Regional cooperation for the green transition
The Latvus Kainuu Competence Center is a regional forerunner in the green transition in Kainuu and a shared operating model that brings together regional actors for long-term and impactful cooperation. Through the Latvus brand, Kainuu is strengthened as an attractive testing and investment region for sustainable bioeconomy and green industry. The target agreement creates a unified front for advancing the green transition: individual projects are linked to one another through a shared vision, indicators, and impact monitoring. The competence center provides broader capacity than municipalities alone, enabling cumulative effects on municipal vitality, inter-municipal value chains, and the emergence of industrial ecosystems.
In practice, Latvus is a light and flexible agreement without ownership responsibilities or heavy administration. Municipalities and other organizations can easily participate in implementing the shared operating model and apply it in their own activities and projects on a case-by-case basis. The model strengthens the region’s ability to secure funding, supports international and inter-regional networking, and creates continuity as project portfolios grow and programming periods change.
The Latvus Kainuu Competence Center was piloted in the 2024–2025 project “Competence Center for the Green Transition in Upper and Eastern Kainuu,” co-funded by the EU Just Transition Fund (JTF).
Becoming a pioneer with a multi-level biorefinery
In the forests of Kainuu lies value that has not yet been fully harnessed. A multi-level biorefinery is a new kind of concept in which countless valuable substances are extracted from the side streams of the wood industry at the end of a single process.
A dialogue model for supporting a successful green transition
The green transition dialogue model developed at the University of Helsinki provides a concrete way to engage in constructive and participatory discussions about the conditions and impacts of the green transition. An instruction manual has been prepared for implementing the model, and it is now freely available for use.
Small businesses in a key role in the green transition
How can micro and small enterprises strengthen their role in the green transition? The example of Upper and Eastern Kainuu shows that there is both willingness and potential, but turning it into reality also requires support and funding.
Kainuu – A Region of Renewable Energy
The green transition is currently transforming the entire Finnish energy system. Electrification, the growth of renewable energy, and the phase-out of fossil fuels affect not only the climate but also regional vitality, employment, and land use. A study by LUT University (Lappeenranta–Lahti University of Technology) examined how different energy scenarios in Kainuu impact society.
Cover photo by Samuli Rinne.
