RDI Programmes

The research carried out at THL is organised into three Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) programmes. The programmes produce up to date knowledge on the current state of health and wellbeing, as well as changes affecting them.

1. The future of health and wellbeing

• The programme produces knowledge on the population’s physical, mental and social wellbeing and health, on health and wellbeing inequalities, and on the risk and protective factors that influence them.
• Its aim is to find effective solutions to key health and wellbeing challenges, prevent disease, support work ability and functional capacity, and reduce health and wellbeing inequalities.
• Projects within the programme develop solutions that promote health and wellbeing. These solutions and operational models are examined and evaluated to support their effective implementation and cost efficient delivery.

2. Equal and effective social and health services

• The programme produces knowledge and solutions on the functioning, impacts and development needs of social and health services and the broader service system.
• The projects aim to improve the equality, effectiveness and cost effectiveness of services, and to promote competence development and the use of new technologies.
• The programme examines operations, governance and financing at both service and system levels.
• The projects provide information that supports regional and national development and decision making, as well as the objectives of the social and health services reform.

3. A sustainable and safe society

• The programme focuses on strengthening social sustainability and everyday safety. Its perspective includes preparedness for social and health related threats.
• Projects examine inequality, inclusion, the health and wellbeing impacts of environmental changes and adaptation, everyday safety and resilience, acute health threats (such as infectious disease epidemics and pandemics), social problems, and their identification and prevention.
• The programme also studies the interplay between health threats and social problems, as well as the effects of policy and legislation on individual and societal safety.

Foresight and planetary health at the core of RDI activities

Through foresight, we develop:

• different scenarios that help us prepare comprehensively for future challenges
• cross sectoral cooperation to build solutions together
• ways to utilise THL’s extensive data resources and artificial intelligence more effectively.

THL’s RDI activities are founded on the concept of planetary health. Planetary health recognises that humans are an inseparable part of the natural world. We believe that a sustainable society and the health of people can only be promoted by safeguarding the carrying capacity of our planet.