a tiny town in the western part of Finland 1941 Kaarlo Kangasniemi is born there and is part of a big clan: he is one of the 11 children of the family and five of these men will practice weightlifting throughout their lives After a seventh place at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo he becomes the first (and only one so far) Olympic champion for his country in weightlifting earning gold in 172.5-157.5-187.5-517.5 (in the 90kg category) he arrived in Germany with an ongoing injury his younger brother Kauko was also part of the Finnish delegation and was ranked seventh on both occasions Kaarlo was again the best at the World Championships he gets his second medal (silver) at the IWF showcase and his best result at the international level was achieved at the 1970 European Championships Only two other athletes from Finland medalled in Olympic weightlifting: Jouni Grönman and Pekka Niemi both getting the bronze at the 1984 Los Angeles Games respectively in the 67.5kg and 100kg category only one woman managed to get the gold so far: Karolina Lundahl Congress Executive Board Committees Commissions Member Federations Technical Officials Secretariat Photo Gallery Video Gallery Download center Privacy Policy Cookies Policy Copyright 2020 - International Weightlifting Federation Ambition was never the issue for Finland’s women’s beach volleyball team What they needed was the structure to grow planning took a back seat and opportunities were limited A single coaching appointment marked the turning point it has grown into a national effort to put proper structures in place When the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme extended its support to Finland’s women’s beach volleyball programme the aim was to turn potential into progress with dedicated resources and targeted coaching “Coaching resources were split in many places – administration other duties in federation,” said Finnish Volleyball Federation Sports Director Tapio Kangasniemi “There was no space or time for international or national development processes The aim was to find more resources for women’s national team coaching and the development process.” Taru Lahti-Liukkonen and Niina Ahtiainen with coach Toni Vahela during a training session in Finland The turning point came with the arrival of coach Toni Vahela whose role was made possible through FIVB Volleyball Empowerment Toni was able to use his time and resources to the women’s national team players and programme,” said Kangasniemi Taru Lahti-Liukkonen and Niina Ahtiainen introduced ahead of the medal ceremony at the Beach Pro Tour Challenge in Chiang Mai Finland’s top pairing – Taru Lahti-Liukkonen and Niina Ahtiainen – became one of the most active teams on the international stage one of the teams that played the most tournaments,” said Kangasniemi developed into a potential Olympic-level team.” Although they narrowly missed qualification in the final stages of the Olympic race the support laid the foundation for what is now a much broader strategy “For the 2023 World Championship we were preparing in a quite normal way because Empowerment had just started,” said Kangasniemi “For the World Championship 2025 we now have more resources to do a lot better planning programming and execution of basic training That planning now includes a full support system built around the players from scouting and strength and conditioning to physiotherapy and sport psychology “In the year 2024–2025 we were able to build better supporting staff – scouting “Latest improvement is a new resource for administrative work to support athletes’ daily activities.” Finland’s technical development has also sharpened with the team focusing on key areas to compete at a higher level “We are developing our defence and attacking game,” said Kangasniemi “Those are the key points in our game to get better results.” Taru Lahti-Liukkonen and Niina Ahtiainen celebrate their Beach Pro Tour Futures victory in Brussels The programme has already seen tangible results Finland claimed silver at the Beach Pro Tour Challenge 2023 in Chiang Mai won the Beach Pro Tour Futures in Brussels and most recently qualified for the 2024 CEV Beach Volley Nations Cup Finals after an impressive golden set win over Czechia in Balikesir Empowerment is helping to strengthen Finland’s talent pipeline for the future “Number of players in our national junior tour has increased in the last two years,” said Kangasniemi “This year we have more potential young players applying in our national training centre than ever before.” That growth in young players is also driving new priorities for the national federation “Next step in our development will be to work more closely with clubs to get a more specific vision for all potential players,” said Kangasniemi while the Nations Cup has been a key competition for Finland’s top team the federation sees greater developmental value in other events “The impact of the Nations Cup for our top teams is not really playing a big role Our top teams are playing enough tournaments even without Nations Cup and for younger athletes better platforms are zonal events and Beach Pro Tour Futures,” said Kangasniemi Taru Lahti-Liukkonen sees the difference in how Finland approaches every season now the team has the coaching and structure to hone every part of their game “The FIVB Volleyball Empowerment support has been a really important part of our preparation for the season,” said Lahti-Liukkonen “It helps us to have top-level coaching so we can focus on improving every aspect of our game strategy.” Her partner Niina Ahtiainen highlights that same support as crucial “Being supported by the Empowerment programme is essential when we prepare ourselves for the tournaments including world championships Goals are high so we need as good as possible coaching – continuously develop both individual and team skills in the pursuit of our sporting goals.” with the team now training in collaboration with Biitsi a network of dedicated beach volleyball centres across the country The partnership provides access to venues in Pasila offering year-round training environments regardless of the season This focus on infrastructure is part of a much broader plan “Now we have already planned our vision toward the 2028 and 2032 Olympics,” said Kangasniemi we have invested resources not only in top sport but overall development for beach volleyball in Finland.” Taru Lahti-Liukkonen and Niina Ahtiainen celebrate a point during the Beach Pro Tour Elite16 in Hamburg The Empowerment support is tied closely to Finland’s long-term plans “FIVB Empowerment plays an important role in our planned vision,” said the sports director “Empowerment will secure federation and Olympic committee support funding for the programme.” Kangasniemi said the focus is now on maintaining quality and consistency throughout the programme the most important indicators are quality and quantity of training and amount of participation in tournaments These are the indicators which are building better results in the future also,” he said “Another important thing is to get more and better supporting processes around the daily actions of the national teams.” the FIVB Empowerment has provided CHF 221,000 to Finland including coaching support and national team coaching development across its volleyball and beach volleyball programmes This support has created a system designed to strengthen Finland’s place in the sport and match its ambition for the future The FIVB is the governing body responsible for all forms of Volleyball on a global level Working closely with national federations and private enterprises to develop Volleyball as a popular media and entertainment sport FIVB Fédération Internationale de Volleyball Château Les Tourelles Edouard-Sandoz 2-4 1006 Lausanne Switzerland Phone: +41 213 453 535 Fax: +41 213 453 545 Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative The repeat elections of the Sámi Parliament started Monday The Sámi Parliament is the supreme political body of the Sámi in Finland representing the Sámi in national and international connections It consists of 21 members and four deputies As reported earlier by the Barents Observer, Finland’s Supreme Administrative Court annulled the Sámi Parliament election held last October Contrary to the decision of the Parliament’s governing bodies not to recognize the individuals in question as eligible voters or candidates the court ruled 65 persons to be included in the electoral roll and repeat elections to be held All Sámi who are listed in the electoral register are entitled to vote and stand as candidates in the elections The current President of the Sámi Parliament, Piritta Näkkäläjärvi, called the ruling “devastating news” in her speech at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in April She stated that ”We [Sámi people] are forced to include outsiders as electors in the Sámi Parliament in Finland – a representative body that is supposed to for and by the Sámi” Five candidates who did not run for parliament in the 2023 election stand as candidates in the repeat election Kari Kyrö and Inka Kangasniemi were members of the Sámi Parliament during the term 2020-2023 Kyrö was not registered to the electoral roll in the election in October 2023 Kari Kyrö confirms that he and Paavo Riihitammela were added to the Sámi Parliament’s electoral roll as a result of the Supreme Administrative Court’s ruling In Yle’s questionnaire sent out to the Sámi candidates both Kyrö and Riihitammela oppose the reform of the Sámi Parliament Act Riihitammela states that “Language alone does not define a person’s identity Removing the “Lapp tax” clause would mean discriminating against thousands of Sámi people in Finland.” and Kyös says that “the new language criteria for selecting individuals for the electoral roll cannot in any way assist the Inari Sámi people… and that it will lead to further discrimination.” Out of the 35 candidates running for the Sámi Parliament Seven candidates oppose the reformed Sámi Parliament Act 18 candidates support it and four candidates are neither for nor against The debate over who to include in the electoral roll in the Sámi Parliament elections has been ongoing for many years. In 2019 and 2022 United Nation treaty bodies accused Finlandof violating human rights conventions due to the Supreme Administrative Court’s involvement in deciding whom to enroll to the electoral roll The UN treaty bodies obliged Finland to review the Sámi Parliament Act to ensure that the criteria for voting in Parliament elections respects the Sámi peoples’ right to self-determination One of the most contentious topics of the current law the so-called “Lapp tax” clause is removed According to the clause descendants of a person who has been marked in a taxation forest or fishing ‘Lapp’ is allowed to vote and run for parliament As a compromise to the removal of the “lapp tax” it is sufficient if one’s great grandparent spoke Sámi as their first language contrary to the current requirement stating that one’s grandparent needed to do so which has failed to be passed by the three previous coalitions was introduced by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s government to parliament in February this year Published by: The Independent Barents Observer AS About us The Barents Observer follows the Code of Ethics of the Norwegian Press and the document Right and Duties of the Editor We report under full editorial independence and have no external interference Donate to our independent journalism Støtt oss via Vipps: 105 792 - Det betyr mye newstips@thebarentsobserver.com atle@thebarentsobserver.com thomas@thebarentsobserver.com☏ +47-905 73 143 denis@thebarentsobserver.com georgii@thebarentsobserver.com liza.vereykina@thebarentsobserver.com olesia@thebarentsobserver.com Privacy policy services and collaboration opportunities for researchers I investigate the potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the analysis and modelling of imaging findings The techniques used in imaging are developing at a dizzying rate and the information produced by the latest methods cannot be fully utilised with the methods traditionally employed by radiologists We are developing new ways of applying this information AI solutions bring more information to imaging and can enable increasingly accurate or rapid treatment when a radiologist identifies a blockage requiring rapid treatment in a cerebral artery of a patient artificial intelligence can simultaneously indicate the location and size of the brain area exposed to the circulatory disorder while a radiologist reviews MRI scans of the abdominal region to assess potential causes for the patient’s symptoms artificial intelligence can interpret imaging data that are out of the reach of the human eye and indicate the probability of the patient having an inflammatory bowel disease The ability to utilise continually evolving imaging techniques in the best possible way requires the advancement of radiological thinking and insights for new possibilities These insights are then applied collaboratively by specialists in technology this will lead to entirely new kind of medical imaging Marko Kangasniemi is Professor of Radiology at the Faculty of Medicine Read about the other newly appointed professors. This content is retrieved from www.youtube.com Marketing cookies must be allowed to view this content You can change your cookie settings via the cookie management link You can also find the same link at the bottom of the site If the content does not appear automatically after accepting cookies Guitarist Kristian Kangasniemi has left reactivated Finnish death metallers CONVULSE "due to personal reasons." The band states: "We wish all the best for Kristian and thank him for his services and great live performances during last two years Now we will go on threesome as long as we find a second guitarist who is fitting in our band [We] don't know [if] it [will] take weeks or years but one thing is for sure: we will go on and we are starting to write and rehearse new material next week for the fourth CONVULSE album." CONVULSE's current lineup features the band's original vocalist and their brand of classic old-school death metal still sounds like it's 1991 was released last November via Svart Records it follows CONVULSE's critically acclaimed comeback EP One of the most memorable pioneers of the first wave of Finnish death metal CONVULSE was there in 1990 with bands such as XYSMA DISGRACE and ABHORRENCE to create the scene which was to become legendary CONVULSE's first release was the "Resuscitation Of Evilness" demo cassette in 1990 The success of the demo led to a deal with the French record label Thrash Records which released the band's first full-length album after which CONVULSE prepared to record its second album The group travelled to Sunlight Studios in Sweden and laid down the effort in a one-week period The following year (1993) was dedicated to CONVULSE members performing their mandatory military service in Finland which delayed the release of "Reflections" until the summer of 1994 (also through Relapse) An attempt to regroup in support of the CD ended "with poor results," and after serious discussions a decision was made to put CONVULSE to rest CONVULSE returned in 2012 and played a few comeback shows in Finland GrowlsJuha Telenius: BassRolle Markos: Drums Deloitte Insights and our research centers deliver proprietary research designed to help organizations turn their aspirations into action ​A study of Canadian companies reveals a clear positive ROI for workplace mental health programs—and points the way forward for companies seeking to invest in workers' mental health Poor mental health among the workforce imposes tremendous costs on Canadian employers. Yet barriers to investment in workplace mental health remain, including a lack of knowledge of best practices, as well as a lack of evidence that such investments can have a positive impact on the bottom line.1 To overcome these barriers Canadian employers require real-world evidence that workplace mental health programs are an investment that yields valuable returns the first of its kind conducted within the Canadian context Explore the Talent collection Download the Deloitte Insights and Dow Jones app Based on an analysis of historical investment and savings data from seven Canadian companies at various stages of their mental health investment journey and complemented by interviews with subject-matter experts and leaders from 10 companies we examine the typical annual return on investment (ROI) of workplace mental health programs unearth common challenges and enablers of program success and identify leading practices for employers to consider we heard that employers would like access to information and tools to make evidence-based decisions about how to invest in mental health and maximize program benefits Employers must also be equipped to measure and track outcomes and benefits just as they would other portfolios of investments across their business the report includes a blueprint for a phased program implementation and an approach to measure the outcomes of workplace mental health programs Based on 10 companies’ real-world experiences and an analysis of seven of these companies’ data positive ROI on workplace mental health initiatives is within Canadian organizations’ reach The median yearly ROI on mental health programs was CA$1.62 among the seven companies that provided at least three years’ worth of data Companies whose programs had been in place for three or more years had a median yearly ROI of CA$2.18 Programs are more likely to deliver greater returns as they mature rather than yielding immediate financial benefits achieving positive ROI can take three or more years Organizations investing in workplace mental health programs appear to be mitigating the rising costs of doing nothing mental health issues account for 30 to 40 percent of short-term disability (STD) claims and 30 percent of long-term disability (LTD) claims in Canada with the prevalence of claims for mental health diagnoses climbing by 0.5 to 1 percent every year mental health-related STD claims accounted for 30 percent of total claims in 2018 and only increased by one claim per 1,000 full-time employees (FTEs) from 2016 to 2018 Even companies that have mental health programs in place but have not yet achieved a positive ROI may be realizing greater savings than the national average Since greater productivity is closely linked to lower absenteeism these companies are also likely elevating employee productivity Investing in high-impact areas to better support employees can boost ROI Mental health programs are more likely to achieve positive ROI when they support employees along the entire spectrum of mental health from promotion of well-being to intervention and care as well as the elimination or reduction of workplace hazards that could psychologically harm an employee the seven companies that provided three or more years’ worth of data achieved greater program ROI by prioritizing investments in high-impact areas such as leadership training and preventive interventions including employee and family assistance programs and psychological care benefits If leaders take the time to measure their baseline data and take stock of existing initiatives many would realize that they have already started to use the right tools to support workplace mental health Canada's Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace national standard (the Standard) provides a comprehensive framework for organizations to promote mental health and prevent psychological harm among employees But companies do not need to formally adopt the Standard in its entirety all at once companies should understand that implementing the Standard is an iterative process beginning with identifying workplace issues in their organization using baseline data and then making incremental improvements over time Performance measurement is an often-overlooked but critical element of program implementation Performance measurement—tracking key performance indicators assessing the effectiveness of interventions with employees and regularly calculating ROI—is a key element of workplace mental health programs that is often overlooked Putting in place mechanisms to measure performance can enable organizations to achieve desired program impact As the leading cause of stress for Canadian employees workplace pressure has a tremendous impact on employees’ mental health Because employees’ mental health is linked to both financial and nonfinancial outcomes employers have an opportunity to reap benefits in both realms by implementing workplace mental health programs demonstrating a commitment to employees’ mental health and well-being is becoming central to positioning the company as one that employees Organizations depend on their employees to deliver their mission one that protects both the physical and mental health of employees is essential to achieving business objectives and shareholder returns investment in a mentally healthy workforce is required The business costs of poor mental health in the workplace are staggering, with 30 of every 1,000 Canadian employees missing work for mental health reasons each week. In total, the loss of productivity at work due to mental illness–related absenteeism and presenteeism (working while unwell) adds up to CA$6.3 billion annually across Canada.2 Costs associated with poor mental health include not just the cost of treating mental illness (for example therapy and medications) but also the costs incurred when—as often occurs—poor mental health exacerbates the negative impacts and health care costs of other chronic illnesses The World Health Organization estimates that poor mental health costs the global economy US$1 trillion annually in lost productivity the estimated economic cost is at least CA$50 billion per year and income support making up the largest proportion (figure 2) An additional CA$6.3 billion of indirect costs stems from lost productivity with 500,000 Canadians unable to work each week due to mental health problems or illnesses only one-third of Canadian employers have a mental health strategy in place and most of those organizations are not yet measuring the outcomes of their investments Considering mental illness accounts for roughly one-third of short- and long-term disability (STD and LTD) claims but 70 percent of workplace disability costs the opportunity to generate savings is clear There is evidence that workplace programs that include mental health intervention and support to navigate disability management services have achieved positive results such as reduced absenteeism and improved productivity and financial outcomes Evidence also exists that investing in employee mental health is good for business A comparative study of the stock performance of companies represented on the S&P 500 Index found those with high health and wellness scores (based on associated program delivery in the workplace) appreciated by 235 percent compared with the overall S&P 500 Index appreciation of 