Top-quality Logistics in Finland
18.12.2012
Competent logistics and a steady business environment are attracting companies to Finland. This is revealed by the Finland State of Logistics 2012 research report, prepared by the research team of Turku School of Economics at the University of Turku, for the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The report surveys the current state and future expectations of logistics in Finnish economic life. Almost 3,000 Finnish companies responded to the survey.
The research suggests that the logistics costs of a Finnish company have remained relatively unchanged since 2009, when the previous survey was held. In 2011, logistics costs amounted to 12.1% of the company's turnover. The single largest cost item is transport costs.
The report was prepared by a logistics research team consisting of Tomi Solakivi, Lauri Ojala, Harri Lorentz, Sini Laari and Juuso Töyli. According to Senior Researcher Tomi Solakivi, who coordinated the research, companies expect costs to increase due to changes in national and EU-level regulation.
‒ The discussion in Finland has lately revolved around the impacts of changes in diesel fuel taxation, for example.
Third place in the World Bank's Logistics Performance Index
According to the research report, the functionality of logistics and related competence in Finland are among the best in the world. Finland is also among the very top in the World Bank's Logistics Performance Index (LPI) which measures the functionality of foreign trade logistics in different countries. The LPI 2012 has been produced by the World Bank and Turku School of Economics. It reveals Finland to be the world's third-best country from the point of view of logistics, behind only Singapore and Germany.
The index was originally developed in Turku School of Economics, and includes 155 countries. It takes account of factors such as custom formalities, traffic and IT infrastructure, traceability of deliveries and adherence to schedules.
‒ The LPI measures how easy or difficult the operational environment of logistics is in a given country, especially from the viewpoint of foreign trade, explains Lauri Ojala, Professor of Logistics, who developed the index and also participated in the preparation of the report.
The Finland State of Logistics 2012 report is available (in Finnish) on the website of the Ministry of Transport and Communications: www.lvm.fi/uusimmat_julkaisut. The LPI 2012 is available at www.worldbank.org/lpi.