The President and CEO’s review 2023
Primary production and natural resources are important not only for the national economy and the security of supply but also for the achievement of climate and biodiversity goals. The sustainable use of natural resources as raw material for bio-based innovation plays a key role in accelerating the green transition.
For the Government Programme of spring 2023, we compiled ten goals and proposed solutions for the forest bioeconomy, food system, energy transition and climate change. In addition, we prepared 16 statements and overviews for Government negotiations. In 2023, we also produced information about the impact and opportunities in Finland of the EU regulations and strategies being prepared. We were engaged in regional cooperation in several forums, including regional cooperation groups.
Competence and wellbeing at work are the cornerstones on top of which expert organisations can build their success. We decided to start a doctoral programme to respond to future competence needs Increasing the number of PhDs responds to the growing shortage of professionals in research in the natural resources sector. The development programme for wellbeing at work conducted in 2021–2023 gave us tools for workload management and various measures that support psychological and social wellbeing in our working community.
To balance our finances, we initiated cooperation negotiations at the end of the year to reduce our current facility costs and curb the increase in operating expenses in the coming years. We will provide jobs for employees working in locations subject to changes in other Luke locations or reassign them to new jobs.
Our goal is to minimise the adverse impact and risks caused by research on the environment, citizens and organisms. With our ethical principles and ethical reviews, we want to pay more attention to the selection of research methods and fields, as well as their impact on nature and the environment, and to support researchers when considering ethics, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of research.
Then again, our goal is to maintain the opportunities of experimental research for natural resources. The principles are part of Luke’s sustainability goals and strengthen sustainable activities in line with our values.
Last autumn, our ethical committee on empirical research related to natural resources prepared the first draft of our ethical principles for research in natural sciences. We were engaged in extensive internal discussions over our principles at the beginning of 2024. We lead the way as, according to our knowledge, no other organisation has yet prepared ethical principles for research in natural sciences or guidelines for ethical reviews. In this, we work in close cooperation with the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity (TENK).