From Happiness to Hard Tech: Finland in Motion Across the Atlantic

The NEF Newsletter: Connecting New England, Finland, and Scandinavia through trade, education, and culture. Born from the enthusiasm of Finnish New Englanders, it charts our shared journey—past, present, and future. Join our growing community of 2,960+ subscribers and many more via email and blog. Share with anyone eager to build Nordic-New England bridges.

Editor-in-Chief: Dr. Henrik Totterman, Finnish Honorary Consul for Boston and New England. A professor, entrepreneur, and connector dedicated to fostering Finnish-American collaboration and advancing sustainable solutions.

Contents — March 2026

Upcoming Events

Business & Trade Connections

Innovation, Education & Research

Culture, Heritage & Sport

Diplomacy & Public Affairs

Upcoming Events (see below for details)

MARCH 29: Documentary Screening: My Family and Other Clowns: the Scandinavian Cultural Center & Library, Newton

MARCH 30: Geopolitics of the Strait of Hormuz: MIT Virtual

FEBRUARY 23: Postponed Meeting with Quincy Mayor and the Chamber of Commerce

OCTOBER 23-25: FinnFunn Weekend 2026 | East Hill Farm, New Hampshire

Is Happiness Enough — Is It Finland’s Competitive Advantage?

Finland has once again been ranked the happiest country in the world, for the ninth consecutive year (!!). The narrative we often export is familiar: trust, balance, safety, and quality of life. But here’s the question worth asking more directly:

Spend time in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and you quickly see an achievement-driven reality. Scientists, engineers, and founders are intensely driven, super-focused on impact, breakthroughs, and pushing the frontier of knowledge. Work-life balance does not define them. Purpose and progress do.

And yet, this is exactly where Finland’s positioning becomes more interesting. Because Finland is not offering a trade-off. It is increasingly offering a combination:

Recent policy developments reinforce this direction. Efforts to streamline visa processes, targeted tax incentives for international experts, and continued investment in R&D signal a country that is not only stable but actively competing for global talent.

Over the past weeks, this positioning has been visible here in the United States.

In Boston, a few weeks ago, the Work in Finland delegation engaged with students, researchers, and professionals on how global talent can connect to Finland’s deep tech ecosystem. At Hult International Business School, discussions quickly moved beyond lifestyle into concrete pathways in quantum computing, AI, semiconductors, and health innovation.

This week, in New York and Boston, the Team Finland health and life science delegation is connecting with leading hospitals, research institutions, and investors. These interactions highlighted Finland’s growing role as a credible partner in health innovation, from diagnostics and data to biotech and clinical collaboration.

Taken together, this reflects a broader shift.

New England, with its density of research institutions, capital, and entrepreneurial energy, remains a natural counterpart in this equation.

This month’s newsletter reflects that momentum — across talent mobility, research collaboration, business expansion, and community connection.

Happiness, in this context, is not the destination — it is the attitude and culture of winning together.

Dr. Henrik Totterman

Honorary Consul of Finland to the City of Boston and New England.

Business & Trade Connections

MARCH 9: Work in Finland USA Tour — Boston Momentum at Hult

As part of the broader Work in Finland USA Tour, the Boston stop at Hult International Business School stood out as a highly practical and globally connected gathering.

Co-hosted with Business Finland and partners, the “Find Your Superposition in Finland” event brought together researchers, engineers, and deep tech professionals from across the world — reflecting the truly international nature of today’s R&D landscape.

The discussions moved beyond promotion into substance: where talent flows, how innovation ecosystems compete, and what it takes to attract and retain top scientific capability. Finland’s positioning — combining research excellence with supportive structures for talent — resonated strongly with participants.

The takeaway was clear: In a world where talent is mobile and innovation is global, ecosystems that combine capability, support, and openness will lead.

It was a pleasure to help host and connect this dialogue in Boston — and to see strong momentum building between Finland and one of the world’s leading R&D hubs.

MARCH 23-26: Team Finland Health Visit | New York and Boston

The Team Finland Health & Life Science delegation visit to New York and Boston once again highlighted why the U.S. East Coast remains one of the world’s most concentrated ecosystems for biotech, digital health, hospital innovation, and investment.

