1. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi O strobothnia Österbotten Pohjanmaa

2. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi LAND UPLIFT CREATED OUR REGION Narrow passages – not easy to navigate A lot of needlework to make a net – first steps towards industrial manufacturing Stones everywhere

3. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi The Kvarken Archipelago Ostrobothnia is literally rising from the sea Land uplift is a unique natural phenomenon, which continuously alters the coastline of Ostrobothnia. Land is rising from the sea at a speed of eight millimetres a year. The Kvarken Archipelago was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in the summer 2006 The Kvarken Archipelago together with the High Coast in Sweden form a unique geological entity and a transboundary World Natural Heritage Site. The Kvarken Archipelago is Finland's first World Natural Heritage

4. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Unique Natural Environment Sea, open plains and forests. A magnificent archipelago and impressive river landscapes. The break-up of the ice on the river Kyrönjoki in the spring, violent autumn storms on the Kvarken. Thousands of cranes dancing in the fields of Söderfjärden, black grouse courting on a misty marsh. A white-tailed eagle majestically gliding on the winds above the city. Quite unique, Ostrobothnia.

5. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi The first Senate of the independent Finland stayed in Vasa in the beginning of 1918 Some milestones: Vasa founded by Karl IX in 1606 The second court of appeal in Finland founded by Gustav III in 1776 The first common library of Finland in1792 The first two technical high schools were established in Vasa and Helsinki in 1848 Vasa burned down in1852, and the town was moved 10 km closer to the coastline – because of the land uplift

6. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Ostrobothnia Development 2012 Excess of births 392 Net migration between municipalities - 563 Net immigration 735 = Increase of population 557 Key Figures Population ~180 000 GDP per capita 35 736 € Native language Swedish 50,2% Finnish 44,9% Other 4,8%

7. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi The region in a nutshell 15 municipalities, 4 sub-regions, 2 languages Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Coastal Southern Ostrobothnia sub-region Kaskinen ● Kaskö Kristinestad ● Kristiinankaupunki Närpes ● Närpiö Jakobstad sub-region Jakobstad ● Pietarsaari Kronoby ● Kruunupyy Larsmo ● Luoto Nykarleby ● Uusikaarlepyy Pedersöre Kyrönmaa sub-region Isokyrö ● Storkyro Laihia ● Laihela Vaasa sub-region Korsholm ● Mustasaari Korsnäs Malax ● Maalahti Vaasa ● Vasa Vörå ● Vöyri

8. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Statistics 1

9. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Statistics 2

10. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi GDP/inhabitant, comparison between regions

11. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Source: Statistics Finland GDP Growth 2000-2010

12. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Industrial structure in Ostrobothnia 2010, value added

13. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Industrial structure in manufacturing in Ostrobothnia 2010, value added

14. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Foreigners in Finland 2012

15. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi The Regional Council of Ostrobothnia

16. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Municipalities (15) Assembly (38 seats) Board (13 seats) Executive Director & personnel (30) Auditing Committee (5 seats) Cultural Committee (13 seats) Regional Co-operation Group (24 seats + chairman) The Regional Council of Ostrobothnia

17. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Primary areas of responsibility Regional development (Regional Development Act, 1651/2009) Spatial planning (Land Use and Building Act, 132/1999) Promoting of regional interests (Regional Development Act, the Charter of the Regional Council) Promoting of cultural affairs (the Finnish-speaking population) (the Charter of the Regional Council)

18. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi The regional planning system Regional Scheme 2040 ”New Energy in Ostrobothnia” Regional Strategic Programme 2011-2014 Implementation Plan of the Regional Strategic Programme Regional Plan 2030 (spatial planning) Legislation Regional Development Act (1651/2009) Land Use and Building Act (132/1999)

19. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi The Regional Strategic Programme 2011–2014 and its yearly implementation plans The EU 2007–2013 Structural Funds programmes Special national programmes: –COCO (Cohesion and Competitiveness) –Centre of Expertise Programme Programmes implemented in Ostrobothnia

20. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Regional development funds –for projects promoting entrepreneurship –for projects promoting research and education –for projects promoting welfare –for cultural projects European Regional Development Fund (ERDF ) The Regional Competitiveness and Employment objective The Botnia-Atlantica programme The European Territorial Cooperation objective Financial instruments used by the Regional Council

21. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Chair: Ms Miapetra Kumpula-Natri (Social Democratic Party), Vaasa 38 seats The Assembly 2013–2016

22. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Chair: Ms Ulla-Maj Wideroos (Swedish People’s Party) 13 seats The Board 2013–2014

23. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Knowledge and Skill Ask any Ostrobothnian: knowledge and skill constitute the foundation of a good life. This is why especially young Ostrobothnians are among the most educated and skilled people in the country. The universities and polytechnics in Ostrobothnia accept quite a number of new students yearly. Many of them come from other regions and countries.

24. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi University seats The University of Vaasa, the Åbo Akademi University and the Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration lean on the traditions of the old Trivial School of Vaasa, founded in the 17th century. These modern seats of learning offer education and scientific research able to withstand any international comparison.

25. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Polytechnics for tomorrow’s professions The Swedish Polytechnic Novia and the Vaasa Polytechnic well as the vocational institutes offer advanced education for the professions of tomorrow.

26. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Cooperation and synergy The co-operation between the universities and the polytechnics on the one hand and corporate Ostrobothnia on the other hand yields indisputable synergy advantages. The Western Finland Centre of Expertise specialises in energy technology.

27. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Competitiveness through Specialisation The concentration of industrial enterprises operating in the field of energy technology in Ostrobothnia is one the most distinct industrial concentrations in the country, representing a share of more than 20 per cent of the Finnish energy technology export. The metal and forest industries have also gained a firm foothold in Ostrobothnia.

28. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi EnergyVaasa in figures 120 companies More than 10,000 employees, ¼ of Finland’s total energy sector manpower Annual business turnover 4,2 Billion EUR, with an export rate of 70% Approximately 12% of Finland’s total technology industry exports Several global market leading technology companies More than 800 experts specialized in energy related research and development 20 000 students in the region Two of the three Finnish companies with the highest levels of R&D investment, are situated in Vaasa

29. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Examples: Greenhouses and boats Greenhouse cultivation is something of an Ostrobothnian trademark: some 70 per cent of all the tomatoes and 40 per cent of all the cucumbers produced in Finland come from Ostrobothnia. The traditions of boat building are so long, that one could easily claim that the craft is now part of the people's genetic inheritance. This is true especially in the northern parts of Ostrobothnia, where the most magnificent sailboats in the world are built.

30. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Social Capital, the Key to Welfare Summer theatres, barn dances and museums of local history and culture. Music, art and sports. There are always a lot of club and cultural activities going on in Ostrobothnia. These activities bring people together, adding to the already substantial social capital of the region. When analysing the reasons for the fact that the Ostrobothnians are such a happy, flourishing and long- lived people, the social capital of the region has been offered as an explanation. Basically, it is about people caring for each other.

31. Österbottens förbund  Pohjanmaan liitto  Regional Council of Ostrobothnia www.obotnia.fi Österbottens förbund – Pohjanmaan liitto – Regional Council of Ostrobothnia Thank You www.obotnia.fi info@obotnia.fi