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On Tuesday 14 June 2022, a workshop on international funding was organised, focusing on the preparation of the application for EU funding and the application process. The workshop was co-organised by the ERDF-funded Kanves project and Culmentor Oy. The event was held both on site in Oulu and remotely. A total of 42 people participated in the workshop. The event was free of charge and open to all. EU project consultant, Senior Expert Heidi Honkanen from Culmentor Oy, worked as a rapporteur and speaker in the workshop. The event was opened by Heikki Ojala from the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. During the workshop, the different stages of the preparation of the application for EU funding and the application process itself were reviewed. The stages of the workshop were: The application process and the construction and management of the project consortium, the structure of the application text, the interpretation and the requirements of the programmes, i.e. the evaluation criteria, the preparation of the application in practice: novelty and impact of the application, utilization of results, communication,…

Welcome to come up with ideas for developing the region's near future from the point of view of smart specialisation.  ​ Northern Ostrobothnia gets the opportunity to develop in a variety of ways, as development needs can be brought up in a variety of different themes and taking into account the needs of different organisations. So you are very welcome to join us!​ Seminar has three themed workshops from which you can choose the one that suits you best when you sign up. Theme workshops are:​ Climate-wise, responsible and renewing industry​ Digital services and products​ Health and well-being sector​ The seminar will be held in the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, Poratie 5A, Oulu. The event starts with lunch at 11 am and the actual program starts at 12 noon (-15)​. Pre-registration is mandatory and you can register here by 18 August at 12:00 noon. Programme 11.00-11.55 Lunch, Antell Poratie restaurant 12.00 Opening of the event, Pauli Harju, Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia 12.05 Intelligent…

The application period for projects under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the 2014-2020 programming period ended on 30 June 2022 in the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. By the deadline, 16 applications were received by the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. The majority of the applications were related to the development of research, skills and innovation activities under Specific Objective 4.1. In addition, funding was sought for the development of companies' innovation activities, renewable energy and energy-efficient solutions. The applications applied for funding from the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia for a total of EUR 4.22.134. The funding available for projects is approximately EUR 2,700,000 million. Please note that the first call for applications for the 2021-2027 programming period will be open until 31 August 2022.

Opinions are sought on the Just Transition Plan for Northern Ostrobothnia.  The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment requests statements on the JTF programme proposal and, at the same time, on the counties' transition plans and the programme's environmental report by 8 August 2022. In Finland, the basis for JTF preparation is the Government Programme on halving the energy use of peat by the end of 2030. The JTF shall address the socio-economic and environmental adverse impacts of the low-carbon transition in order to safeguard employment and sustainable regional economies.  The peat industry employs approximately 2,500 person-years in Finland. The direct and indirect adverse effects of a significant decline in the sector on regional economies and employment are significant, to which the JTF is tasked to respond through regional and structural policy measures to diversify livelihoods and adapt the workforce in the regions with the least capacity to adapt to change. The counties' just transition plans will be integrated into the Renewable and Skilled Finland 2021-2027 EU …

Battery Region invites all interested parties to the event for cross-border exchange of experience and dissemination of regional information. The project has examined the need for know-how and training provision in the battery value chain in Northern Sweden and Northern Finland. Finland's results can already be viewed on the project pages of the Regional Council of North Ostrobothnia's website. At the event, other projects and companies with the contact surface of the battery value chain on both sides of the border will tell about their work and results. Come and listen to our conclusions and exchange experiences with others on site in Skellefteå or remotely. More information about the project and the event: www.batteryregion.eu.

The organisation work carried out in the region is highlighted with the annual award for organisations in Northern Ostrobothnia. This year's theme was the provincial advisory board for organisations, which chose the experience of inclusion. In other words, the search for an organizational act has strengthened the well-being and sense of participation of the target group. “This is the fourth time the prize has been awarded. Through it, an organisation or association can bring its own activities to wider awareness. We hope for a large number of diverse proposals", says Ilpo Tapaninen, Head of Strategy at the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. The nomination of candidates will be opened at the beginning of September. The winner of the prize is selected by the regional government and the prize is awarded at the regional parliament in November. The prize is 1,000 euros. Further information: Association award and the activities of the Association Advisory Board (Website of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia) Esa Aunola, Chairman of the Association Advisory Board / North Ostrobothnia Villages Association / tel. +358 40 551 3986, esa.aunola@ppkylat.fi…

“Culture is part of the good life of the people of North Ostrobothnia. It is a central part of the activities of the county, its municipalities and communities, as well as the enchantment and vitality of the region. Culture is a resource for development. This is the main message of the recently published Northern Ostrobothnia Culture Development Programme 2022-2030. North Ostrobothnia wants to be a ten-stream cultural region that resembles its regions, where people are rooted and want to settle down elsewhere. In the region, culture is at the heart of people as well as at the heart of development work. The enchantment offered by culture, business opportunities and versatile resources for solving various societal challenges can be utilized effectively. It requires an appreciation of culture and an understanding of impact. Culture needs to be discussed and discussed. Cultural activities must have resources that are broadly effective. "Culture is development…

The Just Transition Plan for Northern Ostrobothnia has been updated. The plan has also been submitted to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. You can read the updated plan here: Northern Ostrobothnia's Just Transition Plan for Finland, as part of the Just Transition Fund (JTF), has a specific JTF target of at least halving the energy use of peat by 2030. The EU country report to Finland (2020) states that Finland is largely on track to meet its 2020 climate target, but ambitious new measures are needed to reach the carbon neutrality target by 2035. For more information on the just transition, please contact: Päivi Keisanen, Development Manager, tel. +358 50 431 0605  

The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia has decided to invest in the development of tourism in the region and in the wider region. The Regional Council was selected together with the Pomorskie Region of Poland to coordinate the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region's action plan for the tourism policy area. The coordinators have been granted funding under the Interreg Baltic Sea Programme at the same time as the Steering Committee of the Interreg Baltic Sea Programme adopted its first funding decisions in Warsaw on 15 June. With the grant of project funding, the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia will start as a project manager a policy area coordinator developing tourism. The project expands cooperation between tourism operators and companies in the Baltic Sea region. According to Pauli Harju, Regional Director of Northern Ostrobothnia, the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia's investment in the development of tourism in the Baltic Sea region complements the activities of Visit Finland and regional Visit organisations. "With this project, understanding of the Baltic Sea region as a tourist area will increase and the dialogue in Northern Ostrobothnia will be extended to the Baltic Sea region," Harju explains.…

The studies of the TUULI project have been completed: The goal of the TUULI project of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia is to promote sustainable wind power construction in Northern Ostrobothnia. As a result of the TUULI project, the wind power potential of Northern Ostrobothnia can be presented, as well as a country-to-country view of the most suitable areas for wind power construction. The preparatory studies for the TUULI project (green structure and ecosystem service study, updating study of the main migration route of birds, wolf territory study and electricity transmission study) were completed in December 2021 and the location control model was completed in early June 2022. The project's vision work will continue until the end of August 2022. The location management model of the TUULI project has identified new areas suitable for wind power construction and identified potential future wind power areas. As a result of the spatial data analysis, 251 regions were created, 13 of which are located in marine areas and 238 on land. All 251 regions from the spatial data review proceeded to further review. The areas were examined taking into account environmental, social and techno-economic perspectives. These were …