Happiness™ – Will Finnish happiness soon be something you can add to your shopping cart?

Published by the University of Oxford, the World Happiness Report was designed to bring the insights of well-being science to everyone and to increase happiness around the world.  In the global survey, the development of happiness is monitored both through well-being data from citizens and through general national indicators such as gross domestic product and life expectancy. What does the happiness of Finns consist of? 

Our daily lives have changed radically in recent years. In addition to the physical environment, social media and digital environments are increasingly affecting our daily lives. Part of the interaction between people has become virtual, and the physical environment is no longer being used in the same way as before.

At the same time, the link between human well-being and the environment remains clear. Even a short visit to the forest reduces stress and helps us recover. In Finland, access to nature is particularly important and we are known for our public access rights ("everyman's rights"), and for always having access to nature close to home. As well as local nature, the built environment can also be designed to support well-being and happiness. For land-use planners and architects, this is something they take into account every day.

Other factors that influence the happiness of Finns include a good work-life balance and a high level of trust in both employers and public authorities. In Finland, happiness is experienced first and foremost as contentment, and in our culture it is acceptable to be taciturn or introverted – we feel no need to fake our feelings. 

According to our interviews, branding Finnish happiness as a driver of business growth is attracting widespread interest in companies across different sectors. However, it also raises practical issues such as strategies and forms of cooperation. Here are five observations that came up in our discussions with business representatives when talking about happiness in Finland.

1. Happiness has international growth potential and export prospects. Operators in the consulting, engineering and technology sectors, in particular, have identified Finnish happiness and the Finnish country brand as a potential competitive advantage, especially in international markets. Companies are considering how to translate Finnish reliability and well-being into tangible business value.
2. A happiness certificate would provide a value proposition. 
   Building a brand requires at least a carefully crafted story, visual identity and communication. We can aim to build a happiness brand or even a happiness certificate – similar to the Fair Trade or the Finnish Swan labels. To qualify for the certificate, a product would have to be one that actually increases happiness and appeals to both a national and an international audience.
3. A business ecosystem helps in the shared creation of innovation.
   No one can create happiness alone. Companies are looking to ecosystems to find new partners with whom to develop a new kind of offering. They are also stressing the importance of long-term co-development. On the other hand, sharing trade secrets with competitors is a concern, so a happy medium must be found.
4. Happiness is private so information security must be ensured. 
   For technology companies, data, its integration and secure use are key themes. Smart offices, IoT solutions and new digital services are seen as competitive assets of the future. However, their development requires reliable data collection and ethically and legally sustainable solutions. Challenges remain the underdevelopment of the market and the lack of indicators to describe well-being and productivity. More research and funding are needed. 
   When we talk about emotions, they are always personal and therefore subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Legislation related to the use of AI prohibits the recognition of emotions in certain types of environments, such as the workplace. However, in China, for example, the development of such technology is possible. It is therefore also essential to develop European solutions that respect security and privacy alongside other options coming to market.
5. Soft and hard values go hand-in-hand. Honesty and pragmatism are part of Finnish culture. However, alongside soft values – such as happiness, well-being and trust – brand building should also focus on economic benefits and measurable values. The new brand must generate economic benefits within a certain time window. This is the only way to build sustainable, internationally competitive solutions that meet the expectations of both business and society. 

Happiness and well-being emerged as the strategic cornerstones of VTT's Built Environment and Mobility research area for 2025.

"In recent years, research has focused heavily on the demand for increased preparedness and resilience in a world of growing conflict and polarization of values. We anticipate a growing need for human-centred research that promotes happiness and wellbeing," says Edgar Bohner, Vice President, Built Environment and Mobility at VTT. 

Cooperation, a shared vision, concrete pilots and the promotion of Finnish reliability are key factors for companies in creating a happiness brand. That's why we are now going to release the theme of happiness in five different project initiatives. We are looking for partners for the following themes dealing with happiness from different perspectives.

1. Enjoyable mobility: improved experience for passengers, travelers and drivers
2. Closing the gap: translating human behaviour into actionable intelligence for Physical AI systems
3. People centered digital services for building operations
4. Enhancing well-being through Indoor Environmental Quality
5. Virtual Personal Assistant for effortless everyday life.