Completed Projects
During the 2014–2020 programming period we have carried out several international cooperation projects.
THE PUBLIC LINK
Smart local administration using IoT, AI, VR and Machine Learning tools.
The focus of The Public Link project was to test the new technologies in the provision of public services. This involved the use of virtual/augmented reality (VR / AR), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning approaches.
The relevant framework and toolset were developed with strong participation from relevant stakeholders, especially the local governments involved directly in the project. The project ran in three major cycles. Every cycle included both technical & methodological development as well as workshops and training sessions with partners and stakeholders. This was to ensure maximum usability of essential assets and availability of skills and capacity to use them effectively by local governments and a broader set of stakeholders.
More information can be found on the project website.
Here you can find our local example of what it takes to provide effective AI services to residents: Frami indoor map pilot
FRIDGE – Development of food industry SME competitiveness for better potentials in growth
The aim of this project was to promote the growth and competitiveness of food SMEs in the partner regions. The international project has involved partners from six European regions: Belgium, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Finland and Greece.
During the three years of the project, several surveys were carried out on the situation of the food sectors in the partner regions, the operating environment of food businesses, their strengths and weaknesses. In addition, the project has identified a number of good practices that have contributed to the growth and development of SMEs in the partner regions.
The attached handbook brings together the results of the project’s mapping exercise and all nineteen good practices identified. The Handbook is available via the online platform for the Handbook.
INTENCIVE – Innovation and Technology Enhancing Customer Oriented Health Services
The INTENCIVE project sought solutions to the challenges of an ageing and declining population in rural areas. We need new, accessible and easy-to-use tools to provide high quality health services, regardless of the age or location of the inhabitants. Customer orientation was at the heart of the project. We need a new way of thinking and planning when integrating technology into service processes. We shared good practices, which were evaluated using the Danish Bikva model. Bikva is a customer-oriented evaluation and development method.
The project is followed up currently by the ongoing NOTRE project.
ERUDITE 2 – Enhancing Rural and Urban Innovation Territories in Europe
In the ERUDITE project, our aim was to promote digital innovation and services in rural and urban areas. ERUDITE 2 continued this process as the follow-up project.
ERUDITE changed the way our partners approach service design and implementation by creating simple value-led roadmap, that we call SEROI+, with four steps that constitute the building blocks for service co-creation for smart rural communities and ecosystems:
1. Define policy or practice goals for the services;
2. Identify and engage relevant stakeholders and define their goals;
3. Co-design the service;
4. Set indicators and values, estimate and then monitor social, economic and environmental return on investment.
Read more about the SEROI+ documents here
Read more about the project here
FINCH – Financing impact on regional development of cultural heritage valorisation
The aim of FINCH project was the protection of cultural heritage, based on its potential impact on growth and jobs, which could lead to long-term social and economic benefits and to help partner regions improve their policies in this area. It supported the implementation of light financial instruments for private actors and public-private partnerships and allowed local and regional policies to move towards more sustainable models of capitalization of cultural heritage.
More information can be read from the project website.
CLAY – Cross Sector support for Innovative and Competitive Artistic Ceramic SMEs
The aim of CLAY project was to support the ceramic sector by prioritizing new technologies, strengthening brands and developing new services to maintain competitive advantage and face the challenge of globalization. The CLAY project gathered 5 regions which have both important ceramics traditions and innovative small and medium enterprises, and used interregional exchange to identify solutions to the challenge of matching tradition and innovation, by improving regional programs for innovation.
As part of the implementation of the CLAY regional action plan, the South Ostrobothnia Regional Council has developed “Service path for creative industries” in cooperation with the ELY Centre. The service path helps entrepreneurs to understand what business development services and support are available to them in their area at different stages of the life of their business, and provides links to help them contact service providers. The idea of the service path is based on Creative Finland’s national descriptions of “Advisory services” and “Public funding“.
More information can be read from the project website.
