Finnish battery debate: Donut Lab’s lithium-free solid-state battery claims are being challenged by “independent experts,” but the latest write-up argues the critics’ case leans on lab video data without hands-on testing or access to samples. Chemical safety shift in Helsinki: ECHA has launched a collaborative platform on alternatives to animal testing, bringing regulators, industry and academia together after the EU roadmap to phase out animal tests. Defense connectivity from Finland: Savox Communications unveiled Savox MissionCore, aiming to unify fragmented battlefield voice, video and data into one operational picture while staying compatible with NATO open standards. Circular bio-based chemicals: UPM agreed to buy IP from Avantium tied to plant-sugar routes to bio-based MEG/MPG, strengthening its lignocellulosic chemicals push. Health & work impact: A Finnish study estimates sickness absences cost the country about €5bn a year in lost productivity. Public health trend: THL reports rising diabetes and chronic pulmonary disease in Finland, linked to more sleep apnoea diagnoses and obesity. Climate science: A University of Eastern Finland-led study says the freshwater cycle has crossed a key boundary, with wet extremes driven mainly by climate change and drought worsened by human water use. EU tech sovereignty pressure: A US order blocking non-US access to Anthropic’s Mythos models is sparking renewed European calls to reduce dependence on US AI for cybersecurity. Hydrogen power milestone: Wärtsilä’s Finnish-developed large hydrogen engine generated electricity for Spain’s grid in a large-scale test, though experts warn infrastructure and policy hurdles remain.