"We value innovation, trade and an open economy" - Q&A with Ruth Parkin, Ambassador of Ireland to Finland

Can you share a little about your background and when did you take up your post as Ambassador to Finland?

I moved to Finland with my family in the late summer of 2020 to take up my post which meant we were lucky to arrive in time to experience some of the Nordic summer in our first year. Before coming to Helsinki I was working on Brexit issues and North South co-operation in the Ireland, in the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin. I have worked in the Department since 2003 and have previous experience of working on Strand II of the Good Friday Agreement as well as with the Irish Abroad, on Multilateral development work and on Ireland’s trade with Africa. We have also been posted to Romania and South Korea.

What are your impressions of Finland since moving there?

While arriving in the middle of a pandemic is not ideal, my impression of Finland have been hugely positive. Contrary to the national stereotype of reserved Finns, I’ve been struck by how warm and engaging the Finnish people are. English is widely spoken in Helsinki, which has made it very easy to settle in.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to travel outside of Helsinki as much as I would like. While I really enjoyed a virtual visit to Jyvaskyla in central Finland in November, I am really looking forward to seeing more of the country and learning about the regions when I can. While we have been constrained in terms of indoor activities, luckily Helsinki boasts fantastic nature on its doorstep and being surrounded by the calm of the Baltic in the Gulf of Finland, makes it a beautifully positioned city.

Finland has managed the pandemic relatively well in the European context. While it’s very hard to pin down what has been the key to Finland success, important factors have certainly been Finland’s well-functioning society, excellent public services, a strong sense of solidarity, trust in government, and a robust democracy.

What is the significance of the links between Ireland and Finland?

Finland and Ireland have a strong, positive and dynamic relationship. There are strong rich links, with a relatively small but very well integrated community, many students and a number of Irish music festivals taking place in Finland every year. Prior to the pandemic, we had daily flights linking Helsinki and Dublin. Ireland and Finland are strong international partners, and share many of the same positions at the EU and the UN. We are strong proponents of the Single Market, we value innovation, trade, and an open economy.

What do you think the future holds for the relationship between Ireland and Finland?

We are experiencing a period of enormous upheaval – the recovery from the pandemic, a digital revolution and a dawning realisation of the need to urgently transform our societies to prevent a climate catastrophe. The solution to these challenges requires international cooperation, innovation, and willingness to adapt and learn from one another. These are areas where Finland and Ireland thrive – I foresee an exciting period ahead for Ireland’s relationship with Finland.

Finland and Ireland leaders on digital innovation, [ranking number 1 and number 6 respectively on the European Digital Economy and Society Index]. Ireland is the EU leader on integration of digital technology and use of e-Commerce by SMEs. Irish companies have already won contracts in the Finnish market on areas such as digitizing public services, customer experience management software, and constructing data centres. This is a testament to the innovation and adaptability of our services sectors. Finland is set to invest a quarter of its share of the Next Generation EU recovery fund in digitalisation so I anticipate huge opportunities, including in cutting edge fields like 6G and artificial intelligence.

Ireland and Finland have committed to ambitious climate action targets which will require a rapid transformation of the way we live. Cooperation and willingness to learn from one another will be vital. Finland and Ireland are already collaborating and exchanging experiences on a range of climate issues including Smart cities, renewable energy storage, bio economy and reducing the use of peat as a fuel source. I expect to see more business between Irish companies and Finnish partners across the board but particularly in these growth areas, alongside our continued strong and committed bilateral relationship as EU Member States with many shared priorities both within the EU and globally.