The Organisational Advisory Board of the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region visited Pyhäjärvi on 14.8.2025 to get acquainted in cooperation in cooperation with the Regional Assembly activities and the cooperation between the city and the Regional Assemblys. In Pyhäjärvi, organisations are involved in building everyday well-being, strengthening security of supply and creating a sense of community – and the model of cooperation has also been recognised at the regional level. There are as many as 126 registered Regional Assemblys operating in the city, whose activities extend to a wide range of areas of life. The Advisory Board of Regional Assemblys has drawn up guidelines for municipalities on organizational work, the key principles of which include: - the appointment and resourcing of organizational contact persons, - the provision of free and accessible facilities for activities of general interest, - clear and co-developed assistance processes, - the participation of organisations in the development of welfare plans and services, and - a joint cooperation document that brings together the rules of the game. During the visit, it was found that Pyhäjärvi is already implementing these instructions in an exemplary manner. The city has appointed a community ombudsman, spaces for Regional Assemblys have been organised in innovative ways and forms of grants have been developed together. In addition, the organisations are involved in the city's activities throughout the organisation, and representatives are involved in numerous different committees and steering groups. In this way, the valuable experience of Regional Assemblys will be utilised in well-being work. The example of Pyhäjärvi shows that it is good for municipalities and Regional Assemblys to go hand in hand. When cooperation is based on trust and partnership, the result is a future-oriented, prosperous and vibrant community. 👉 Practical examples of Regional Assembly activities can be found in the blog of Helena Liimatainen, coordinator of Regional Assembly work, published on Pohde's website: Pyhäjärvi takes care of people and Regional Assemblys. In Oulu 18.8.2025 Auli Suorsa, Specialist Culture The regional programme for Northern Ostrobothnia 2026-2029 will be prepared during the spring and autumn. The blogs written by experts from the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region cover the preparation process and themes related to the programme.

The economic review of the cooperative bank's regions highlights positive fstakeholders for the future of Northern Ostrobothnia. They are already known, but have been overlooked. Now, in connection in cooperation in cooperation with the preparation of the regional programme, it is a good time to raise the regional profile and be genuinely satisfied in cooperation in cooperation with the successes. At least the following can be extracted from the recently published economic review. In Northern Ostrobothnia, the number of unemployed people per job vacancy is the third lowest in the whole country. The situation is the same in the whole of Northern Finland, which indicates a more positive economic development than in the rest of the country. On a long-term average, Northern Ostrobothnia is at the top of the country in terms of green transition investments, as well as in terms of population-related RDI investments. The Cooperative Bank's economic review predicts that GDP growth in Northern Ostrobothnia will be the second fastest. The region's positive future is covered by the continuous increase in the number of employees. Employment growth has been at the level of other major regions. When construction, which is important to the county, begins to rise, employment returns to a positive path. Pirkanmaa has taken Northern Ostrobothnia's position as a region of growth. This is partly due to investments in support of the services sector and the development of an attractive living environment. The decisions made have created a positive spiral from which Northern Ostrobothnia can also learn. On the other hand, in times of global turmoil, Northern Ostrobothnia's logistical position as a gateway to the West also provides a good starting point for facing future challenges and continuing to grow. The extensive scenario work carried out in the spring creates a vision for 2050. The starting point of the thesis was to open the horizon of the future realistically. Although the cracks in the business environment are becoming more pronounced, there were more opportunities than threats in the scenarios. In particular, the European Renaissance scenario provides a new perspective on current development, but also supports the strengths and cooperation openings of Northern Ostrobothnia. The ongoing preparation of the regional programme provides a good opportunity to participate in building a positive future and to put into practice the opportunities that emerged in the scenarios. Keep your eyes up and work together! In Oulu on 16 June 2025, Mikko Väisänen, Head of Development, will prepare the regional programme for Northern Ostrobothnia 2026-2029 during the spring and autumn. The blogs written by experts from the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region cover the preparation process and themes related to the programme.

