23.10.2025
The new regional cooperation group met for the first time
The Northern Ostrobothnia Regional Cooperation Group (MYR) met for the first time on 23 October in cooperation with a new composition. MYR will be chaired for the next term of office Lyly Rajala. Rajala, who had held various positions in the Regional Assembly for more than 20 years, stated at the beginning of the meeting that he had ended up in cooperation with something new.
“I have held many positions, such as the the Board of the Regional Assembly. However, since the regional cooperation group is a foreign institution to me, I have had to learn a lot about day care provided by civil servants.”
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The task of the regional cooperation group is to prepare and coordinate regional development plans, programmes and agreements. As a result, the cooperation group was the first to discuss the region and decide on the preparation of a regional financing plan for 2026.
The current EU programme for regional and structural policy, the Renewable and Skilled Finland 2021-2027, is in an exceptional situation. For the first time, the European Union has changed the programme in the middle of the funding period.
“Two new lines of action have been added to the funding programme, targeting funding for military mobility and the defence industry. At the same time, both the Regional Assembly and the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment have reduced their share of ERDF funding by 55%", Development Director Tiina Rajala He told me about the changes in funding.
Choices and decisions of Elected officials
At its first meeting, the regional cooperation group made several choices. A representative of the municipalities was elected as Vice-Chairperson Spongebob Käsmä Taivalkoski, Regional Ombudsman for Social Partners (Akava) Mikko Sormunen and the State Director-General Jonah the Attachment Northern Ostrobothnia Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment. The Head of Regional Development was appointed as secretary for the October meeting Heikki Ojala. At the next meetings of the regional cooperation group, a regional development expert was appointed as secretary Heikki Laukkanen.
The Head of the Finance Unit of the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Northern Ostrobothnia was appointed as the experts of the regional cooperation group Pasi Loukasmäki and Head of Finance Riitta Ilola. Research Vice-Rector of the University of Oulu appointed as experts representing social partners Matti Latva-Aho (Deputy Director of Research Services Emma Pirilä), Natural Resources Institute Finland Digital Director Topi Hanhela (Research Professor Katri Kärkkäinen), Director of Economic Development at Metsäkeskus Maria Isolahti (Nature Data Manager Miia Saarimaa) and
VTT Head of Unit Kalle Kantola (Director of Research Area Kari Rönkä).
Riitta Ilola, Finance Manager at the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Northern Ostrobothnia, was appointed to the secretariat of the regional cooperation group, which is responsible for the preparation, presentation and implementation of the regional cooperation group. Päivi Jaakola), Head of Unit Timo Lehtiniemi (Head of Team Tiina Suutari), Head of Unit Pasi Loukasmäki (leading business expert Anne Pulkkinen), Head of Unit Ari Kuotesaho, (pre-planning officer Marjo Paavola), expert Jarkko Pietilä (Director Petri Keränen) and the head of the river basin management team Jukka Tuohino (Head of Unit Tero Väisänen). The Regional Director of the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region was elected as Chairman of the Secretariat Jussi Rämet, Tiina Rajala, Vice President, Development, Heikki Laukkanen, Development Specialist, and Development Specialists as Secretary Aki Lappalainen and Katarina Timisjärvi, International Affairs Specialist Saija Tikkanen and Development Manager Heikki Ojala as secretary of the regional cooperation group.
The regional cooperation group also processed six project applications. Five applicants received a positive decision and one applicant received a negative decision. Projects are presented in more detail the MYR Protocol.
Additional information:
Heikki Ojala, Development Manager, tel. +358 50 4333951, heikki.ojala(at)pohjois-pohjanmaa.fi
