Migration Institute of Finland

What Migration Institute of Finland does

Migration Institute of Finland (Siirtolaisuusinstituutti) is a non-profit foundation established in 1974 and headquartered in Turku, with additional offices in Seinäjoki and Vaasa. It conducts interdisciplinary research on international and internal migration, with particular emphasis on Finnish and Nordic emigration history, and serves as a national coordinator and documentary repository for the field. Its core products include the Siirtolaisrekisteri (Emigrant Register) archival dataset, a research library of over 10,000 catalogued publications, the peer-reviewed Migration-Muuttoliike journal and Finnish Yearbook of Population Research, digital migration collections, a publication series, and a podcast.

The Institute's business model is that of a publicly funded research foundation: a recurring operational grant from the Ministry of Education and Culture, supplemented by competitive research funding from the Academy of Finland, Strategic Research Council, and Kone Foundation, plus income from two internal endowment funds (Kaarle Hjalmar Lehtinen Fund and Niilo and Helen M. Alho Fund). It is governed by 30 member organizations spanning all Finnish universities, relevant ministries, and major NGOs. Outputs are predominantly open-access academic publications and publicly accessible archival materials rather than commercial products; there is no app, no paid API, and no disclosed licensing revenue.

In recent years the Institute has broadened its scope from historical emigration research toward contemporary mobility policy, anchored by the Mobile Futures (2022–2027) and TRIM (2025–2028) Strategic Research Council programs and the Academy of Finland's INDEFI project (2022–2025). Geographic expansion into Vaasa through the Centre for Swedish Finland and the launch of a podcast indicate modest moves toward broader public and minority-segment engagement, while coordination of the national NMR network and participation in IMISCOE point to continued consolidation of its position as the de facto national institute for migration research.

Name

Migration Institute of Finland

Legal name

Siirtolaisuusinstituuttisäätiö – Stiftelsen för Migrationsinstitutet sr

Website

https://siirtolaisuusinstituutti.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Migration Institute of Finland is a state-funded research foundation established in 1974, based in Turku with offices in Seinäjoki and Vaasa, that conducts migration research, maintains archival datasets and a research library, and serves Finnish universities, ministries, and NGOs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Migration Research Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE), Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI)

Keywords

• Migration research
• Population studies
• Archival services
• Genealogical databases
• Immigration studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Turku

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government operational funding: The institute's operations are primarily enabled by a state grant from the Ministry of Education and Culture. Competitive project-based research funding constitutes a significant share of total funding, especially for research activities.
2. Competitive research project funding: Major share of research activities funded through competitive grants from Finnish Academy of Finland, Strategic Research Council, Kone Foundation, and other research councils.
3. Endowment funds and donations: The institute holds its own foundation funds used both to support its own activities and to provide research scholarships (e.g., Kaarle Hjalmar Lehtinen Fund, Niilo and Helen M. Alho Fund).
4. Publication sales: Publications sold via the online shop (tiedekirja.fi) and available in the institute's library and scientific libraries in Finland.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Migration Institute of Finland (Siirtolaisuusinstituutti) is a non-profit research foundation established in 1974 that conducts scholarly research on migration and population movement. It maintains a specialized library, an archive of migration-related collections, the Siirtolaisrekisteri (Emigrant Register) genealogical database, and produces academic publications, reports, and podcasts for academic, governmental, and public audiences.

Product overview

The Migration Institute of Finland (Siirtolaisuusinstituutti) is a research institution that does not offer a commercial product in the traditional sense. Instead, it provides a portfolio of research services and scholarly resources including the Emigrant Register (Siirtolaisrekisteri) for genealogical research, specialized library services with over 10,000 publications, archival collections documenting Finnish migration history, and multiple publication series including the Migration-Muuttoliike journal and Finnish Yearbook of Population Research. The institute also maintains digital materials and archives, organizes public events and author evenings, and produces a podcast series. All publications are distributed through open access (Doria publication archive) and the journal platform Journal.fi.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Centret för Svenskfinland: The Centre for Swedish-speaking Finland, a unit of the Migration Institute located in Vaasa that conducts research and documentation on migration in Swedish-speaking Finland.

