Annual report 2024

In 2024, the world's drift into an unpredictable geopolitical transition had an even stronger impact on Syke's operating environment. The attention of societies shifted further away from the triple environmental crisis, the prevention of which would require stronger investments than at present, even more urgently. Combating environmental crises does not take away from security but is one of the cornerstones of a resilient and comprehensively secure society. 

In addition to the geopolitical turbulence, concerns about the unsustainability of public finances and the stagnation of our economy have grown in Finland. For its part, Syke planned the public sector productivity programme, even though the budget cuts related to the programme will not affect Syke more heavily until 2026–2027. In 2024, the share of external funding in the budget remained very high (62%) in Syke compared to other Finnish research organisations. The number of person-years decreased to 671, or 1.6% from 2023. As part of the public increases in R&D investments, funding for the postdoc programme was granted to government research institutes. Syke was given the opportunity to hire researchers with a doctorate worth of 30 person-years, and their recruitment began in 2024.

The development of economic and governance systems can strengthen the economy and contribute to the sustainability transformation

Like security, the economy can also be strengthened through measures that also promote overall sustainability. The sustainability transformation requires a transition from a linear economy to a circular economy, which can also generate cost savings. In 2024, under the leadership of Syke, Finland's circular economy scenarios until 2035, based on material flow analyses, were published. They show what kind of resource efficiency can be achieved in Finland and what benefits it would bring.

Administration can be made more efficient by utilising digitalisation. For example, the national built environment information system Ryhti, which is being developed by Syke to support the planning and construction of areas, will enhance the compilation of construction statistics and real estate taxation in the future. 

Syke promoted the interests of the environment and environmentally wise Finland around the world

In accordance with its mission, Syke operates in a versatile way at the interface of research and decision-making. In autumn 2024, the European Environment Agencies cooperation group compiled and published key sustainability goals for the development of the European Commission's new work programme. In addition to various monitoring, information systems, reporting and official duties, Syke supports decision-making in scientific panels and expert groups, nationally and internationally. In December, a project combining broadly Syke’s expertise was launched to develop environmental security in Ukraine.

The quality of Syke's work is even higher than before and productivity has also started to increase

In 2024, Syke's renewal began to be reflected in an increase in productivity. The number of both scientific and professional articles published was approximately 10% higher than in 2023. The value of the TOP 10 citation index, which describes the quality of scientific publications, has long been among the top research institutes in Finland, and it continued to rise. The relevance and usability of Syke's geospatial datasets is reflected in the increase in the number of interfaces used by almost a quarter.

The marine research infrastructure FINMARI, coordinated by the Finnish Environment Institute, was re-selected for the roadmap for national research infrastructures updated in 2024. As a partner of the Digital Waters Consortium (DIWA), Syke is now participating for the first time in the Academy of Finland's flagship programme, which supports high-quality research and its economic and societal impact. The year also saw the first European Research Council (ERC) funding granted to Syke.

Despite the uncertain global situation, Syke is now in a good position to direct its operations for the period 2026–2030, for which the preparation of the strategy was launched in 2024. Before that, however, the Syke community will celebrate the organisation's 30th anniversary in 2025 with the theme "Cherish the good". This year, too, in line with our slogan, we build hope through research.