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Matti MuhosJohtajaKerttu Saalasti Institute Research, development and training activities aimed at micro-enterprises and their operating conditions are a necessary investment from the perspective of sustainable growth and development in Northern Ostrobothnia. There are 22.8 million micro-enterprises in the EU, representing 93.1% of the EU-28 business base and 29.4% of EU-28 jobs. Over the past ten years, micro-enterprises have produced almost one third of the net positive job change in the EU-28 (Eurostat 2021). In particular, by expanding two narrow areas, it is possible to strengthen the conditions for sustainable growth in micro-enterprises. Micro-enterprises have export potential In relation to neighbouring countries, there is room for growth especially in exports of micro-enterprises. According to Eurostat, micro-enterprises in Finland produce only 3.9% of the total value of exports, compared to 14.6% in Sweden. By this measure, Finland is among the last in Europe. Difference in development…

Member of Kosma RönkäPohjois-Pohjanmaa Youth Council There are many young people living in our region in relative and quantitative terms. Our values – openness, creativity, fairness and courage – reflect our youthful attitude and willingness to make progress. The region's large centre, Oulu, attracts a significant number of young people both in its surrounding areas and elsewhere in Finland, but in addition to the central area, active young people can be found all over Northern Ostrobothnia. The large number of young people offers a lot of opportunities. They are a resource that can be involved in the development of the province, which enables our northern home to become an even more vibrant and attractive environment to grow, experience and thrive. As a young citizen, I have accumulated insights into young people’s involvement at local, provincial and national levels – and I see a lot of potential in Northern Ostrobothnia. Our province is in the rest of Finland…