Ecosystems and networks
Cooperation across borders
In North Savo, a wide range of higher education and research expertise is combined with an active business sector, creating interesting and developing ecosystems around priority industries. The region emphasises a strong spirit of doing things together, which transcends industry and municipal boundaries and enables smart and sustainable business and the birth of new innovations.
Collaborative networks for companies
Networks provide help, support, and inspiration for working life. Explore the following regional networks:
- Business Center North Savo serves as a development platform for entrepreneurship and innovation through the collaboration of multiple organizations.
- SavoGrow promotes regional development and supports the success of businesses.
- Kuopio Health is a health and wellness technology network that promotes research, innovation, and business collaboration.
- Kuopio Region Chamber of Commerce offers advocacy, training, internationalization support, and networking opportunities.
- Navitas Business Services. (Varkaus region) supports the local economy and entrepreneurship.
- Novapolis provides office space and expert services for businesses.
- ProAgria Eastern Finland is a development partner for agriculture and rural entrepreneurs.
- Savon Yrittäjät is a local advocacy and support organization for entrepreneurs, offering networks and advisory services.
- TechSavo and KesTech networks focus on the development of the technology industry.
- YHESSÄ Competence Network ensures the skills and workforce needs of the business sector in the Ylä-Savo region.
North Savo priority industries and ecosystems
North Savo ecosystems, report in Finnish (pdf, 2025)
The scene formed around the industry and its professionals consists of companies, workplaces, industry communities, career opportunities, and events, among other things. The scene encompasses not only work, leisure, and life balance but also the related communities.
North Savo is home to international-level business and innovation ecosystems that are constantly evolving. Activities are being built in collaboration with companies and regional stakeholders, and initiatives are carried out across municipal, organizational, and corporate boundaries.
In Talent First’s network collaboration, the focus is particularly on four industries: 1. Well-being technology and health, 2. Tourism, 3. ICT, and 4. The technology industry.
You can learn more about the priority industries in North Savo on the Business Kuopio website and see the regional plan and regional strategic programme on the website of the North Savo Regional Council.
Explore the industries
-
In terms of the wellbeing and pharmaceutical industry and the health sector, Kuopio is home to significant research and development and business activities to address global health and wellbeing challenges.
At the heart of the health sector is the open innovation ecosystem Kuopio Health. There are over 5,000 jobs in the health sector in Kuopio and more than 1,000 health-related companies operating in the Kuopio region. The university campus is located near the city centre of Kuopio, on the shores of Lake Kallavesi in Savilahti. The campus is home to three levels of education (UEF, Savonia, Sakky), with approximately 18,000 degree and postgraduate students.
Due to its world-class research and expertise, Kuopio is one of the most globally significant hubs of excellence in the health sector in Finland. Cutting-edge international research is conducted in Kuopio in cardiovascular diseases, metabolic and neurological disorders and musculoskeletal diseases.
The University of Eastern Finland is the largest provider of medical and pharmaceutical education in Finland and coordinates Neurocenter Finland in Kuopio, which is a collaborative network for neuroscience research and development in Finland. VTT has also launched new research activities in the field of digital health as part of the growing wellbeing and health technology ecosystem. One of the aims is to facilitate global health technology business in Finland and the Kuopio region. Kuopio is home to a large group of leading companies in the wellbeing and health sector, including GE Healthcare, Charles River and FinVector.
-
The tourism and services sector in North Savo is quite broad – after all, our region has plenty to offer tourists. There are a number of larger service providers in the region, but also numerous small businesses and development projects for developing the sector.
Pohjois-Savon Matkailu Oy coordinates cooperation between tourism operators in the region, creates international markets and develops the industry, and represents the region’s tourism operators in relevant regional, national and international networks, such as Visit Finland and Lakeland. The company also produces market intelligence, in addition to monitoring the development of tourism and cooperating with tour operators.
Kuopio-Tahko Marketing Ltd also develops co-marketing in the region and has a large number of local companies as partners and members. In addition, Upper Savo has its own tourism network.
Local tourism and events operators exchange information and meet regularly, for example for morning coffee.
-
An impressive amount of cutting-edge research and education focusing on technology and automation is concentrated in the North Savo region.
Digitalisation is a megatrend that cuts across industries, and the Kuopio region is riding this trend with a strong ICT ecosystem and the development of digital services. Businesses in this industry provide solutions for data analytics and knowledge-based management, in addition to cloud-based service solutions and programming expertise.
Due to the digitalisation of the industrial sector, the region provides a strong local customer base for ICT businesses.
-
An impressive amount of cutting-edge research and education focusing on technology and automation is concentrated in the North Savo region. The region is home to numerous development projects that bring together public and private sector operators working on smart manufacturing and automation.
The commercialisation and development of technologies is carried out in close cooperation between companies and educational institutions in the region. The multi-campus model of the Savonia University of Applied Sciences and the University of Eastern Finland enables cross-institutional collaboration where RDI activities are developed to address the needs of the manufacturing industry in the region. This makes North Savo a prime location for companies specialising in technology, manufacturing and cleantech.
Upper Savo forms a particularly strong hub of technology, and the regional competence centre KesTech offers industrial companies a service for developing their expertise, enabling business growth and development in the region.
North Savo is home to several international industrial companies, such as Ponsse, Normet, Profile Vehicles, Genelec and Junttan. Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Savo Vocational College, the University of Eastern Finland and other regional partners support the industry ecosystem by educating skilled labour and providing a wide range of support services for businesses.
Scene article series
Read more about what the scenes contain. In the articles, experts and professionals working in each field of expertise share their thoughts.