In March, a discussion on regional development between the state and the counties was held in Helsinki, in which all the counties of Finland participated. I myself participated in the thematic event on regional resilience and mental resilience. The form of these statutory events has varied over the years. This year I remembered in particular that it was a high-quality and thought-provoking seminar on topical themes rather than a traditional negotiation on regional development. The nature and effectiveness of events change easily when their structure is changed. In my opinion, the regional development discussions should in future be organised as bilateral, regional events. However, I feel that I gained significant added value in the regional programme work in Northern Ostrobothnia from my participation and contributions. Trust is central to the development of the county The development of the county is based on trust, which is created by good cooperation and close partnerships. I strongly believe that, in addition, trust in the home region, the region and the opportunities of the north is the basis for our positive regional development. We may never be too good at this. Respondents to the background survey of the programme correctly pointed out: “We need volunteers of positivity and optimism in our region”. Ultimately, it is about the credibility of the North. All this will be at the heart of the Northern Ostrobothnia regional programme being prepared. In the future, regional development will be increasingly challenged by regional differentiation and, as a factor affecting it, by demographic development in particular. In Northern Ostrobothnia, the population has been growing for a long time, but now growth has almost stagnated. Although the change has been visible for a long time, I would argue that we have not sufficiently addressed it through regional development measures. It is therefore of paramount importance that the regional programme addresses the demographic change in the region and records the related objectives of proactive management and development measures. In conclusion, I would like to say that, in cooperation in cooperation with the new regional programme, a particularly important strategy for the region will be completed in the autumn. It will provide clear steps for regional development work in Northern Ostrobothnia over the next few years. What are your thoughts on the direction of regional development? Participate in the preparation of the regional programme, for example, through the Northern Ostrobothnia website. Ilpo Tapaninen, Development Manager, Regional Programme for Northern Ostrobothnia 2026-2029, will be prepared during the spring and autumn in Oulu on 9 June 2025. The blogs written by experts from the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region cover the preparation process and themes related to the programme.

Northern Ostrobothnia is ranked in the Finnish Entrepreneurs' Fresh Vitality Barometer in a good mid-range position nationwide. It was published on Tuesday 14 May at a seminar of municipal management in Kuopio. According to the Barometer, the strengths of the region are the availability of skilled labour, network cooperation and functional telecommunications connections. The region sees the potential for the region to become one of the key areas of vitality – provided that there is stronger cooperation between different stakeholders. To support this, Marjo Kolehmainen, CEO of Northern Ostrobothnia Entrepreneurs, and Jussi Rämet, Regional Director, propose to make a regional vitality pledge. The aim is to strengthen the common will in the development of the region, increasing competitiveness and influencing work. Representatives of the public sector, companies and educational decision-making bodies are widely welcomed. “To succeed, we need a strong coal-fired approach, genuine interaction and partnership for the development of the county. The Pledge for Vitality offers a good way to do this", says Regional Director Rämet. If implemented, the joint promise will benefit the region widely. It would support, among other things, the implementation of the regional programme 2026-2029, which is currently being prepared by the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region, and in particular its theme of sustainable competitiveness and regenerative investments. The promise can also be used to harmonise communications in the region, for example, to members of parliament in the Oulu constituency. For more than a year now, the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region has coordinated meetings of parliamentarians in cooperation in cooperation with the City of Oulu, the University of Oulu, the Entrepreneurs of Northern Ostrobothnia, the Oulu Chamber of Commerce and the wellbeing services county. A joint promise of vitality would bring a new kind of impact to the messages. The promise of vitality is expected to be formalised in October at the RegionalKujo event organised by the Entrepreneurs of Northern Ostrobothnia. Read more about the topic in the Northern Ostrobothnia Entrepreneurs' News Life force in Northern Ostrobothnia - Yrittajat.fi. The results of the entire barometer are available at Suomen Yrittäjät. Information on the preparation of the Regional Programme for Northern Ostrobothnia is available on the website of the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region in the stratum Regional Programme 2026-2029 - Regional Assembly of Oulu Region More information: Regional Director Jussi Rämet, Regional Assembly of Oulu Region, tel. +358 40 586 3877.   [caption id="attachment_47904" align="alignleft" width="759"] In the picture Marjo Kolehmainen, Managing Director of Entrepreneurs in Northern Ostrobothnia, and Jussi Rämet, Regional Director.[/caption]

Finland has been a member of NATO for over a year. Membership has required a change in our thinking. In addition to defending our own country, we are now a member of the Alliance. It is our duty to ensure that, in addition to reconciling NATO's needs, our NATO partners understand our specificities and needs. As a member of NATO, Finland has joined NATO's research and innovation initiatives. Especially important for Oulu was the decision of NATO's DIANA programme. DIANA stands for Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic. DIANA implements NATO's innovation policy, which is based on new disruptive technologies. In Finland, the structure of the DIANA programme is a national business accelerator and two test centres, a 6G test centre coordinated by the University of Oulu, and another VTT test centre for space and quantum technology. In addition to Oulu and Espoo, DIANA has offices in Sodankylä. In a grand power competition, disruptive technologies are vital for maintaining a competitive advantage in the field of common defence and security. The sector must have access to the latest information on the latest technologies. This information is often found in small start-ups. In the past, many disruptive technologies were developed for defence use, from where they spread to civilian use. A famous example of innovations funded by the Defense Administration is the US ARPANET, which evolved into the Internet. Today, the situation has been partly reversed. Technology is developing rapidly and in a business-driven manner. Not all entrepreneurs necessarily perceive the defence industry as the sector they want to target first and foremost. The idea of the DIANA programme is to look for and find civilian applications that could also be used in the defence sector. In particular, DIANA is looking for innovative solutions in cooperation in cooperation with a critical dual-use capability. The application can therefore be used on the civilian and military side. There's a lot of classified information in the defence industry. The objective of DIANA is, in principle, to be a programme of information in which the information is not confidential. If a civil technological application is exploitable in the defence sector, the nature of the matter will change. The intellectual property rights (IPR) created in the DIANA accelerator remain in cooperation in cooperation with the companies. The idea is to bring different people together physically, so that different problems are better understood depending on the point of view from which the matter is viewed. The entire test centre network of the DIANA programme is at the disposal of companies. The aim is for the company to understand the nature of the defence sector market. DIANA is part of NATO's activities, providing access to the markets of NATO and allied countries. The DIANA programme is accessible through a challenge programme for companies. Company selected for the DIANA programme…

Organisations play an important role in the development of the region and in promoting the well-being and Participation and Participation and Inclusion of local residents. This has been understood and internalised in Northern Ostrobothnia. In the future, the role of organisations as part of multidisciplinary development work will be further strengthened and consolidated. This is the central goal of the Northern Ostrobothnia Organisational Advisory Board, which is now starting its third term. "We want organisations to be involved in the implementation of the newly published regional programme for Northern Ostrobothnia," says Ilpo Tapaninen, Director of Planning. It is also tasked in cooperation in cooperation with strengthening cooperation between organisations and between organisations, the public sector and the businesses, working together in cooperation in cooperation with the Participation and Participation and Participation and Participation and inclusion work of the Wellbeing Services County of Northern Ostrobothnia and promoting the organisation's activities. Visibility and recognition for good work are gained, for example, through the annual organisation award. The Advisory Board has a diverse representation of organisations from different fields. In addition, there are municipal members, as well as expert members from the state's regional administration, the Regional Assembly and the wellbeing services county. The Regional Board appointed the following members to the NGO Advisory Board of Northern Ostrobothnia for the 2022-2025 term of office: Representatives of organisations: Executive Director Esa Aunola, Northern Ostrobothnia Village Regional Assembly Regional Director Esko Hassinen, Northern Ostrobothnia Sports and Sports Regional Assembly Executive Director Riikka Hautala, Rising Coastal Region Regional Assembly Executive Director Timo Nevanperä, Northern Ostrobothnia Youth Regional Assembly Member of the Board Helena Kinnunen, Finnish Quality Regional Assembly Secretary Arja Sutela, Youth Friends Regional Assembly Executive Director Marko Miesmaa, Ostrobothnia Scouts Regional Assembly Executive Director Anna Katajala, Northern Ostrobothnia Social and Health Security Regional Assembly Regional Director Heli Hietala, Finnish 4H Regional Assembly, Central and Northern Ostrobothnia and Kainuu Chair Marja-Liisa Pylväs, Pensions Union Northern Ostrobothnia District Chair Risto Örling, Member of the Board Kaija Sepponen, Executive Director Pertti Kukkonen, Auta Lasta ry Chairman Anna-Liisa Lämsä, Mielenvireys ry Development Manager Tanja Tanhua, Oulu Deaconess Institute Foundation Municipal Representative: Pasi Laukka, Head of Community Activities, City of Oulu Expert members: vs. Ilpo Tapaninen, Director of Planning, Regional Assembly of Oulu Region Cultural Affairs Specialist, Auli Suorsa, Regional Assembly of Oulu Region Specialist Kukka Kukkonen, Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Northern Ostrobothnia Wellbeing Region of Northern Ostrobothnia (Member to be named later) Ilpo Tapaninen, VP Design, tel. 050 301 7546, ilpo.tapaninen@pohjois-pohjanmaa.fi Link to the NGO Advisory Board's website. Link to the Regional Programme for Northern Ostrobothnia.

