Talent First partners
Collaboration is at the core of our operation
Talent First operates in North Savo with the aim of attracting new talent and skilled professionals to the region by strengthening its attractiveness and ability to retain talent. Collaboration is at the core of the initiative, bringing together companies, educational institutions, regional projects and municipal partners across the region.
The goal is for the collaboration to continue beyond the project as a regional multi-stakeholder network, welcoming both existing and new members. Following the project, responsibility for coordinating the initiative will transfer to the Employment Services of the City of Kuopio, within International House Kuopio.
During the project period from 1 September 2023 to 30 June 2026, the initiative involved 12 partner organisations. Learn more about our project partners!
A talent-driven North Savo is built together
Jatkossakin toiminnan tavoitteena on yhdistää kasvu- ja kehityshaluiset pohjoissavolaiset yritykset, oppilaitokset, järjestöt, kuntatoimijat ja aluehallinnon organisaatiot turvaamaan ja edistämään yhdessä osaavan kansainvälisen työvoiman saantia ja sitouttamista alueelle.
Vision 2040: A talent-driven North Savo is Finland’s most attractive and engaging region for international talent and an appealing growth platform for impactful companies in need of expertise.
A Shared vision and clear coordination are key
Collaboration takes place at many levels across North Savo, but clearer coordination is needed to bring together efforts across the entire region. At present, activities are fragmented, and the lack of a clearly defined coordinating body makes it more difficult for organisations to participate in and commit to shared initiatives.
Read more in the 2025 report and accompanying article: Regional collaboration in attracting talent across North Savo requires stronger leadership.
The latest study (May 2026) highlights many of the same challenges and emphasises the need for joint efforts to create a clearer and more coherent service pathway for international recruitment: New study maps the international recruitment service pathway in North Savo – Talent First.
In collaboration with:
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Kuopio is easy to love, but hard to explain. It is a city full of emotion, from the fresh mornings to the beat of the night. Kuopio is an inspiring melting pot where the tranquillity of nature meets the bustling city, elite sports meet underground culture, future technology meets traditional crafts, and idyllic brick-and-mortar shops meet international business headquarters. At the centre of all this are the people of Kuopio who are the heart and soul of the city.
The project is managed by the City of Kuopio, the regional centre of North Savo. Located on the shores of Lake Kallavesi, the city has a population of 124,000 and is the 8th largest municipality in Finland.
The vision of Kuopio is to be “the capital of good life”. Good life is embodied in health, the vitality of the region and the richness of everyday life.
The vision has been specified with four objectives that describe the desired state of the city in 2030:
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- Healthy and communal – safe for everyone, the best place to grow and learn
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- Dynamic and growing – attractive for talent and business
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- Climate- and resource-wise – sustainably growing, proud of its environment
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- Progressive and cooperative – happy and healthy work community
You can find the vacancies of the City of Kuopio on Kuntarekry.
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At first glance, Iisalmi may seem like a perfectly ordinary sub-regional town in Savo. A peaceful atmosphere, nature close by, and the essential services always within a stone’s throw. However, beyond the miracles of Iisalmi you can find solid teamwork and care for people and nature. It’s easy to be bold and dream big when you know you’re surrounded by a supportive community that will take care of you even when your plans don’t succeed on the first try. Iisalmi has seen an amazing number of international companies venture out into the world.
Iisalmi describes itself as the most miraculous city in Finland, a place of international talent and a people-friendly city with a smooth everyday life. Surrounded by Lake Porovesi, the city is home to 21,000 people and is known as a lively and vibrant sub-regional centre. The inner city has an idyllic small-town feel, topped with stunning natural scenery. Iisalmi is a place where you can live in the countryside and in the world, close to nature and business at the same time. You can reach 250,000 residents within an hour’s drive from Iisalmi. The distance from Iisalmi to Helsinki is 475 km, to Kuopio 84 km, and to Kajaani 89 km.
There is nothing excessive about Iisalmi, but there is enough of everything. This is what enables freedom and living a people-friendly life. A life where there is room to grow, to be inspired, to dream and to make your dreams come true.
You can find the vacancies of the City of Iisalmi on Kuntarekry.
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SavoGrow area (municipalities: Suonenjoki, Rautalampi, Tervo, Vesanto, Pielavesi and Keitele)
The Wild West of Savo is a laid-back region in the rural landscape to the west of Kuopio. The area offers you space, a more relaxed pace of life, and the opportunity to enjoy the leisure activities offered by nature close to home. Six lively small towns – Keitele, Pielavesi, Rautalampi, Suonenjoki, Tervo and Vesanto – offer a beautiful environment of natural beauty, highly rated by entrepreneurs. A place where things get done without a fuss.
The six municipalities in the western part of the region of North Savo have joined forces in regional development. What this means in practice is stronger joint lobbying and vitality efforts, the co-development of municipal services and regional co-marketing in the style of what is known as the Wild West of Savo.
The Wild West of Savo is a borderland characterised by a modern pioneering spirit, plenty of space and room, and a laid-back mentality that is typical of the region. A key objective of the regional marketing is to attract new residents and skilled labour to the area. The Savon Villi Länsi website for movers has been harnessed for this work, gathering together the jobs and housing available in the area and sharing the stories of some of the people who have moved to the area.
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Savonia UAS is one of the largest and most versatile universities of applied sciences in Finland. Savonia educates strong professionals in six different fields of study.
Savonia operates on three campuses: in Iisalmi, Kuopio and Varkaus. Savonia actively serves not only its more than 8,000 students, but also the surrounding business community, fostering close connections between teaching and learning and industry.
