Priorities for development – Satakunta
The aim of the short-term priority axes for development laid out in Satakunta’s regional strategy (1: Sustainable growth, 2: A thriving community and environment) is to boost the region’s competitiveness and vitality during the 2022–2025 regional programming period.
Priority 1 Sustainable growth
The main goal is to promote the vitality and modernisation of Satakunta, to strengthen the region’s growth industries and knowledge clusters, and to ensure economic success. To ensure the vitality and growth of the region’s knowledge clusters, the operating environment must be developed sustainably, taking into account the goals of the green transition and the opportunities provided by digitalisation.
The main goal of priority 1 will be promoted through three development themes:
- Smart specialisation – The aim is to strengthen and reform the region’s growth industries and competence and innovation clusters
- Competence – The aim is to promote cooperation between the region’s evolving, innovative knowledge clusters, research and education organisations and the business sector to promote nationally and internationally effective innovation efforts. Education and science create a foundation for strengthening and reforming society. Changes in the workplace call for competence updates, continuous learning, anticipation of competence needs and a better match between labour demand and supply.
- Entrepreneurship and employment – The aim is to promote entrepreneurship, develop business environments and build national and international networks to boost the region’s vitality and growth. Another aim is to fully harness the labour potential and prevent social exclusion.
Priority 2 A Thriving community and enviroment
The main goal is to ensure that the region offers a smooth everyday life and high-quality environment and sees to the residents’ wellbeing and safety.
The main goal of priority 2 will be promoted through three development themes:
- Healthy and prosperous residents – The aim is to secure the wellbeing of residents and ensure the conditions for a good life.
- Smooth everyday life – The aim is to ensure the conditions for a smooth everyday life, including service availability, well-functioning infrastructure and efficient connections.
- Attractive, diverse and high-quality environment – The aim is to make the region increasingly appealing and safeguard the state of its environment as part of maintaining the region’s vitality, attractiveness and ecological sustainability.
When drawing up the Satakunta regional strategy, the region’s competence and innovation clusters were identified in accordance with the principles of smart specialisation. Smart specialisation plays a key role in strengthening the region’s vitality, growth and innovation activities. Partnerships, the creation of international networks and participation in networks contribute to strengthening the region’s spearheading industries.
- Technology metal, mineral and battery cluster: The Satakunta region has an internationally significant ecosystem for the production and further processing of technology metals, which will further expand with the increased demand for metals created by electrification related to digitalisation and green growth.
- Automation and robotics cluster: The Satakunta region has a strong cluster specialised in automation and robotics: The Robocoast network includes companies in the fields of robotics, automation, IoT and artificial intelligence, as well as research, education and development organisations.
- Energy cluster: The Satakunta region has a diverse energy production cluster that produces more than three times the electricity the region consumes, accounting for 26% of Finland’s total energy production.
- Food industry cluster: The strength of Satakunta’s food production lies in its versatility. Satakunta is home to several leading national food production companies, and the region has a long tradition of contract-based production, which ensures the economic, ecological and ethical sustainability of production. Satakunta’s food production is also an essential part of Finland’s national security of supply.
- Bioeconomy and the circular economy: The Satakunta region provides a competitive operating environment for a growing bioeconomy. The region’s main natural resources in terms of biological assets include the biomass (i.e. organic material) found in forests, soils, fields, water bodies and the sea. The Satakunta region’s industrial symbioses create opportunities for energy-efficient, material-efficient, and low-carbon circular economy practices.
- Blue economy: In the Satakunta region, the strengths of the blue economy are related to water-related RDI activities, the maritime industry, the maritime cluster, development of water competence, groundwater, water protection, fisheries, recreation, wellbeing services and water tourism in all waterways.
- Experience economy: The Satakunta region offers responsibly produced, attractive tourism services and high-quality cultural services, in addition to hosting internationally renowned events that are important for the region’s economy. The cultural environment is used to increase the region’s attractiveness and the wellbeing of its residents.
- Welfare economy: The welfare technology competence found in the Satakunta region can be used to develop solutions that improve the residents’ wellbeing and quality of life and ensure that each individual is able to cope with everyday life in accordance with their own goals, as well as lead a meaningful life. Similarly, health technologies may offer social and health care service providers solutions used to prevent and treat diseases and maintain health.
- Safety and security of supply are important themes for an export-driven region. Safety issues related to Satakunta’s industry, energy production, food production, and land and sea transport are also key to national security of supply. Cybersecurity and information security are part of the overall security of various organisations, and this dimension is highlighted in a region that specialises in automation and robotics.
Inquiries
Jyrki Tomberg, Funding Adviser
Krista Tupala, Regional Adviser