According to Sitra's definition, the circular economy is an economic model that does not continuously produce more goods, but instead uses services instead of owning them: sharing, renting and recycling. The idea behind the circular economy is that materials taken from nature - which have already been refined to meet the needs of humanity - will remain in use and in the economic system for as long as possible. Economic growth therefore does not depend on the consumption of natural resources. As a concept, the circular economy is not new. The idea originated in the 1960s and was first mentioned as a word in 1966. The concept was made famous by Lady Ellen MacArthur, a world record-holder solo sailor who woke up to the finiteness of natural resources when she lived on her boat's limited cargo for 71 days while sailing around the world in 2005. He founded the foundation bearing his name in 2010 and, together in cooperation in cooperation with experts, developed the now-known circular economy model, which became, among other things, the cornerstone of the EU Green Deal. The circular economy model developed by the Foundation introduced ideas such as industrial ecology, the cradle-to-cradle thinking model and the service economy. The idea of industrial ecology is that the waste of one is the raw material of the other. Finland and our region can be proud to be a forerunner in the recovery of waste and by-products from the technology industry. The result is even better processed products than natural products, such as the record-breaking eco-concrete developed at the University of Oulu. Utilising industrial by-products is also a climate action, and there is a lot of potential in Northern Ostrobothnia when there are large companies and larger waste streams and research supporting it. One possibility would be, for example, the development of the Laanila industrial area into an eco-industrial park. The idea behind the cradle-to-cradle thinking model is that after use the product becomes easily reusable or can be completely recycled. This can be supported by planning in which biological nutrients (sataorontically decomposing) and so-called technological nutrients (100% recyclable) are not mixed. For my pleasure, I noticed that Wikipedia offers life cycle thinking, utopia and entropy as a similar idea. Lots of truth in everyone, but entropy or ‘disorder’ is a very good observation. The laws of thermodynamics do not support 100% recycling. However, the main idea is that products must be designed for recycling or reuse. A good example of this in Finland is the recycling of deposit bottles, which combines design that supports recycling, a deposit that motivates consumers and an advanced infrastructure. The role of consumers in promoting recycling…

Immobility costs money. At the Finnish level, the price of inactivity is estimated from 3.2 billion euros to as much as 7.5 billion euros per year in a study conducted by the Director of the UKK Institute Tommi Vasankari. A comparison can be made, for example, in cooperation in cooperation with the acquisition of fighter jets by the Finnish Defence Forces, which is the most expensive acquisition in the history of the Finnish state. The price is estimated to be between $7 and $10 billion. The fighters are renewed approximately every 30 years, but the cost of immobility is annual. The majority of the costs of inactivity are currently borne by the adult population, the working age population. However, various studies show that the movement of children and adolescents has also decreased and overweight has increased. According to the same study, lack of mobility costs nearly 400 million euros per year in Northern Ostrobothnia. Measured by a different morbidity index, Northern Ostrobothnia is one of the most ill regions in Finland. Who is responsible for promoting the well-being and health of people? Will the issue be solved by the new health and social services centres? Let's not solve it. The well-being and health of people belong to everyone. First and foremost, of course, it belongs to each person themselves. No outsider can force or command a person to live a healthy life. Ultimately, everyone decides for themselves. A society that includes the state, counties and municipalities can contribute to the well-being of people. The aim must be to increase the well-being, health and functional capacity of residents, prevent diseases and social exclusion, and strengthen Participation and Participation and Inclusion. Increasing physical activity and mobility is a key solution for well-being work: The positive effects on mental and physical well-being, the prevention of health problems, learning outcomes, work ability and the prevention of exclusion and integration are undeniable. Future solutions for physical activity will also contribute to the achievement of the climate goals of society as a whole. In its Government Programme, the Finnish Government has taken into account the development of people's physical activity more strongly than ever before. The programme continues the Finland on the Move programme launched by the previous government, which aims to increase mobility in all age groups from the point of view of human health. Now this activity must be involved in a cross-administrative way in the regional programme for Northern Ostrobothnia and in the strategies of the municipalities in the region. In the upcoming new Regional Assembly term, the role of physical activity in the well-being work of municipalities must be strengthened. Promoting physical activity should be a priority for well-being work and the municipal strategy. Physical activity should be seen as a cross-administrative and wide-ranging strategic entity. It has significant impacts on the well-being, attractiveness, comfort, tourism and the vitality of companies. Improving your physical fitness doesn't have to be yourself…

