SRC funding awarded to Danielsbacka’s subproject on migration scenarios

Professor Mirkka Danielsbacka has been awarded funding by the Strategic Research Council for her research exploring alternative futures of migration. Her project forms part of the research consortium Population projections for migration scenarios, human capital development, and sustainable integration (MigScene),  led by the Family Federation of Finland. Alongside the INVEST Research Flagship, hosted by the University of Turku, the University of Helsinki also serves as a partner in the project.

Finland’s population is ageing rapidly, creating major pressures on productivity and the financing of the welfare state. One proposed solution is increased immigration, but its success depends on a well-functioning education system, adequate services and effective social integration.

The MigScene consortium investigates how Finland can respond to these challenges. Its aim is to explore how different education, migration and integration scenarios could support the development of human capital and productivity.

The research employs Finnish and international microsimulation models, registry data and machine-learning methods. Using these tools, the consortium will produce multidimensional population projections for Finland covering the years 2025–2070.

The project is led by Honorary Professor Wolfgang Lutz of the Family Federation of Finland. Danielsbacka’s three-year subproject has received nearly €670,000 in funding.

Professor Mika Kortelainen, who works at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Turku School of Economics and INVEST, has been awarded Strategic Research Council (SRC) funding for a project at the Turku School of Economics entitled Generative AI and Digital Solutions: Enhancing Effectiveness and Productivity of Healthcare Services. The project examines how digital services and generative artificial intelligence can improve productivity, accessibility and cost-efficiency in healthcare, while also supporting sustainable economic growth. It will generate evidence on the impacts of digital and AI solutions by making use of Finland’s unique registry data, large-scale randomised trials and multidisciplinary methods.

Partners in Kortelainen’s project include Aalto University, the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS), and the University of Helsinki. The funding allocated to the Turku-led share of the project amounts to just over €1.2 million.

Operating under the Research Council of Finland,  the Strategic Research Council (SRC) funds high-quality research of significant societal relevance and impact. Its aim is to provide concrete solutions to major challenges that require a multidisciplinary approach.