Paper short abstract:

Paper looks at the historical development of industrial policy ideas. Many of the industrial policy ideas currently presented in the context of the Green Welfare State (GWS) have a century-old history in Finland. This historically built epistemic landscape conditions the progress of the GWS.

Paper long abstract:

In our paper we look at the historical development of industrial policy ideas in Finland. Industrial policy has played a central role in the formation of Nordic welfare states and it is obvious that industrial policy is also of great importance in the transition towards the Green Welfare State. Through a historical examination of the policy ideas, we chart the epistemic landscape that constitutes the departure point for the current reformulation of industrial policy. We show that many of the industrial policy ideas currently presented in the context of sustainability transformation have a century-old history in Finland. Some of these ideas have been ignored in recent decades and industrial policy thinking has moved in new directions. In other words, the epistemic landscape has changed. We argue that the epistemic landscape and policy ideas are an inescapable basis for defining the future industial policy of the Green Welfare State. Although policy ideas never materialise as such into implemented policies, they play a key role in defining new policy orientations and directions in particular. In other words, ideas are most influential when, for example, the agenda for new industrial policy is being set. From the perspective of the Green Welfare State, key thematic issues in relation to industrial policy are the extent of state intervention, its theoretical and moral justification, the meaningful tools of industrial policy, and the relationship of industrial policy to broader environmental policy. All of these themes have been addressed in previous discussions on industrial policy in Finland.