INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT SERVICES PROGRAMME
UNDERSTANDING THE FINNISH INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT MARKET
The Institutional Investment Services Programme is our flagship study and a leading source of Finnish institutional investment market intelligence. Conducted annually since 2000, the study is based on approximately 100 in-depth interviews with Finland’s most significant institutional investors, representing a combined investment capital of around €300 billion.
By combining deep market intelligence with investor-driven feedback, the study empowers both investors and service providers to make smarter decisions, refine their strategies, and stay ahead in a competitive market.
This comprehensive research provides valuable insights into:
- Asset allocation strategies and investment instruments
- Asset manager selection and evaluation
- Market views and expectations
- Service provider performance and quality
Built on long-term trust and collaboration, this study is a vital tool for strategic decision-making and continuous development across the investment community. Explore the award-winning service providers from the study here!
25 YEARS OF INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT SERVICES - READ MORE
Celebrating 25 Years of Institutional Investment Research - Highlights from the Anniversary Celebration
BENEFITS AND USES OF OUR STUDY
- Developing product portfolios
- Improving the quality customer service
- Development of customer communications
- Managing customer relationships
- Support for decision-making
THE CORNERSTONES OF OUR RESEARCH
ABOUT THE METHODOLOGY
The study is conducted by Scandinavian Financial Research Oy, an independent Finnish research company specializing in asset management and investment services. We are entirely independent of asset managers and other investment service providers.
The interviews for the study are carried out annually in early autumn. These are conducted as in-depth, face-to-face interviews by our professionals with extensive experience in the asset management industry. The study’s population consists of Finland’s largest institutional investors, from which we have identified approximately 100 institutions as respondents. The participation rate within this investor group is exceptionally high, exceeding 95% in 2024. The respondents represent a wide range of Finnish institutional investors, such as pension funds and foundations, insurance companies, and trade unions. In the 2024 study, the total assets under management of the respondents amounted to nearly €300 billion.
We engage in annual discussions with service providers and allow them to suggest candidates for interviews. However, we require that the interviewees have significant experience with different asset managers and asset classes to ensure the high quality of the study results. While the respondent group evolves over time, the majority of interviewees remain the same, enhancing the comparability of the study results across years.
Interviewees provide answers to questions about topics such as allocations, sustainable investing, demand trends, and current themes. Additionally, respondents evaluate their service providers on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = poorest, 5 = best) across various criteria. Based on these evaluations, we recognize the top-performing asset managers. However, employment pension, non-life insurance, and life insurance companies do not rate their service providers due to their internal operational models. Each investor's rating carries the same weight regardless of their asset size or chosen asset management model.
Every year, we reward the best-performing service providers in our study. Providers are divided into three categories based on their utilization rate and product offering. The "Large" group includes service providers with the highest utilization rates, while the "Challenger" group comprises providers with lower utilization rates in our study. The "Specialist" group features providers focusing on only a few asset classes.
The interviews we conduct are strictly confidential, and the interviewees are committed partners in our collaboration. We never disclose the names, responses, or contact details of individual investors. All data provided by participants is processed statistically to ensure individual respondents cannot be identified.