Innovation, green transition and comprehensive security

Kuopio is a growing university city with international significance. Research, development and innovation are a key foundation for Kuopio’s growth, business renewal and new investment. Kuopio advocates increasing RDI funding to six per cent of Finland’s GDP and strengthening investment in research and innovation.

The ecosystem agreement between the city and central government supports innovation-driven growth, competitiveness, vitality, employment and internationalisation. The agreements strengthen competence clusters and innovation environments and connect local actors with international RDI networks and value chains.

Key measures include urban development projects, innovative public procurement, the utilisation of research results, new business ecosystems, startup communities, and strengthening expertise by attracting international talent.

Kuopio Health is an open health innovation ecosystem that brings together companies and organisations working in research, education and healthcare. The ecosystem strengthens cooperation, the utilisation of research results, and the development of new solutions in health and wellbeing technology. Kuopio Health is a key part of the Savilahti competence cluster and Kuopio’s ambition to expand international health technology business in the region.

Kuopio Water Cluster brings together Kuopio and North Savo’s strong research, development and innovation expertise in the water sector. Based in Savilahti, the ecosystem connects research organisations with more than 70 companies to develop, test and commercialise new water technologies. Key areas of expertise include smart water management solutions and water treatment processes. Research, laboratory and piloting environments enable solutions to be developed together with companies through to practical trials.

Kuopio is strengthening the international profile of its water expertise, business-driven RDI cooperation and access to international markets for new solutions. The aim is to create new business and strengthen Kuopio’s position as an internationally competitive innovation environment for the water sector.

Health and security are among Kuopio’s key areas of expertise. Kuopio is home to research, development and business activities that address global health and wellbeing challenges.

Kuopio has more than 5,000 jobs in the health sector and more than 1,000 health-related companies. Savilahti is home to a campus that brings together three levels of education and approximately 20,000 students. International research is conducted in Kuopio on cardiovascular diseases, metabolic and neurological diseases, and musculoskeletal disorders.

The University of Eastern Finland is a major provider of education in medicine and pharmacy and coordinates the National Neurocenter in Kuopio. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has launched research activities in digital health. The region is home to health and wellbeing companies including GE Healthcare, Charles River and FinVector.

Kuopio aims to strengthen its role as a leading European centre of expertise in gene, cell and nanotechnologies. The region’s strengths include pharmaceutical and health research, a university hospital, higher education institutions, research institutes and internationally operating pharmaceutical companies.

Kuopio’s advocacy priority is to establish gene, cell and nanotechnologies as a national strategic growth sector and strengthen the operating conditions for research, development, production and investment in Kuopio.

A national toxicology expertise network has been operating in Kuopio since the beginning of 2026. Its responsibilities include research into chemicals that are harmful to human health, toxicological risk assessments, and education in cooperation with universities. Its expertise is needed by organisations including the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes), the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), the Finnish Food Authority, the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, the Poison Information Centre, the Finnish Environment Institute and industrial operators.

The expertise network strengthens comprehensive security in Kuopio and throughout Finland. Kuopio’s advocacy priority is to secure permanent funding for the activities coordinated by THL.

Kuopio is a natural home for the network, as the University of Eastern Finland is the only university in Finland to provide a degree programme in toxicology. The programme is exceptional in a wider European context as well, with education at a comparable level offered at only three universities in Europe. In the future, the Toxicology Expertise Network will work together with the Centre of Expertise in Comprehensive Security.

The national Centre of Expertise in Comprehensive Security will begin operating in Kuopio during 2027. The centre has been developed through a preparatory project implemented jointly by Savonia University of Applied Sciences and the City of Kuopio from 1 October 2024 to 31 December 2026. More than 200 network partners from Finland and around the world have participated in the work.

The follow-up project for 2027–2029 will launch the centre’s activities based on the operating model developed during the preparatory phase and build an even stronger international network to support the international promotion and recognition of Finland’s comprehensive security model. The aim is to establish the centre’s activities on a permanent basis and integrate it into the national Emergency Services Academy Finland.

Once operational, the national centre will connect regional and local actors, gather knowledge and good practices, support RDI activities and help create innovation pathways. Its aim is to support organisations in preparing for global security challenges and to strengthen citizens’ resilience and crisis preparedness.

Suojaan 2026 demonstrated and tested comprehensive security in practice

As part of the development of comprehensive security, the Suojaan 2026 exercise was held in Kuopio on 2–3 September 2026, bringing together more than 2,000 participants for a large-scale civil protection exercise at Savilahden Luola. The exercise was unique in Finland, Europe and internationally.

The exercise attracted extensive international media attention and generated important discussion about preparedness and the practical implementation of comprehensive security.

The development of Savilahti is one of Kuopio’s strategic flagship projects, aimed at creating a future-oriented urban district with climate-smart and intelligent solutions. Savilahti is a business district, a hub for three levels of education, an innovation environment, a testbed for low-carbon solutions and a new residential area.

Savilahti is developing telecommunications infrastructure, the Datajalostamo smart city platform and data-driven solutions. Solutions already implemented or under development include timber construction, centralised parking, walking and cycling connections, new uses for underground rock caverns, district cooling using cold lake water, solar energy, recycled materials and solutions for urban culture.

The Savilahti innovation campus is a major community of education and research organisations and businesses. The area has nearly 20,000 students, more than 16,000 jobs, approximately 275 companies and around 1,100 residents. The aim is for Savilahti to bring together a community of 35,000 people in the 2030s.

Total investment is estimated at EUR 2 billion, of which approximately EUR 1 billion has already been realised. Savilahti’s long-term vision and service promise are being updated as part of Kuopio Plus development.

Kuopio aims to strengthen its role in investment related to the green and digital transitions. The city promotes solutions in clean energy, the circular economy, low-emission innovation, resource-efficient urban development and sustainable mobility. Savilahti serves as a platform for smart and low-carbon urban development, while opportunities for green transition and circular economy businesses are being explored in Hepomäki.

Kuopio’s advocacy priorities emphasise consistent climate policy, enabling investment, and linking the green and digital transitions with modern industrial policy.