Being “intelligence-savvy” has not, at least historically, been one of the virtues of Finns. One reason may lie in the characteristics of Finnish society, which has been traditionally composed of small communities, a homogeneous population, a strong culture of trust, and, until recently, a widespread belief that Finland is a relatively uninteresting and remote country.
Historical experience may also explain the often cursory Finnish view of intelligence. For decades, intelligence – whether civilian or military – was characterized by its distance or even isolation from large segments of Finnish society. In the first decades of Finland’s independence, state intelligence organizations were often seen as aligning with political ideologies: in the 1920s and 1930s, they were associated with right-wing politics; during the late 1940s, they leaned left; and their activities were often viewed as serving domestic political purposes.
Later, during the Cold War, Finland voluntarily limited its intelligence activities to countering internal security threats and gathering intelligence domestically. This approach was primarily driven by the Finnish foreign policy leadership’s desire to avoid jeopardizing relations with the Soviet Union. Ironically, intelligence activities by major powers were often quite active in Helsinki during the Cold War. Nonetheless, the “low profile” of Finnish intelligence during those days – and for several years afterwards – also contributed to the notion that Finland’s intelligence services have, until recently, maintained a relative distance from the Finnish public.
Perhaps for these reasons, the term “intelligence” has, for decades, been met with some reservations in the academic world as well. For example, when the University of Jyväskylä launched the first nationally significant master’s program dealing with intelligence analysis in 2017, the term “intelligence” was deliberately omitted. Consequently, the program is still titled Security and Strategic Analysis to this day.
However, something resembling an emerging “intelligence culture” has developed in recent years. Several external factors have driven this new awareness of intelligence, such as intensifying geopolitical and economic competition, highly publicized cases of corporate espionage, hybrid and information warfare campaigns directed against Finland, and the new possibilities and threats posed by modern technology – many of which have had an impact on Finland as well, not to mention Finland’s membership in the European Union and NATO.
On their part, the intelligence agencies – particularly SUPO, Finland’s civilian Security and Intelligence Service – have taken successful steps to become more publicly visible. This shift was partly driven by the Civilian Intelligence Act and the Act on Military Intelligence of 2019, which granted new responsibilities and powers to the services, as well as the establishment of a new parliamentary committee on intelligence. These developments have led to increased public interest in the topic.
Moreover, academic study of intelligence is rapidly diversifying in Finland. Traditionally, the universities of Helsinki and Turku have been the main centers for research on intelligence history, while the National Defence University focused on the needs of the armed forces and military intelligence. However, new players have emerged: in addition to the University of Jyväskylä mentioned earlier, the University of Vaasa now offers programs related to legal and administrative issues in intelligence, and Tampere University has introduced a part-time professorship in national security, among other initiatives.
An important development is the first full professorship in intelligence studies, which was launched at the beginning of 2025 as a joint academic chair between the National Defence University and the University of Turku’s Future Studies Center. This new position helps create a critical mass around Finnish intelligence studies, gives the field greater visibility, and promotes international cooperation.
There has also been thematic diversification within the field. In addition to historical studies, recent research projects have focused on economic intelligence, privatization of intelligence, public-private partnerships, parliamentary oversight, administrative perspectives, critical intelligence studies, and the relationship between intelligence and the media – just to name a few.
This new interest in intelligence has already begun to yield results. In recent years, several doctoral dissertations and many master’s theses have been produced on the subject in various Finnish universities. Some academic textbooks have been published too, as well as podcasts and non-fiction books aimed at a broader public. Still, much work remains. For example, there are no academic journals dedicated to intelligence studies in Finland, and only a small group of scholars publish internationally on the subject.
Nevertheless, awareness of intelligence is rapidly growing in Finnish society. It may be fair to view the recent developments as steps from childhood to early adulthood in Finnish intelligence culture.
Tommi Koivula
Professor
Department of Warfare
Finnish National Defence University
Finland
