Threats

Today, the Finnish economy is increasingly dependent on foreign networks and the functioning of logistical systems. As a result, the most notable threats to security of supply are often associated with international interdependencies. The worst-case threat scenario is a situation where the production or import of food products, goods and services that are critical to security of supply is temporarily disrupted.

Other major threats to the functioning of Finnish society and economy include disruptions affecting electronic data and communications systems, financial transactions and networks, energy supply interruptions, hazards that severely endanger the health and ability to function of the population and large-scale natural and environmental disasters. Dangerous infectious diseases can also weaken the ability to function of entire societies, as the coronavirus pandemic has aptly demonstrated.

The freeing of global trade presents both opportunities and threats

Major conflicts have the capacity to destabilise global trade structures and thus cause major disruptions in the supply of critical materials. The freeing of global trade has resulted in countries becoming increasingly dependent on global logistics systems. In many cases, production has been centralised to only a few manufacturing areas, which may pose challenges in the event of disruptions.

Successful trade policy developments create interdependencies that have politically stabilising effects. However, these types of changes also have the potential to create political tension and threats to global trade. This is particularly true for production that is highly centralised to specific regions, such as oil production.