Reviewing the Strategy’s Progress on South Ostrobothnia

South Ostrobothnia Regional Strategy 2050 and program 2026-2029

The preparation of the South Ostrobothnia Regional strategy began in 2024 with updates to scenarios and will continue next spring with the drafting of the regional program 2026-2029.

Key Challenges in the South Ostrobothnia Region:

• Balancing the region’s demographic structure by increasing the proportion of the working-age population through measures that enhance the region’s attractiveness, livability, and safety.
• Broadening the entrepreneurial base by improving the operating environment and fostering a better growth platform for businesses, innovations, and bold investments.
• Raising the level of education by increasing higher education enrollment slots and striving for a dynamic and flexible education system that also attracts international students to the region.

Strength of South Ostrobothnia:

• South Ostrobothnia already holds a significant position as a “food province.” This status will be further developed through a high-quality and sustainable food system, responsible food production, and energy solutions, as well as by maintaining strong expertise in food research, technology, and exports. The goal is to become Europe's most sustainable food region.

The strategy emphasizes well-being, focusing on improving quality of life, safety, livability, and overall well-being. It also highlights extending working careers and addressing the growing need for expertise in well-being technology. Digitalization, particularly from the perspective of lifelong learning, is identified as an essential focus area.

The NOTRE project supports the drafting of the regional program by participating in public consultation events and presenting ideas, insights, and development proposals related to healthy aging.

A New Company Joins the Stakeholder Network

A newly joined company, LOWO Oy, introduced its innovative smartphone application for elderly users, called MinunArkeni (“MyDailyLife”). This app allows all daily activities of elderly users to be recorded and, when necessary, shared with their family members and caregivers. By providing a real-time, comprehensive overview of the user’s situation, the app enables families and care personnel to stay informed about the user’s routines and daily activities.
Essentially, MinunArkeni serves as a digital, real-time logbook where observations related to daily life, such as taking medications, going outdoors, eating, or home care procedures, can be recorded. This functionality is especially valuable for family members who cannot physically be present.

Concerns About Digital Skills Among Seniors

The stakeholder group in the NOTRE project discussed a pressing issue: addressing the digital skills, cybersecurity concerns, and functional limitations of aging individuals in development projects. There is a clear need to conduct broader and more genuine assessments of seniors’ attitudes toward digitalization. What are their personal views, fears, or hopes regarding the use of digital technologies?

These issues should be explored through participatory methods such as interviews, surveys, or workshops. Although the interviews conducted within the NOTRE project were limited in scope, they provided valuable insights: end-users are not yet ready to adopt remote services and digital solutions more broadly.

Additionally, many seniors face functional limitations, such as impaired vision, reduced fine motor skills, or the effects of memory disorders, which make using technology challenging. This highlights the critical need for developing user-friendly devices and applications with features such as simplicity, easy navigation, and clear instructions. Targeted training should also be provided for those lacking digital skills.

A Growing Need for Solutions

Currently, the region of South Ostrobothnia has 7,000 residents with memory disorders, and the number is increasing by approximately 1,000 annually. This growing need calls for immediate development projects and solutions tailored to the region.
One potential approach could involve training retired professionals from the care sector to serve as digital support personnel for seniors, particularly those with memory disorders.