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The international and networked North Ostrobothnia (Kanves) project has published a series of introductory videos on four innovation platforms that are important from the perspective of the region. Each video introduces the operation of the innovation platform and interviews a company that has used the platform's services to support its business. Innovation platforms from the Southern region of Oulu are presented in two tracks. Future Production Technologies The FMT Group has several partners from both the academic and business worlds. Its current partners come from domestic companies, from local organisations to foreign universities. The FMT Group's activities are concentrated in Nivala, where it works closely with the City of Nivala, the Industrial Village and the Nivala-Haapajärvi regional authority, NIHAK. FMT Group's research and development activities include 3D printing of metals and various after-treatments to optimize product properties, such as rapid heat treatments and surface chemical or …

Mental health and mental well-being of young people was a diverse and impressive theme at the Northern Ostrobothnia Youth Forum on 21 November. Jarno Laasala from the Duudsons, who was the main speaker of the day, told about his and his friends' trip from Härmä to Hollywood. Laasala told about her experiences and forgetting herself and the problems it caused her mental health. Laasala had also collected concrete tips to help her learn to deal with her life and learn to be present and accept different things. The day was hosted by Iida Hyvärinen, Chairman of the Regional Youth Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, and Inga Koskenniemi, Member. Nea-Noora also shared experiences from a young person to young people about the mental health of a touching speech. She shared her harsh and touching story with young people about a serious stroke, paralysis, and the impact of these events on her mental well-being.…

The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, in cooperation with the City of Oulu, is launching an ERDF project application for sustainable urban development that implements 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 7 November to 9 December 2022. Only projects under Specific Objectives 1.1 and 1.3 will be applied for in this call. ERDF applications must be submitted to the authority via the EURA2021 system. The projects to be funded must be Renewable and competent Suomi…

The construction of the Oulujoki hydropower was a major post-war work whose cultural-historical and architectural value sought equals. Building an Industrial Identity, created by the Hydropower Cultural Heritage (VekuVaku) project coordinated by the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, was published in mid-October. Samuli Paitsola, editor of the work, summed up the cultural-historical and architectural value of the construction of the Oulujoki power plants in three perspectives at the publication of the work. ‘In post-war Finland, a social transition started. Finland moved from an agrarian Finland to a modern industrial society. In a project such as harnessing the Oulujoki river, the image aspect must also be taken into account. It was a showcase to the world. We wanted to show that we can and are capable of making world-class industrial architecture and industry", Paitsola describes the background to the work. Second, Paitsola points out that the construction of the Oulujoki power plants to function as a unified system is fully…

The regional plan for the energy and climate phase, which is being prepared in the Regional Council of North Ostrobothnia, is a good example of the work being carried out in the regional councils, and at first glance the plan may look very strategic and long-term. As a conclusion, one can understandably wake up to the idea that this is not about me. But the truth is another: the choices made in the plan, especially with regard to wind power and energy transmission, create a solid basis for the development of the region and will be visible directly or indirectly in the everyday life of every person in Northern Ostrobothnia. The regional plan creates the preconditions for development well into the future. The need to renew the plan stems from the county's own needs, expectations and choices, as well as from national and international decisions. The cross-cutting theme of these decisions is climate change mitigation and adaptation. The global political situation also guides us towards becoming even more self-sufficient,…

Change Now – well-being from nature!   The North Ostrobothnia Welfare Forum 2022 will be held on Wednesday 2 November 2022 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pyhäjärvi Central School, Tunturitie 1, Pyhäjärvi. The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia organises the forum in cooperation with Metsähallitus' Nature Services and the City of Pyhäjärvi. The event is free of charge, including coffee and lunch. The North Ostrobothnia Welfare Forum is now being held for the fifteenth time. This year we will focus on children's and young people's relationship with nature and the connections between the environment, physical activity and health. The forum also hears about local good practices and rewards the well-being act of the year. The program has been published. You can register for the forum and the joint transport from Oulu from ​tä by 25 October 2022. More information about the Welfare Forum on our website

At the meeting of the Regional Government on 17 October, Regional Director Pauli Harju announced his resignation from the position of Regional Director as of 1 April 2023. Harju has led the Regional Council since 2008. The Provincial Government will discuss the resignation and is expected to start the recruitment process for the new Provincial Director at its next meeting on 14 November 2022. Additional information: Pauli Harju, Regional Director, tel. +358 400 389 152  

The second call for applications for the Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme has been opened. On 8 September 2022, the European Commission approved the new Interreg NPA programme, thereby definitively setting out its priorities and objectives. On this basis, at the end of September, the Monitoring Committee was able to close the first eight projects to be funded and to open a second round of actual project applications. In this call, project applications can be submitted under all priority axes, namely Axis 1: Strengthening the innovation capacity of resilient and attractive NPA communities, Axis 2: strengthening the capacity of NPA communities to adapt to the impacts of climate change and to ensure the sufficiency of raw materials. Priority axis 3: strengthening the capacity of NPA organisations to exploit the potential for cooperation in the region. Priority axis 1 and 2 projects should develop tangible and sustainable results with a positive impact on the target groups in the programme area.…

Iida Hyvärinen, Chairman of the Northern Ostrobothnia Youth Council, is looking forward to her position of trust in the Northern Ostrobothnia Climate Action Advisory Board. He says that he discussed with the members of the youth council about young people's suggestions for climate work in the county. "We have discussed issues such as increasing public transport routes, carbon sinks and agriculture as carbon sequestration," says Iida Hyvärinen. According to Hyvärisen, climate issues affect young people a lot and are also discussed outside of meetings. "We are interested in what kind of planet we leave behind and what kind of planet we leave for future generations," Iida sums up. The task of the Advisory Board for Climate Work in Northern Ostrobothnia is to guide the formation of regional climate and energy targets. The Advisory Board monitors its operating environment, promotes the promotion of strategic objectives and monitors their implementation. The tasks of the Advisory Board also include promoting interaction and cooperation on climate issues in the region. From the perspective of the near future, Hyvärinen highlights…

The European Week of Regions and Cities will take place from 10 to 13 October this year. The thematic highlights of this year's event will be the green transition, territorial cohesion, digital transition and youth empowerment. The event is an arena for political debate, giving regions and cities the opportunity to make their voice heard in EU decision-making. The ICT frontrunner of Northern Ostrobothnia on display during the Week of Regions Workshop organised by the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, University of Oulu, Luleå University of Technology, etc. "Kick-start for Digitalisation via Global Crisis: Partnering for Resilient Connectivity for People’ is part of the Week of Regions programme. Europe has the opportunity to be a frontrunner in harnessing the deployment and digitalisation of digitalisation and in developing and utilising the wireless technologies of the future. Wireless…