Large companies: Chinese and Nordic companies are the biggest threat – the solution is to dismantle bureaucracy
Large companies see streamlining official processes as the most important way to strengthen Finland's international competitiveness. The biggest risk is perceived to be being outpaced by Chinese and Nordic companies.
Almost every third (31%) large Finnish company sees being overtaken by Chinese companies as a major risk to their strategy, according to OP Pohjola's large company survey. Swedish and other Nordic companies are seen as the second most common risk, with a quarter of large companies considering being left behind by them as a major risk.
Significantly fewer are worried about being left behind by companies from the United States (16%) or companies from large European countries such as Germany, France or Italy (17%).
"Chinese export companies operate in the same heavy industry sectors as large Finnish companies. This may partly explain why they are seen as a threat more often than, for example, large US companies," says Katja Keitaanniemi, CEO of OP Corporate Bank.
Compared to the survey a year ago, however, the self-confidence of Finnish companies has improved slightly: in the previous year, even more companies saw, for example, Chinese companies (34%) or companies from large European countries (19%) as the primary risk to their strategy.
Large companies see companies from the Baltic countries as the lowest risk in international competition: only 8 per cent perceive Baltic companies as a high risk.
"Finnish companies may underestimate the potential of the Baltics. The region has strong technological expertise, and success stories such as the ride-hailing service Bolt and the second-hand platform Vinted show that companies are emerging in the Baltics that scale quickly and attract significant investments," Keitaanniemi points out.
Streamlining official processes would be the most important factor in strengthening competitiveness
According to the study, streamlining public agency processes would be the most important way to ensure that Finnish companies do not fall behind Chinese or American competitors. As many as 64 per cent of large companies believe that smoother processes would help a lot, or even decisively, in this matter.
Large companies considered increasing the flexibility of the trade union movement to be almost as important a factor. In addition, easing regulation in Finland and Europe was seen as an essential means of assistance.
"Large Finnish companies still have room for growth, especially outside Finland. The next success stories will be born when we dare to make the right decisions and remove obstacles to growth. The message from the business community is clear: strengthening competitiveness requires that resources can be directed towards investments and innovations, not dealing with bureaucracy," says Keitaanniemi.
The results are based on OP Pohjola’s annual survey, which measures large Finnish company executives’ views on business and economic developments. The survey results will be published in full in January 2026. A total of 155 senior executives representing 139 large Finnish corporations and large subsidiaries operating in Finland responded to the survey. According to their latest certified financial statements, the responding companies have a combined revenue of over 248 billion euros, and they employ over 585,000 people in total. The survey was conducted in autumn 2025. OP Pohjola carries out the Survey of Large Corporations in partnership with the Nordic Institute of Business and Society (NIBS) think tank founded by Aalto University professors.
Media enquiries:
OP Pohjola Corporate Communications, tel. 010 252 8719, viestinta@op.fi