Visit by Nordic sister cities to Kuopio
In early June, the city of Kuopio welcomed a five-member delegation from each of its Nordic sister cities: Bodø in Norway, Jönköping in Sweden and Svendborg in Denmark. The key themes of the visit were comprehensive security and Nordic cooperation and business life, without forgetting the Kuopio250 anniversary year.
International cooperation with Norway, Sweden and Denmark has been ongoing for over 70 years. The aim of this cooperation is to raise the profile of the equal and equitable Nordic society on the global stage. The cooperation focuses particularly on the wellbeing and participation of children and young people, business life and expertise, and culture and leisure.
Company visits alongside Flag Day celebrations
In the first week of June, Kuopio had the pleasure of hosting a delegation from Bodø, consisting of representatives of the municipality of Bodø, Bodø Business Forum and BRUS. The programme for the visit included meetings with local companies and the Flag Day parade, which happened to coincide with the visit and which the guests were able to enjoy together with other Flag Day celebrations.
The focus of the company visits was on developing cooperation and highlighting the innovation potential of the region. The delegation made visits to the following local companies: Taiga Concept, Biobros, LightningChart, POK Group, SUNS Oy and KT-Shelter. The business-focused programme also included meetings with Director of Economic Affairs Jukka Pitkänen and representatives of Team Finland at the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, providing insights into the dynamic business ecosystems of North Savo.
Mayor of Bodø Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen commented on the visit as a whole, describing it as inspiring and saying that he is hopeful it will lead to even closer cooperation between companies and the cities in the future.
Meeting between InnoCities and Nordic sister cities
InnoCities refers to all Finnish university and university consortium cities with which the state has agreed on the allocation of public and private RDI funding to strengthen globally competitive ecosystems. The key themes of the agreement with Kuopio are health and wellbeing technology, water expertise and comprehensive security. Representatives of InnoCities and the monitoring committee of the Innovation and Skills in Finland programme visited Kuopio at the same time as the delegations from Jönköping in Sweden and Svendborg in Denmark. Kuopio had the pleasure of including InnoCities in the programme prepared for Jönköping and Svendborg, enabling discussion on common themes.
Culture and comprehensive security
In addition to other engagements, the delegations had a chance to visit the Karelia Air Wing and Art Museum KUMMA, where the Magical exhibition was on display.
“The distinguished delegations were impressed by how seriously Finland takes security issues,” commented Senior Specialist Asko Muhonen, who accompanied the guests to the Karelia Air Wing.
Rasmus Feldingbjerg Drabe, a member of the Culture and Leisure Committee, summed up his thoughts on the day in his speech at dinner as follows:
“It was quite a contrast to first visit the Air Wing, where we were shown the fleet and heard about national defence. From the air base, we went straight to the art museum. These back-to-back visits showed that we need to protect the beauty around us and stand together as one front. Each of us has something worth protecting, and this visit to Kuopio has made that clear to us. Comprehensive security and preparedness are not about war and sacrificing human lives but looking out for one another.”
The programme of the visit by the Swedish and Danish delegations also included workshops on comprehensive security. Irma Savolainen, Development Specialist at the City of Kuopio, explains that the workshops involved discussions between the City of Kuopio, Savonia University of Applied Sciences and the sister cities on concrete cooperation models to help improve comprehensive security.
Sharing common values
The visits strengthened the sense of togetherness and friendship on both sides and generated ideas for a shared future.
Marketing Director Kirsi Soininen from the City of Kuopio commented on the visits:
“The visits by our Nordic sister cities further emphasized the many values we all share. A common, equal and equitable Nordic society is something worth cherishing. The places that our guests visited and the discussions that were held highlighted the current geopolitical reality, our common goals of promoting the wellbeing of our cities’ residents, the perspective of comprehensive security, and the role of sports and culture as the glue that binds the community together. Our cooperation has a solid foundation, and its future looks even more meaningful. Joint project ideas are being developed, and the next meeting will be held in Svendborg, Denmark, in 2026.”
“Finland in a box”
Nature was at its best during both visits, as the exceptionally cool spring had given way to a riot of colourful flowers and beautiful greenery everywhere. We asked the guests what they had particularly enjoyed in Kuopio.
“Kuopio encapsulates Finnishness and Finland as a whole. Kuopio is like Finland packed into a small box. I hope to revisit the city some time in the future,” commented Patrik Nyman, Crisis Preparedness Coordinator for the Security Unit, from the Jönköping delegation.
The highlights of both visits also included the opportunity to enjoy a sauna and take a dip in the calm waters of Lake Kallavesi. In addition to important themes and common goals, the visitors were able to experience the city’s vitality and joy and the freedom of simply being.
Text: Emma Oksanen / City of Kuopio
Pictures: Annika Parkkonen, Emma Oksanen / City of Kuopio
English translation: Satu Heikkinen / ELSA Kielipalvelut
