New Study Examines the Regional Economic Impacts of Finland’s Maritime Sectors
The economic importance of maritime sectors extends deep into Finnish society. Locally, traditional coastal sectors are vital for regional vitality and cultural heritage, while through maritime transport and foreign trade, their impacts reach far inland. Moreover, maritime sectors hold significant economic potential as part of the ongoing green transition. Recognizing this, the Finnish Maritime Spatial Planning Coordination Group has identified the need to improve understanding of the overall regional economic picture.
The study “Maritime Spatial Planning and the Regional Economic Impacts of Maritime Sectors,” commissioned by the Maritime Spatial Planning Coordination Group and conducted by Sitowise Oy, has now been published. The study describes the economic significance of maritime sectors in Finland and focuses on their regional economic impacts within the three MSP planning areas.
The first section of the study outlines the factors that contribute to the economic influence of each sector, based on statistical and literature sources. It also maps out the interconnections between different maritime industries and their wider economic effects on non-maritime sectors.
The second section presents a more detailed analysis of regional economic impacts for those sectors where sufficiently comprehensive data were available. The assessment covers both the current situation and future potential within the MSP planning areas. In addition, economic profiles have been developed for each planning area, highlighting their distinctive regional characteristics (see Figure 1).
Overall, the study provides much-needed economic insights into the sectors operating in Finland’s marine areas, supplementing the situational overview prepared during the second round of maritime spatial planning. The findings will be used in the update of Finland’s Maritime Spatial Plan, which is currently underway for the period 2024–2027.
The full report is available only in Finnish. You can read it here.
