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The letters OULU in pink in front of Tuira, each decorated in honour of the summer and the year of the Capital of Culture.

news

30.09.2020

Northern Ostrobothnia coronavirus action plan 2020-2021 completed

On 30 September 2020, the regional cooperation group approved the coronavirus action plan for Northern Ostrobothnia. The plan brings together regional, short-term means to restore the vitality of Northern Ostrobothnia as soon as possible after the COVID-19 crisis. The measures must be able to be launched in late 2020 or during 2021. The longer-term strategic choices and measures will be specified in the preparation of the regional programme work 2022-2025. The plan was drawn up under the leadership of the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region in cooperation in cooperation with the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, municipalities and regional stakeholders.

The most important means for the recovery of Northern Ostrobothnia have been identified

  • internationalisation and export promotion;
  • leveraging digitalisation;
  • Green economic recovery
  • the functioning of the labour market, the improvement of employment and training;
  • well-being and Participation and Inclusion of young people

The plan highlights the business recovery of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Promoting renewable energy, the bio- and circular economy and climate-smart construction, as well as the sustainable use of natural resources, are key elements of the green recovery. The key measures in employment services are the employment experiments carried out by municipalities.

The instruments for rapid recovery are sector-specific targeted measures. New growth is sought, in particular, through the acceleration of exports, RDI activities, the green revitalisation of the economy and the renewal of business operations through digitalisation.

Regional measures are targeted by available national funds as well as EU regional and structural policy funds. The Government will decide on the regional allocation of European European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (ERDF)s during October 2020, after which the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region and the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment will open an application round to apply for funds.

Northern Ostrobothnia coronavirus action plan 2020-2021

For more information on the COVID-19 action plan, please contact Development Manager Päivi Keisanen, tel. +358 50 431 0605.

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16.06.2025
Blog: Northern Ostrobothnia's future looks bright

The economic review of the cooperative bank's regions highlights positive fstakeholders for the future of Northern Ostrobothnia. They are already known, but have been overlooked. Now, in connection in cooperation with the preparation of the regional programme, it is a good time to raise the regional profile and be genuinely satisfied in cooperation with the successes. At least the following can be extracted from the recently published economic review. In Northern Ostrobothnia, the number of unemployed people per job vacancy is the third lowest in the whole country. The situation is the same in the whole of Northern Finland, which indicates a more positive economic development than in the rest of the country. On a long-term average, Northern Ostrobothnia is at the top of the country in terms of green transition investments, as well as in terms of population-related RDI investments. The Cooperative Bank's economic review predicts that GDP growth in Northern Ostrobothnia will be the second fastest. The region's positive future is covered by the continuous increase in the number of employees. Employment growth has been at the level of other major regions. When construction, which is important to the county, begins to rise, employment returns to a positive path. Pirkanmaa has taken Northern Ostrobothnia's position as a region of growth. This is partly due to investments in support of the services sector and the development of an attractive living environment. The decisions made have created a positive spiral from which Northern Ostrobothnia can also learn. On the other hand, in times of global turmoil, Northern Ostrobothnia's logistical position as a gateway to the West also provides a good starting point for facing future challenges and continuing to grow. The extensive scenario work carried out in the spring creates a vision for 2050. The starting point of the thesis was to open the horizon of the future realistically. Although the cracks in the business environment are becoming more pronounced, there were more opportunities than threats in the scenarios. In particular, the European Renaissance scenario provides a new perspective on current development, but also supports the strengths and cooperation openings of Northern Ostrobothnia. The ongoing preparation of the regional programme provides a good opportunity to participate in building a positive future and to put into practice the opportunities that emerged in the scenarios. Keep your eyes up and work together! In Oulu on 16 June 2025, Mikko Väisänen, Head of Development, will prepare the regional programme for Northern Ostrobothnia 2026-2029 during the spring and autumn. The blogs written by experts from the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region cover the preparation process and themes related to the programme.

09.09.2024
The 8th call for applications for the AKKE grant has ended

Funding was requested for AKKE projects that focus on supporting regional RDI activities. Projects funded under this call should meet at least one of the following criteria: - the project supports research, development and innovation activities of SMEs and thus improves the innovation capacity of SMEs - the project strengthens the innovation ecosystem of the region - the project expands the number of parties involved in RDI activities The maximum amount available to fund projects received in the application round is EUR 448 000. The total number of project applications was 14 and the total amount requested was approximately EUR 950 000.

