by Minna Hendolin, Director of Impact at University of Eastern Finland.
The University of Eastern Finland, UEF, plays a pivotal role in the region not only by attracting investment and talent, but also by creating and fostering conditions that encourage people and companies to pick Eastern Finland as their first choice. Through its activities, the university boosts the region’s intellectual capital and contributes to an ecosystem that retains talent, ultimately enriching the local communities and driving regional growth. This is no small feat considering that in Finland, the Helsinki capital region and other growth centres in the southern part of the country tend to draw and keep talent due to their more abundant opportunities.
Close eye on regional competence needs
The university’s commitment to keeping a close eye on regional competence needs is well exemplified by its proactive approach to education. Recognising the technology sector’s growing needs for skilled workforce and the region’s existing competence gaps in this field, the university launched Master’s level education in technology in September last year. This initiative not only contributes to the availability of skilled workforce in the region, but also aligns with the needs of companies to invest in research and innovation to enhance their competitiveness. This has a huge positive impact on the economic landscape of the region. The university also stands out as the largest provider of medical training in Finland and is one of the main providers of teacher education in the country, thereby contributing to the availability of trained and skilled professionals both in the region and beyond.
Meaningful partnerships drive investment
When it comes to attracting investment to the region, the role played by the University of Eastern Finland cannot be overemphasised, as exemplified by the biopharmaceutical company FinVector’s recent decision to open a global gene therapy manufacturing facility in one of the university’s campus towns, Kuopio. FinVector has its roots in UEF’s research expertise and, indeed, the very fact that FinVector is headquartered in Kuopio is strongly influenced by the university’s presence there. Today, FinVector employs some 500 professionals and is a major pull factor for talent from Finland and abroad. The university and FinVector are committed to a long-term strategic partnership involving research collaboration and, for example, internship opportunities for students. The university’s collaboration with companies is also active and versatile in the field of forestry, which is one of the main fields of economic life in Eastern Finland. However, university-business cooperation and partnerships are, of course, not limited to individual companies only. UEF is also involved in several innovation ecosystems that have evolved from regional expertise into well-connected international networks, such as the Kuopio Health community, the Photonics Center and the Kuopio Water Cluster. These are all good examples of innovation ecosystems that bring together public and private actors across different sectors, thereby fostering collaboration, business growth and investment.
Fostering ties between international students and local employers
Like many other Western countries, Finland, too, is expected to face a shortage of skilled workforce in the coming years. As a region, Eastern Finland is particularly affected by this phenomenon, as the working age population is expected to shrink to around 25% by 2030. Immigration, driven by both labour and education, has been recognised as an antidote to the situation, and the University of Eastern Finland is taking determined steps to foster international students’ integration into Eastern Finland, and to remove any obstacles to their securing of employment there. One important platform for achieving this is Talent Hub Eastern Finland, a network of all major providers of education in the region. Talent Hub Eastern Finland bridges gaps between international students and local employers, offering support and concrete tools for recruitment and onboarding, and learning Finnish at the workplace as well as adapting to the Finnish work culture.
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In the picture: Minna Hendolin, Director of Impact at University of Eastern Finland.
