North Savo strengthens ICT expertise and attracts future talent

North Savo is enhancing ICT expertise and visibility, and the future looks promising. The growth is fueled by a strong tradition of collaboration, diverse educational pathways tailored to business needs, and geopolitics.

When asked to describe the strengths of the ICT sector in North Savo, the response often highlights the strong community spirit among companies and stakeholders.

“Here, people genuinely celebrate when someone— even a competitor—makes significant advancements or succeeds. Companies work together harmoniously, and that’s a clear strength. This makes it easy for newcomers, whether businesses or professionals, to settle here,” says Tatu Säisä, Chair of Kuopio’s Digital Committee.

The positive community spirit is maintained through various forums where ICT companies and influencers in the region exchange ideas and brainstorm. One such platform is the Digital Committee, led by Säisä under the Kuopio Chamber of Commerce. The committee focuses on influencing ICT-related education and workforce availability while fostering collaboration and promoting digitalization among local businesses.

The committee’s activities began a few years ago and, according to Säisä, have become a key influence in the region.

“The atmosphere is open among companies, and we can offer strong peer support to new businesses. Our region already has a solid skill base in the technology sector, particularly in software development, telecommunications, and IT,” Säisä says.

A New kind of school born from business initiatives

One prominent example of the results of business collaboration is the kood/Sisu coding school, which was established entirely based on the needs and wishes of local businesses.

The driving force behind the school was the talent shortage: leading companies in the area were struggling to find suitable professionals.

“A competitive Eastern Finland needs more professionals in the software and IT sectors, as well as practical, work-life-driven educational innovations. To address this, businesses founded a coding school with curricula co-designed alongside them,” explains Laura Nykänen, director of kood/Sisu.

The coding school has no teachers. Instead, its pedagogy is based on peer learning and self-direction. Students review each other’s code and provide feedback on projects—methods commonly used in software development teams.

Students don’t need prior degrees or coding experience to enroll. The main selection criteria are motivation and problem-solving skills.

“We enable people from diverse backgrounds to train and launch new careers,” says Nykänen.

The school also challenges traditional notions of junior and senior roles in the field.

“The typical kood/Sisu student is a 33-year-old career changer with a degree and extensive work experience in another field. We have former doctors, construction managers, and entrepreneurs. Combining these rich backgrounds with software development needs produces highly skilled professionals for regional companies compared to traditional entry-level talent,” says Nykänen.

Boosting attractiveness and internationalization

Kood/Sisu is a vital initiative for strengthening the region’s vitality. Participating companies believe the school will attract new talent and businesses to the area.

“The coding school elevates the region’s reputation as a tech hub. It fosters new business ideas and drives collective progress,” says Nykänen.

The school’s student body is highly international. The first cohort began in March 2024, with over 35% of students having international backgrounds.

Utilizing international talent in local businesses, however, requires development and a shift in attitudes, according to Säisä.

“We can’t afford to lose top international talent to other cities. We must adapt and support businesses in this transformation,” he notes.

Nykänen has already observed progress. For companies collaborating with the coding school, language proficiency in Finnish is not a barrier at this stage of cooperation.

“Many of our partner companies engage in export business, so English is already part of their operations. These companies can set an example and support other businesses in the region,” Nykänen says.

New opportunities in geopolitics

This year, Kuopio ranked second among Finland’s most attractive cities. The region remains vibrant, and Säisä believes there will be ongoing demand for new ICT professionals. Kuopio offers a variety of educational options, from university-level engineering degrees to the practical approach of the coding school.

The shared goal among local businesses is to make ICT and coding even more appealing.

“The current sentiment is that the future talent situation in our region looks positive—we are training new professionals, and they are choosing to stay. As the economy recovers, we will likely not face the worst talent shortages in this field,” Säisä predicts.

In the coming years, Säisä foresees that projects and innovations related to defense and security will accelerate the ICT sector in North Savo. NATO membership opens new opportunities for Finnish companies in the defense and security industries, and North Savo is geographically well-positioned—not least because it is home to the Karelia Air Wing.

“The defense and security industries already recognize the need for new digital security solutions, such as cybersecurity, information security systems, and surveillance technologies. Technological innovations will become increasingly important as operations are international and opportunities like AI offer new possibilities. All of this creates demand for the region’s businesses,” Säisä concludes.

ICT as a focus area in the Talent First project

ICT is one of the four key sectors in the Talent First project. The project aims to improve the availability of skilled professionals, enhance the region’s attractiveness and retention, and foster increased collaboration among local stakeholders.

Talent Talks

Listen to the Talent Talks episode (in English) where Laura Nykänen discusses the international community that has formed at the kood/Sisu coding school and how learning and studying are approached in the school. Laura also explains how the English-speaking coding school in Kuopio differs from similar schools in Finland and Europe.

All Talent Talks podcast episodes are available on our website.