Towards greener Northern Satakunta with three key areas

There are three key areas in Kankaanpää, Northern Satakunta: Kirkkokallio eco-innovation park, construction product industry, and GEO learning environment. These three are the in the focus of the project Northern Satakunta on the Waves of Green Transition, led by Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK) and funded by the Regional Council of Satakunta and the Just Transition Fund.

Let’s take a look at what is happening on the three fronts of the project in the spring 2024:

Kirkkokallio proceeds towards even more strategic eco-industrial park

Kirkkokallio Eco-Innovation Park in Honkajoki, Kankaanpää is a business cluster based on circular economy. The project supports the development of the circular economy by creating a strategy for Kirkkokallio, which will guide the park’s operators’ shared activities and communication. A logo has already been published for the park, and its green swirls depict the recirculation of resources. Moreover, the project can research topics as needed to help make Kirkkokallio even more attractive location for new companies. Our experts Kati Alakoski, Piia Orava, and Jari Mustonen work with this key area.

Photo: The logo of the Kirkkokallio Eco-Innovation Park in Finnish and in English. The logo was published as part of the project. The background picture is by Martti Tikka.

Construction product industry prepares for the new building act

Kankaanpää has a well-established construction product cluster which is facing the same imminent change as the rest of the sector. From the beginning of 2025, a new building act comes into effect which will make environmental and climate declarations, among other things, obligatory. The project along with expert Olli Hietanen will support companies in the sector by providing up-to-date information on how to manage these declarations. Later, the project will address the digitalisation questions. Also, the garrison area at Niinisalo, Kankaanpää is part of the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA), which can mean interesting opportunities for the companies in the area. The project can bring new information to the actors in the region through various studies, including on the opportunities offered by the DCA agreement.  

GEO learning environment evolves as a platform for environmental education

The GEO learning environment in Honkajoki, Kankaanpää, promotes environmental education and serves a new learning platform. The project will, among other things, produce a plan for the environmental education and develop the contents of the learning environment, such as mire diorama, digital nature trails and learning materials. The learning environment will also play an important role in providing pathways to higher education for young people. This project activity is led by experts Kalle Männistö and Terttu Hermansson. In the spring 2024, the project will employ a local youngster to plan and pilot the GEO learning environment's guide training. 

Photo: The lobby of the GEO learning environment in Honkajoki already features characteristic mire landscape of the region. The painting is by Seija Maria Sairainen, photo by Piia Orava.

It is all about RDI and collaboration

The project has an important role when it comes to increasing research, development, and innovation (RDI) activities in the Northern Satakunta region. In the aftermath of the peat production shutdown in Finland, the project can provide knowledge of general interest to support the region. In the best case, new jobs can be created and cooperation between different actors developed. The project has also led to new cooperation between SAMK and the City of Kankaanpää. A concrete example of this cooperation is, for example, the fact that the project uses the city’s social media channels for its communication. In this way, the target groups are reached effectively.  Communication and overall management of the project are the responsibility of the project manager Tomi Kuusimäki and the communication specialist Piia Orava. 

Photo: The project staff is based at the SAMK Kankaanpää School of Art, a creative environment for exploring green solutions. Photo: Kankaanpään valokuvaamo. 

For more information

E-mail addresses of the project staff presented in the text in the format [email protected].