This development involves various needs and opportunities at the global, international and national levels. Regional policy also aims at creating sustainable innovation processes, based on existing strengths. Even the ongoing internationalisation in Europe highlights regional development, which adds to the issues in hand.
Universities are key institutions in both higher education and research.
During the past decade, it became obvious that the universities' ability to manage these multiple roles and conflicting pressures is crucial to the development of a new and larger entity talled the national system of innovation. The utilitarian point of view is stressed more and more in education and research, as well as in decisions on financing. In terms of education and research organisations in general, this change has been positive. This naturally requires that the relevant development is based on a more comprehensive conception of the role of education and research and the challenges involved than on any utilitarian viewpoint happening to prevail at a given time. Let me now give you some details of what we have done in Finland in order to achieve a knowledge-based society, and the measures we have taken to secure a balanced university development as part of the general strategy.