Fulbright Finland News Magazine
From cutting-edge laboratories to bustling campuses, the United States stands as one of Finland’s most important partners in driving research, innovation, and higher education forward. As Finland strengthens its role as a trusted ally and security provider in critical and emerging technologies, the need for deeper academic and scientific exchange between our countries continues to grow.
Finnish universities and research institutions bring world-class expertise in advanced connectivity (5G/6G), artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, space science, clean energy, critical minerals, and Arctic research. Many Finnish companies and research teams already operate extensively in the United States, collaborating with American partners to pioneer new solutions. The opening of Finland’s new Consulate General in Houston reflects our commitment to supporting cooperation in science, technology, and innovation across major U.S. research hubs.
A key contributor to this exchange is the Fulbright Finland Foundation, whose work is highly valued and supported by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and our diplomatic missions in the United States.
For more than 75 years, the program has fostered people-to-people connections that translate scientific and academic excellence into lasting impact.
For more than 75 years, the program has fostered people-to-people connections that translate scientific and academic excellence into lasting impact. By enabling Finnish scholars, researchers, and students to engage in U.S.-based projects – and by hosting U.S. experts in Finland – Fulbright Finland has strengthened the networks that underpin transatlantic collaboration. Its emphasis on mutual learning, academic freedom, and interdisciplinary exploration makes it uniquely suited to support joint initiatives in AI, quantum technologies, clean energy, Arctic studies, and beyond.
The U.S. Northeast – from Pennsylvania through New England – is home to more than 50 of America’s top universities, making it one of the most dynamic regions for research and innovation globally. For the Finnish Consulate General in New York, this presents endless opportunities to foster collaboration between Finnish and U.S. ecosystems of higher education, research, and development. By connecting Finnish researchers, startups, and students with these institutions, the Consulate is ready to help build partnerships that accelerate scientific discovery, stimulate innovation, and deepen transatlantic ties.
Europe – and Finland in particular – contributes strengths to the global research landscape that are often underestimated. In advanced materials, quantum science, climate and environmental research, and basic life sciences, European universities and research institutions rival or even surpass their U.S. counterparts. By combining these capabilities with America’s unparalleled scientific ecosystem, transatlantic partnerships can accelerate innovation and maintain a competitive edge in areas crucial for societal resilience, security, and technological leadership.
Today, the strategic importance of science and technology extends far beyond prosperity, human well-being, and societal resilience.
Today, the strategic importance of science and technology extends far beyond prosperity, human well-being, and societal resilience. It is central to national security and the ability of democracies to uphold a stable and rules-based international order. We are witnessing a global competition in emerging technologies – AI, quantum, space, advanced energy systems – where non-democratic states are investing heavily to challenge Western scientific leadership. In this environment, open, collaborative, high-trust research communities are a defining asset.
Since the end of the Second World War, the United States has been the world’s leading engine of scientific discovery. Its universities, laboratories, companies, and federal research agencies have produced breakthroughs that transformed global health, communications, transportation, and security. This unmatched scientific capacity, often underpinned by generous federal funding, has benefited not only the American people but also its allies and partners, including Finland, by strengthening the technological foundations of the transatlantic partnership.
For Finland, it is unquestionably in our interest that the U.S. – together with Europe and like-minded partners – continues to drive forward the next generation of scientific advances. Our societies thrive and our economies grow when research and innovation are anchored in openness, academic freedom, and democratic values.
By combining our strengths in connectivity, AI, quantum, clean energy, and Arctic science with America’s scientific ecosystem – and by leveraging Fulbright Finland to nurture the human connections behind these initiatives – we are not only advancing science and innovation – we are building the people, networks, and trust that will secure a resilient and prosperous future for our democracies.
Jarmo Sareva
Consul General of Finland in New York
Read the whole Fulbright Finland News magazine 2/2025!
