Atte Jääskeläinen’s Lecture at the University of Latvia

On 27 February at 16:00, a lecture by the President of the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra (Suomen itsenäisyyden juhlarahasto, SITRA), Atte Jääskeläinen, will take place at the Small Aula of the University of Latvia, Raiņa bulvāris 19. The lecture will focus on insights gained from analysing the latest economic trends in Europe.

The lecture, “Is There Still Room for Growth Under the Pressure of Megatrends? What Does Europe’s Economy Look Like in the Context of Increasing Longevity?”, will be particularly relevant for policymakers, entrepreneurs, academics, students, and anyone interested in the development prospects of the European economy and possible future scenarios.

The lecture will be held in English. Admission is free of charge upon registration by 26 February at 10:00.

SITRA’s 2026 Megatrends Report provides insight into signals of slow-moving, global, and widely observable transformations. For Finland, it helps identify how the country’s future will be shaped and what the key constraints and opportunities for Finnish society currently are. From Finland’s perspective, megatrends are analysed across four thematic areas: people and culture; power and politics; nature and resources; and technology and the economy.

The lecture will examine global megatrends and their impact on Europe’s economic development over the coming decade. Particular attention will be paid to population ageing, increasing longevity, and the effects of these processes on the labour market, productivity, public finances, and social protection systems. The speaker will invite discussion on whether, and under what conditions, sustainable growth is possible at a time of significant demographic change.

Atte Jääskeläinen has more than 25 years of experience in leading change and innovation in the media, education, and public policy sectors. From 2020 to 2023, he served as Director General for Higher Education and Research Policy at Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture. Prior to that, he held senior positions for 20 years in Finland’s largest media organisations, including Yle, STT, and Helsingin Sanomat.

Jääskeläinen holds a law degree from the University of Helsinki and in 2023 defended his doctoral thesis in economics and business administration, earning a doctoral degree. He has also served as a Professor of Practice at LUT University, a research fellow at the Reuters Institute of the University of Oxford, and a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics.