Work culture and regional competence
Unparallelled set of values
People in North Savo and in Kuopio, just like in the rest of Finland, value honesty, punctuality and equality. In Savo, these values are combined with unreservedness and a certain convivial and talkative nature, a jovial attitude to life. Success stories in Savo are based not only on talent, but also on courage, perseverance and, above all, strong cooperation. In Kuopio, experts from different fields work together for a common goal, creating a strong, evolving and mutually supportive environment. Read more about the Finnish working culture: Finnish working culture
““Many foreigners are amazed that such a small city by global standards can be home to so much expertise.””
Family welfare and equality for all are also values that are deeply embedded in workplace policies and culture. This is supported by regular working hours, giving employees plenty of time with family and friends.
The flat hierarchies of the Finnish workplace culture and the national drive for innovation encourage employees at all levels to participate in the development of workplace culture, policies and processes. In fact, Finnish companies view workplace culture as a key competitive advantage and strive to create a positive, inclusive work environment for all.
Read the EURES (EURopean Employment Services) summary of working and living conditions in Finland.
The website Work in Finland also contains lots of information about working and living in Finland and the Finnish culture.
Region fosters diverse range of expertise
Kuopio and North Savo as a whole offer unique opportunities for business. The region fosters a diverse range of expertise that paves the way to the global market. The region has an evolving business environment that is concentrated in Kuopio, but cooperation takes place across municipal borders. The region also offers high quality education, both in vocational schools and higher education institutions. Kuopio is a university city and the University of Eastern Finland offers Finland’s most extensive education in health sciences, among other fields.
Kuopio is a pioneer in health, environmental and wellbeing competence. The spearheads of excellence are wellbeing and health technology and emerging fields of expertise, such as ICT, robotics, cleantech, circular economy, bioeconomy and functional foods, as well as specialised fields like neuroscience.
Outside Kuopio, the manufacturing economy and the technology industry, in particular, emerge as the leading industries. The North Savo region is an impressive hub of cutting-edge research and education in technology and automation.
The safety and security competence in the region is also on a high level, even by international standards. The training area of the national Emergency Services Academy in Kuopio is one of its kind in Europe.