Quantifiable outcome

• Published the Migration-Muuttoliike journal with two issues per year covering thematic migration research

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Association of European Migration Institutions (AEMI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe institute participates in AEMI, a network of European migration research institutions facilitating international collaboration and knowledge exchange on migration studies.
• The Society for the Study of Ethnic Relations and International Migration (ETMU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerETMU is a Finnish academic society promoting research on ethnic relations and international migration, closely affiliated with the institute.
• International Migration, Integration and Social Cohesion in Europe (IMISCOE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMISCOE is the largest European research network on migration and integration. The institute participates actively, including through its staff serving on the Forced Migration and Refugees Standing Committee.
• Nordic Migration Research (NMR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe institute coordinates the NMR research network (2019-2022), bringing together Nordic researchers on migration.
• Finnish Universities (University of Turku, Åbo Akademi, University of Helsinki, etc.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll Finnish universities are member/background organizations of the institute, supporting research collaboration, co-supervision of doctoral candidates, and joint projects.
• Society for Swedish Literature in Finland (Svenska Litteratursällskapet)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder of the Centre for Swedish Finland (Centret för Svenskfinland). Co-funder of the Travelling linguistic resources project with researcher Linda Bäckman.
• Finlandia Foundation NationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS-based foundation supporting Finnish-American heritage and cultural exchange.
• Swedish Finn Historical SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSociety focused on Swedish-Finnish historical heritage, collaborating on research and documentation.
• History of Finnish Migration NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitute-coordinated network for Finnish migration history research.
• TEMREN NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch network coordinated by the institute focused on migration and regional development.
• Ruralia Institute (University of Helsinki)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on rural development and migration research projects.
• Suomi-Seura (Finland Society)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinnish diaspora organization supporting expatriate Finns, aligned with institute's diaspora research mission.
• Finland-Swedish FolktingetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterest organization for Swedish-speaking Finns, aligned with the Centre for Swedish Finland.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Swedish Research Centre for Migration and Ethnicity (REMESO), Linköping University: A Nordic academic research center focused on migration and ethnicity, with strong publication and policy engagement. Closely comparable to the Migration Institute of Finland in Nordic geographic context, research themes, and academic publishing model.
• International Migration Institute (IMI), University of Oxford: A leading academic research center dedicated to migration studies, comparable to the Migration Institute of Finland in producing peer-reviewed research, hosting archives, and informing policy. Both are established research-only institutions focused on migration and integration.
• Centre for Migration Studies (CMS), University of Amsterdam: An academic research center at the University of Amsterdam conducting migration research and graduate training. Comparable to the Migration Institute of Finland in mission to advance migration scholarship and produce peer-reviewed research, though hosted within a larger university.
• Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies (IMIS), University of Osnabrück: A German university-based interdisciplinary migration research institute producing peer-reviewed publications. Directly comparable to the Migration Institute of Finland in research focus, academic publishing, and methodological approach to migration studies.
• Department of Migration Research, Malmö University: A Swedish university department dedicated to migration research with postgraduate training and policy engagement. Functions as a comparable Nordic academic hub for migration scholarship, similar to the Migration Institute of Finland's research and publication role.

Broad incumbents

• Migration Policy Institute (MPI): A larger, globally oriented think tank on migration policy with research, data, and policy analysis. Comparable to the Migration Institute of Finland in mission (research informing policy) but significantly larger in scale and U.S./globally focused rather than Finland-focused.
• International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD): An intergovernmental organization supporting migration policy dialogue and research across Europe. Comparable to the Migration Institute of Finland in serving government stakeholders on migration, but operating at a much larger scale and across multiple countries.
• Institute for Social Studies (ISS), Erasmus University Rotterdam: An international academic institute focused on development and social justice research, including migration. Comparable to the Migration Institute of Finland in academic research and policy engagement, but operating at a larger international scale.

Regional players

• Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA): A Finnish policy-oriented research institute producing research and analysis on international affairs. Comparable to the Migration Institute of Finland as a Finnish publicly funded research organization, but with a much broader international affairs mandate rather than migration-specific focus.

Emerging players

• Centre for Multidisciplinary Studies on Racism (CEMFOR), Uppsala University: A Nordic research center focused on racism, ethnicity, and migration. Shares the Migration Institute of Finland's research orientation on migration and minorities, but focuses more narrowly on racism/antisemitism themes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/siirtolaisuusinstituutti
• Instagraminstagram.com/siirtolaisuusinstituutti
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/siirtolaisuusinstituutti

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Migration Institute of Finland