Implementation time: 1.10.2023 – 31.3.2026

Main financier: Pohjois-Savon liitto, Just Transition Fund (JTF)

The goal of the project is to implement development investments in line with the green transition to develop the vitality of industry in the province and Ylä-Savo region, above all in the field of machine and energy technology. With the help of the project, new jobs will be created, investments in companies’ competence development will be increased, and investments in the green transition of companies will be promoted, as well as the utilization of solutions in line with sustainable development and responsibility. The project’s measures will especially support the growth of industrial SMEs and the innovation of new business opportunities. With the help of the project, versatile development support is offered and the cooperation between the business world, educational organizations, municipal operators and takeholders is further intensified.

With the help of the project, KesTech is strengthened as a knowledge-focused entity that is able to take the industrial network of Ylä-Savo as a pioneer in resource efficiency, circular economy, energy efficiency and in the three categories of ESG (environmental responsibility, social responsibility and financial responsibility). The project strengthens cooperation with entrepreneurial organizations operating in the area and the chamber of commerce. Through cooperation, new common ideas and openings are sought, which can be used to increase the jobs and vitality of the region.

The measures of the project are:
– Identifying the requirements of business and society. The key tool is research foresight, on the basis of which it is possible to study how the measures of the national energy and climate strategy can affect the region and look for possible disruptions caused by the green transition and responsibility, which can shape the region’s industry. The long-term impact on the area can be assessed with scenario work, where future images are created for the area based on identified phenomena.
– Supporting sustainable growth paths. We work in active interaction with industrial companies in the domain in order to identify the development challenges required by the transition process and offer innovative solutions to them. Company groups are assembled around specified themes, where ESG development targets and concrete measures to move them forward are identified. With the help of research carried out in the networks, the current situation of the responsibility expertise and infrastructure relevant to the operation of the groups will be identified, and company-oriented training paths and training products will be developed, which enable the development of skills and lower the threshold for employment. In addition, even more straightforward study paths are being developed, from vocational studies in the field of technology to universities of applied sciences and further to universities.
– Efficient and result-oriented implementation of the project. There is an active discussion between companies operating in the area, industrial operators, project operators and educational institutions in order to advance energy and climate strategic measures. On the basis of discussions, future work and development cooperation, significant projects in the area are identified and applicable projects in progress or in preparation are brought to the attention of the operators of the area, and new project blanks are developed to meet the needs of the industry in the area, e.g. for the green transition.
– Networks and stakeholders as enablers of sustainable growth. We will network nationally and internationally with essential stakeholders, and look for cooperation opportunities, with the aim of supplementing the “toolkit”, i.e. support opportunities, offered to the manufacturing industry in the region. Measures are being taken to develop cluster operations in accordance with the requirements of the European Cluster Collaboration Platform.
– Image and result communication. Develop and maintain the SavoLink virtual business village, which is used to communicate the jobs and opportunities of companies in Ylä-Savo, and to show the vitality of the municipalities of Ylä-Savo. We publish newsletters and other notifications about events and events. Communication is carried out in Finnish and English. Communication measures are used to market job opportunities to domestic and international talent. Various events are organized to show the know-how of educational institutions in the Ylä-Savo region and information about new current technologies.