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18.09.2026
Rural COOP partners familiarised themselves with good practices in Northern Ostrobothnia

Figure: In early September, Rural COOP partners and stakeholders gathered in Oulu and Ii for the project's first international study visit to learn about good practices in sustainable rural development, climate work and the circular economy. On 2-3 September 2026, the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia hosted the first international study visit of the Interreg Europe-funded Rural COOP project in Oulu and Ii. During the two days, project partners and regional stakeholders from across Europe learned about good practices in sustainable rural development, climate work, the circular economy and regional cooperation, and exchanged experiences on the future of regional development. The Rural COOP project develops the sustainable territorial development of rural and mountainous areas through foresight, inclusion and cooperation approaches. Study visits are a key part of the project's peer learning, the aim of which is to find new solutions for the development of regional policy measures. Partners from seven countries The study visit was attended by project partners and stakeholders from Finland, Sweden, Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, Albania and Switzerland. The participants included experts in regional development, representatives of municipalities, research organisations and actors working on the circular economy and sustainable development. In addition to the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, regional stakeholders, such as representatives of the municipality of Ii, the municipality of Muhos and the Kerttu Saalasti Institute of the University of Oulu, participated in the visit from Northern Ostrobothnia. - Our regions are different in size, structure and stage of development, but as rural areas we are united by many of the same challenges. Therefore, exchanging experiences with European partners is particularly valuable, says Project Manager Anna-Maija Toivonen. The first day of the study visit was held in Ii, Finland. The day started with acquainting students with the activities of Aseman koulu and the well-known 50/50 model, where students actively participate in energy saving and the development of sustainable everyday solutions. Participants were also able to get to know the nature of Ii on a short nature walk. The programme continued in Micropolis, where the participants heard about the long-term climate and sustainability work of the municipality of Ii. Mayor Marjukka Manninen presented how Ii, as a small municipality, managed to build an internationally known model of climate work together with residents, companies and communities. The proposals sparked a lot of debate on how the involvement of local communities can support the achievement of environmental objectives and strengthen the vitality of regions. During the day, the regional development work in Northern Ostrobothnia and the thematic funding call organised under the Rural COOP project (ERDF) were also presented. Tiina Rajala, Development Director of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, gave guests an overview of the region and its regional development system, while Katarina Timisjärvi, Regional Development Specialist, and Laura…, Regional Development Manager

09.09.2026
Ingredients for growth visible – labour demand has not revived

Recent economic data do not come as a big surprise. The turnover of industries continues to grow steadily, but the number of employees has not started to increase. In several clusters, such as ICT, the number of employees is on a downward trend. Only in the metal cluster has the labour force increased moderately. Recruitment is increasingly affected by general uncertainty and technological developments. However, the growth in turnover in the industries is so strong that employment is likely to improve. The big question is when and where is it going to happen? However, excessive credit for the long-term positive impact of major projects on labour demand may be unrealistic. The situation of the ICT cluster, which is important for Oulu, is challenging. Revenue is increasing, but personnel is in a relatively strong decline. The ICT cluster has been characterized by strong monthly turnover fluctuations, in April the growth from the previous year was 12.1 per cent, but in May came down by 5.9 per cent. The impact of AI can be seen in the demand for the cluster's workforce, at least indirectly. Companies closely monitor the development and deployment of AI and anticipate the need for workforce in relation to it. The trump card of the future is 6G mobile technology, the developer of which Oulu plays a key role globally. Construction has been active for several semesters. From 2025, net sales increased by 2.3 per cent and the number of employees decreased by the same amount. Residential construction is still quiet, but some new projects have started. The growth in net sales has come from the construction of industry, tourism and the public sector. Oulu hotel projects and later data centers will significantly increase construction. In the case of data centres, the key issue is how much local companies have access to it, and what is the capacity of the area's earthworks The electricity and energy cluster and the metal cluster are growing strongly. The growth of both from 2025 is in the order of 10%. In the metal cluster, the number of employees has also increased. Net sales growth has been more moderate in wholesale and retail trade and tourism, where the number of personnel has been decreasing. The year-on-year change in the wood and furniture industry was as much as 13.8 per cent and there was also an increase in the number of personnel. In all clusters, seasonality is high, especially in construction. In digital services, Finland's service sector is less developed than in the peer countries, which is also visible in Northern Ostrobothnia. The use of services is still difficult for many in our culture. Jobs in trade and services are important, especially for young people. The growth of many industries also depends on the development of digital services,…

28.08.2026
"Municipalities implementing the green transition" The 13th round of Structural Fund projects opens on 1 September 2026

The Regional Assembly of Oulu Region is applying for project funding from the EU's Regional and Structural Policy Programme Renewable and Skilled Finland 2021-2027 for specific objective 2.1 Promoting energy efficiency measures and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In particular, the call aims at municipality-based projects that develop and pilot local solutions and operating models to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In projects, a municipality, a community of municipalities or a region made up of several municipalities can act as a development and experimental environment for the green transition and bring together companies, residents, research and education organisations and other stakeholders in the region. The call encourages the development and implementation of new practices, technologies and solutions that improve energy efficiency or slow down climate change, as well as the increase of related know-how in municipal organisations. The projects can strengthen municipalities' competence and capacity to act in promoting the green transition, for example by developing operating models for energy efficiency and emissions assessment, sustainable public procurement practices, and by strengthening municipalities' climate and energy efficiency work. The aim is to improve, for example, the capacity of municipalities to utilise comparable emission data and to assess the emission reduction potential, costs and benefits of different measures to support decision-making. Concrete development and piloting measures and a clear description of the results to be achieved are requested from the projects. Projects can also carry out various studies to support municipalities’ capacity to contribute to the green transition. More information about applying for funding from this link

27.08.2026
The 8th round of applications for sustainable urban development opens on 1 September 2026

The Regional Assembly of Oulu Region, in cooperation in cooperation in cooperation with the City of Oulu, is launching an ERDF project application for the implementation of the ecosystem agreement between the State and the City of Oulu. The content of the Oulu ecosystem agreement consists of the strategic focus areas and spearhead programmes of the Oulu Innovation Alliance for 2021-2027. The application round is open 1.9. – 9.10.2026. Priority axis 1 is open for this call. Innovative Finland and its specific objectives 1.1: Improving research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies, 1.2: Exploiting the benefits of digitalisation for citizens, businesses and public administrations and 1.3: Improving the growth and competitiveness of SMEs and Axis 2: Carbon-neutral Finland and its specific objectives 2.1: Promoting energy efficiency measures and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and 2.3: Promoting the transition to a circular economy. In the project application process, the maximum amount of ERDF funding for sustainable urban development is 800,000 euros. ERDF applications must be submitted to the authority via the EURA2021 system. More information about applying from this link.

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