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Short Abstract

As the Finnish ECS Ambassador, my work bridging siloed national actors reveals critical barriers like funding gaps and demonstrates the ambassador's vital role as a catalyst for building a more resilient and interconnected European citizen science ecosystem.

Abstract

While Finland boasts a strong tradition of public engagement and advanced research infrastructure, its citizen science initiatives often operate in silos across universities, government agencies, and research projects. My experience as the Finnish Ambassador has been centered on proactively bridging these actors to map their needs, identify shared opportunities, and catalyze collaboration.

On the national policy front, dialogue has been initiated with key bodies such as the National Open Science and Research Coordination, the Research Council of Finland, and Business Finland to understand funding mechanisms and strategic priorities. To connect research and practice, I have actively engaged with major research institutions (e.g., VTT Technical Research Centre, Finnish Environment Institute - SYKE, Natural Resources Institute Finland - LUKE) and data infrastructures (e.g., Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility, Statistics Finland) to explore synergies.

Drawing from these engagements, this discussion will highlight critical insights into the Finnish citizen science ecosystem. Key findings point to a strong grassroots interest and institutional willingness, but also reveal persistent barriers, including the lack of a dedicated funding streams, and standardized support services. The presentation will argue that the ambassador role acts as a crucial catalyst translating needs between policymakers, funders, researchers, and communities. By sharing these experiences, I aim to contribute to the panel's comparative reflection on building resilient, inclusive, and interconnected citizen science ecosystems across Europe.