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Governmental services are being digitalized rapidly, and many European countries are currently implementing their eGovernance strategies. Although digitalization in general lowers the barriers between governance and citizens, there is also a significant risk that where a section of citizens is concerned, the barriers actually get higher. eGovernment services rely mostly on visual user interfaces, but globally approximately 1.3 billion people have some form of visual impairment. Furthermore, societies around the world will face the challenge of demographic transition, where most people are expected to live longer than 60 years and by 2080 almost 30% of the EU-28 population may be over the age of 65. In our study, we propose a complementary approach to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 for accessible spatial communication, where the content of web maps is optimized for people with abnormal eyesight and possibly degraded cognition. By defining plain cartography, we set the design principles for simplified digital maps (Figure 1) by taking how maps are seen into account and how they are understood by these special groups. We demonstrate the implementation of design principles in the Plain Map series produced by the National Land Survey of Finland and summarize the results of a usability test. Based on these results, the need of plain cartography for the visually impaired is high. In general, the feedback of the Plain Map series was very positive, and maps designed with increased clarity and high-contrast colors were seen much better than regular background maps. The implementation of the presented principles for generating plain map series is a small effort for National Mapping Authorities (NMAs), but it has an enormous impact through the improved accessibility of background maps in eGovernment services.

Governmental services are being digitalized rapidly, and many European countries are currently implementing their eGovernance strategies. Although digitalization in general lowers the barriers between governance and citizens, there is also a significant risk that where a section of citizens is concerned, the barriers actually get higher. eGovernment services rely mostly on visual user interfaces, but globally approximately 1.3 billion people have some form of visual impairment. Furthermore, societies around the world will face the challenge of demographic transition, where most people are expected to live longer than 60 years and by 2080 almost 30% of the EU-28 population may be over the age of 65. In our study, we propose a complementary approach to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 for accessible spatial communication, where the content of web maps is optimized for people with abnormal eyesight and possibly degraded cognition. By defining plain cartography, we set the design principles for simplified digital maps (Figure 1) by taking how maps are seen into account and how they are understood by these special groups. We demonstrate the implementation of design principles in the Plain Map series produced by the National Land Survey of Finland and summarize the results of a usability test. Based on these results, the need of plain cartography for the visually impaired is high. In general, the feedback of the Plain Map series was very positive, and maps designed with increased clarity and high-contrast colors were seen much better than regular background maps. The implementation of the presented principles for generating plain map series is a small effort for National Mapping Authorities (NMAs), but it has an enormous impact through the improved accessibility of background maps in eGovernment services.

Abstract
Public procurement has gained a heightened role in responding to grand societal challenges. Additional goals besides the more traditional objectives for public procurement have produced conflicts and raised the question of how to assess public procurement comprehensively. In this article, we explore the impact model created for the National Public Procurement Strategy of Finland. We investigate the main positions from where to value and assess public procurement and the key conflicts between the different positions. The national strategy of Finland emphasizes that public organizations should put more weight on secondary policy goals. However, this seems to produce "paradoxes," as partly contradicting goals are pursued simultaneously. The article shows that it is possible to highlight both the strategic and operational roles of public procurement. However, the existence of the paradoxes is important to take into account in governing public procurement.

Technological Forecasting and Social Change - Published online ; This paper introduces a process for supporting strategic decision-making and policy planning in systemic transitions related to grand challenges such as climate change. The process uses the multi-level perspective (MLP)1 1 MLP, multi-level perspective (Geels, 2004). as an underlying theoretical framework and combines various methods and tools from the fields of foresight, impact assessment, simulation modelling and societal embedding. Decision-makers such as public sector authorities and politicians are the main target group, accompanied by other stakeholders and interest groups whose involvement throughout the process is stressed. The process is presented as a stepwise methodological working process and demonstrated by a theoretical case study. The demonstration explores the vision of 'emission-free transport in cities by 2050' in the context of motorised passenger transport in the Helsinki metropolitan area in Finland. The case study serves as an example of how to implement the process and how to make case-specific selections from the methods and tools from suggested fields.

VTT Working Papers 49 ; VTT has inquired executives' views on the current state and future prospects of Finnish R&D environment. The aim was to get detailed information on, how Finland will confront the globalisation challenges today and in coming years. The division of R&D between domestic and foreign location turned into one of the most significant issues. The CEOs of largest Finnish companies (50) and innovative internationalising SMEs (160) constituted the population of respondents. Total response rate climbed into 49 percent. The study was conducted in co-operation with ZEF Solutions Ltd 29.12.2005-10.1.2006. According to analysis at the moment 56 percent of Finnish companies R&D investments are made in home country as the amount in six years time will be only 46 percent.

