The COVID-19 pandemic, which affected all sectors of Finnish society in 2020, also led to changes in the activities of the PRH. As a whole, we managed this highly exceptional year very well.

At the start of the pandemic, we anticipated a sharp deterioration in the overall economic situation and prepared for a reduction in the number of applications and notifications. However, the economic downturn proved less severe than expected.

There was a substantial increase in the number of applications and notifications compared with 2019. The increase in the number of national patent applications and national trademark applications was a particularly positive development. We also received more trade register notifications than in 2019. Despite a higher workload, the PRH achieved all its processing time targets.

Our aim is to ensure maximum use of online services. In 2020, the targets we had set for the use of online services were substantially exceeded. The exceptional circumstances significantly contributed to this trend.

The year was also exceptional from the perspective of our customer service. To ensure customer and occupational safety, our customer service point in Helsinki was closed for a significant part of the year. Despite the changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, professionalism and service orientation of our staff were again highly appreciated.

Job satisfaction among our staff members remained at high level. It is noteworthy that despite the introduction of remote work, our employees also gave the work and operating environment high marks.

In an organisational change introduced in September, the PRH incorporated auditor oversight into the Enterprises and Corporations result area. Following the change, the activities of auditor oversight are gradually returning to normal.

Under the Act on the Provision of Digital Services, online services and websites provided by government agencies must be accessible by September 2020. Improving the accessibility of PRH services and websites was a major project in 2020.

We have also started work to enhance and harmonise risk management.