159 percent over a six-year period evidence from individual companies or sectors has collecting data for this study was the first time they had requested certain program-related key performance indicators (KPIs) from insurance providers showing that data collection and analysis of finance-related program outcomes is relatively nascent or nonexistent To strengthen the business case for investing in workplace mental health programs employers must understand the financial and nonfinancial benefits of those programs and establish mechanisms to measure and maximize programs in order to realize those benefits What does investing in employee mental health look like in practice it takes a combination of workplace programs These may include leadership training and buy-in employee awareness and educational initiatives employee and family assistance programs (EFAP) appropriate processes related to taking leave and returning to work and policies that promote mental health and well-being Organizations should implement these components to form a workplace mental health program that supports their employees’ mental well-being and The experience of Bell Canada (Bell) is instructive in this area Bell is a Canadian telecommunications company providing advanced broadband communications networks and services to consumers and business customers across the country Bell's workforce comprises more than 52,000 team members with approximately 44 percent of total employees represented by labor unions in 2018 “Bell Let's Talk” is the largest-ever corporate initiative supporting Canadian mental health Bell Let's Talk promotes awareness and drives action with a strategy built on four pillars: fighting the stigma of mental health and—most relevant to this study—leading by example in workplace mental health key elements of the initiative include an enhanced return-to-work (RTW) program improved accessibility of resources and tools Bell has measured a positive ROI on its investment in workplace mental health Bell has tracked over 90 KPIs using a mental health scorecard including indicators related to STD and LTD claims usage of benefits and programs supporting mental health Using this scorecard to measure progress against program objectives has been critical to understanding the program’s impact since 2010 “Supporting the mental health and safety of our people is equally important to supporting their physical health and safety,” said Bernard le Duc Bell has significantly increased its benefits coverage for psychological care for Bell employees and their families and provides support through the EFAP to manage employees' total health needs overall usage of EFAP has reached 36 percent more than double industry and national norms and a 190 percent increase compared with 2010 usage Bell has also recorded a 20 percent decrease in STD claims related to mental health demonstrating how proactive support can have positive downstream impacts Bell’s RTW program aims to increase support for employees facing a mental illness and their leaders through early intervention and communications This initiative provides an RTW checklist and training to support leaders and employees through the process and utilizes an online accommodation tool to improve the employee experience Bell has seen its employees’ mental health–related short-term disability relapse and recurrence decrease by over 50 percent from 2010 baseline levels the scorecard will help Bell evolve its program by continuously assessing program effectiveness in supporting workplace mental health The scorecard has also supported positive discussions across the business with respect to the value and purpose of workplace mental health initiatives within the company Better support during short-term disability leave and return to work leads to a reduction in long-term disability claims As le Duc put it, “You need to work at all levels for initiatives to work and be sustainable. Where we are at today, we are now able to have more progressive discussions. We are able to demonstrate the benefits of programs such as early return to work through reductions in relapse and recurrence of mental health challenges.”9 Our ROI analysis suggests that employers might already be achieving benefits from workplace mental health programs in Canada and those benefits are not confined to the financial Organizations may be able to use our ROI calculation methodology to equip decision-makers with the information needed to make strategic investments mental health programs are more likely to achieve positive ROI when they support employees along the entire spectrum of mental health as well as mitigating risk factors in the workplace Programs are also more likely to see greater returns as they mature achieving positive ROI can take three or more years—a point we discuss in more depth later in this report The median yearly ROI among the seven companies able to provide at least three years of data was CA$1.62 Companies with programs in place for three or more years had a median yearly ROI of CA$2.18 while most companies with programs implemented in the last three years had not yet achieved a return This suggests that while companies may not immediately see a return they are likely to see a positive return over time as the program matures This makes sense considering that improvements to individuals’ mental health can take time and there may be a lag before investments translate into improvements to productivity Companies with a positive ROI tended to focus investment across the spectrum of mental health Of the seven companies that were able to provide three or more years’ worth of historical data four demonstrated a positive ROI in at least one year over a three-year span Companies with a positive financial ROI tended to focus investment across the spectrum of mental health all four companies showing a positive ROI began investing in their workplace mental health programs in 2012 or earlier and they were among the top investors when considering dollars per FTE invested specifically in workplace mental health We asked companies participating in this study to provide a minimum of three years’ worth of historical data including data for a baseline calculation representing the year in which investment began Ten Canadian companies (“participating companies”) volunteered data; of these seven companies provided enough data to support a calculation of the financial ROI of workplace mental health programs we considered a range of costs related to program investments (for example training and workplace events) and psychological care benefits and compared these costs to savings related to STD and LTD claims as well as presenteeism (figure 7) Using the methodology depicted in figure 7 we calculated the annual increase in costs and savings relative to the baseline year Each company’s annual ROI in Canadian dollars was calculated using the formula: In addition to calculating ROI for the seven companies with sufficient data we conducted one-hour interviews with representatives responsible for workplace mental health initiatives from each of the 10 companies that initially provided data The interviews were designed to understand the experience of developing and running workplace mental health programs They also aimed to understand programs’ real or perceived financial and nonfinancial ROI as well as identify related enablers and barriers to success Interviews with three subject-matter advisers from industry and academia further supported the qualitative analysis See Apendix B for details on your Study methodology spending on workplace mental health per employee has increased over the last three years (figure 8) spending on programs and activities that support good mental health and minimize workplace risk factors increased by approximately 6 percent from 2016 to 2018 The steady increase in spending per 1,000 employees suggests that while leaders may not expect to see an immediate ROI from investment in programs they recognize the importance and value of supporting a mentally healthy workplace Companies with a positive return have already started implementing elements of the Standard The average spend in each area provides a useful benchmark for companies interested in implementing a workplace mental health program spending habits appear to be different among companies seeing a return and those that are not our research showed that companies with a positive ROI are investing less in areas that have not yet demonstrated a return companies with a positive ROI are more focused on training leaders while those that have not yet demonstrated a return are investing more in training employees companies with a positive return have already started implementing the Standard these findings suggest that employers could achieve greater program ROI by prioritizing investing in higher-impact areas such as leadership training and preventive interventions including EFAPs and psychological care benefits Demonstrating positive ROI for workplace mental health programs can encourage sustained long-term program investments that are resilient to challenges such as leadership turnover and budget cuts Monitoring the indicators we used to calculate ROI such as those mentioned in the previous section helps companies objectively track progress toward targets and areas for improvement over time companies beginning to invest in workplace mental health programs should not expect to see a positive return in the first year Our analysis indicates that it can take three or more years of investment to see returns all of the companies in our sample with positive ROIs began investing in their programs in 2012 or even earlier—meaning that they have had six or more years to demonstrate ROI since they established their programs While some companies have demonstrated a positive financial ROI within the first three years since program implementation companies that began investing within the last two years likely need additional time before realizing positive ROI instead of continuing to work while unwell Even more worrisome is the finding that mental health-related presenteeism may cost employers up to three times that of absence—and that presenteeism is growing rapidly due to trends such as perceived job insecurity and remote working.12 While mental health promotion could be leading to an increase in mental health disability claims there is still more work to do in order to discourage people from working while sick and encourage them to get help early on A shortage of recent data on national trends in mental health–related disability claims makes it difficult to determine the cost of doing nothing though trends in STD and LTD claims suggest that employers already investing in workplace mental health may see the number of claims increasing more slowly than the national average the numbers of both STD and LTD cases for mental health diagnoses per 1,000 full-time equivalents (FTEs) have remained relatively stable over the last three years for companies participating in this study the average number and proportion of LTD claims related to mental health has seen a slight decrease Even companies that have not yet reached a positive ROI may be realizing savings compared to the national average On average, mental health issues account for 30 to 40 percent of STD claims and 30 percent of LTD claims in Canada, with the prevalence of claims for mental health diagnoses climbing by 0.5 to 1 percent every year.13 That said STD claims for mental health diagnoses accounted for 30 percent of total claims in 2018 and only