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Invented the use of Hartaanselkä separation in Oulu in 1947 Photographer: Mauno Mannelin’s exhibition ‘The journey of wood from the top waters to the world – Mauno Mannelin’s photographs of Kainuu and Northern Ostrobothnia’, which was presented in Oulu a year ago, is now available in Kajaani’s main library.  Industrial photographer Mauno Mannelin photographed the harvesting and sowing of wood in the Oulujoki river basin since the late 1940s, for example, at the request of the Oulujoki Uittoyhdistys. The exhibition photos tell about the conditions under which wood was cut, transported, sorted, bundled and loaded onto ships. There are also pictures of wood processing factories and ports. At the beginning of his career in the 1930s, Mauno Mannelin portrayed industry and commerce in the magazine of the Association for Finnish Work. In the 1950s, he specialized in photographing forests, forest work, swimming and the forest industry. Technical improvements or new equipment were often selected for the description, which …

Tiina Hanhikorpi (ps.), Member of the Regional Government and Regional Council of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia and Member of the Municipal Council of Raahe and Chairman of the Audit Board, has been elected as a member of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (CLRAE) for the remainder of the 2021-2026 term of office. Hanhikorpi represents Finland in the municipal chamber and monitoring committee. The Ministry of Finance appoints the members of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities for its term of office. The appointment was confirmed at the meeting of the Presidium of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe on 12 September 2024. The next plenary session of the Congress will be held on 15-17 October 2024 in Strasbourg, France.

The TE2024 project, managed by the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, has supported municipalities in the Northern Ostrobothnia region in preparing for the transfer of employment services. The project's expert service procurements have been used to carry out baseline analyses of the municipalities' employment management resources in euros as well as of the personnel providing employment services. In addition, the effects of the reform on municipal finances, municipal risk management and support for municipalities in the service design of employment services have been studied. At the end of this year, the TE2024 project of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia will organise a final seminar at Kuusamotalo 16. –17 October 2024. The event is aimed at the executives of the municipalities of Northern Ostrobothnia, as well as organisations producing new employment services and their personnel. The programme of the seminar includes, among other things, the effects of demographic change on the functioning of the employment areas, the effects of the reform on the municipal economy, and the impact of the mobility and employment of higher education students on the vitality of the regions. During the second day, the expectations of young entrepreneurs from new employment services will be reviewed,…

The European Committee of the Regions' Committee on Regional Policy (COTER) will meet in Oulu on 17-18 September. At its meeting on Tuesday, COTER unanimously adopted an opinion on the reform of EU cohesion policy, drafted by Vasco Cordeiro, President of the European Committee of the Regions, and Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, President of the COTER Commission. The opinion gives strong support to the European Union's cohesion policy to date, which, in the opinion of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, is a welcome contribution to the debate on the Union's financial period starting in 2028. It is important for the county that cohesion policy has continuity. – The European Union's cohesion policy is currently under pressure to change. The North Ostrobothnia Regional Council believes that the current model is very functional. It takes into account the special needs of the regions and provides an opportunity to create economic growth based on local strengths," says Jussi Rämet, Regional Director of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. Cohesion policy as a whole…

During the autumn, three commission meetings of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) will be held in Finland. The series will be launched by the Committee on Regional Policy (COTER), which will meet in Oulu from 17 to 18 September. The Oulu meeting approves the Committee's recommendations on the reform of the EU's cohesion policy. The importance of the opinion is underlined by the fact that it was prepared by the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Cordeiro, together with the President of the COTER Commission, Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca. Other opinions on the agenda include interregional cooperation, civil protection in border regions and the role of cohesion policy in addressing demographic challenges. "After the start of the new EU mandate, we are taking a deeper look at the EU's next multiannual financial framework and the future of cohesion policy. From the perspective of municipalities and regions, it is important that the Structural Funds continue to support regional development in such a way that, for example, … in Eastern and Northern Finland:

Funding was requested for AKKE projects that focus on supporting regional RDI activities. Projects funded under this call should meet at least one of the following criteria: - the project supports research, development and innovation activities of SMEs and thus improves the innovation capacity of SMEs - the project strengthens the innovation ecosystem of the region - the project expands the number of parties involved in RDI activities The maximum amount available to fund projects received in the application round is EUR 448 000. The total number of project applications was 14 and the total amount requested was approximately EUR 950 000.

The regional directors of regional theatre regions in Lapland, North Ostrobothnia, Kainuu and North Karelia express their deep concern about the cuts in funding for culture included in the Ministry of Finance's budget proposal. The regional leaders fear that the cuts will weaken regional theatre operations in particular, which will ensure the regionally equitable accessibility of culture over long distances in Finland. "If the activity of regional theatre is reduced, well over half of Finland's territory will be left without a domestic professional theatre. This threatens equal access to the fundamental rights of culture and centralises Finnish culture away from the heartlands of Eastern and Northern Finland," the regional leaders state. The regional leaders remind that the Government wants to invest in the vitality of both eastern and northern Finland through special programmes. "Culture is an indispensable part of the vitality and regional economy of our major region. In addition, the accessibility of culture is important for the well-being of the population in the region. We expect the government of the country to reconsider the cuts, so that the Eastern …

The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia invites proposals for the organisation work of Northern Ostrobothnia for 2024. Proposals can be submitted between 1 and 30 September 2024. This year’s theme is ‘Broader than Whole – Cross-Border Cooperation’. An organizational act does not have to be an isolated act; it can be understood and interpreted more broadly. In the selection of the organizational act of the year, the emphasis is on the crossing of borders and impact, as well as the role of volunteering in the association's operations. The applicant must be a registered local association. The association that won the organizational act of the year will receive 1,000 euros to support its activities. The decision on the organisation of the year is made by the Regional Government of Northern Ostrobothnia. Proposals for the Organisational Act of the Year 2024 will be made by 3 p.m. on 30 September 2024 using the electronic form LINKS The Organisational Act of the Year 2024 will be published at the Regional Parliament of Northern Ostrobothnia on 5 November 2024. The prize is now awarded for the sixth time. Additional information: Ilpo Tapaninen, Strategy Manager,…

The Northern Ostrobothnia Digital Wellbeing Network is an open cooperation platform for all actors interested in digital well-being and its development in Northern Ostrobothnia. The network brings together actors from all over the region to develop digital well-being, inclusion and digital support. The Digital Wellbeing Network shares information, experiences and good practices, solves challenges related to the theme and finds new partners. The network meets regularly about every month. The meetings discuss issues related to the theme from different perspectives and share topical information related to digital well-being. Network meetings to be held in autumn 2024: · Digital competence of professionals and digital competence of vulnerable residents, Pohde digital services and POP-Digi Care Guarantee project Thu 26 September 2024, 14-15 Join the meeting here · Results of municipal development work and projects, City of Oulu and the rest of the municipality /…

The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia opens the eighth round of applications for ERDF projects from the Renewable and Skilled Finland 2021-2027 EU Regional and Structural Policy Programme. The application round is open from 1 September to 30 November 2024. The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia finances European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) measures. This call will fund projects under specific objectives 1.1., 1.3., 2.1., 2.2. and 2.3. Before preparing your application, you should read more about the Renewable and Skilled Finland 2021-2027 programme document and the contents of the above-mentioned specific objectives. An amount of EUR 14,240,000 is planned to be used to finance the projects received in the application round. The maximum amount of funding requested (ERDF and State) is 80% development project and up to 70% the total cost of the investment project. A separate ERDF application round is also open until 31 August 2024. For more information on the application rounds, click here.