Strategy, responsibility and ethics 2023

Luke is a research and expert organisation working to advance the sustainable use of natural resources and the bioeconomy. Our research creates value and solutions for our customers, both locally and globally. Our strengths include expertise in the sustainable production and use of natural resources and a deep understanding of raw materials.

We employ approximately 1,300 people, half of whom are researchers, and we operate in 22 locations across Finland.

Our strategy responds to the key challenges facing the natural resources sector. Challenges such as mitigating climate change, halting biodiversity loss and developing sustainable and profitable primary production require more effective solutions.

Our activities are centrally linked to a number of sustainable development challenges and goals. In our strategy, we comprehensively address changes in our operating environment, such as climate change and biodiversity loss, as well as threats to the sustainability of natural resources and the resulting need to promote circular economy approaches.

International cooperation, partnerships with companies and research-based policy support strengthen the impact of our work.

Changing ways of working and digitalisation support our multi-locational working model, and digital solutions make our services and research more widely available.

In addition to the strategy, Luke’s work and activities are governed by our Code of Conduct and values. The Code of Conduct outlines the ethical principles which everyone at Luke must comply with when working. Therefore, the Code of Conduct lays the foundation for Luke’s all activities and describes how we work and treat our personnel, partners and customers. As a research organisation, it is extremely important to us that our work is of a high quality, ambitious and reliable. Ethical standards of research, the neutrality of research and sustainability are the cornerstones of everything we do.

Luke’s customers, stakeholders, partners and funding providers expect our operations to be impartial, independent, sustainable and trustworthy. We at Luke also expect the same from our working communities. In terms of research, Luke is committed to complying with TENK’s ethical guidelines and good scientific practices, as well as statistical practices (Section 11, Code of practice) in all activities, including customer projects, official activities and statistical processes.

Research ethics committee

The research ethics committee supports Luke’s management in the assessment and preparation of cooperation initiatives proposed from within or outside Luke and in making decisions on them, particularly with regard to ethical issues relating to various partners and funding sources, as well as the use of research results.

Ethical committee on empirical research related to natural resources

Luke’s ethical committee on empirical research related to natural resources prepares ethical principles and reviews for research related to nature and the environment. In addition, it ensures that the obligations laid down in acts, decrees and regulations are taken into account in research. In ethical reviews, a positive decision on the research plan must be obtained before starting any research. Ethical reviews cover certain research settings identified in ethical research principles. In its statement, the committee presents its well-founded view of the ethical acceptability of research.

Ethical review in human sciences

Luke uses ethical reviews in human sciences to assess ethical risks associated with research settings. Research must be conducted in such a way that the dignity and autonomy of human research participants are respected and that research does not cause significant risks, damage or harm to research participants, communities or other subjects of research.

Luke does not have a separate ethics committee in human sciences. Ethical reviews are primarily requested from project partners’ ethics committees. If this is not possible, reviews can be purchased from the University of Turku.

National project authorisation board and Luke’s animal welfare groups

In experimental research, we address animal welfare, and Luke’s internal animal welfare groups support activities.

Luke uses animals in research, and holds the authorisation required by legislation on animal experimentation for its operations. Experimental procedures carried out in projects require a separate authorisation if the procedures cause pain equivalent to or more than the introduction of a needle to the animal. The authorisation must be requested from the national project authorisation board (formerly the Animal Experimentation Board ELLA).

Luke has animal welfare groups in place for wild animals, fish and livestock. The animal welfare groups are responsible for providing the personnel with advice in matters related to animal welfare: welfare-related monitoring and reporting; the development and inspection of monitoring activities; the monitoring of project development and results for animal welfare; and decisions on rehoming the animals used in projects or returning them to a suitable husbandry system.

In December 2023, we decided to establish an animal welfare and health coordination group at Luke (EHYT animals). Its primary responsibility is to coordinate and monitor matters related to animal welfare and health in Luke’s maintenance or research, and to summarise the animal welfare groups’ results. The group reports matters related to animal welfare and health annually to Luke’s management group.

Luke is responsible for the activities of several national networks (the Finnish Organic Research Institute, the AgriHub Farm Business Competence Network, the Finnish Centre for Animal Welfare, the Tulanet cooperation network, and the Finnish Forest Bioeconomy Science Panel). The Finnish Forest Bioeconomy Science Panel is the most recent addition, having its secretaries appointed at Luke. The panel prepared its messages for the Government term in spring 2023 and its statement ‘Sustainable growth from the EU’s forest bioeconomy’ for EU decision-makers in the autumn. The panel started three projects to analyse changes in forest values, the value added potential of new bioeconomy products, and the development paths of forests in Finland and the EU.

Sustainability Lab deepens understanding of sustainability  

Sustainability is a critical goal in the use of natural resources. while also being a multidimensional and challenging concept and research topic. We solve sustainability questions in Luke’s internal Sustainability Lab network. In 2023, we brought together Luke’s research scientists to discuss current research issues and new engaging research methodologies related to sustainability and future research, to learn more about them, and to brainstorm new research projects.