CESME – Cirular Economy for SMEs
The aim of CESME project was to improve the circular economy potentials in the local SMEs by exchanging experiences and improving relevant policy instruments. The partnership consisted of ten partners from six European regions. The project partners from South Ostrobothnia were the Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia and JPYP Business Services Ltd. During the project each region created action plans that included concrete plans and actions to improve the project topic. In addition, the South Ostrobothnian partners developed a qualitative tool for SMEs to assess their circular economy potentials as a pilot project. The project was funded under the Interreg Europe programme.
More info can be read from the project website: www.interregeurope.eu/cesme
Co2mmunity – Co-producing and co-financing renewable community energy projects
The aim of Co2mmunity project was to promote the awareness of community energy (CE) and to increase the exploitation of renewable energy in South Ostrobothnia. Community energy refers to energy projects where local people are actively involved and the sources of energy are e.g., solar, geothermal, hydropower and biomass.
The ten policy proposals compiled as a result of the Co2mmunity project will help in overcoming the challenges faced by community energy and supporting its exploitation in the Baltic Sea region. By combining these policies, a pathway is created for more renewable community energy. Furthermore, a handbook of community energy in Finland was compiled during the project. It explains among other things what CE in Finland is and how we all can promote CE in our own regions.
In the South Ostrobothnia region, we also arranged a four-part excursion to destinations where community energy and renewable energy are being used. The videos filmed in these interesting destinations can be seen on the YouTube channel of the Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia.
The Co2mmunity project was funded under the Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme and it was implemented by partners in seven countries. These countries were Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden and Finland. In our region the Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia and Thermopolis Ltd. – Energy Agency of South Ostrobothnia participated in the project.
More information and documents published during the project can be read from the project website: http://co2mmunity.eu/
ERUDITE – Enhancing Rural and Urban Digital Innovation Territories
The project ERUDITE aimed at development and creation of new digital services in the rural and urban territories of six European regions. The partnership included partners from six European countries: France, Ireland, Italy, Slovenia, Sweden and Finland. There were two partners from South Ostrobothnia: Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia and SEK Economic Development Agency of Suupohja Region. During the project the project partners shared good practices of digital services and created regional action plans to implement new digital services in their regions. The project was funded under the Interreg Europe programme.
More info can be read from the project website: www.interregeurope.eu/erudite
MAMBA – Maximising Mobility and Accessibility of Services in Regions Affected by Demographic Change
The aim of project MAMBA was to promote the accessibility of rural areas by developing new mobility solutions. In South Ostrobothnia the objective was to develop health and social service transportation in order that they could be arranged better and more consistently in different parts of the region. A Regional Steering Group (RSG) was founded for this task. The RSG supports municipalities in developing and acquiring transportation services and enhances the cooperation of the transport services in the region. This group is managed by the Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia and its members are the municipalities, joint municipalities, the Hospital District of South Ostrobothnia, the Social Insurance Institution as well as the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment.
The project was funded under the Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme and the following six countries partnered in the project: Germany, Sweden, Latvia, Denmark, Poland and Finland. In South Ostrobothnia the Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia and Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences were involved in the project.
More information and documents published during the project can be read from the project website: https://mambaproject.eu/
NICHE – Building Innovative Food Value Chains in Regions
The project NICHE aimed at improving innovativeness of food value chains within seven European regions. The partnership had partners from Romania, Ireland, United Kingdom, Greece, Poland, Estonia and Finland. During the project the partners shared good practices of food value chain development and based on lessons learned created regional action plans to improve the innovativeness of each regions’ food value chains. In addition, the regional council of South Ostrobothnia implemented a pilot project where the regional food brand, Food Province, was further developed. The project was funded under the Interreg Europe programme.
More info can be read from the project website: www.interregeurope.eu/niche
Projects in 2007–2013
During 2007–2013 Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia took part in several international projects.
In digitalization theme, council completed projects ENGAGE and Egoprice. EHealth theme was developed in three projects: PrimeCareIT, ICT for Health and Connected for Health. NECL I, NECL II, and Baltic Bird were transport development projects. Other themes were volunteering (Volwe), immigration (Diami), equality in worklife (Winnet 8) and development of innovation environment (BSR Innoreg).
Moreover, Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia carried out a project (KATE) where internationalization of the region was developed.