VTT Working Papers 44 ; VTT on selvittänyt yritysjohtajien näkemyksiä Suomen T&K-ympäristön nykyisestä tilasta ja tulevaisuudesta. Tarkoituksena on saada tarkempaa tietoa siitä, miten Suomi selviää globalisaation haasteista tänään ja tulevaisuudessa. Merkittäväksi nousi ennen kaikkea suomalaisten yritysten tutkimus- ja kehitystyön (T&K) investointien jakaantuminen Suomen ja ulkomaiden välillä. Selvityksen vastaajiksi valittiin toimitusjohtajia liikevaihdoltaan suurimmista suomalaisista yrityksistä (50) ja kansainvälistyvistä innovatiivisista pk-yrityksistä (160). Vastausprosentti oli 49. Selvitys tehtiin yhteistyössä Zef Solutions Oy:n kanssa 29.12.2005-10.1.2006. Selvityksen mukaan suomalaisten yritysten T&K-investoinneista 56 prosenttia päätyy nykyään kotimaahan, mutta kuuden vuoden päästä osuus on enää vain 46 prosenttia. ; VTT has inquired executives' views on the current state and future prospects of Finnish R&D environment. The aim was to get detailed information on, how Finland will confront the globalisation challenges today and in coming years. The division of R&D between domestic and foreign location turned into one of the most significant issues. The CEOs of largest Finnish companies (50) and innovative internationalising SMEs (160) constituted the population of respondents. Total response rate climbed into 49 percent. The study was conducted in co-operation with Zef Solutions Oy 29.12.2005-10.1.2006. According to analysis at the moment 56 percent of Finnish companies R&D investments are made in home country as the amount in six years time will be only 46 percent.

Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) requires a spatially explicit framework for decision-making, and on that background the overall objective of BONUS BASMATI is to develop integrated and innovative solutions for MSP from the local to the Baltic Sea Region scale. This is to be realised through multilevel governance structures and interactive information technology aiming at developing an ecologically and socio-economically sound network of protected marine areas covering the Baltic Sea. Based on the results of former MSP projects, the BONUS BASMATI project sets out to analyse governance systems and their information needs regarding MSP in the Baltic Sea region in order to develop an operational, transnational model for MSP, while maintaining compliance with existing governance systems. It also develops methods and tools for assessments of different plan-proposals, while including spatially explicit pressures and effects on maritime ecosystem services in order to create the Baltic Explorer, which is a spatial decision support system (SDSS) for the Baltic Sea region to facilitate broad access to information. During the project running until 2020, new data will be produced and tested in assessments corresponding to policy goals. The data will support the combined analysis of the three elements of the concept of ecosystem services: the capacity, flow and benefit of provisioning, regulating and cultural services. A central aim of the project is to facilitate cross-border collaboration, and the project is carried out in close cooperation with relevant stakeholders in the BSR. The impact of the project will be facilitated and assessed in transnational case studies, where integrated solutions are required. The local scale will consist of case study areas in the South-West Baltic, the Latvian territorial and EEZ waters including open part of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga, and across the region, a pan-Baltic case study will be performed. ; This report is a publicly accessible deliverable of the BONUS BASMATI project. The present work has been carried out within the project 'Baltic Sea Maritime Spatial Planning for Sustainable Ecosystem Services (BONUS BASMATI)', which has received funding from BONUS (art. 185), funded jointly by the EU, Innovation Fund Denmark, Swedish Research Council Formas, Academy of Finland, Latvian Ministry of Education and Science and Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH (Germany).

VTT Technology 113 ; Research and technology organisations (RTOs) are key players in the national innovation systems of many industrialised countries and they act as an increasingly recognized knowledge pool in boosting innovation and economic development in the European Union. RTOs receive basic funding for their strategic long-term research and the development of scientific competence from government. They also receive state funds for joint research funded by national agencies and EU Framework Programmes, and obtain contract research income from private and public customers. All funding sources are under pressure due to changes in the national and global economic and innovation landscape and growing performance, effectiveness, and impact pressure on research, technology, and innovation (RTI). In this context, the aim of this study is to investigate the roles, legitimacy, and socio-economic impacts of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. This study has the following objectives: (1) To give a European and global perspective on the roles, rationale, and trends of RTOs, in order to out our analysis of VTT in perspective; (2) in the context of the Finnish innovation system, to explore the roles through which VTT enhances innovation performance and generates socio-economic and ecological impact; (3) to outline a toolbox of methodologies for exploring VTT's impact; (4) to carry out a quantitative analysis of innovations in the SFINNO database concerning VTT's contribution; (5) to carry out a case-study analysis of seven individual innovations involving a VTT contribution; and (6) to assess and make recommendations for topics and methodologies in VTT's impact studies in the future. VTT's roles and impact are considered in the context of major global socio-economic and technological challenges, and special attention has been paid to VTT's internationalisation and its roles in enhancing the innovation performance of small- and medium-sized companies. ; Research and technology organisations (RTOs) are key players in the national innovation systems of many industrialised countries and they act as an increasingly recognized knowledge pool in boosting innovation and economic development in the European Union. RTOs receive basic funding for their strategic long-term research and the development of scientific competence from government. They also receive state funds for joint research funded by national agencies and EU Framework Programmes, and obtain contract research income from private and public customers. All funding sources are under pressure due to changes in the national and global economic and innovation landscape and growing performance, effectiveness, and impact pressure on research, technology, and innovation (RTI). In this context, the aim of this study is to investigate the roles, legitimacy, and socio-economic impacts of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. This study has the following objectives: (1) To give a European and global perspective on the roles, rationale, and trends of RTOs, in order to out our analysis of VTT in perspective; (2) in the context of the Finnish innovation system, to explore the roles through which VTT enhances innovation performance and generates socio-economic and ecological impact; (3) to outline a toolbox of methodologies for exploring VTT's impact; (4) to carry out a quantitative analysis of innovations in the SFINNO database concerning VTT's contribution; (5) to carry out a case-study analysis of seven individual innovations involving a VTT contribution; and (6) to assess and make recommendations for topics and methodologies in VTT's impact studies in the future. VTT's roles and impact are considered in the context of major global socio-economic and technological challenges, and special attention has been paid to VTT's internationalisation and its roles in enhancing the innovation performance of small- and medium-sized companies.