23.01.2024
Cultural activities in Northern Ostrobothnia and Kainuu will be strengthened in cooperation with funding from the Ministry of Education and Culture

The Ministry of Education and Culture has granted the Kainuu Regional Regional Assembly a special grant of EUR 160 000 for the development of the cultural activities of the municipalities of Kainuu and Northern Ostrobothnia. The project will be implemented during 2024-2025 in close cooperation in cooperation with the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region. KAIPO - Strengthening Networks of Culture in Kainuu and Northern Ostrobothnia project creates impact on the cultural activities of Kainuu and Northern Ostrobothnia counties and their municipalities. Neighbouring regions already have some cooperation in the field of arts and culture, which provides a good basis for the implementation of the project, as well as for the development of more extensive cooperation and know-how. As a result of the project, cooperation between counties, municipalities and cultural stakeholders will be intensified and the conditions for more efficient use of resources will be strengthened. Cultural services create new operating models and content, and municipal cultural managers receive more support for their work. The municipalities of Northern Ostrobothnia and Kainuu are participating in Oulu 2026 Capital of Culture year. The project also creates conditions for the implementation of its high-quality content. Through the co-creation of the project, the aim is to strengthen the cultural communities and regions. Co-creation, which is done using the partnership table model, is central to the project's measures. The themes are selected on the basis of the municipalities' own needs. In addition to representatives of municipalities, key cultural stakeholders related to the theme under discussion will be invited to the partnership tables. The first step of the project is to identify development needs through a survey. The results will be heard at a kick-off event on 12 February 2024. The Kainuu Regional Regional Assembly is responsible for the implementation of the KAIPO project. You can follow the progress of the project on its own website:  https://kainuunliitto.fi/cooperation/projects/kaipo/ The Ministry of Education and Culture's special grants for municipal cultural activities promote the implementation of the objectives and tasks of the Act on Municipal Cultural Activities (166/2019). The project, which now spans two regions, will build on the work carried out in Kainuu and Northern Ostrobothnia in previous regional development tasks in 2022-2023. Further information: Kainuu Regional Regional Assembly, Project Coordinator Joni Kinnunen, tel. +358 44 797 4254 or joni.kinnunen@kainuunliitto.fi Regional Assembly of Oulu Region, Cultural Specialist Auli Suorsa, tel. 050-386 8443 or auli.suorsa@pohjois-pohjanmaa.fi Previous regional development tasks: Culture-Kainuu https://kainuunliitto.fi/cooperation/projects/culture-kainuu/ Northern Ostrobothnia Cultural Society https://www.pohjois-pohjanmaa.fi/development/culture/cultural cell-project/ [caption id="attachment_42678" align="alignleft" width="523"] Photo: Kainuu Regional Regional Assembly website[/caption]

19.01.2023
Northern Ostrobothnia Competence Needs Survey

Welcome to the Northern Ostrobothnia Skills Needs Survey. The Regional Assembly of Oulu Region and the Service Centre for Continuous Learning and Employment under the Finnish National Agency for Education have agreed on practical foresight cooperation. The aim is to examine the region's competence needs from the perspective of professional sectors. The region's perspective on the future of professional fields and skills shortages can be obtained by answering a national survey conducted by JOTPA. The Northern Ostrobothnia Cooperation Group on Education and Research has discussed the most important areas of the region that need answers. Other sectors can also be well addressed. When answering more than one field, you have to start the survey from the beginning. Main sectors in Northern Ostrobothnia: ICT Social Services and Health Care Metals Forests Construction Education Hospitality Survey can be found HERE. Please respond to the survey by Monday, 6 February 2023. Every answer is important. Thank you for your time! You can also submit a survey in your own networks. In Northern Ostrobothnia, the results are utilised in regional competence foresight work, as well as in the planning of education and learning content. Particular attention will be paid to the anticipated development of skills needs and the skills gaps identified in the survey. At national level, the results will be utilised, for example, in the preparation of JOTPA funding applications and in the anticipation of competence needs in the OPH Skills Foresight Forum, for example, in proposals for the development of the contents of qualifications. More information Mikko Väisänen 0503366524 mikko.vaisanen@pohjois-pohjanmaa.fi