Research

National Consumer Research Centre carries out research in the following areas of expertise:

Household activity and changes in consumption
Quality of products and services
Market functionality and price structures

The research agenda for the year 2010 comprices the following four research programmes:

Research Development Arenas

Development arenas are periodical by nature. Potentially large co-operation projects can be created based on them, both in research and in the development and assessment of other activities. Development arenas offer a shared activity location for researchers and the users of the research information. Assisted by the Research Manager, arena facilitators are responsible for the thematic renewal of research in the arenas.

The following development areas will be started during the operational year:

Consumer knowledge as a source of renewing policies (2009–2011) facilitated by Anu Raijas and Petteri Repo
Based on systematic consumer knowledge, the arena stimulates discussion regarding the need to renew policy-level actions. The Arena offers a forum for renewing policies and improving the development of utilising research information.

Climate Arena – citizens’ participation in climate policy decision-making (2009–2011) facilitated by Mikko Rask
The arena is used to engage in discussion of citizens’ means to have an impact on decision-making regarding climate policies. It attracts the industry’s national and international researchers and decision-makers together to discuss their experiences and to seek methods that could be used to strengthen the role of citizens in decision-making regarding climate change. The arena is related to the World Wide Views on Global Warming project, which the Research Centre participates in. The project will facilitate a global citizen discussion simultaneously in approximately 40 countries in September 2009 in preparation for the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.