An inventive nation

Written by roope lipasti translated by Christina saarinen

Year after year, Finland is among the top ten most inventive countries in the world based on inventions per capita. In Europe, Finns are usually among the top five in terms of number of patents. Did you know that the following inventions are Finnish?

The Molotov cocktail

The Molotov cocktail is a simple explosive device, made from a bottle, that Finns used against tanks, especially during the Winter War of 1939–40. Similar bombs already existed, but the Finns made improvements to the bombs’ ignition so they would be less dangerous to ignite. The contents were gasoline, spirits, and tar, and the bottles were manufactured at scale at a liquor factory.

The maternity package

Every child born in Finland receives a gift from the government: a large cardboard box filled with items the baby will need during his or her first months. The box can also be used as baby’s first bed. These days, there are 43 different items in the package, including clothes, hygiene and feeding items, a board book, a cuddly toy, a blanket, and a bed sheet. It’s also possible to take cash (170 euros) instead of the goods, but you’ll end up spending more if you buy the items yourself. The maternity package has existed in some form since the early 1900s, but in 1949, it was written into law, with all mothers entitled to receive it.

The Finnish Long Drink

The Long Drink has also been called Finland’s national beverage, so it’s definitely worth a try. This innovation was first prepared for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Finland at the time was a poor country where you’d be hard-pressed to find even a Coca-Cola, so something had to be invented for the Olympic tourists. The state monopoly liquor store, Alko, asked the beverage manufacturer Hartwall to develop a new drink. The result was a drink made of gin, grapefruit juice, and water, which was so delicious and popular that production continued even after the Olympics. "Lonkero", as the drink is commonly called, has retained its popularity to this day.

Icebreaker technology

Finland’s status as an icebreaker nation began in the 1950s. Of course, icebreaker ships were not invented in Finland, but there have been many Finnish icebreaker innovations. One important innovation was to add propellers to the ships. In 1954, the world’s first such icebreaker was built, with no less than four propellers, two in the bow and two in the stern. With the propellers, the icebreaker could clear ice much more quickly, and less slush and ice floes were left in the channel. In the 1990s, the Azipod thruster was developed, which is used in both icebreakers and cruise ships. It is more powerful than its predecessor, and it also saves energy consumption by up to a quarter.

The reflector

It’s dark outside in Finland for a large part of the year, so pedestrians’ lives are at risk if motorists can’t see them. the 1950s, a farmer, Arvi Lehti, lost a horse to a traffic accident in the dark and was spurred to action: he built – in what had been his horse’s stall – a plastic machine and started making reflectors. After a little product development, a snowflake-shaped reflector was born and became an instant hit among children.

When a rare snowfall occurs in southern Europe, motorists are in trouble due to slippery conditions. Drivers in Finland are spared such concerns because in winter, Finns put winter tires on their cars. Winter tires resemble normal tires except for their steel studs, which bite into the ice and make driving safer. The first winter tires of this type were patented in Finland in 1959.

The Ball Chair

The Ball Chair, launched by Eero Aarnio in 1966, is the kind of design that leaves no one cold. It has appeared in a James Bond movie and on the cover of numerous magazines. Nothing reflects the pop spirit of the ’60s better than this fiberglass classic.

Fiskars scissors

While Fiskars is known for its high-quality tools overall, its scissors are downright legendary. Of course, they are excellent scissors, but they have one important feature beyond their function: the handles are orange, which has become a Fiskars trademark. The scissors, designed by Olof Bäckström, shook up the scissors world when they were introduced in 1967: they were beautiful, comfortable to hold, and their handles were made of durable plastic. And they cut well, too. Even today, every pair of Fiskars scissors is tested before being shipped to stores. That’s why Fiskars has sometimes said that it sells ‘used’ scissors. The orange color was happenstance: the color happened to be in the machine when a test batch was made, and everyone liked it.

The faucet-mounted bidet sprayer

The faucet-mounted bidet sprayer is perhaps the most under-appreciated Finnish invention. Bidets are an old invention and exist all over the world. But bidets, intended for washing one’s bottom, can be cumbersome to use and take up space. The Finnish version is more convenient and doesn’t take up space—that’s its genius in a nutshell. The sprayer, developed by Oras in 1968, is connected to a bathroom sink faucet, and when you turn on the tap, the sprayer is ready for use. In addition to washing one’s rear end, it’s also handy for cleaning the toilet itself, or things like hosing off children’s muddy rain suits.

The heart rate monitor & the Oura ring

Every self-respecting athlete, along with more and more casual exercisers, monitors various things while working out. The most important of these is heart rate. Before 1979, this required attaching lead wires to the skin, which in turn connected to a machine that measured heartbeats. Of course, it wasn’t very convenient when running outdoors – you would have to have very long leads, at least. It was the Finnish company Polar who introduced to the market a wrist-watch receiver that measured heartbeat from data sent by a transmitter strapped to the chest.

Development along these lines has continued, and a more recent significant Finnish invention is the Oura ring, which measures a person’s sleep quality and much more.

The text message

Nokia ruled the mobile phone market for twenty years from early 90s and during that time, applied for and was granted thousands of patents. One of Nokia’s most famous inventions is the text message. The first text message was sent from a computer to a phone in 1992, ushering in the text-based phone era. The text itself was short and concise: “Merry Christmas.” Matti Makkonen is often mentioned as the developer of the text message, but in reality, there were many engineers involved – as there generally are.

Benecol

High cholesterol is extremely prevalent among Finns. Benecol margarine, produced by Raisio Group, was introduced in 1995 and is a functional food that reduces blood cholesterol. Its active ingredient, stanol ester, has been named one of the most important discoveries in the field of nutrition in recent decades.

Nordic walking

Nordic walking became a trend in the late 1990s. The concept was simple but innovative: to combine skiing and walking. In other words, it’s walking with ski poles, which is much more effective from a fitness point of view, as the upper body is also working all the time. So what if the kids laugh at such a middle-aged activity!

A waterproof wood composite

In 2019, a new type of bathroom fixture entered the market. The fixtures weren’t made of porcelain or plastic as usual, but of wood. And it wasn’t just any wood, but a waterproof wood composite developed by Woodio. It’s manufactured from woodchips and can be used to make things like sinks and bathtubs. The material was born when researchers mixed different ingredients for fun at a Christmas party. Fortunately, they still remembered the formula in the morning.

These Finnish inventions never made it big abroad: liver casserole and mämmi

Liver casserole is prepared from ground liver and rice, and even Finns either love it or hate it—there are many who also love to hate it! Mämmi, on the other hand, is a malty, rye-based dessert eaten at Easter, which looks like something that’s been fished out of a toilet bowl. These two dishes have not spread very far beyond Finland’s borders, so it appears there is a need for continued product development – or at least for better branding. s

One of Nokia’s most famous inventions is the text message.