Intensified collaboration in East and North Finland through MIREU & REMIX

MIREU partner regions North Karelia and Lapland from Finland have been activators in the development of interregional collaboration among all East and North Finland Regions (Central Ostrobothnia, Kainuu, Lapland, North Karelia, Northern Ostrobothnia, Pohjois-Savo and South Savo). The REMIX project resulted in regional action plans to encourage to use the opportunities of smart and green mining in the regions generating an emerging SME industry, jobs and vitality to the regions. Both regions support the actions where SME service development will be better integrated into mining value chains operations.

In the regions, the potential for SMEs operating in the mining sectors to grow was clearly recognised. Regions also noticed that this development would require extra effort from the regional business developers. Therefore, the North-Karelia region launched the ‘Development of international cooperation, businesses and investment projects in global value chains in mining industry – GloMine’ project, funded by the ERDF. GloMine is a joint project of the Business Joensuu (leader) from North-Karelia and Digipolis from Lapland (Arctic Industry and Circular Economy Cluster). GloMine is a balanced combination of the regions’ specific and generic development, which is benefiting from the partners’ complementary competencies.

In Business Joensuu, GloMine is supporting Outokumpu Sustainable Mining Solutions Hub establishment. The aim is to create an internationally leading centre of excellence in the extractive industries, managing the circular economy practices throughout the mining industrial value chain. The hub will provide sustainable innovation and development services to the mining industry in Finland and globally. The service’s core production is based on the Geological Survey of Finland GTK’s more than a hundred years of experience in utilising the raw materials of the earth’s crust. The hub is strongly anchored in Outokumpu Industrial Park and its surroundings while networking nationally and internationally.

For Digipolis,  the focus of the GloMine project is in integrating the competence and knowledge of Digipolis, connecting the Arctic Industry and Circular Economy Cluster to the efforts of the Finnish SMEs in strengthening European cooperation and cluster level collaboration. Digipolis supports the GloMine project by operationalising the cluster services for the benefit of the SMEs. The broad national and international network of Digipolis in mining and industrial circular economy provides the GloMine project with significant value-added elements.

In autumn 2020, East and North Finland regional governors launched an initiative to develop East and North-Finland’s mining action plan 2021-2024 – responsible mining as a regional strength. The action plan was developed by the GloMine project with the support of the working group representing regions, expert organisations and ministerial level. During the action plan development, the MIREU and CoMMER were also introduced and the East and North Regional Office in Brussels took an active role in the CoMMER development as ERRIN’s task force on Raw Materials.

For more information contact: Ilkka.Nykanen@businessjoensuu.fi;  teemu.saralampi@digipolis.fi