Sitra’s Megatrends 2026: These developments are forcing Finland to renew itself

Sitra’s new megatrend review provides an overall picture of the questions Finland will face over the next ten years. At the heart of Sitra’s Megatrends 2026 is the idea of a new social contract – a promise that can carry Finland through a changed world, now and in the future.  

We live in a time of unrest marked by uncertain prospects and overlapping crises. The tectonic plates of global politics are shifting, environmental tipping points are approaching, technological development is rapid, and population growth is starting to decline in many countries. In Finland, the economy has not grown, and the crisis in public finances is challenging both the funding and the service promise of the welfare state. It feels as though one disruption barely eases before the next is already knocking at the door. Fast-moving and slow-burning crises intertwine, making it increasingly difficult to perceive where we stand today – let alone where we are headed.

Megatrends help us gain a better understanding of the overall picture of change and the root causes behind this age of unrest. A megatrend is a general trend and a broad trajectory of change encompassing multiple phenomena. Megatrends signal global shifts that evolve slowly and are widely recognised. To better grasp recent and ongoing developments, we must look beyond listing global megatrends and instead interpret them from Finland’s perspective.

What are the boundaries within which the future will be built? What is changing? And what opportunities could be seized?

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