Press releases

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, there are plenty of other investments and measures under preparation in each region," says Markus Hirvonen, Regional Director of North Karelia. Recovery funds need to boost productive investment that contributes to the green transition. Such as …

At the beginning of the meeting, Jouko Luukkonen, Project Director of the POPsote project, presented the state of preparation of the North Ostrobothnia Welfare Region, focusing on financial issues. The financing of the wellbeing services counties is based on generalised imputed state funding, as well as payment and sales revenue. In the first stage, welfare areas do not have the right to tax. The needs assessment, which is the financing basis, has changed many times during the preparation, weakening the financial position of the North Ostrobothnia wellbeing services county. The changes made endanger the well-being area's ability to respond to the rapid growth in demand for services related to the ageing of the population. According to Luukkonen, the calculations will be updated several times before 2023, and the actual situation is impossible to estimate. This complicates the strategic planning of the wellbeing services area. The Regional Government approved the ICT service agreement to be concluded with Kuntien Tiera Oy and the agreement on the ICT transfer project, and authorised the Regional Director to sign the agreements. Outsourcing aims to secure …

The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia is applying for funding from the Finnish Structural Fund Programme for Sustainable Growth and Jobs 2014-2020 (Finnish Structural Fund Programme for Sustainable Growth and Jobs 2014-2020). The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia finances measures under priority axes 1 and 2 of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which target the implementation of the Northern Ostrobothnia Corona Action Plan 2020-2021 in the region. ERDF applications will be accepted for Priority Axis 1 "Competitiveness of SMEs" and Axis 2 "Production and exploitation of the latest knowledge and know-how". In addition, the applications are required to implement the objectives and measures set out in the coronavirus action plan. In the application round, a maximum of EUR 2,100,000 will be granted in total. As a general rule, the maximum amount of aid (ERDF and State funding) granted to an individual project is EUR 400.000, but no more than 70% of the total costs. The project must be completed by 31 December 2022. Applicants may be research and …

The Northern Ostrobothnia Just Transition Plan is being prepared for the 2021-2027 EU regional and structural policy programming period, and a new Just Transition Fund (JTF) will be introduced alongside the ERDF and ESF funds. The Fund will support regions facing socio-economic challenges in the EU’s transition to a climate-neutral economy by 2050. According to the EU Commission's country report, JTF funding in Finland should focus on the challenges and regional economic impacts of reducing the energy use of peat, especially in Eastern and Northern Finland. The use of JTF funding is conditional on territorial just transition plans. The counties will prepare draft transition plans by February-March 2021. The Just Transition Plan for Northern Ostrobothnia is approved by the regional cooperation group. The Smart Specialisation Strategy for Northern Ostrobothnia 2021-2024 was adopted and the Smart Specialisation Strategy for Northern Ostrobothnia has been prepared in cooperation with stakeholders over the past year. The strategy aims to transform research and knowledge into innovations…

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Euregio Karelia's cooperation area and cooperation forum. The most recent example of the power of cooperation is the tourism road maps between the Republic of Karelia and North Ostrobothnia and Kainuu, as well as between the Republic of Karelia, North Karelia and South Karelia. Euregio Karelia has served as a model for cooperation on the EU-Russia border. There is a great demand for similar cooperation in the world.   To mark the anniversary, a commemorative seminar was organised under the theme ‘The importance of regional cooperation in Finnish-Russian dialogue’. The webinar, held remotely on Tuesday 15 December, was attended by more than 120 people interested in cross-border cooperation from Finland and the Republic of Karelia. The seminar was opened by Timo Korhonen, Chairman of the Kainuu Regional Government. "Euregio Karelia has become a cooperation structure where the border is a gateway to dialogue; The border is the bridge and enabler of cooperation.…

The North Ostrobothnia Regional Cooperation Group held an electronic meeting on 18 December 2020.  At the beginning of the meeting, Tapio Fabritius from the University of Oulu presented the Printable Intelligence as an enabler of a safe food chain project. Päivi Keisanen from the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia told about the anticipated timetable for the preparation of the EU's regional and structural policy for the 2021-2027 programming period. The planned start of the implementation of the programme will take place on 1 September 2021.  For the JTF, the Just Transition Fund, a draft transition plan for Northern Ostrobothnia will be prepared in early 2021. The plan is approved by the regional cooperation group. In addition, the European Union is earmarking temporary REACT-EU funding for COVID-19 recovery, for which two new strands will be added to the Structural Funds for Sustainable Growth and Jobs 2014-2020. Timo Lehtiniemi from the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Northern Ostrobothnia told about the preparation of a regional rural development plan for Northern Ostrobothnia, which will proceed during the winter with surveys and …

At its electronic meeting on 14 December 2020, the Regional Council of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia discussed, among other things, the proposal for a maritime spatial plan for the northern part of the Bothnian Sea, the Kvarken and the Bothnian Bay, and the Regional Council's action and economic plan for 2021-2023. Maritime spatial planning promotes the sustainable use of marine areas The provincial council approved a maritime spatial plan for the northern part of the Bothnian Sea, the Kvarken and the Bothnian Bay for the North Ostrobothnia region. The decision will enter into force once the Regional Councils of Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia and Lapland have made the corresponding approval decisions. Maritime spatial planning supports the sustainable use of the sea and the achievement of good environmental status in the marine environment. Finland is divided into three marine regions. North Ostrobothnia belongs to the areas of the northern Bothnian Sea, the Kvarken and the Bothnian Bay. The maritime spatial plan has no legal effect; it is a strategic tool for spatial planning that supports regional planning. More information on maritime spatial planning: The maritime spatial planning website of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia can be found here…

Docent, University Researcher Timo Liimatainen from the University of Oulu presented the Teaching and Testing Laboratory for Medical Imaging project and Project Manager What Vierimaa from the City of Oulu TechArt project. Päivi Keisanen, Development Manager at the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, told about the preparation of the EU's regional and structural policy for the 2021-2027 programming period. A public consultation on the programme is being launched on the basis of the sixth draft programme. The target schedule for the start of the programme is likely to be postponed to autumn 2021. The Just Transition Fund (JTF) will be included as a separate priority in the funding programme currently under preparation for the 2021-2027 programming period. Timo Lehtiniemi, Head of the Rural and Energy Unit at the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Northern Ostrobothnia, told about the current situation of the rural development programme. The preparation of the CAP27 regional rural development plan proceeds during the winter through surveys and focus group work.…

The lease agreement of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia with Technopolis has been terminated on 31 July 2021. Office premises have also been mapped outside the city centre. The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia has today signed a lease agreement with Katri Antell Oy for the premises of Poratie. Due to changes in the operating environment, it was time to start mapping out new premises. With the move, we are seeking not only better accessibility, but also cost savings," says Pauli Harju, Regional Director. The move will take place in the summer of 2021. The new address as of 1 August 2021 is Poratie 5, 90140 Oulu.

The Regional Government proposes to the Regional Council that it approves the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia's economic and operational plan for 2021-2023 and the budget for 2021. The budget is balanced and the result for the 2021 financial year is EUR 0. The budgetary amendments made focus on staff salary costs, appropriations for organising events, purchases of services in the performance areas and other operating costs. In order to achieve the operational objectives, some activities require the acquisition of funding outside the scope of member invoicing. The Regional Government proposes to the Regional Council that EUR 300,000 be transferred from the surplus/deficit account of the balance sheet to the Development Fund of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. In order for the federation to be able to act in accordance with the strategic objectives set and the operational objectives set for the coming years, the federation will obtain project funding for the implementation of its activities. Almost all project funding…