Manufacturer Nokia is more important to the Finnish economy than was previously thought. According to preliminary figures by the Research Institute of the Finnish Economy (ETLA), Nokia's share of Finland's Gross Domestic Product has risen to at least 3.5 per cent, up from 3 percent last year. Finland is the only western country where a single company commands such a large proportion of the nation's GDP.

ETLA-researcher Jyrki Ali-Yrkkö sees the situation as potentially threatening. "Nokia is not the problem, but rather the small size of other companies," he told the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat.

Ali-Yrkkö also discounted fears that Nokia might leave Finland. Nokia's 23,000 employees in Finland would be difficult to relocate to another country. Not that the company has indicated it will do so, but like any other European company Nokia is taking offshoring seriously. Nokia has a big production facility in the southwestern Finnish city of Salo. ®

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