| 29.01.2025

“Preparedness should be integrated into everyday life”

Olika saker man behöver ha i sitt verekdskapsförråd som försthjälpväska, batterier, konserver och ficklampa.
“Being prepared and resilient isn't just about facing the worst-case scenarios - preparedness should be part of everyday life”, says Hanken’s Aino Ruggiero, who has been researching citizens' home preparedness, among other topics.

Ruggiero is a postdoctoral researcher at Hanken School of Economics and has for the past three years been involved in the international EU-funded CORE project (SCience & human factOr for Resilient sociEty) leading one of the work packages. The overall goal of the project has been to improve resilience in Europe across organisations and countries. The project outcomes include a set of guidance materials, such as recommendations for policymakers on enhancing resilience and preparedness. One of the project's deliverables is the joint policy brief with nine research and innovation projects as part of the societal resilience cluster, Strengthening Societal Resilience to Disasters: Improving Engagement and Communication Among Citizens and Authorities, which is grounded in a whole-of-society approach.

"Finland is a pioneer in preparedness and has adopted a whole-of-society approach to crisis preparedness, which involves engaging diverse groups across society to achieve common goals. The approach has recently received a lot of attention also internationally with our former president Sauli Niinistö’s report on how to enhance the EU’s civilian and military preparedness and readiness for future crise”, says Ruggiero.

Finland has also adopted the 72-hour concept, which outlines the level of home preparedness recommended by authorities and NGOs. Households are advised to prepare to be self-sufficient for at least three days in the event of a disruption. Finland's pioneering in crisis preparedness can be attributed to several unique features of the country, such as its climate, location, and wartime history.

“There’s a survival attitude embedded in Finnish culture, which has transformed into a distinct way of doing things, the 'Finnish way'. In Finland, people know each other well, making cooperation both easy and necessary due to the small population.”

Ruggiero adds that proximity to our eastern neighbor has also played a role:

“For instance, while Sweden quickly dismantled much of its preparedness infrastructure, Finland retained it. Whether we were slow to change or forward-thinking, it has proven beneficial.”

Aino Ruggiero i Hankens korridor.
Aino Ruggiero, postdoctoral researcher at Hanken School of Economics.

Challenges in implementation and inclusion 

While Finland has a model that involves all societal sectors and stakeholders, the key question is how it is being implemented. Ruggiero says that surveys indicate that while citizens are more aware of preparedness issues, the overall level of preparedness could be further improved: e.g., the majority would not survive longer than two days without running water. 

“Therefore, one of our research recommendations is about the importance of involving households and individuals, making preparedness part of daily life. This way, it becomes a routine, rather than something scary.”

Ruggiero says that emergency supplies shouldn't just be associated with disastrous events.

“For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, these supplies were useful if you were just sick with a regular flu. Disruptions can be minor, like power outages. If the lights don't work, you need matches, candles, a torch, and a battery-operated radio to function properly."

According to Ruggiero, there are still silos within Finland's crisis preparedness system.

 “How can we go beyond these silos and bridge the gaps, especially as society becomes more diverse and multicultural? It's crucial to ensure that also minorities are included. For example, during COVID-19, messages didn't always reach cultural minorities or small language groups.”

Ruggiero advocates for a more positive discourse around preparedness, integrating it into our efforts to improve our lives. Preparedness includes both material aspects and psychological readiness.

“I encourage a mindset that views preparedness as part of a holistic approach to life. This means taking care of yourself in the present while being proactive about the future. Resilience has a psychological dimension, helping us to deal with the increasing complexity of life.”

Text: Jessica Gustafsson
Photo: Adobe Stock and Jessica Gustafsson

About the CORE project:

  • The overall objective was to develop a harmonized vision of crisis management awareness and capability.
  • The three-year project, which ended in the fall 2024, was funded under the EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, grant agreement No 101021746.
  • The CORE consortium was composed of 19 partners from 11 countries.
  • The project consisted of nine sub-projects. Hanken was responsible for a sub-project that dealt with the cascading effects of disasters and crises with Associate Professor Wojciech Piotrowicz as the principal investigator.