viewpoint of networks, if an Asian firm is torn between an office in Stockholm or Helsinki, the tunnel would give Helsinki a distinct advantage: you could pop over to the Baltics for the day.” The tunnel to Tallinn is a good example of what makes a city appealing: it can be thought of as the infrastructure that enables smooth business operations, while also affecting the daily life and wellbeing of employees – getting home by the evening. “Smooth everyday living is a major plus. The city of Espoo making English its third official language (alongside Finnish and Swedish) was an interesting move. It sends a message to international experts: you can live your life here in English.”
vol 7
”A Finnish online education company was looking for a native Spanish speaker. I first worked remotely, thinking whether to come to Finland”, says Arrias. He had lived in Kenia before, and already knew it did not make sense to believe in preconceived ideas. Kenia was completely different to what he had imagined, and maybe the same went for Finland! “And it was. It took a long time, nearly eighteen months, to see the true character of Finns. They are reserved and quiet at first, unlike us Venezuelans, who are friends with everyone. But once you get to know a Finn, you have a friend for life.” Jose has learnt the language and seen the country as far as northernmost Lapland. He is a good example of how alongside rational decisions and city branding, high-skilled migration is a result of coincidences. “I could have set off for Hong Kong or Brazil but found myself in Helsinki.” Jose calls Helsinki his home and says if he could choose where to live from all the places in the world, he would choose Finland or Kenia. The two countries appeal for totally different reasons, but they both offer an adventure. ◆
· 63 ·
a alto leade r s’ i n si g h t