The new business programme of Nurmes aims at sustainable growth created together

Pielinen Karelia Development Centre PIKES, the agency responsible for the development of Nurmes, has been expanded through a process of municipal consolidation, has ordered an update of their business programme from MDI. The programme did not change radically as previous key sectors such as forest bioeconomy, agriculture, the food industry and nature tourism were also reflected in the updated strategy. In addition, during the strategy process, solutions were sought with various actors to improve the ‘pull and hold’ factors of the region, especially in respect of young people, new employees and new entrepreneurs.

The identified development themes of the business programme were the growth of companies and the improvement of operating conditions, the renewal and location of small businesses, the improvement of the profitability of agriculture and the increase in turnover of the tourism sector. In addition, one of the key themes was local vocational training, promoting the skills and competences of the workforce, making it important also to be able to influence the content of the education.

In the preparation of the strategy, materials already produced were utilised, such as the tourism development plan 2019–2024, the contents of agricultural development on the basis of a Master’s thesis made by a local student and the results of surveys mapping the development needs of the operating companies. The workshop was conducted in February while the work itself was finalised in March 2020. The work was approved in April 2020 by the Pikes Board.