increased by one claim per 1,000 FTEs from 2016 to 2018 Compared to the broader trends within Canada this indicates that even companies that have not yet reached a positive ROI may be realizing savings compared to the national average Since absenteeism and productivity are closely linked these companies are also likely boosting employee productivity Another disability claim metric with an impact on mental health program ROI is the average duration of disability claims. STD and LTD claims related to mental health diagnoses last approximately two times longer, are more costly than other claim types,14 and they show a greater-than-average relapse rate.15 In our study five companies were able to reduce the average duration of mental health–related STD claims over a three-year period creating another opportunity for cost savings Three of these five companies have implemented return-to-work programs which could be contributing to the decrease in absenteeism over time Leadership training and return-to-work programs have been identified as critical to creating a positive ROI Some leaders may be concerned that if they begin to measure program outcomes they might find themselves struggling to justify the expenditure One interviewee went so far as to say that companies could become trapped by ROI numbers our findings should somewhat alleviate concerns that investment may initially drive higher costs (for example as they provide an appropriate rationale for sustained investment (and measurement) with an emphasis on return-to-work initiatives The estimate of financial ROI in this study is conservative and does not consider the many other benefits that investment in workplace mental health programs can generate Participating companies identified positive effects beyond productivity and cost savings Higher retention rates. Programs that support employees along the continuum of care, from mental health promotion to treatment for return-to-work, can decrease voluntary turnover related to mental health issues by supporting employees in need, so that they see alternatives to leaving the organization. Decreased turnover, in turn, reduces costs related to hiring and training new employees.16 to not only offer support for stress and mental illness but also aim to build resilience among the workforce Workplace mental health programs can improve employee engagement as a collective measure of employees’ attitudes and intensity of effort related to their work and workplace More effective risk management. Employers are increasingly being held responsible in circumstances where they have failed to provide a psychologically safe workplace.20 Implementing the Standard and programs supporting employees’ mental health could help companies mitigate this risk Once employers have made the decision to invest in workplace mental health they can consider several actions to boost the chances of realizing positive financial and nonfinancial returns Organizations that are just beginning to explore investments in mental health programs often struggle with where to start; once on their way We identify critical considerations for implementation and outline a blueprint to get organizations headed in the right direction While each company has a unique culture and context our study uncovered several common drivers and barriers associated with realizing the financial and nonfinancial benefits of workplace mental health programs Factors hindering the success of companies’ mental health programs include: The difficulty of implementing programs in large Change management is often a barrier in larger and more complex companies acquisitions of new companies were commonly challenging for mental health programs owing to the tremendous pace of change and cultural shifts typical during an acquisition “Accompanying employees through change is important Some [business units] really focus on key performance indicators (KPIs)—we need to look at this with a human lens.” Two companies in our study integrated aspects of their workplace mental health program into existing corporate policies and strategies This integrated approach has woven psychological health and safety into the organizational fabric Other major changes can impede program implementation as well despite projected improvement in several metrics (for example reduced absenteeism and shorter disability leaves) leadership turnover and major structural changes within the company resulted in a return to baseline level rates despite having strong leadership and employee buy-in to move workplace mental health forward has found that the combination of a small team and lack of resources is hindering its program’s progress “Our CEO talks about mental health a lot—for example mental health in relation to the economy or in the community This inspired a waterfall of people wanting to be part of it But we are not currently equipped to handle the flood of interest The best thing would be to have a bit of money and a couple more people to help.” Companies that achieved greater returns invested in activities that support employees along the entire mental health continuum promoting mental health and well-being among employees regardless of the current state of their mental health or that are identified by experts and existing studies as important Prioritizing mental health at both the leadership and employee levels the conversation about workplace mental health began at the board and executive levels because of increasing awareness of mental health as a workplace issue Our CEO noticed in the marketplace that we need to invest in our employees The reality is that the statistic [that] one in five Canadians will personally experience a mental health problem or illness also affects our organization.” This leadership support has created two outcomes at the organization: securing budget for mental health programs across the organization and shaping organizational culture to increase employee awareness of workplace mental health “Storytelling is becoming a big part of how we communicate Getting leaders comfortable engaging conversations creating podcasts and videos on mental health—it’s about spontaneous visibility.” companies recognize the importance of mental health champions and communication through grassroots activities to promote mental health programs one company used its local office presence and technology to equip employees with resources to build resilience and change champions across the organization Recognizing that poor mental health is a top cost driver Recognizing that poor employee mental health drives up costs was a common reason that participating companies began working toward and tracking program ROI tracking the costs of disability claims related to mental health spurred leaders into action Three companies worked with their benefits providers to collect data on different cost drivers related to benefits including STD and LTD claims and drug utilization data This comprehensive data collection helped build a workplace mental health program specialized to each organization’s needs Linking workplace mental health to organizational objectives Leaders see a direct link between workplace mental health and achieving organizational objectives customer-facing companies viewed good mental health as improving the employee-customer relationship one financial services company wanted to ensure that its employees understood its commitment to the mental well-being of all employees across Canadian offices by providing them with a diverse set of benefits and initiatives “It is our business to support our employees’ financial They are all interconnected—if one pillar isn’t adjusted two energy sector companies in our study integrated aspects of their workplace mental health program into existing corporate policies and strategies this integrated approach has woven psychological health and safety into the organization’s fabric as well as specific supports for mental illness such as psychological care benefits and a substantial drug and disability program Focusing investments on high-impact areas when resources are limited Teams with limited budget to implement interventions across the mental health spectrum can boost ROI by focusing their attention on high-impact initiatives companies in our study cited interventions such as leadership training and return-to-work programs as having a disproportionately positive impact on employee mental health and well-being relative to the level of investment needed awareness campaigns and personal storytelling (especially at the leadership level) to reduce stigma typically cost little and can play a substantial part in creating a culture that encourages employees to seek support when in need Tracking outcomes to future-proof the program While few participating companies had advanced to the point of tracking ROI, experienced professionals and literature indicate that managing the performance of mental health investments requires sustained tracking of key performance indicators strategic performance management should be employed in the area of workplace mental health and targets are formally established and tracked In addition to supporting performance management tracking KPIs allows a program to demonstrate ROI in data-driven terms using objective measures This strengthens stakeholder buy-in because it demonstrates the value of making sustained investments over time reducing the risk that the organization’s investment in mental health programs will diminish if leaders or leader priorities shift Leading companies therefore monitor progress on a variety of indicators that reflect both financial and nonfinancial outcomes to identify how close they are to achieving a positive return as well as to document improvements in other factors such as the employee experience These metrics can inform the business case for continued or increased investment in employee mental health over time Companies that achieved greater returns invested in activities that support employees along the entire mental health continuum—not just intervening when people are unwell Evolving programs over time based on data analysis Subject-matter experts indicated that in order to be effective long-term mental health programs should include mechanisms to adapt the program is important for continuously improving program effectiveness and efficiency Employers should collect employee feedback and track program progress against baseline metrics to measure whether investments are having the desired impact This data can inform decisions on whether to prioritize specific program components to pursue particular targets (for instance decreasing the average length of mental health–related LTD claims) Data can also be used to identify new trends—for example to monitor changes to the organization’s demographics and evolving employee needs and expectations—that can inform program adjustments The misconception that companies need to formally adopt the Standard in its entirety all at once may make some leaders wary of implementing mental health programs Companies should understand that implementing the Standard can be—and usually is—an iterative process beginning by identifying workplace issues using baseline data and progressing by making incremental improvements over time while companies participating in this study were at various stages of implementing the Standard they all recognized its usefulness as a tool and a reference for decision-making related to workplace mental health One subject-matter adviser we interviewed acknowledged that if leaders took the time