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The outlook for the battery industry was extensively featured in the broadcasts of the Swedish public broadcaster SVT this week. The interviews were conducted in cooperation with Sanni Pietilä, Project Manager of the Interreg Battery Region project, who emphasized in the interview that battery education must be developed at all levels of education. Interreg Battery Region is a joint project in Northern Sweden and Northern Ostrobothnia. The project coordinator of the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region is Heikki Ollila. The main objective of the Interreg Battery Region project is to develop a cross-border competence-based strategy for the different stages of the battery industry. The idea is to offer relatively high unemployment groups a concrete opportunity to work in a new, growing industry. Watch SVT's story and video on the subject. Read more about the Interreg Battery Region project.

At its meeting on 26 September, the Regional Government of Northern Ostrobothnia outlined the objectives of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia for the 2023 Government Programme negotiations.    The provincial government emphasises northern solutions for security of supply, agriculture, climate and food economy. The operating conditions of Finnish agriculture must be taken into account even more strongly in the coming government term. Support structures for the agricultural environment must support active and sustainable production. This requires a strong and proactive influence on EU policies and a greater understanding of the specific agricultural and forestry issues in the region and their relevance and relation to existing climate objectives.    Universities and their ecosystems act as innovation engines in their regions. Adequate basic funding for universities and universities of applied sciences enables world-class innovations and ensures long-term research and teaching in Northern Ostrobothnia.   North Ostrobothnia is the key to Finland's energy transition. The Government Programme must recognise the importance of the region in renewable and sustainable energy production and…

The themes of the Northern Ostrobothnia Parliament have been confirmed. The theme of the event on Monday, 7-8 November, will be Northern Ostrobothnia, which is resilient. Tuesday's theme is the European economy and the cultural flow to Northern Ostrobothnia. Statements will be given by, among others, the Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, What Aaltola, and the Secretary General of KULTA, Rosa Meriläinen. Among the politicians, Tytti Tuppurainen, Minister of European Affairs and Ownership Steering, Petri Honkonen, Minister of Science and Culture, Jussi Ylitalo, President of the Regional Government of Northern Ostrobothnia, and Mari-Leena Talvitie, President of the Regional Council, will make their voices heard. The first day will be hosted by Sanna Keskinen, Editor-in-Chief of Kaleva and Hanna Honkamäkilä, Head of International Affairs of the Second Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. The program will be fully confirmed during September, after which we will post about it and open the registration on the website of the Regional Council of North Ostrobothnia. However, dates should be marked …

The Sustainable Wind Power Construction in Northern Ostrobothnia TUULI project of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia will organise a final seminar as a webinar on Thursday 29 September from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The event will cover the process of the TUULI project, the results, the vision work carried out during the project and the connection of the project to regional planning. The speakers will be Sari Pulkka, GIS specialist from the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, Erika Kylmänen, Environmental Manager, Mari Kuukasjärvi, Planning Manager, and Markus Erkkilä, Planning Director. Outside experts are Mikko Heikkilä from Fingrid and Tapio Tuuttila, Jaakko Rauni and Johanna Lehto from Sweco. The comments will be heard from Mathias Holmén (City of Raahe) and Taina Törmikoski (North Ostrobothnia Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment) and the closing remarks from Pauli Harju, Regional Director of North Ostrobothnia. The aim of the TUULI project is to promote sustainable wind power construction in the North Ostrobothnia region. The project has drawn up wind power targets for Northern Ostrobothnia, carried out studies affecting wind power projects, developed wind power production…

Change Now – well-being from nature!   The North Ostrobothnia Wellbeing Forum 2022 will be held on Wednesday 2 November 2022 from 10:00 to 15:00 at Pyhäjärvi Central School, Tunturitie 1, Pyhäjärvi. The forum is an attendance. The North Ostrobothnia Welfare Forum is now being held for the fifteenth time. The event conveys the latest researched knowledge and good practices, increases cooperation and partnership, and recognises successful practices. This year we will focus on, for example, the relationship between children and young people with nature and the connections between the environment, physical activity and health. The forum will hear about local good practices and, as usual, reward the well-being act of the year. The event is organised by the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia in cooperation with Metsähallitus' Nature Services and the City of Pyhäjärvi. The forum is free of charge, including coffee and lunch. A free joint transport from Oulu to the event will be arranged.    The programme will be published in October. Participation Binding registration…

