The development process of the Finnish national innovation culture, policy and strategies in 1980-2008. The role of science parks and the network of STPs

The objective of the author is to describe the frames, the historical and current underlying factors, which have affected Finlands development as a national economy and as a technology nation. Technology parks and their regionally and nationally defined operations have had a significant role in this development. The role of the science and technology parks has changed; in the beginning technology parks mainly built and offered facilities near universities, followed by the emphasis on new businesses and ideas and commercialising research findings. This was followed by specialisation, networking and development of business clusters; currently technology parks emphasise globalisation, as it is required by growth and development. Emphasis has changed and will continue to change.