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Recording of the event. Presentations at the event: Tiina Rajala, Heikki Ojala, Riitta Ilola, Anne Pulkkanen

The Regional Assembly of Oulu Region wishes a happy International Women's Day. The traditional reception was not organised this year due to the coronavirus epidemic.

The municipalities of Northern Ostrobothnia will soon have access to support packages in cooperation with information and tips on the themes of promoting well-being and health. The first of these is the cultural well-being package and the video leading to it. Over the past few years, culture has grown strongly into a part of development work and practical actions in the broad spectrum of well-being and health promotion. The same is true of Northern Ostrobothnia. The effects of culture on well-being are well-recognised and well-recognised. There is already a wealth of information and practical experience available. In order for the necessary information to be conveyed in an easy form to practical stakeholders in municipalities, it has now been worked on into a concise form of support package. From there, municipalities can pick up information and tips according to their own needs as part of their operations. Additional help is available from the Northern Ostrobothnia Cultural Welfare Network (POPku). The drafted support package…

REACT-EU funding supports regions to repair the damage caused by the COVID-19 crisis. At the same time, the funds will lay the groundwork for a green, digital and resilient recovery of the economy. For funding, two new themes of the programme have been added to the Structural Funds programme "Leverage from the EU 2014-2020", themes of the programme 8 (REACT-EU ERDF) and 9 (REACT-EU ESF). The Regional Assembly of Ostrobothnia will only fund projects under the specific objectives 12.1 and 12.2 of priority axis 8 of the REACT-EU programme amendment (REACT-EU programme amendment 25.2.2021) that support the implementation of the Northern Ostrobothnia Operational Plan 2021-2022 in the region (Northern Ostrobothnia Operational Plan 2021-2022). REACT-EU ERDF specific objectives for priority axis 8: ET 12.1 Strengthening SMEs, especially from the perspective of digitalisation and the green economy ET 12.2. Development of research and innovation activities, especially from the point of view of promoting digitalisation and achieving the goal of carbon neutrality in society

The Action Plan 2021-2022 of the Regional Programme for Northern Ostrobothnia has been completed and approved. The plan brings together ways to restore the vitality of Northern Ostrobothnia as soon as possible after the COVID-19 crisis. The key points of the Northern Ostrobothnia Action Plan are the promotion of entrepreneurship, exports and internationalisation, the utilisation of digitalisation, the green recovery of the economy, the functioning of the labour market, the improvement of employment and education, and the well-being and Participation and Inclusion of young people. The programme brings together the views and will of the region on regional measures to reduce the negative effects of the COVID-19 crisis, to restore the region's economic growth and employment, and to increase resilience. The plan includes both rapid measures and the acceleration of new growth. Download and read the Action Plan 2021-2022 of the Regional Programme for Northern Ostrobothnia here: Northern Ostrobothnia Action Plan 2021-2022

The second Northern Ostrobothnia situational awareness seminar was held on Wednesday 3 March as a Teams event. The theme of the seminar was COVID-19 and life after COVID-19 – can we prepare? The event was opened by Regional Director Pauli Harju asking how to respond to the challenges of the future, as the consequences of the coronavirus epidemic are not yet known. – I hope that the crisis has taught us that cooperation can solve issues, Harju stressed. In Northern Ostrobothnia, it is worth strengthening the shared will of the county, municipalities and the future wellbeing services region, as well as civil society stakeholders, guided State Secretary Maria Kaisa Aula from the Ministry of Finance. It is also worth considering one's own demographic policy and one's own child and family policy long into the future and taking into account the opportunities created by the wellbeing services area. Researcher Mikko Salasuo from the Finnish Youth Research Society told about a study carried out in the youth research network in autumn 2020 that asked …

In relative and quantitative terms, there are many young people living in our region. Our values – openness, creativity, fairness and courage – reflect our youthful attitude and willingness to make progress. The region's large centre, Oulu, attracts a significant number of young people both in its surrounding areas and elsewhere in Finland, but in addition to the central area, active young people can be found all over Northern Ostrobothnia. The large number of young people offers a lot of opportunities. They are a resource that can be involved in the development of the region, which enables our northern home to become an even more vibrant and attractive environment to grow, experience and thrive. As a young citizen, I have accumulated insights into young people’s involvement at local, regional and national levels – and I see a lot of potential in Northern Ostrobothnia. Compared to the rest of Finland, our region is in a unique situation. We are …

On Tuesday 23 March, we will organise a webinar from 9 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. The title of the Teams event will be: The webinar, which focuses on the implementation and opportunities of the Climate Road Map, is open to everyone. Topical information on climate action in the region, sources of funding, opportunities for municipalities and a speech by young people on the 2030 Agenda. Welcome to join us! Programme: 9:00 Opening of the event Jussi Rämet, Regional Assembly of Oulu Region 9:05 Climate Road Map of Northern Ostrobothnia, Ritva Isomäki, Regional Assembly of Oulu Region 9:25 Financing opportunities for climate action: REACT EU funding and the Renewable and Skilled Finland 2021-2027 programme of EU regional and structural policy, Päivi Keisanen, Regional Assembly of Oulu Region 9:45 The role of the ELY Centre in climate cooperation, Sanna Moilanen, Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Northern Ostrobothnia 10:05 The roles and opportunities of municipalities in climate work, Teemu Ulvi, Finnish Environment Institute 10:25 Climate action in Northern Ostrobothnia, Ritva Imppola and Eeva Suonperä, Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Oamk) 10:40 Case example…

The Hydropower Cultural Heritage project is looking for a researcher or a research group to carry out a commissioned study that examines the construction of power plants and their residential areas in the Oulujoki river basin from the point of view of the history of technology. The study examines the achievements of technical and architectural development work related to hydropower construction, as well as its national and international significance. In the Hydropower Cultural Heritage (VekuVaku) project, the power plants and their communities in the waterways of the Oulujoki and Luleåjoki rivers are highlighted as industrial cultural heritage and a diverse resource. The project is funded by the EU's Interreg North programme. More about the project

The Smart Specialisation Strategy for Northern Ostrobothnia promotes actions leading to innovation and utilization at the regional level that respond to the challenges posed by climate change, digitalisation and globalisation. The strategy aims to actively spread innovations and innovation activity throughout the region and to increase regional economy and well-being. The strategy guides cooperation across sectors and borders. Northern Ostrobothnia is an international, attractive and networked region whose competitiveness is based on high expertise, renewing industry, well-being and climate wisdom. Northern Ostrobothnia is known for its strong ICT expertise and corporate base. The strongest industries in the industry are the metal products industry and the wood processing, including both biorefining and mechanical processing. New emerging industries include applications and devices related to health and wellbeing and, for example, printing …