Kuopio Luola to become a virtual training environment for civil protection exercise

On the photo: Project Manager Ilpo Nuutinen.

During the Suojaan / To the shelter 2026 exercise held at Kuopio Luola, the project Digital Simulation, Exercise and Training Environment for Finnish Civil Protection will be carried out. Data and observations will be collected during the civil protection exercise to support the implementation of the project.

Based on the information gathered, a virtual replica of Kuopio Luola will be created, enabling users to train and familiarize themselves with the facility’s civil protection capabilities. The project will run from 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2027.

During the project, a concept version of the digital simulation, exercise and training environment will be developed using data collected from the Suojaan 2026 exercise.

The digital training environment will be made available for use by the City of Kuopio and rescue authorities. In the future, it may also be utilized internationally for civil protection training.

The project is funded by the European Union and the City of Kuopio. It is part of the Finnish Innovative Cities (INKA/Innokaupungit) innovation ecosystem, which includes all Finnish university cities and university centre cities. The project also supports the City of Kuopio’s comprehensive security theme.

Once completed, the training environment will strengthen civil protection expertise and enhance the city’s preparedness capabilities. The digitally delivered training will enable large-scale personnel training, increasing the number of people capable of operating effectively in civil protection and emergency situations throughout the city.

“The training environment will be nearly photorealistic. Everything will function in the virtual environment in the same way as it does in reality,” says Ilpo Nuutinen, Project Manager of the initiative.
According to Nuutinen, the digital environment will also make it possible to train for scenarios and procedures that cannot normally be practiced during peacetime.

No previous project of similar scope has been carried out in Finland.

“This will elevate Kuopio to an entirely new level in terms of civil protection expertise. We will certainly stand out from other cities,” Nuutinen says.

The completed training environment will be of a high standard also by international benchmarks.

Preparations for the training environment alongside the Suojaan 2026 exercise will not affect the implementation or progress of the exercise itself.