Across meetings with leading institutions — from hospitals and research centers to investors and innovation hubs — Finnish companies gained direct exposure to how the U.S. market operates in practice.

In Boston, one particularly strong example of this in action was the collaboration with Hult International Business School. Finnish delegation companies worked closely with student teams who went beyond traditional analysis — delivering real market signals, customer insights, and actionable entry perspectives.

When entrepreneurial urgency meets structured analysis, learning accelerates on both sides. Initiatives like this — organized by Business Finland and supported by the Consulate General of Finland in New York — represent a practical model for modern internationalization: fast, collaborative, and grounded in real market interaction.

From the New England side, we are pleased to support and help connect these efforts — and to see them continue to evolve.

Innovation, Education & Research

Three Perspectives on Growth and Leadership Today

Lately, among other book reads, I’ve been spending time with very different, yet complementary perspectives on growth and leadership.

Mårten Mickos’ Kasvun Kaava (The Pattern of Growth) is exactly what you would expect from him: hands-on, practical, and grounded in real operating experience. It’s not just a book for entrepreneurs — it’s a framework for thinking about how individuals, teams, companies, and even governments actually create growth in practice. The book deserves to be translated into English and other languages.

In parallel, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb’s recent book The Triangle of Power: Rebalancing the New World Order offers a broader geopolitical and leadership lens. What makes it particularly interesting right now is how quickly the world has shifted even since its publication last year — something President Stubb himself has acknowledged. That tension between long-term thinking and rapidly changing realities is exactly where leadership today is being tested.

This is also the thinking behind my new Forbes column, where I explore how leadership, careers, and organizational models are evolving in this same environment. The focus is on what I describe as a “third layer” of work — beyond traditional employment and entrepreneurship — where portfolio professionals, fractional leaders, and distributed expertise increasingly shape how organizations operate.

In Finland, companies are often globally ambitious but resource-constrained. Access to experienced talent on a flexible, fractional basis can accelerate internationalization, strengthen execution, and de-risk expansion. In New England, especially in sectors like life sciences, deep tech, and advanced manufacturing, companies already operate in highly networked ecosystems where external expertise, advisory roles, and hybrid leadership models are the norm.

For the New England Finns community, this creates a very practical bridge. It opens new pathways for Finnish professionals to engage with U.S. companies, for U.S.-based experts to support Finnish firms, and for organizations to collaborate across borders without waiting for traditional structures to catch up.

In that sense, the column is not just about careers. It is about how work itself is being reorganized — and how Finland and New England can connect more effectively within that shift.

More to come on this in the months ahead.

Culture, Heritage & Sport

A Nordic Home Away from Home — Right Here in Boston

Many Finns in New England are not fully aware that one of the region’s most valuable cultural resources is very much for us as well: the Scandinavian Cultural Center & Library.

Yes, Finland is not technically part of Scandinavia, but part of the Nordics. The distinction is simple: Scandinavia refers to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, while the Nordic countries include Finland and Iceland. In practice, however, the Center embraces the full Nordic community, including us.

The facility offers a welcoming and accessible space for connection, culture, and engagement. Highlights include:

• A fantastic Nordic library, with a strong selection of Finnish books for both adults and children
• The Saturday Nordic Cafeteria, a relaxed weekly gathering point
• Events, and an amazing event and meeting space available for rent, ideal for community and professional use

For those looking to stay connected to Finnish and Nordic culture — or simply find a calm, thoughtful space in the Boston area — this is a resource worth rediscovering.

Sample upcoming event now on Sunday:

Documentary Screening: My Family and Other Clowns Sunday, March 29 | 3:00–4:30 PM | Suggested donation $10 Presented by the Boston Estonian Society, this award-winning film offers a moving portrait of a theater family balancing art, life, and legacy. Followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.

Diplomacy & Public Affairs

MIT Panel: Geopolitics of the Strait of Hormuz

A timely discussion hosted by MIT’s MENA Program will examine the evolving geopolitical dynamics of the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most strategically critical regions for global energy and security.