to measure their organization’s baseline data and account for existing initiatives many would realize that they are already well on their way toward better workplace mental health Figure 11 illustrates the concept of continuous and incremental improvement along a workplace mental health program maturity continuum The figure provides a blueprint for the key stakeholders and data that correspond to three levels of engagement and commitment across an organization Companies can use this concept to determine the iterative process of implementing the Standard based on their unique needs and circumstances Employers should aim to move along the continuum over time beginning by simply mapping out current initiatives and developing a baseline with key financial and nonfinancial indicators Companies can use these to identify the areas that need investment the most and will have the greatest positive impact for employees They can then use the baseline to track progress as the program matures and estimate the ROI The benefits of supporting workers’ mental health are clear and compelling While many companies are in the early stages of considering investments in workplace mental health and implementation of the Standard here are a few critical first steps that they can take: Causality between outcomes and programs cannot systematically be derived given many other moving factors in a work environment correlations can be identified to help understand if indicators are moving in the right direction The case for investing in workplace mental health is clear regardless of organizations’ sector and size is for business leaders to recognize the importance of and commit to investing in the mental health of their employees Based on the experience of Canadian companies participating in this study positive returns are not only possible but well within reach when companies develop meaningful and data-driven blueprints for investment tailored to their workplace and employee needs To build a solid foundation for workplace mental health steps must be taken to understand where attention is needed Combined with investment and executive support organizations will then be on their way to reap the benefits of improved productivity and engagement that come with a mentally healthy workforce the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (the Standard) is a first-of-its-kind and resources to help organizations promote mental health and prevent psychological harm at work The Standard is applicable to all types of organizations The companies in this study were selected based on several criteria a company had to have a workplace mental health program or initiatives in place we sought to include companies from a diversity of industries and geographies across Canada We also considered program maturity (from nascent to mature) and data availability We asked companies to provide a minimum of three years’ worth of historical data starting with data for the baseline (the year in which investment in the program or activity began) This data included nine cost and investment indicators and additional indicators necessary to estimate savings related to STD and LTD claims as well as presenteeism Of the 10 Canadian companies that ultimately provided data seven were included in our ROI calculations (One company with only a limited investment in workplace mental health was dropped from the calculations as were two others that were unable to provide more than two years of data.) To calculate the financial ROI of workplace mental health programs for these seven companies we considered a range of cost-related investments in programs such as training and workplace events along with psychological care benefits (figure 12) We compared these costs to savings related to short- and long-term disability claims and presenteeism Using the methodology described in figure 7 The annual ROI in CA$ was calculated for each company using the formula: In addition to calculating financial ROI for the seven companies with sufficient data These interviews were designed to understand the experience of developing and running workplace mental health programs; they also aimed to understand the programs’ real or perceived financial and nonfinancial ROI as well as to identify related enablers and barriers We coded responses along each of these parameters The interpretation of the collective data gathered is grounded in peer-reviewed and gray literature on workplace mental health The methodology used to estimate the ROI of workplace mental health programs has several limitations and the ROI generated is not intended to be exact Because several companies were unable to provide more than three years of historical data and/or baseline data from the first year of program implementation our estimate of a median ROI of CA$1.62 across the seven companies included in the analysis is conservative The information presented in this report is based on an analysis of 10 publicly traded companies’ experiences and seven datasets spanning anywhere between three to 10 years in addition to subject-matter adviser interviews and academic literature the results and program ROIs presented are estimates and may not reflect the experience of all companies investing in workplace mental health While we have made attempts to verify the accuracy and quality of information utilized for development of this report users of this report should not rely on the contents contained therein as the sole source of information for decision-making with respect to workplace mental health programs Deloitte is not responsible for the use of the information contained in this report by third parties The authors would like to thank the many Canadian companies and their representatives that participated in this study This report would not have been possible without their data and insights on workplace mental health programs and Morneau Shepell for their participation Thanks also to our subject-matter advisers for lending their knowledge of mental health in the Canadian workplace we would like to thank our colleagues at Deloitte—Jennifer Nachsen and Katherine Arblaster—for their thoughtful guidance and contributions to this study Cover art by: Hylton Warburton Deloitte, At a tipping point? Workplace mental health and wellbeing, 2017. View in article Paul Smetanin et al., The life and economic impact of major mental illnesses in Canada, Mental Health Commission of Canada, March 15, 2011. View in article Mental Health Commission of Canada, Making the case for investing in mental health in Canada, 2012. View in article Morneau Shepell, “What is Canada’s National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the workplace—and what does it mean for your business? Frequently asked questions,” 2013. View in article Jill Collins, Assembling the pieces: The SPE-Z1003 Handbook, CSA Group, 2014. View in article Helen Burnett-Nichols, “How the Health Benefit Trust of Alberta redesigned its mental-health program,” Benefits Canada, December 21, 2018. View in article Bill Howatt and Jesse Adams, “Survey finds employees wary to tell work about a mental health issue,” Globe and Mail, August 10, 2017. View in article MHCC, Making the case for investing in mental health in Canada. View in article This case study is based on conversations conducted by the authors with Bell Canada leaders and employees with workplace mental health roles in 2019. View in article Pim Cuijpers et al., “How effective are cognitive behavior therapies for major depression and anxiety disorders? A meta‐analytic update of the evidence,” World Psychiatry 15, no. 3 (2016): p. 245. View in article Elizabeth Hampson et al., Mental health and employers: The case for investment, Monitor Deloitte, 2017. View in article Ibid. View in article Sari Sairanen, Deanna Matzanke, and Doug Smeall, “The business case: Collaborating to help employees maintain their mental well-being,” HealthcarePapers 11 (2011): pp. 78–84. View in article Bill Howatt et al., Understanding mental health, mental illness, and their impacts in the workplace, Mental Health Commission of Canada and Morneau Shepell, 2018. View in article Dan Bilsker et al., Depression & work function: Bridging the gap between mental health care & the workplace, Healthcare Benefit Trust and Great-West Life, 2005. View in article Robin Erickson, Calculating the true cost of voluntary turnover: The surprising ROI of retention, Deloitte Consulting, LLP, 2016; Savings could be estimated in financial ROI calculations based on exit interview responses and average cost of voluntary turnover of one employee; cost=(actual # MH-related turnover – baseline # MH-related turnover) (average cost associated with turnover). View in article Deloitte, The Deloitte global millennial survey 2019, 2019. View in article Canadian Mental Health Association, Mental health in the balance: Ending the health care disparity in Canada, September 14, 2018. View in article Diane Kunyk et al., “Employers’ perceptions and attitudes toward the Canadian national standard on psychological health and safety in the workplace: A qualitative study,” International Journal and Law and Psychiatry 44 (2016): pp. 41–7. View in article Barbara Novick et al., Exploring ESG: A practitioner's perspective, BlackRock, June 2016. View in article Mental Health Commission of Canada, “The working mind,” accessed August 10, 2019. View in article CSA Group and Bureau de normalisation du Québec, Psychological health and safety in the workplace—Prevention, promotion, and guidance to staged implementation, January 2013. View in article Collins, Assembling the pieces. View in article Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, “Assembling the pieces toolkit,” accessed September 5, 2019. View in article Dave Zielinski, “When choosing an EAP, consider credentials, responsiveness, range of services,” Society for Human Resource Management, December 7, 2016. View in article Ronnie Goetzel et al., “Health, absence, disability, and presenteeism cost estimates of certain psychical and mental health conditions affecting U.S. employers,” Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 46, no. 4 (2004): pp. 398–412. View in article Simply select text and choose how to share it: To stay logged in, change your functional cookie settings. Social login not available on Microsoft Edge browser at this time Deloitte Insights and our research centers deliver proprietary research designed to help organizations turn their aspirations into action © 2025. 