The situation in North America is interesting. In many places, the area is strongly growing, while in other places it is strongly shrinking. We are far from other growth centres and the capital, where accessibility is a particular issue for the development of our region. As values change and in the face of Finland's emission reductions, we need environmentally sustainable ways to travel to both the rest of Finland and Europe. The Helsinki-Oulu route is the most popular domestic flight in Finland. By speeding up the main line, you could get to Helsinki by train in as little as three and a half hours in cooperation in cooperation with the current train fleet and thus get a smooth alternative to flying. For a train of less than four hours, we need the green light from the government and financial assistance from the EU. Train traffic in this period was on the rise before the coronavirus. The figures, together in cooperation in cooperation with the freight tonnage, speak clear language in favour of additional tracks. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency recently published its report on the need for changes to the main railway line. Developing the track north of Tampere would serve both passenger and freight traffic. In conclusion, the study suggests that the construction of the double track could be carried out in parts. Even in short intervals, adding a double track could make the use of the track more efficient. The train connection to Europe via Tornio and Haparanda will take a step forward this week as a regular commuter train starts on the Swedish side of the rush Thursday. The Finnish Government has agreed that the track on the Finnish side will also be put in order. A passenger train connection to Sweden and Europe would bring new opportunities for tourism in Northern Finland and enable us Northern people to move to Europe in a climate-resilient way. By far the largest emissions from mobility come from road transport and, in the case of passenger transport, from private cars. To replace these, we need a genuinely functional commuter train service for the Oulu region and more fast and convenient bus services to the city area. Alternative propulsion, especially electric cars, is constantly increasing. The technology of electric cars is constantly evolving, and the prices of cars in cooperation in cooperation with larger ranges are falling. At the same time, the network of charging points is developing, making an electric car a more attractive option everywhere. The potential of cycling should not be underestimated. By developing good cycling paths, the opportunities for cycling can be significantly improved, including outside city centres. Especially in the flat countryside of Northern Ostrobothnia, electric cycling can offer a lot of new opportunities. Even outside the Oulu region, there is potential to increase public transport, for example through easily accessible digital services. Large employers could also play a crucial role in this, if public transport were increasingly offered as an employment benefit and suitable shifts were negotiated in cooperation in cooperation with the transport operator. The potential for transport development will increase further if we are able to make more use of …

The mission of universities is to promote free research and scientific and artistic education, to provide research-based supreme education and to educate students to serve their country and society. In carrying out their duties, universities must offer opportunities for continuous learning, interact in cooperation in cooperation with the rest of society and promote the societal impact of research results and artistic activities. Basic scientific research produces new information on the subject to be studied. This work is fuelled by the curiosity and interest of researchers to better understand the subject of their research. The significance of new knowledge is universal in nature and brought to the attention of the world's scientific community through scientific publications and presentations. Applied research, on the other hand, aims at utilising already existing information, for example, to implement the desired type of product. It is worth noting that many, perhaps most, of the inventions that have changed the world are based on ground-breaking research at the forefront of their field, such as antibiotics, laser technology or, for example, the thin film method used in almost all computers and smartphones, based on the research of Tuomo Suuntola, the recipient of the Finnish Millennium Technology Prize 2018. I would like to emphasise the close link between high-quality basic research and applied work. Application development may require more basic research and, on the other hand, basic research is often aimed at the practical use of new information. Scientific research, which is at the forefront of its field in the world, is precisely the research that interests the users. The range of disciplines at the University of Oulu is exceptionally wide and offers plenty of potential for exploitation. We have strong regional cooperation between researchers, companies, cities and other stakeholders in society. The University has been well involved in the planning of the regional strategy for Northern Ostrobothnia, for example, and through the Oulu Innovation Alliance it is possible to concentrate activities and build innovation ecosystems on a broad basis. Our researchers are involved in many international projects and mainly collaborate in cooperation in cooperation with the international community. One of the ways in which cooperation can be developed and made more effective could be to seek to implement and make more active and better use of cutting-edge research and know-how in these international projects and, more broadly, in the international community. This would increase our effectiveness. This would take place in the context of regional cooperation in cooperation in cooperation with universities and businesses in the region. High-quality research cannot be carried out in cooperation in cooperation without up-to-date equipment, datasets and expert staff. Another issue that enhances cooperation and effectiveness is the joint use and acquisition of research infrastructures by universities and industry…