Savonia is a partner for sustainable growth for business life. Its research, development and innovation activities provide competent services and individual solutions to the development and testing needs of businesses and work communities. The profile of the activities centres around key focus areas: Wellbeing, Food System, Water Safety, Machinery and Energy, and Bio and Circular Economy.
Savonia is an international work-life-oriented university of applied sciences that educates, researches, develops, and innovates. For vacancies at Savonia, visit the website of the UAS.
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The University of Eastern Finland (UEF) is an international, participatory and inclusive scientific community. UEF is the most multidisciplinary university in Finland. Its high-standard interdisciplinary research and education respond to global challenges and build a sustainable future. The research is ranked among the best in the world in several fields. UEF is ranked in the top 500 universities worldwide in 19 academic subjects. The university offers education in nearly 100 major subjects and trains experts for tomorrow’s changing labour market needs.
The university comprises four faculties: the Philosophical Faculty, the Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology, the Faculty of Health Sciences, and the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies. The campuses are located in Joensuu and Kuopio.
You can find the open positions at the University of Eastern Finland on the UEF website.
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Wellbeing services county of North Savo
The North Savo wellbeing services county is responsible for the healthcare, social welfare, rescue services and hospital district services of the municipalities in the region. The wellbeing services county works for a safer and healthier everyday life for everyone in the region, from children to adults. The social welfare, healthcare and rescue services aim to ensure the wellbeing of more than 248,000 people in North Savo. The wellbeing services county has approximately 12,800 employees.
The North Savo wellbeing services county operates in 19 municipalities or cities across North Savo: Iisalmi, Joroinen, Kaavi, Keitele, Kiuruvesi, Kuopio, Lapinlahti, Leppävirta, Pielavesi, Rautalampi, Rautavaara, Siilinjärvi, Sonkajärvi, Suonenjoki, Tervo, Tuusniemi, Varkaus, Vesanto and Vieremä.
Kuopio University Hospital (KUH) also provides specialised healthcare for patients coming from outside North Savo. KUH is responsible for the specialised health care of roughly one million Finns in Eastern and Central Finland.
If you want to work for the wellbeing services county, see the recruitment page.
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Charles River provides research services for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. For more than 75 years, Charles River has delivered solutions to accelerate the development of drugs, chemicals and medical devices for the people and patients who need them.
The company focuses on drug development related to diseases of the central nervous system. Charles River helps the pharmaceutical industry to develop drugs without the need for companies to invest in their own research infrastructure. The development process of an individual drug can be significantly shortened through contract research.
Drug development is expensive and time-consuming, so pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are using research service organisations like Charles River to save costs and get a drug to market faster. Charles River employs around 120 people.
If you are interested in a career at Charles River, see the open positions on the company’s website.
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Kuopio Region Chamber of Commerce
The Kuopio Region Chamber of Commerce is a driving force for growth and vitality in the region. The Chamber of Commerce offers its members extensive services for influencing, networking, competence development and internationalisation.
The Chamber of Commerce is an advocate for businesses, actively working on behalf of companies and business in the region. The Kuopio Region Chamber of Commerce has more than 950 members in the Kuopio, Varkaus and Upper Savo regions, representing the full range of regional business. In addition to companies, the extensive network of members includes communities, educational institutions and municipal and city organisations. The member companies represent about half of the turnover of the business community in the North Savo region.
The Kuopio Region Chamber of Commerce has six committees and around 200 elected officials. The committee members are representatives of companies and organisations in the region. Through the committees, the Chamber of Commerce influences regional infrastructure, industry, the internationalisation and growth of companies, the service sector, the development of competence and the availability of skilled labour.
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Kuopio-Tahko Marketing Ltd was born in December 2013, as a joint effort between the City of Kuopio and Tahko Holiday Resort. Founded to develop and strengthen the co-marketing efforts of the unique city and the versatile resort, the marketing company has a large number of local companies as shareholders and members.
Check out the best things to do and see in the region on KTM’s new website: www.hellokuopio.fi/en
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Medikro is a pioneering, dedicated, detail-oriented and expert-driven healthcare family business. Medikro develops, manufactures and markets medical systems for pulmonary diagnostics and monitoring. The service combines decades of engineering experience with excellent customer support services.
Medikro focuses on quality and ease of use to create state-of-the-art spirometers and comprehensive solutions that allow professionals to focus on what they do best – helping patients.
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Novapolis is an international platform for work that unites hundreds of companies and more than 15,000 experts in Savilahti, Kuopio. Novapolis offers a dynamic community to public sector operators and small and medium-sized enterprises. Educational institutions ensure that fresh talent is always available.
Novapolis is a pioneer in the modern working day experience. We know that community enhances happiness and that the value of community grows as the way we work is undergoing a massive transformation. In addition to family, the hometown and hobbies, communities are also formed around mindsets and business activities. We built ours around collaboration and vitality in the region of Eastern Finland.
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PeeÄssä is a regional service company in North Savo and one of the biggest companies in the region. PeeÄssä is owned by its members, the customer-owners, of whom there are already almost 128,000. It is PeeÄssä’s mission to provide services and benefits to its customer-owners.
PeeÄssä operates in supermarket retail, the tourism and restaurant business, and service station and fuel business at 80 locations in 19 municipalities. The company aims to enhance the wellbeing of its members and the whole of North Savo. Local and regional development is important to PeeÄssä.
If you are interested in working at PeeÄssä, see the open positions at the company