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See Terms of Use for more information This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Metrics details the clinical benefits of cancer gene therapy have been modest heretofore The main obstacle continues to be the level and persistence of gene delivery to sufficiently large areas of the tumor One approach for overcoming this might entail extended local virus release We studied the utility of silica gel monoliths for delivery of adenovirus to advanced orthotopic gastric and pancreatic cancer tumors the biochemical properties of the silica-virus matrix were studied and nearly linear release as a function of time was detected Virus stayed infective for weeks at +37 °C and months at +4 °C which may facilitate storage and distribution extended release of functional replication deficient and also replication-competent capsid-modified oncolytic viruses was seen Treatment of mice with pancreatic cancer doubled their survival (P<0.001) silica gel-based delivery slowed the development of antiadenovirus antibodies Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Is there an optimal neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer The concept of synthetic lethality in the context of anticancer therapy Clinical trial results with oncolytic virotherapy: a century of promise Replicative adenoviruses for cancer therapy Gene transfer approaches for gynecological diseases Clinical trials with oncolytic adenovirus in china Pre-existent adenovirus antibody inhibits systemic toxicity and antitumor activity of CN706 in the nude mouse LNCaP xenograft model: implications and proposals for human therapy Serum and ascites neutralizing antibodies in ovarian cancer patients treated with intraperitoneal adenoviral gene therapy In vivo molecular chemotherapy and noninvasive imaging with an infectivity-enhanced adenovirus Enhanced therapeutic efficacy for ovarian cancer with a serotype 3 receptor-targeted oncolytic adenovirus Impact of human neutralizing antibodies on antitumor efficacy of an oncolytic adenovirus in a murine model Silica xerogel as an implantable carrier for controlled drug delivery—evaluation of drug distribution and tissue effects after implantation Mechanistic studies on release of large and small molecules from biodegradable SiO2 inventors; Method for storing silica-based material package produced with the method and use of package for packaging of silica-based products Beta-galactosidase gene transfer to human malignant glioma in vivo using replication-deficient retroviruses and adenoviruses Infectivity-enhanced adenoviruses deliver efficacy in clinical samples and orthotopic models of disseminated gastric cancer Treatment of prostate cancer with Ad5/3Delta24hCG allows non-invasive detection of the magnitude and persistence of virus replication in vivo Fatal systemic inflammatory response syndrome in a ornithine transcarbamylase deficient patient following adenoviral gene transfer Gene transfer to ovarian cancer versus normal tissues with fiber-modified adenoviruses Targeting adenovirus to the serotype 3 receptor increases gene transfer efficiency to ovarian cancer cells Constitutive and enhanced expression from the CMV major IE promoter in a defective adenovirus vector Adenovirus-mediated gene transfer to lower limb artery of patients with chronic critical leg ischemia Utility of TK/GCV in the context of highly effective oncolysis mediated by a serotype 3 receptor targeted oncolytic adenovirus A conditionally replicative adenovirus with enhanced infectivity shows improved oncolytic potency Rapid determination of adenoviral vector titers by quantitative real-time PCR In vitro release of cisplatin from sol-gel processed organically modified silica xerogels In vitro bioactivity and degradation behavior of silica xerogels intended as controlled release materials Choriogonadotropin and its beta subunit separated by hydrophobic-interaction chromatography and quantified in serum during pregnancy by time-resolved immunofluorometric assays Download references Aila Karioja-Kallio and Johanna Markola for expert assistance This study was supported by University of Helsinki Finnish Cultural Foundation and Finnish Cancer Society Akseli Hemminki is K Albin Johansson Research Professor of the Foundation for the Finnish Cancer Institute Molecular Cancer Biology Program and Transplantation Laboratory Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on Gene Therapy website (http://www.nature.com/gt) Download citation Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article partners up with the largest media company in Finland The two companies will join forces in order to improve the sound experience for Finnish podcast listeners The collaboration between Podster and Sanoma Media Finland is great news for everyone who likes to spend time listening to true crime The two parties have agreed upon producing Förhörsrummet – a podcast that recreates authentical police interrogations Förhörsrummet originates from Sweden where more than 100,000 listeners tune in every week Podster will adapt and produce 11 episodes of Förhörsrummet into Finnish with the help of local creators The show is available on Sanoma Media Finland’s streaming service Supla which is one of the most popular podcast services in Finland The agreement between Podster and Sanoma Media Finland could be categorized as the beginning of a new era since Podster is the first international sound supplier for the leading Finnish media company and we feel privileged to have the opportunity to work with the largest media company in Finland,” comments the CEO of Podster “Förhörsrummet is definitely proof that a well-written and well-produced podcast have the capability to travel across borders We are thrilled to have taken another step toward making best-selling podcasts available in other languages” states: “We were impressed with Podster’s innovative and ground-breaking concept right from the start We believe that their ideas regarding making content available in multiple languages will change the way we think and handle podcast productions in the future” “We have great confidence in the quality of Podster shows and productions The Danish company has a great understanding of the source material and what it takes to make that particular production work in the target language We are looking forward to making Förhörsrummet available and cannot wait to hear what our subscribers think of the true crime show” This is a press release which we link to from Podnews, our daily newsletter about podcasting and on-demand We may make small edits for editorial reasons Finland’s new young female prime minister breaks the mold Finland tops out ‘Snow Cape’ pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020 Please press and hold the button until it turns completely green If you believe this is an error, please contact our support team 147.45.197.102 : 23697975-62f2-44fb-90b5-499c4370 The Finnish equestrian federation has kept Finnish dressage lovers on the edge of their seat to announce their team close to the definite entry deadline of 25 August It has now selected the team that will represent Finland at the 2023 European Dressage Championships in Riesenbeck (GER) The event takes place on 4 - 10 September 2023 Headed by team trainer Rien van der Schaft The travelling reserve is brand new Finnish champion Ville Vaurio on G-Star "We have four riders who are very close to each other based on the results," Van der Schaft stated "The competition results are not quite comparable but Emma [Kanerva] is one of the top riders at the moment we also looked at the development of the riders towards the Championships and the age and experience of the horses." Finland has also nominated two individual para riders for the 2023 European Para Dressage Championships in Riesenbeck They are Laura Kangasniemi on Goldprins (Grae IV) and Jonna Aaltonen on Laxton For U (Grade V) Stalls for Rent at Durondeau Dressage in Peer, Belgium Exceptionally Well Located Equestrian Facility in Wellington, Florida Well-built Equestrian Estate With Multiple Business Opportunities in Sweden Stable Units for Rent at Lotje Schoots' Equestrian Center in Houten (NED) For Rent: Several Apartments and Stable Wing at High-End Equestrian Facility Stable Wing Available at Reiterhof Wensing on Dutch/German border Real Estate: Well-Appointed Country House with Extensive Equestrian Facility in the U.K. Rémi Blot CEO Jaakko Kangasniemi: "Africa is the place to be for European development financiers" The Finnish development financier and impact investor Finnfund will open its first regional office in Nairobi in May 2022. Finnfund seeks to build a sustainable future and generate lasting impact by investing in businesses that solve global development challenges The opening of the Nairobi office will strengthen the updated strategic goals.  The newly released strategy places a strong emphasis on Africa with half of Finnfund’s upcoming investments in Africa Local presence is seen as a key factor for growing the volume of investments in the region.  "Africa is the place to be for European development financiers It is a continent where jobs and investments are very much needed and life is getting better for millions of people Some of our best and most impactful investments are in East Africa and we intend to make many more such investments in the coming years," says Jaakko Kangasniemi, the CEO of Finnfund 2-3 investment professionals will be deployed in the Nairobi office.  "The regional office will play a central role in strengthening our position in the East African market The location supports and streamlines the follow-up of the regional market and existing projects and collaboration with co-investors," says the head of the Nairobi office Johanna Raehalme.  Finnfund invests 200-250 million euros in 20-30 companies throughout developing countries each year Finnfund places special emphasis on sectors that are critical to sustainable development financial institutions and digital infrastructure and solutions Finnfund’s investments and commitments total about 1.070 billion euros www.finnfund.fi Jaakko Kangasniemi, CEO, jaakko.kangasniemi@finnfund.fi Johanna Raehalme, Head of Nairobi office, johanna.raehalme@finnfund.fi Valtter Louhivuori, Business Development Manager, valtter.louhivuori@finnfund.fi Unna Lehtipuu, Communications Director, unna.lehtipuu@finnfund.fi Designer Samu-Jussi Koski can thank techno music for planting the first seeds of design fever into his life. While growing up in a small village called Muurame, in central Finland, the founder of Samuji plunged into the world of design when techno-mania called out to his 13-year-old soul we needed to make our own clothes because otherwise “[My interest in fashion] started like that like pink latex trousers and furry polyester things and they wanted me to do something more.” His friend’s mother was also a fashion designer so once he had passed the phase of designing psychedelic dance gear Koski spent time a good chunk of time at the atelier flipping through fashion glossies like Vogue and Elle Koski later went off to study fashion design in both Finland and Italy and spent roughly ten years at the epicenter of Finnish design and bold prints before branching off and creating his own namesake brand I was tired and fed up with the whole fashion industry I didn’t see the point of bringing more stuff to this world and didn’t like the way the industry works,” he said it was really important to me to do things in my own terms I want Samuji to be a place of sustainable design I want our pieces to last time both for their design and for their quality And I want the manufacturing to be as responsible and fair as possible.” Koski uses a mix of silks and linens from Japan and Europe to kick-start his collections and his minimalist design aesthetic with a hint of ornamental quirk can be attributed to his love for Finnish folklore We talked to Koski more about his ecological bent and design inspirations Click through the slideshow to get swept away in a cozy and sustainable dreamworld of Samuji’s winter collection: textured dresses Tell me a little bit more about your vision for Samuji You’ve mentioned an ecological and sustainable focus but you also have a classical and seasonal collection What’s the backstory behind that?I started Samuji by collecting and creating what we now call “the complete wardrobe”: collection of the classical pieces every woman wants and can use from season to season “If you could only have ten pieces of clothes Which would you absolutely need and want?” From there grew the classic