Growth of Helsinki’s economic activity and more diversified livelihoods and professions are objectives of the Helsinki city strategy. Achieving these goals requires us to understand the needs, views and expectations of companies.
For the fifth time, the City of Helsinki implemented an extensive survey reviewing the city’s vitality and its attitudes towards companies. The 2024 survey was answered by about a thousand decision-makers of companies of different sizes from different business sectors.
“The vitality of Helsinki is built on the success of companies. The survey results will help us better understand how we can develop the city together with entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurs are hoping for smoother day-to-day life, more flexible administration and improved prerequisites for growth, and our role is to try to provide sustainable opportunities for success in Helsinki,” says Marja-Leena Rinkineva, Director of Economic Development from the City of Helsinki.
Growth expectations on the rise
The business survey shows that companies are feeling carefully optimistic about their future. Nearly half of the respondents are expecting their business operations to grow, and especially industrial and commercial sectors seem to have a positive view of the future. Companies of 2–49 people had the highest expectations for growth; single-person businesses believe that their situation will remain the same. To secure the availability of labour, companies are hoping for social security reform and improved availability of affordable housing.
The use of the City of Helsinki’s services has increased, while satisfaction with the services has remained the same. The most frequently used services were permit and licence services, the City’s website and recruitment and employment services. The support services for starting a business and business liaisons were especially highly acknowledged. The most critical feedback was targeted at permit matters, as well as land use planning and plots.
“It is delightful to see that growth expectations have taken a positive turn. Businesses have also been able to find the City’s services well and are mostly satisfied with them. We can now target our development measures effectively based on this feedback,” Director Rinkineva states.
Traffic and flexible administration as the key areas
Companies’ willingness to promote Helsinki and their satisfaction with the city has decreased somewhat, with the current Net Promoter Score being at -8. Companies whose personnel numbered 20–49 people gave the highest number of critical assessments, while single-person businesses and mid-sized companies had more positive views. The financing and insurance sector, as well as the tourism, accommodation and real estate sectors, gave the most positive reviews to Helsinki, while restaurant and construction fields were more critical. The largest decline in the Net Promoter Score took place in the design sector and creative industries.
The companies expressed satisfaction with the public transport connections within the city area and with connections to elsewhere in Finland and abroad, but growing criticism is targeted at accessibility and the functionality of delivery traffic. Based on the responses, a slight increase was achieved in the availability of commercial plots and business orientation of land use planning.
The companies’ desired areas of development are focused on smoother traffic, accessibility by car, availability of business premises and plots, and flexibility of administration. Speeding up the construction permit processes, lightening the bureaucracy related to permit and licencing matters and more flexibility in seasonal business operations were some of the most frequently requested development actions. Companies also consider lighter taxation and financial incentives as important methods in supporting vitality.
