OECD Ministerial Council Meeting Consultation: Getting Industrial Policies Right for Open Markets, Growth and Prosperity

Members of our business network led by our Chair Rick Johnston together with the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC) met in Helsinki for the annual consultation with OECD leadership ahead of the 2026 Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) this year Chaired by Finland. Discussions involved Ministers from the Government of Finland who will Chair this year’s OECD Ministerial Council Meeting, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen and the Minister of Economic Affairs Sakari Puisto, and OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann, to discuss our priorities on this year’s MCM theme "Getting Industrial Policies Right for Open Markets, Growth, and Prosperity". President and CEO of USCIB Whitney Baird, our Executive Board Minna Aila, leadership from our Finnish Member organisation EK, Microsoft and our Executive Director Hanni Rosenbaum provided remarks at the consultation.

The discussion covered key issues to be addressed at the 2026 MCM including skills and innovation policy for the green and digital transformations, the enabling state and the role of industrial policy, trade, investment and responsible business conduct. Our  speakers underlined key priorities including the need for policy and industrial strategies to advance competitiveness, productivity and simplification at the foundation. Getting industrial policy “right” requires careful design and clear principles for market integrity and openness, and ensuring that industrial support measures are designed in a targeted, transparent, and temporary manner, to support resilience and overall competitiveness while avoiding long-term distortions. Continued dialogue, and ensuring that people have the necessary skills to navigate transitions including ongoing digital transformation of labour markets is also essential. We look forward to continued engagement in this year’s process and the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting, which will tale place on 3-4 June in Paris.