The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia invites proposals for the Organisational Act of Northern Ostrobothnia 2022. Proposals can be submitted between 1 September and 28 September 2022. This year we are looking for an action that has strengthened the well-being and sense of participation of the target group. An organizational act does not have to be an isolated act; it can be understood and interpreted more broadly. The award tracks emphasise the cross-border dimension and effectiveness, as well as the role of volunteering. The association that won the organizational act of the year will receive 1,000 euros to support its activities. The nominations for the prize will be made by 28 September 2022 by 3 p.m. using an electronic form: https://link.webropol.com/s/jarjestoteko2022 The applicant must be a registered local association. The decision on the organisation of the year is made by the Regional Government of Northern Ostrobothnia. The organisation act of the year 2022 will be announced at the Regional Parliament of Northern Ostrobothnia on 7 November 2022. The prize is now awarded for the fourth time. The message can be shared freely within your organisation and with your stakeholders! the Prize …

The State of the European Union address by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, highlighted in particular the issues of energy market regulation and European energy independence. “Companies are collecting profits that they could not even have imagined. In these times, it is wrong to earn at war and at the expense of households," said von der Leyen, explaining that it is possible for the countries of the European Union to raise an estimated €140 billion from the excess profits of energy companies. More specifically, he did not open the action, but mentioned that it was temporary and that, for example, price caps would be a question. As one of the openings in the energy sector, President von der Leyen said: “With RePowerEU, we will invest in the hydrogen economy in the coming years. A concrete proposal is to set up a European Hydrogen Bank to invest in…

Figure: Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. The different stages of the construction of the Haapakoski smolt downhill migration route were recorded in a documentary video. The installation of a smolt tube in the spring of 2021. In Haapakoski, Iijoki, Finland's first downhill migration route for salmonids and catching equipment have been taken into use this summer. A video has now been released on the construction of the fairway. The video was produced by BrainyDay Visual Oy. “This video will take you through the different stages of the construction of the downhill migration path, explaining why it was built and how it works. We are very pleased with the video", says Mirko Laakkonen, Project Manager of the Iijoki migratory fish project 2020-2022 from the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. The construction of the downhill migration path took about a year, so filming took place at different times of the year. “Producing a documentary video on the downhill migration path of Haapakoski smolts was an interesting project around an important topic. Variable natural conditions posed production challenges, but flexible … between the parties

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, will deliver her most important State of the European Union address on Wednesday 14 September at 10 a.m. Internationally speaking, it is known as SOTEU (State of the Union). Last year, von der Leyen's speech naturally focused on overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, but it promised much more. Among other things, it referred to the European Union’s digital strategy and informed about the EU’s intentions to launch its own microchip production in a world that von der Leyen described as on its way to a ‘hyper-competitive era’. In addition, von der Leyen launched 2022 as the European Year of Youth, as young people in Europe are relatively affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The most anticipated speech of the year in the European Union The President of the European Commission gives every…

With these words, Sanna Salmela, Head of Welfare Promotion in the North Ostrobothnia Welfare Area, opened a seminar on Cultural Impact on Health and Welfare held on 8 September. ‘The wellbeing region must integrate cultural wellbeing services as part of its own service production. On the other hand, effective cooperation with municipal cultural services is important, as both parties share goals and customers", said Marjo-Riitta Tervonen, Head of Inclusion and Connectivity at the North Ostrobothnia Welfare Area. In the city of Oulu, the coordinator of cultural services for the elderly, Heidi Jäärni, already operates at the interface between general cultural services and social and health services. Perhaps such common tasks will also be possible in the near future between municipalities and the wellbeing services county. Expanding job descriptions and hybrid professionalism, i.e. working with different target groups in new kinds of work environments, challenge not only artists, but also the education system. Taru… has argued about the work of musicians in the Finnish health care system