Evaluation of Finnish R&D Programmes in the Field of Electronics and Telecommunication (ETX, TLX and Telectronics I)

We view the three programmes as broadly successful. Their developmental focus was needed. Now, there are opportunities to increase the proportion of the overall effort devoted to longer-term issues, without forgetting the continuing need to strengthen the ICT cluster overall and ultimately to broaden the number of key firms. They have had an important impact on capabilities in the ICT cluster. This effect covers not only technological capabilities, but increases in the ability to network, building business and technology relationships which are vital in an industry where producers are increasingly interdependent. Nokia, in particular, has played a key and positive role in this. The networking has covered multiple regions, which is helpful in the context of concerns about centralisation of the industry to the Helsinki region. While experience with the implementation of themes suggests a need for more professional and less volunteer labour, the use of thematic groups to organise and express industrial needs at the programme design stage has been successful. Here, Tekes has been able to serve as a policy-making arena for the cluster. The closer links with the Academy of Finland established from 1997, and enabled by the Additional Appropriation for research in that year, are an important basis for devising ways for funding research that spans applied and more fundamental work. This is especially important in areas of technology such as ICT, where the time from discovery to implementation can now be very short.