27.01.2021
The stimulus would put seven billion euros in investments at the disposal of Finland as a whole
The regions of Eastern and Northern Finland have put together a joint proposal for Finland's sustainable growth programme and the use of EU recovery funding. The proposal includes 30 key projects that have a major impact not only regionally but also at the national level.
With the proposed and already budgeted key projects, the stimulus measures would mobilise EUR 6.2 billion in investments in Eastern and Northern Finland. Including the other key measures and reforms put forward, we are talking about an overall investment of around EUR 7 billion, which would be triggered by the recovery.
This would be of tremendous importance for the development of Eastern and Northern Finland. In addition to these key projects, a large number of other investments and measures are being prepared in each province, says the Regional Director of North Karelia Markus Hirvonen.
Recovery funds need to boost productive investment that contributes to the green transition. These include green industrial investments, boosting the bioeconomy and circular economy, forest bioeconomy investments and major industrial projects.
In Eastern and Northern Finland, major investments and industrial investments must be mobilised. Examples of significant investments include major industrial projects in Lapland, mining investments strengthening the battery value chain in Central Ostrobothnia, the data cable of the Northeast Passage and green industrial business investments in North Karelia.
The post-corona era must proceed boldly, with sustainable growth and impact ahead. Therefore, the focus of stimulus funding must be on accelerating rapidly viable investments that are already in private capital and that significantly strengthen the economy as a whole. These are now available in both the east and the north – for Finland as a whole. says Regional Director of Lapland What a Riipi.
In Eastern and Northern Finland, biogas investments, charging networks for biogas and electric cars, and wind farms must also be accelerated.
The internationalisation of the leading clusters in Eastern and Northern Finland creates preconditions for the well-being of Finland as a whole. Key projects include the development of the battery value chain, metal and tourism in Eastern and Northern Finland. Forest and wood expertise needs to be further strengthened.
Developing the tourism industry affected by the COVID-19 crisis and boosting investments is one of the key projects. In sustainable nature tourism, the ambitious goal is to double the number of routes.
Finland's revitalisation must accelerate the creation and development of research, development and innovation environments that are internationally significant and that serve the business sector, based on the provinces' special expertise. In Eastern and Northern Finland, such world-class RDI environments include Oulu (printed electronics), Outokumpu (GTK's mineral and circular economy expertise), Joensuu (photonics) and Kuopio (welfare technology).
The operating conditions and competitiveness of the business sector require investment in accessibility. Finland must build a regionally comprehensive optical fibre network and make 100 Mbps connections available to all.
Provincial proposals for RRF priorities and investments to be financed by the regions of Eastern and Northern Finland. It has been compiled by the provinces of North Karelia, South Savo, Kainuu, Central Ostrobothnia, Lapland, North Ostrobothnia and North Savo.