collection Both lines grow from sustainable design and lasting quality How important is the fabric-selection process for you which is the biggest fabric fair in Europe The quality of the fabrics is very important to me and try to prioritize ecological or sustainable fabrics and manufactures But I want to be honest about this: I can’t call Samuji an “eco-label” in the sense of using recycled materials or something like that and high quality are in the core of our values Who would you say is the Samuji woman?She shares the values we at Samuji hold dear: a love of necessary things I think and hope she’s open to new [things] interested in and concerned about the world What was your creative process for your winter collection?One of the inspirations for the winter collection was this idea of a Marathon Dance People used to do this in the 1920s and thirties in Pennsylvania People would stand on their feet dancing for a given length of time I came across the phenomenon on the Internet and was fascinated by it I’ve always been very interested in Finnish costume and Finnish folklore as well and we have this crazy Midsummer Night Party in Finland We created a video where we’re dancing like crazy in this barn And then I started to create the collection Samuji?It used to be my signature: Samu-Jussi got shortened to Samu-J Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York Violinist Domenic Salerni and pianist Stephen Whale will perform a duo recital at 7:30 p.m Saturday in East Stroudsburg University's Fine and Performing Arts Center the first of five that L'Archet Concert Group will present this season Salerni and Whale will perform music by Mozart and will conclude with Cesar Franck's “Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major.” Both performers gave solo recitals last season at Cohen Hall and this performance marks their first appearance together Whale has been appointed Principal Artist for L'Archet Concert Group's Cohen Hall series and will offer additional concerts lectures and demonstrations about music throughout the season Salerni is the first violinist of the Vega String Quartet quartet-in-residence at Emory University in Atlanta and is the concertmaster of the Atlanta Community Orchestra He is also a laureate of the 2009 Sion-Valais International Violin Competition and a winner of the Cleveland Institute's Concerto Competition An honors graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music Salerni has performed since 2008 with the chamber ensemble Sejong in the USA and Korea He performed his original film score to Giuseppe di Liguorno's “L'Inferno” with performer/composer Samuel Adams as part of Yale's Dante Graduate Symposium He graduated in 2011 from Yale's Master of Music program with Professor Hyo Kang where he had served as concertmaster of both Yale Philharmonia and New Music New Haven and was chosen as one of the 2010 recipients of Yale's Chamber Music Society Competition award Whale's solo engagements have taken him from his native Australia to Norway Whale performed at Mannes School of Music in New York City he performed with student singers Jussi Johnsson and Stephen Cviic in Finland for the Kangasniemi Festival of Song Whale's principal teachers have been Boris Berman He is completing his doctoral studies at the Graduate Center where in addition to solo piano repertoire he is pursuing an interest in voice-leading analysis and the philosophy of interpretation Whale teaches theory at Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College A woman wearing a VR headsets at a stand inside the Film Market business area in Cannes 2018 "Immersive journalism" is an umbrella term for news that gives the audience first-person experiences of events or situations unfolding It constructs a world where the user is encouraged to play an active role Driven by technological advancements in Virtual Reality (VR) immersive journalism quickly gained momentum as a genre in 2015 and 2016 But it hasn’t experienced a steady upward curve in newsroom uptake: after the initial hype many immersive teams moved on to other industries willing to fund experiments after tech collaboration dollars dried up.  An important conversation to have early on: what happens if experimentation doesn’t immediately bring in revenue approaches innovative storytelling by giving the editorial development department lots of freedom The thinking behind this is that specialists know the affordances of their tools best a project that tells the story of a man who seduced young women on social media The story was told in a mixed multimedia format making it resemble an authentic Tinder experience.  and it could then be used to create more stories in the same format another story called Den digitale blotteren developed It is a story about a criminal who sent sexual images to minors was told in a format that resembles a Snapchat experience In-house tools can democratise immersive storytelling in the newsroom; now journalists can interact with the content more than just providing the text This opened the eyes of many journalists to the possibilities of innovative storytelling formats.  creativity is often the first thing to suffer There is inherent value in making your newsroom aware of the possibilities of emerging technologies Analytics and metrics are an essential part of all news projects now Before embarking on tenuous experimentation it is important to know if the narrative tools and devices resonate with the audiences.  BBC commissioned a VR experience on the Congo river in Africa When the piece was shown to the audiences in libraries across the UK the team created a survey on-site as well as a follow-up study that was conducted three months later.  “We were testing memorability: is this content going to stay in people’s heads better than watching a TV news report or documentary People remembered and talked about – unprompted – standing in the station in Kinshasa which is an extraordinary case,” Zillah Watson the former editorial lead of the BBC’s immersive unit these audience insights were a vehicle to both understand the potential of VR but also to get to grips with the distribution challenges Creating content from scratch is different one can’t separate strategy from daily work.  refers to the distribution and consumption of digital content shifting from rather static entities to more decentralised and horizontal practices This has radically changed the way our audiences consume content is still very much focused on linear and binary processes: print to online As soon as the digital transformation is somewhat stabilised the question will not be who is first but rather who utilises online platforms in the cleverest way possible Some of the most intriguing experiments are happening on social media.  the former executive editor of the Guardian’s VR unit a virtual influencer created using AI and computer graphics The project was published as a non-linear series on Instagram where it served as a commentary on themes such as our society’s obsession with youth and influencer culture It was highly interactive on an intimate level – mixing fact and fiction coaxing its messages into the private moments spent scrolling on Instagram.  “We’re seeing amazing new genres coming out from the grassroots and I would love to see newsrooms using these,” Panetta said “What does it look like to break a story on Instagram or to commission a really big piece that goes first on TikTok Stories like the refugee crisis make newspaper front pages It is only natural that many immersive teams want to dabble in similarly weighty subjects; they are highly valued within news organisations.  But there is immense potential in creating a variety of content under the umbrella of immersive journalism I’m passionate about bringing immersive storytelling tools to stories that don’t typically benefit from them particularly in the lifestyle genre.  we saw an uptick in new forms of innovative visual stories in the health and science sections Renowned newspapers such as El País crafted innovative 3-D models that showed how the virus spreads in the air VG’s dedicated portal for pandemic statistics in visual form has broken every user record It is also worth noting that genres such as lifestyle are very visual and are well-suited to immersive storytelling A lot of journalism gets defined as immersive A story is immersive if it helps makes sense in the context of the story It is plainly annoying if it diverts the user away from the storyline.  I use the term “user” for a reason: the term “reader” implies written text and a linear process from content to recipient Immersive storytelling adds a higher level of interaction to the mix.  When you bring the user to the forefront of the creation process The focus is now on the point where the story Immersive journalism is not only about transporting the user to another place Immersion requires extra effort from the user and this effort has to be very well motivated Is it enough if they’re just looking at a landscape with no sense of control?  The article Elämän eväät (translated as “Ingredients of life”) was one of the most well-received creations of Finland’s leading daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat It is a prime example of one of the newspaper’s trademark formats called “evolving story” which uses unique data responses to create personalised storylines.  The story starts with a single question: “How have the circumstances you were born into shaped your life?” You are then presented with a set of choices Were your parents over or under the age of 20 when they had you Did they read to you a lot when you were a child explaining how your childhood made it easier or more difficult for you to thrive in society.  The interactive element encourages reader agency situating them directly within the story while simultaneously maintaining the narrative and addressing the complex question of societal privilege resulting in a deeply personal experience that can also enhance social empathy Sense of control doesn’t always have to mean moving around in a physical space It can mean interacting with the story on different levels agency is a meaningful element that pushes the story forward Read more about Immersive Journalism in Jenni’s paper below Sie haben erfolgreich Ihre Einwilligung in die Nutzung von Transfermarkt mit Tracking und Cookies widerrufen Sie können sich jetzt zwischen dem Contentpass-Abo und der Nutzung mit personalisierter Werbung Innovative Finnish cleantech startup Aeromon has developed a unique platform for rapidly mapping over 70 different industrial emissions hand-held and drone-mounted configurations Aeromon uses its cloud-based service to fluidly analyse emissions patterns in any industrial setting - including those that previously proved difficult to access This enables Aeromon clients to save more time and resources than ever before when managing the environmental effects of their operations and to protect members of the public from potential unforeseen hazards Founded in 2015 with the original intent to monitor shipping emissions in harbours soon realised that the Aeromon platform had the potential to help a wide range of clients as I saw that there were no technologies available to monitor emissions from ships sailing on the seas near coastlines We made the decision to apply flexible modular architecture to our design from the very beginning so that we could vary the systems for multiple uses This has proven valuable in building the monitoring concept for environmental emissions and process