There are many untapped opportunities in Finland in speeding up travel chains and improving transport connections, says a recent infrastructure report. According to the report, by making better use of the development potential in the transport infrastructure, Finland would speed up exports, strengthen its growth zones, attract international companies and tourists and, in the best case scenario, act as a platform for international supply chains.
"Although the other Nordic countries are naturally closer to Central Europe than Finland, they constantly invest more than us in improving their accessibility. They have long-term infrastructure programs and are strongly developing the transport infrastructure, enabling the fast and safe movement of people and goods. Accessibility has been seen as a competitive factor in the neighbors, and that should be done in Finland as well," the manager Jorma Mäntynen Line from WSP Finland.
Competitiveness in Finland would also be boosted by developing transport infrastructure, according to a recent study commissioned by WSP Finland's influential organizations and the Finnish Transport Agency. Professor Mäntynen, who led the investigation, would start the development using the rest of the Nordic region as a model. Now Finland is far behind Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
The travel and transport chains will be fixed piece by piece
The report "Transport infrastructure as an enabler of the future" lists several sections of track, the improvement of which would remove economic bottlenecks. For example, a high-capacity rail connection would be justified for the entire distance from Helsinki to Oulu, which is one of the strongest connecting distances for passenger and freight traffic. By continuing the current Helsinki-Tampere growth corridor in the direction of Seinäjoki, Vaasa and Kokkola, working areas would be expanded.
"If the high-speed train already planned in Sweden came into use in Finland, the train would take from Helsinki to Tampere in one hour, Kokkola in 2,5 hours and Oulu in 3,5 hours. An hour's train to Turku would also be needed. Unified working areas drive companies, industry and housing construction," explains WSP's Mäntynen.
Stop traffic jams, too
Finland's production structure is versatile and widely located in different parts of the country. Different industrial sectors use the transport network comprehensively, so the role of the road network is also emphasized. A good example of an important part of the chain is Valtatie 4 north of Jyväskylä. The road section serves several industries as well as food transport to growth centers.
"If the connection distance doesn't work, transport will slow down, become more expensive and produce more emissions. Identifying and repairing individual, important sections of road is vital if we are going to be part of international trade and on the path to growth in the coming decades as well", director of INFRA ry and head of the steering group of the investigation project Heikki Jämsä recalls.
"Several industries have a bigger market potential in 2030 than today. The need for physical transportation and infrastructure will not disappear. A lot can be done to streamline travel chains in 13 years, but decisions are already in a hurry," Jämsä continues.
Finland's comprehensive and well-maintained airport network also hides unused opportunities. The location of an international company in Finland would be supported if there were international flight connections within an hour's distance at most. A more efficient use of airports than at present would also increase the cash flow of foreign tourists, which is now in the order of four billion euros.
The background of the report
The infrastructure survey was ordered from WSP Finland by INFRA ry, Rakennusteollisuus RT, the Swedish Confederation of Finnish Industries EK, the Association of Municipalities, the Finnish Transport Agency, Forestry, SAK, STTK and MTK. The work is based on literature, statistical material, expert interviews and workshops. The report is a continuation of VTT and TAMK's previous Transport Infrastructure 2040 project, which created four alternative scenarios for the development of transport infrastructure and examined what kind of Finland they would lead to. WSP's report examines more concretely how the country's future development can be strengthened with transport infrastructure.
Take a look at WSP's investigation report (pdf) >
Transport infrastructure as an enabler of the future >
Read about the infrastructure needs of different industries (pdf) >
Municipalities' perspective on the development of transport infrastructure (pdf) >
Follow-up report, December 2017: Transportable euros must also be taken into account in infrastructure investments >
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Jorma Mäntynen, WSP Finland, 0207 864 388, jorma.mantynen(a)wspgroup.fi
Heikki Jämsä, INFRA ry, tel. 050 587 2911, heikki.jamsa(a)infra.fi
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