According to the Competitiveness 2025 survey conducted with the support of Board Partners and the Federation of Finnish Enterprises, Suomen Yrittäjät, Finnish companies are focusing their competitiveness efforts on sales and marketing, product development, and the development of services and processes. Systematic and process-oriented continuous improvement can create new competitive advantages
Finnish companies consider the development of competitiveness a crucial part of their success, and all respondents reported actively working to improve their competitiveness.
Sirpa Manner, Chair of the Board of Hallituspartnerit – BP – Helsinki ry, says it is great to see how important continuous competitiveness development is perceived to be. ‘The fact that the issue is addressed openly and without hesitation lays a solid foundation for improving competitiveness.’
Competitiveness requires continuous investment
The importance of competitiveness is particularly emphasized in future outlooks. Respondents underline the significance of competitiveness. While there is confidence in future competitiveness, respondents also recognize the need for continuous development. Current competitiveness is especially driven by a distinctive product, the quality of customer service, and mergers and acquisitions.
In developing competitiveness, companies plan to focus next on sales, product development, and customer service. Improving cost competitiveness and key processes are also central areas for development. The use of technology—such as the adoption of artificial intelligence—is seen as important, though concerns remain, particularly regarding the investment capacity of SMEs.
Towards sustainable competitive edge
Petri Selkäinaho, CEO of PS-Tieto Oy, M.Sc. (Econ.) and M.A., emphasizes that differentiation should be sought in competitiveness factors that create value for customers. For example, adopting or expanding the use of artificial intelligence does not automatically lead to a competitive advantage, as nearly all companies are doing the same. A particularly positive insight from the research data, he notes, is that those who participated in the in-depth interviews highlighted the importance of customer orientation.
Selkäinaho points out several opportunities for developing competitiveness: increasing goal-orientation in metrics that reflect progress, ensuring systematic and process-driven development beyond isolated wins, and leveraging human resources. These are key tools for a modern company to secure and enhance its competitiveness.
The critical role of product development in business success
A distinctive product plays a significant role, which is why continuous product development is critical in renewing competitiveness. According to Petri Selkäinaho, a structured and tightly paced product development process aimed at enhancing competitiveness can become a source of competitive advantage for companies.
Further information:
Petri Selkäinaho – CEO, PS-Tieto Ltd
Tel. +358 50 5182 624
Email: petri.selkainaho (at) ps-tieto.fi
About the Competitiveness 2025 Survey:
The Competitiveness 2025 survey was conducted during the second quarter. The study was carried out by PS-Tieto Ltd with the support of Board Partners and the Federation of Finnish Enterprises. It was answered by 19 companies from various industries, primarily medium-sized enterprises.
Nearly half of the responding companies operate in the industrial sector. The survey also included participants from the information and communication sector, administrative and support services, and other industries.