industry.” Aeromon successfully conducted pilots at the Ämmässuo waste treatment centre (operated by the Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority HSY The pilots demonstrated the potential to make significant efficiency and financial savings in process industry monitoring applications easily deployable nature of the Aeromon platform made it possible to map large areas which would normally prove time consuming solely on foot When coupled with automated analysis and visual reporting the whole emissions mapping process gains huge efficiency increases we now have the potential to locate emissions which might otherwise go unnoticed,” concludes Jouko Salo  “It also allows our clients to get more complete results quicker than ever before as difficult locations can be now be easily reached and mapping can be done swiftly our cloud based automatic reporting and calibration management makes the workflow leaner which in turn gives companies more time to focus on actions based on their newly-acquired information.” Aeromon wants to help the world understand the true extent of its emissions Aeromon’s analytics platform and mobile sensors help industry professionals measure and visualize more than 70 different gases The Aeromon Emission Monitoring System consists of an RPA-mounted BH-8 sensor module with an active sampling system a data handling/communications computer and a web based analysis platform Aeromon gives its industrial partners the ability to rapidly map on-site emissions in a flexible real time reporting capabilities and a scalable cloud data storage solution Aeromon started operations in 2015 and is based in Helsinki, Finland. For more on what the company does, visit aeromon.fi who has a long experience working as a board professional and in international investment management positions has been appointed as the Chief Investment Officer of the state-owned development financier and impact investor Finnfund Loikkanen will start as Finnfund's CIO in January 2024 “Hanna has extensive experience in successfully financing private companies in emerging and transition markets she has served on several company boards and is familiar with the issues relevant to impact investors and development financiers in our markets and regulatory environments We are excited to have her unique combination of expertise and experience in our team,” says Finnfund’s CEO Jaakko Kangasniemi Loikkanen has previously worked in management positions Loikkanen is also a strong expert on Russia as she has worked in management positions at the Russian companies FIM as she has been a board member since the spring of 2020 “I am excited to join Finnfund in this new capacity This role combines my interest in emerging markets and my passion for sustainability and impact investments Finnfund is a highly respected development financier in emerging markets with a wealth of relevant sector expertise I look forward to working with all the Finnfund stakeholders” Finnfund is a Finnish development financier and impact investor We build a sustainable future and generate lasting impact by investing in businesses that solve global development challenges We invest 200–250 million euros in 20–30 companies in developing countries each year Our focus sectors include renewable energy and investment decisions total about 1.22 billion euros The company has 100 employees based in Helsinki and Nairobi Of particular note was the reveal of the Monk class and how this melee class handles even the environment will be a challenge to overcome due to debilitating effects (such as freezing winds players will need to use “infusions” to acclimate their characters’ bodies While players will be able to eventually get their hands on all of the content shown in the stream, there is one aspect that will forever remain hands-off. Brad McQuaid apparently made his own class Because why not exercise your power and position if you’re making a new MMO The full developer livestream awaits you after the break WoW Factor: Down with raid nonsense addons We’re finally getting our first glimpse of 12-year-old Camelot Unchained since last year in today’s dev stream The Daily Grind: Do you think MMO subscriptions are greedy The Daily Grind: Do you feel bad about skipping new MMORPG launches The Soapbox: Could an official WildStar revival succeed in 2025 The Daily Grind: How much does voice acting impact an MMORPG The objective of the Education Finland programme which operates within the Finnish National Agency for Education and boosts Finnish education exports is to increase the value of education exports to EUR 1 billion by 2030 According to a recent review commissioned by the programme the target will be achieved way faster than anticipated: according to an estimate by the Labour Institute for Economic Research LABORE the total value of the education export sector in the Finnish economy was already nearly EUR 1 billion or a little less than half a per cent of Finland's GDP in 2019 Education exports refer to service exports related to education such as selling education solutions abroad and training foreign degree students in Finland such as the export of physical learning materials or environments abroad The study commissioned from Labore assessed the amount of turnover and added value in education exports in different sectors and the economic benefits and costs to the Finnish economy by foreign degree students studying in Finland it can be said that education exports are economically significant operations that will grow in value in the coming years as well information related to the value of education exports has so far been scattered The review to be published summarises the information needed to determine the economic value of the sector The review also proposes for the first time how the value of education exports could be calculated in the future we have promoted knowledge-based decision-making for a long time so far there is little research on the economics of education and training The report to be published also adds to the knowledge base for assessing the significance of education exports,says Minna Kelhä Director General of the Finnish National Agency for Education Four fifths of the added value generated by education exports results from the training of foreign degree students in Finland which creates significant added value through the students’ consumption and A significant share of the remaining fifth comes from exports related to education in the publishing sector foreign degree students from higher education institutions had a positive effect worth EUR 81 million on the Finnish economy The calculations take into account both the resources used for the education of students during the school year in question and the net tuition fees received from them Indirect income transfer impacts through the students’ consumption and work have also been taken into consideration as have the income earned by foreigners who graduated between 2000 and 2019 - Finnish education has an excellent international reputation and there is a great deal of demand for our competence These operations called competence exports do not hurt anyone State Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Culture and adds that he also hopes that the next government will take full account of the opportunities offered by education exports and make more extensive use of the opportunities offered by them The task of the Education Finland programme operating in the Finnish National Agency for Education is to accelerate Finnish education exports, promote networking within the sector and the availability of high quality education solutions globally. The programme includes 125 leading education export companies and training organisations in Finland.  https://www.educationfinland.fi Cookie settings © Finnish National Agency for Education 2025 Avaa kuvien katseluSaamelaiskäräjien nykyiset jäsenet kuvattuna järjestäytymiskokouksessa 30.1.2024 Linnea Rasmus3.6.2024 6:30•Päivitetty 10.6.2024 11:56Kuuntele juttu 1:13Kesän saamelaiskäräjävaaleihin on asettunut ehdolle 35 ehdokasta jolla selvitettiin ehdokkaiden näkemyksiä saamelaispoliittisiin väittämiin Saamelaiskäräjien uusintavaalit toimitetaan 3.6.–1.7.2024. Korkein hallinto-oikeus määräsi viime syksynä järjestetyt vaalit uusittavaksi koska Saamelaiskäräjien vaalilautakunta oli jättänyt merkitsemättä vaaliluetteloon henkilöitä joilla on KHO:n päätös vaaliluetteloon kuulumisesta Ehdokkaan esittelyt ja perustelut näkyvät joko suomeksi tai sillä saamen kielellä kello 11.56: Lisätty ehdokas Inka Kangasniemi Hänen tietonsa olivat jääneet alun perin saamatta tietokatkoksen vuoksi Now that Crowfall has split with the whole fixed-archetype thing it’s a world of possibilities over at this PvP title And while there will be plenty of possible class and race combinations available to choose at launch The team said that it had to make decisions on which combos to include: “Our initial list was derived based on a number of factors It took into account the cost to support this combination the balance of races for each class and classes for each race and of course the cool factor of each particular combination.” One brand-new combination that Artcraft announced this week was the Elken Cleric or “Holydeer” as we are now calling it you don’t become celibate… you go stag We’ve got the full chart for you after the break The team said that black cells are currently implemented combinations white are ones that are planned but not finished half-and-half are ones that only have a single gender so far and blank won’t be there at launch but perhaps afterward HELSINKI FINLAND A new reception centre for Ukrainian refugees in Vallila The Finnish Immigration Service is preparing to set up new reception centres due to the increased need to provide accommodation for people fleeing Ukraine the Finnish Immigration Service can set up service points for private accommodation through which those seeking asylum or temporary protection who have arranged accommodation themselves can access the reception services such as healthcare and social services and the reception allowance Most Ukrainians fleeing to Finland are staying in private accommodation Some of the new reception centres are branches of existing reception centres The Finnish Immigration Service continues to increase the number of accommodation places in existing reception centres The Finnish Immigration Service is responsible for the coordination planning and supervision of the reception system The Finnish Immigration Service has reception centres in Helsinki Other reception centres are maintained by non-governmental organisations Advertisement inquiries and other after-sales issues: info@helsinkitimes.fi Helsinki Times is the first and only English language newspaper providing news about Finland in English A weekly print edition of Helsinki Times was published from March 2007 up until Feb Helsinki Times is an online-only publication and other groups and individuals interested in Finland from all around the world © Helsinki Times All rights reserved.  Terms of Use | Privacy Policy Sign in Join now, it's FREE! Sie haben erfolgreich Ihre Einwilligung in die Nutzung von Transfermarkt mit Tracking und Cookies widerrufen. Sie können sich jetzt zwischen dem Contentpass-Abo und der Nutzung mit personalisierter Werbung, Cookies und Tracking entscheiden. Finnish taxi drivers are heavily regulated with limits on taxi numbers but one official says that does not mean the mobile app could not work here Elderly taxi drivers back in businessPublished 20142014Sources: Yle