Bringing together leading experts from MIT, Harvard, Brandeis, and former U.S. government leadership, the panel offers perspectives that go beyond headlines, addressing regional stability, economic implications, and broader international relations.

For those interested in global policy, security, and geopolitical risk — themes increasingly relevant for Nordic and European stakeholders as well — this is a valuable session to follow.

Monthly US policy update relevant for New England and Finland (NEW)

Recent policy discussions in Washington signal change, but they also highlight where opportunities are strongest. For Finland, the key message is clear: while the federal landscape is evolving, New England remains one of the most reliable and forward-looking platforms for cooperation.

Opportunities for Finland include:

• Grid optimization and energy efficiency solutions
• Offshore and marine engineering expertise
• Winterization and resilience technologies
• Advanced nuclear and hybrid energy systems
• New England remains a practical entry point for Nordic energy competence.

Finland’s strengths in:

• Quantum research and photonics
• Secure communications
• Industrial AI and automation
• Systems engineering

Potential pathways forward:

• Joint research programs
• Co-funded initiatives
• Structured talent exchange
• Deeper university-to-university cooperation

New England offers:

• Sophisticated regulatory environments
• Advanced manufacturing ecosystems
• Pilot markets for new technologies
• Established Nordic networks

Finland’s reputation for:

• Critical infrastructure reliability
• Systems-level thinking
• Technology-driven governance
• Cyber resilience

THE NEF - NEW ENGLAND FINNS NEWSLETTER

NEXT ISSUE: #25, April 20, 2026.

Past Issues:

ISSUE #1: January 23, 2024, Setting Sails for a New Adventure - The NEF – The New England Finns monthly newsletter was launched on January 25, 2024, with well over 1200 subscribers on Linkedin a week later.

ISSUE #2: February 25, 2024, Sailing the Northeast Shores - 1776 on Linkedin.

ISSUE #3: March 31, 2024, Nordic Sailors Sharing Joy, Experiences, and Knowledge- 1900 on Linkedin.

ISSUE #4: April 28, 2024, Nordic Sailors and the New England Summer Season! - 2100 on Linkedin.

ISSUE #5: June 7, 2024, The Nordic Midsummer Magic - 2200 on Linkedin.

ISSUE #6: July 9, 2024, The Legendary Nordic Vacation - 2300 on Linkedin.

ISSUE #7: August 31, 2024, The Nordic Night of the Ancient Fires - 2400 on Linkedin.

ISSUE #8: September 29, 2024, Nordic Values At Work - 2450 on Linkedin.

ISSUE #9: November 3, 2024, Embracing the Northeastern Winds - 2500 on Linkedin.

ISSUE #10: December 8, 2024, Shining Bright under the Northern Lights - 2542 on Linkedin.

ISSUE #11: January 5, 2025, A Nordic Cheer for a Resilient New Year - 2584 on Linkedin.

ISSUE #12: February 2, 2025, Nordic Hockey Flair in the Garden Air - 2640 on Linkedin.

ISSUE #13: March 2, 2025, Nordic Hockey Flair in the Garden Air - 2680 on Linkedin.

ISSUE #14: April 5, 2025, Nordic Happiness in New England - 2703 on Linkedin.

ISSUE #15: May 4, 2025, Sauna, Summer, and Sisu — Stronger Ties, Brighter Skies - 2746 on Linkedin.

ISSUE #16: June 14, 2025, From Nordic Flag Raisings to Finnish-American Alliances - 2779 on Linkedin.

ISSUE #17: July 15, 2025, Nordic Summer: Rest, Reflect & Reimagine - 2793 on Linkedin.

ISSUE #18: September 15, Nordic Leadership in Action - 2820 on Linkedin.

ISSUE #19: October 15, Nordic-American Two-Way Bridge - 2876 on Linkedin

ISSUE #20: November 20, Gratitude from Nordic New England - 2903 on Linkedin.

ISSUE #21: December 21, Nordic Yuletide and New Year Wishes - 2928 on Linkedin.

ISSUE #22: January 20, Nordic Calm and Clarity in Uncertain Times - 2962 on Linkedin.

ISSUE #23: February 20, New England Finns and Nordics: Building Continuity, Deepening Impact - 2993 on Linkedin.