Finnish first

In an age when manufacturers are commonly outsourcing production to low-cost countries in Asia, one nation appears to be bucking this trend. Famed for technology as much as for design, Finland is keeping much of its production on home soil, if the activities of some of its leading brands are anything to go by. Moreover, this small country is seeking to bolster its position within the global marketplace with the launch next year of a national ´innovation university´ that will bring together technology, design and business to develop new innovatory products.