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The Northern Programme has been included in Petteri Orpo's Board of Directors' Programme published today, 16 June 2023. The key actors of Northern Finland, regional federations, cities, higher education institutions, chambers of commerce and business organisations have jointly promoted the cause of the North during the winter and spring, with the key objective of recording the Government Programme on the role of the North in promoting growth, security and international cooperation in the whole of Finland. ‘The voice of the north has been identified and heard. We have worked closely with the regional parliamentarians and other influencers, and the work has produced results. In particular, the fact that the programme will be implemented under the leadership of the Prime Minister's Office, i.e. under the leadership of the Prime Minister's Office, is very good," says Seppo Määttä, Mayor of Oulu. We are very pleased and thank you all for your cooperation. Work…

Art Documentation - the culture of swinging in the Oulujoki valley before and now offers residents the opportunity to reminisce about their own swinging history, the feelings of love and enthusiasm experienced at the time, and the places of swinging. - Art exercises will be carried out with the participants in the art pilot to regain the feeling of swinging and portraits will be taken in their swinging places. With the help of the photos, the participants will be able to showcase their important places of love to the viewers. At the same time, both the participants and the viewers of the works get to experience Vaala, Utajärvi and Muhos in a new way, describes the Oulu-based photographer, artist Martu Väisänen's art pilot. Väisänen is a wide-ranging artist who loves his work. In her work, she strives to lower the threshold for experiencing and doing art and culture, and thus create opportunities for participation and well-being in art…

The Art Pilot invites local residents to participate and explore their relationship with their home region in Northern Ostrobothnia.  The pilot will take place in Siikalatva, Haapavesi, Haapajärvi, Kärsämäki, Nivala and Oulainen. Municipalities operate as laboratories in which community art is used to study the relationship between residents and the everyday environment and their home region, its places, culture and people. The method is an art canon, in which the resulting work is worked on by different groups and people in turn by different means of art. The art laboratory will be organised at municipal events during the summer. In the first phase, the residents' thoughts on art experiences and opportunities are collected. Based on this, a plan for a series of works reflecting the identity of the municipality and its citizens will be created. The art laboratory is implemented by visual artist, Designer Master's student Elina Stoor and ceramic artist Talvikki Pisilä. Art Laboratory…

The Finnish provinces take a position on the Act on the Use of Territories and appeal to the future government that any legislative reform must be based on updating and supplementing the current, effective Act. The provincial statement has been made available to the government negotiators.  If a legislative reform is implemented, it must be based on real, identified needs and challenges, and on tried and tested case-law. The reform must focus on streamlining and streamlining zoning within the current planning system, the statement states. This will also allow for the prompt promotion of the investments and projects required for the green transition.  The Construction Act and the Act on the Information System for the Built Environment have already been adopted on the comprehensive reform of the Land Use and Building Act. The remaining part of the whole is now the Land Use Act.  The role of the regional plan in the legislative reform must be strengthened, not weakened. The regional plan is the only plan level in much of Finland.…

‘Where do I come from? What kind of landscape has your life path twisted? What are your swinging memories and what places do they relate to?’ Among other things, these questions are being worked on through art together with local residents in the art pilots carried out in the project of the Cultural Cell of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia at the end of the year. There are six art pilots in total. They will be implemented in the municipalities of Northern Ostrobothnia, with 3-6 municipalities participating in one pilot. All pilots have in common inclusiveness, experientialism and experimentality. The themes to be discussed include nature and sustainability, everyday environments and the home region. Various art methods and different art practices are used. Each pilot results in a concrete work or experience. All pilots are community-based. The effectiveness of the pilots extends to many levels. Municipalities get …

The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, in cooperation with the City of Oulu, is launching an ERDF project application for the implementation of the ecosystem agreement signed 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 projects under the ecosystem agreement support the formation of business clusters and ecosystems in selected target sectors, identify the needs and services of the companies belonging to them, promote longer-term concrete goals and broad entities in line with the target sectors and spearhead programmes of the Oulu Innovation Alliance strategy, and provide added value from digital to the everyday services and built environment of residents. The application round is open from 29 May to 8 September 2023. Only the specific objectives 1.1 1.2 and 1.3 under Priority Axis 1 are open for this call. ERDF applications must be submitted to the authority via the EURA2021 system. The projects to be funded must be Renewable and competent…

Figure: Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. Different ages of small juveniles of Atlantic salmon and trout are planted in the Iijoki watercourse. Newly hatched salmon in the picture. On 24 May 2023, 400,000 freshly hatched juveniles of Atlantic salmon and 100,000 sea trout, 30,000 pre-summer juveniles of Atlantic salmon and 50,000 1-year-old juveniles of Atlantic salmon and 20,000 sea trout will be planted in the River Iijoki and its tributaries at the turn of May-June. The restocking supports the creation of salmonid stocks stigmatised in the river.’The sea trout are planted in the Loukusanjoki, Pärjänjoki, Livojoki, Kostonjoki and a small batch is also planted in the Siuruanjoki. Salmon are planted in the main river of Iijoki and in the Livojoki river", says Eero Hartikainen, Specialist in Fisheries at Metsähallitus.The youngsters were acquired from the Natural Resources Institute Finland, Kalankasvatus Vääräniemi Oy and Montan Lohi Oy. The Northern Ostrobothnia Regional Council has been responsible for the procurement of the chicks. Fish are planted by Metsähallitus. As an exception, Montan Lohi Oy plants 1-year-old sea trout. The success of restocking is monitored by electro-experimental fishing…

The North Ostrobothnia Regional Council's JTF application period opened on 19 April. In just over three weeks, a record number of applications were received, 149. The first application period for the continuous application period ended on Friday 12 May. ­– This is the highest number I have ever had in my twenty-year career. Normally, around 50-60 applications are received, says Regional Development Specialist Aki Lappalainen. The record number of applications shows that the opening of JTF funding applications has indeed been expected in the region. Applications will focus on content that creates new technologies and solutions, in line with the application programme. Funding was sought for projects supporting sustainable growth and the circular economy, as well as for projects developing technological innovations. Significant support for the development of the region The JTF funding for actors in the Northern Ostrobothnia region is intended to develop the region's business life and minimise the negative effects of the green transition. Regional Council's Development Director Tiina Rajala is satisfied…

The application period for phase 1 of the JTF projects for the 2021-2027 programming period of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia ended on 12 May 2023. By the deadline for the first application period, 149 applications were received by the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. The applications sought funding from the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia totalling approximately EUR 63.4 million. The maximum amount of funding available is €35.3 million. The first solutions for applications for further processing can only be obtained after the summer holidays. This is due to the record number of applications. The next application period for JTF funding, which will be open until the end of November 2023, will close on 31 August 2023. Check out this link to JTF funding.

Europe Day is celebrated on 9 May. White Europe Day will be celebrated on 9 May in Oulu and this year the event will be extended to two days. On the eve of Europe Day, 8 May Jutta Urpilainen, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, will visit Oulu for the first time in her role as Commissioner. The day's programme includes various visits and a Commissioner's Question Time open to all citizens. Question Time will be held on Monday 8 May from 11 a.m. to 11.45 p.m. at the Valve Culture Centre in the Café-Restaurant Seljet. Complimentary bun coffee is available for the first 30 attendees. Europe Day will be celebrated at the Valkea shopping centre on Tuesday 9 May. Those interested in the EU can come and talk to the Northern Ostrobothnia EU Info Point at 12-15. At the same time, you can get acquainted with the Oulu2026 project, which also participates in the celebration of Europe Day. EU-themed products and books will be distributed. The main event of Europe Day is the Valkea shopping centre…