Briefly in English

Welcome to our webpage! This page briefly outlines the project and its aims in English.

The Industrial Hemp Cluster of North Ostrobothnia aims to create a new ecosystem in the region. The cluster will involve companies throughout the whole supply chain of industrial hemp (both fibre and seed/oil hemp), from farmers and agriculture to highly refined product manufacturers and everything in between. Our aim is to create a platform and a working model to better utilize fibre hemp in industrial use, thus creating new job and business opportunities in the region. The increased farming and the use of hemp supports the carbon emission goals of both Finland and EU, and the new informatio produced and gathered during the project can be used in solving environmental issues. Hemp also offers multitude of new research and development opportunities. The project also aims to establish national and international connections.

Project partners

The project partners are:

• Tyrnävä municipality (lead partner). The municipality of Tyrnävä is responsible for the project and manages communications and all the work packages.
• Oulu Startup Incubator (OSI). OSI especially supports building the ecosystem. The partner has wide existing networks that will be utilized during the project. Their knowhow is also invaluable in figuring out new business opportunities and supporting start-up companies and SMEs interested in the industry.
• Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Oamk). The role of Oamk is focused on the RDI opportunities and challenges in the industry. Their wide existing network is useful in improving the whole supply chain.

Also involved directly or through their development corporations are the following municipalities: Kempele, Liminka, Muhos, Siikalatva, and Utajärvi.

The project started in April 2022 and will end in April 2023, lasting exactly 12 months. During the spring and summer of 2022, mainly background work was done, and the project properly kicked off in August 2022.

The project is funded by the European agricultural fund for rural development through the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY-keskus in Finnish). The whole budget of the project is 100,000 EUR and EU's portion of the funding is 80,000 EUR.

Work packages

The project is divided into three work packages:

1. Current situation and developmental requirements. During the initial phase of the project, we will gather information on parties and companies already using hemp and those that are interested in the material. This stage will involve contacting multiple companies, doing interviews, figuring out needs, opportunities, and challenges in the industry. The role of the public sector, such as the municipalities and higher education institutes, will also be investigated. A report based on the interviews will be published.
2. Communications and the possibilities of industrial hemp. Our aim is to communicate actively about the possibilities of the industrial use of hemp. Our communications include utilising existing connections, face-to-face meetings, and online channels, such as this web site. We will also organize two seminars, one in December 2022 and one in March 2023.
3. Building the ecosystem. This work package supports the creation of the ecosystem. We will create new connections between companies and recognize new business opportunities in the region. To ensure the continuation of the project, a registered organisation or similar will be established.

Further information

For more information about the project, please contact project manager Mr. Kalle Parviainen (working until the 31st of March 2023).

Phone: +358 40 351 7219

Email: kalle.parviainen@tyrnava.fi