Helsinki-Uusimaa Region Uusimaa Regional Council

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1 Helsinki-Uusimaa Region Uusimaa Regional Council

2 City of Helsinki Picture Bank / Mika Lappalainen Helsinki-Uusimaa Region The Helsinki-Uusimaa Region is at the heart of northern Europe. Located on the south coast of Finland it is home to around 1.4 million people or more than a quarter of the country s total population. The annual population growth of Uusimaa is about 13,000 and the percentage of young adults - those under the age of 40 - is particularly high. Half of all the immigrants in Finland live in the region. The Helsinki Metropolitan Area cities of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen form the core of Uusimaa. Uusimaa is the most urbanised area in Finland with the Baltic Sea playing a major role in its life. Agricultural landscapes and the rocky terrain along the coast are the most common views encountered outside the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Forests also cover vast areas of Uusimaa as they do most of Finland. The region as a whole is characterised by a strong historical and social identity and, like the rest of Finland, Uusimaa is bilingual in the official languages of Finnish and Swedish.

3 Helsinki-Uusimaa Region Capital region of Finland 21 municipalities, the largest demographic and consumption concentration in Finland 1,4 M inhabitants, 26 % of total population of Finland - growth / year - foreign population , 50 % of Finlands foreign population inhabitants in the city of Helsinki Land area km 2, 2 % of Finalnds land area Jobs growth / year 20 % of national employment Employment - services 80.8 % - secondary production 18.6 % - agriculture 0.6 % Excellence in environmental conditions km of coastline - two national parks Qualified human and scientific resources International airport Four large international ports Concentration of central functions: economic, administrative, leisure, culture Privileged geo-strategic location 35 % of GDP

4 City of Helsinki Picture Bank / Juhani Seppovaara

5 Culture blends with dynamic innovation The Helsinki-Uusimaa Region is a European leader in terms of creativity, knowledge economy and sectoral productivity performance. In terms of European competitiveness, the Helsinki- Uusimaa Region ranks as one of the super-regions in Europe, leading the way in development based on knowledge creation and utilisation. It has been especially commended for its creativity due to investment in research and development, patents and the number of people employed in the ICT field in both the private and public sectors. The region is also a major commercial and cultural centre. Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is a modern university city with high-tech offices ideal for the international company. Helsinki is also home to many academic and governmental institutions and boasts a wealth of historical buildings. PISA, the Programme for International Student Assessment in the OECD member countries, has demonstrated that the Finnish education system is highly successful. There are a large number of different schools offering high-standard education in Uusimaa. Several major international companies have their international headquarters in the region, including the mobile phone manufacturer Nokia. Due to its geographical location, the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region is a logistical hub and one of Europe s most important gateways to Russia and Asia. Helsinki- Vantaa International Airport is used by some 10 million travellers each year. Near the airport is the Aviapolis business park developed by the City of Vantaa a concept based on high-tech expertise and innovation technology.

6 Uusimaa Regional Council developing the Region The Uusimaa Regional Council is one of 19 Regional Councils in Finland, representing the interests of 21 member municipalities in the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region. It forms part of local government and its democratic decision-making process. Its duties are principally governed by the Regional Development Act and the Land Use and Building Act. The Regional Council creates conditions for wellbeing, economic development and a safe and attractive physical environment for its citizens. The Council is also a strategic planner, a land use planner and a coordinator, as well as being an opinion leader and consensus builder for the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region. The vision of regional development is to make Uusimaa the most competitive, safe and attractive metropolitan region in northern Europe. To achieve these goals, the Council is mobilising actors and resources at the national, regional and local levels in order to set common priorities for regional development and to optimise the use of regional strengths and assets. Climate policy will require consolidation of community structures, which will be influenced through land use, housing and transport policies. Improving maritime safety in the Baltic Sea requires international cooperation. The Uusimaa Regional Council is an active member in many European regional organisations and interacts with the European Union via a permanent office in Brussels. Cooperation between regions has led to many projects and also extensive partnership agreements. The most important regions for cooperation lie within Europe, especially in the Baltic Sea Region and Russia. The Council promotes the Baltic Sea Region as a leading knowledge hub in Europe. Asia, with its strong presence in the current globalisation trend, is also a feasible potential future partner for the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region.

7 Eero Heinäluoma President of the Regional Council Regional government is based on democratic local government: the decision-makers of the Regional Councils are elected officials of their respective member municipalities, representing local expertise and the will of the people. The will of the people of Uusimaa governs regional planning through regional land use plans and local development through municipal cooperation and project funding. Also, the Uusimaa Regional Council safeguards and promotes the interests of the region vis-à-vis the central government. Moreover, the Council s international activities link Finland s leading region to a Europe of regions. Outi Mäkelä Chairman of the Regional Board The Helsinki Metropolitan Area is Finland s only internationally significant metropolitan area. We are at the cutting edge in innovation, education, research, development and interaction. The strength of Helsinki-Uusimaa benefits the country as a whole. Favourable development in the region will help Finland remain an attractive place to set up businesses and provide employment. Helsinki-Uusimaa is also rich with communities that have diverse histories. The large urban communities of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area are complemented beautifully by the surrounding municipalities each with their own strengths including culture, the natural environment and traditional industries. Regional Mayor Development in the Metropolitan Region requires both an indomitable common will and international relationships that function. Our method is to assemble cooperation. The Regional Land Use Plan and the Regional Programme are the instruments we use in jointly deciding the region s development objectives and methods. In future decades I see the people of Helsinki-Uusimaa Region, individually skilled and international in outlook, living in a region which provides both competitiveness and security; a region which also holds out the promise of success for experts from abroad.

8 Contact Information Uusimaa Regional Council Aleksanterinkatu 48 A FIN Helsinki Tel: Representation in Brussels: Helsinki EU Office Rue Belliard B-1040 Brussels, Belgium Tel: ISBN ISBN (pdf) Layout: Anni Levonen Pictures: Tuula Palaste-Eerola Kyriiri Oy Helsinki ex