Kainuu has recently participated three important OECD studies. The latest report published concentrates on the challenges of Finland’s Eastern border regions in the changed geopolitical situation. This report was published on Wednesday the 10th December 2025.
The analysts of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD have visited Kainuu a few times during the latest years, because the region has been part of some interesting studies related to different themes. During these processes, valuable information has been gathered to help improving policies and developing the region.
The OECD visits have focused on reaching an understanding on the current situation and development prospects of Kainuu as a part of a larger picture and a special theme selected. One study focused on the socio-economic challenges and opportunities faced by the Northern Sparsely Populated Areas (NSPA) in Finland, Sweden and Norway. The second one aimed at developing strategies in selected mineral-rich regions. Both of these reports “Navigating Global Transitions in European Arctic Regions – Lessons from 14 Northern Sparsely Populated Areas” and ”Enhancing Regional Mining Ecosystems in Kainuu, Finland” were published online during summer 2025.
The third report important for the Kainuu region investigates the changed geopolitical situation of Finland’s eight eastern and southeastern border regions and challenges caused by the situation. The Eastern border of Finland is the longest border that the European Union shares with Russia. The war that Russia started in Ukraine has affected the border regions’ operating environment and put the regions in an unfavourable situation in many ways. In Autumn 2024, the process to draft transition strategy for the Eastern border regions of Finland was started, coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. New solutions have been sought to strengthen the vitality of the regions.
In April 2025, the regions included in the study gathered for the first time to discuss the draft recommendations for the whole region and the regional recommendations. Now that the report is finished, the results were presented in a conference arranged in Helsinki on Wednesday the 10th December. After the speeches by Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, European Commission and the OECD, the programme included discussions about adapting to change, security issues and revitalising the economy of Finland’s eastern and southeastern border regions.
The Themes Discussed Found Important in Kainuu
Regional Mayor of Kainuu, Riikka Pirkkalainen participated the discussions as a panelist on the session combining the themes of regional development and safety. She found the theme chosen for discussion very important.
Combining regional development and security is a so-called million-dollar question for the regions on Finland’s eastern border. The need to combine these themes is often repeated in solemn speeches, but unfortunately only little has been seen of what it means in practice,Pirkkalainen said in his speech.
Pirkkalainen also thanked the national-level actors, the European Commission and the OECD for this important report. She hoped that concrete steps would soon be taken to develop the regions on the eastern border and reminded that, for example, building a border fence alone does not support regional development.”
