Cohesion and Competitiveness Programme as a Tool for Regions Networking and Demographic Changes

DEMO Regions Network

IX All-Russian Forum OECD Russia Workshop | Rural Demography

19th October 2010, St. Petersburg

Antti KorkkaProgramme DirectorDEMO Regions Network

Ageing characterises the demographic perspectives of The European societies

This problem is particularly significant in rural areas

Finland is one of the most sparsely populatedcountries in Europe. More than half of the country’s population lives in the countryside.

Slow landscape network- reproduction- water as infrastructure - villages- slow & quiet lifestyle

Middle-fast small town network- work-places and services- mediates between slow and fast flows- small town lifestyle

Fast ”metropolitan” network- national development corridor between Helsinki and Tampere- good accessibility: Pendolino, tram, ring roads- urban lifestyle

Tampere Region | New structural model for the region

Tampere

TUT / Edge / Ari Hynynen * Population approx. 485 000 inhabitants * 6 sub-regions* Central Region Tampere with approx. 340 000 inhabitans

Cohesion and Competitiveness Programme (COCO)

• Government’s special programme for regional policy, period 2010–2013 (KOKO in Finnish)

• The Ministry of Employment and the Economy (MEE) is responsible for the national coordination of the programme

• The intention is to make Finnish regions attractive for enterprises and residents alike and support broad-based innovative development for living environments

• The objective is to reduce economic, social and regional differences in development, i.e. to improve cohesion inside regions and between them

• Proactive tool for improving the development of existing conditions of a region, and for launching strategically significant projects

• Improves the operating methods of regional development and consolidates inter-regional cooperation

KOKO Regions

• All regions forming an operative strategic entity are eligible

• Covers the entire country, excluding Åland

• 52 regions have been formed

• 328/332 municipalities

National Networks | Sharing of Success

• Cohesion and Competitiveness Programme is an active tool for regions networking

• Networks facilitate collective learning and allow sharing of success and exchange of information

• Promote interaction between urban and rural regions, beneficial for both parties concerned

• 7 national networks were launched 2010

• The network themes are- Innovation environments - Wellbeing - Creative sectors and culture- Internationalisation (Russia)- Tourism- Cooperation in land use, housing and traffic- Demographic change and regional transformation (DEMO)

DEMO Regions Network | Background

• National network which is geared to the specific problems of regions facing the challenge of an ageing or declining population or both

• Finland is ageing faster than in other parts of the European Union - The present, about 17 % Finns are aged 65 or older - In 2015, 20 % Finns will be aged 65 or older - In 2040, 27 % Finns will be aged 65 or older

• The Finnish labor force is expected to begin declining by 2010 , i.e. the shrinking regional demand and lack of qualified staff endangers the economic basis (ongoing municipal merger progress)

• In about 50 % of European NUTS 2 regions population will decrease significantly by 2030

- This problem is particularly significant in rural areas- Rural areas are losing primarily young (20 to 30 years old) and well

educated people

• The corresponding decline in population density has important consequences for both social and technical infrastructure

Change in dependency ratio in 1950-2060

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1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060

Vanhushuoltosuhde

Lapsihuoltosuhde

Ennuste 2004Ennuste 2007

Aged dependency ratio

Child dependency ratio

DEMO Regions Network15 regions

Aged dependency ratio 2030

DEMO Regions Network | Objectives

• Improve inter-regional cooperation and networking (15 regions)

• Increase know-how about development instruments and how to deal actively with demographic change

Implementation through the Regional Development Training which produces tools and resources for regional developers to explore social, economic and demographic issues

• Support regional analysis and local mapping to create a plan for development for all regions

• Gain knowledge about a necessary adaptation of European policy concerning declining and ageing population

• Concentrate on benchmarks and indicators for services and search for practical solutions especially in the fields of local economy, housing, traffic, education and health services

Implementation through thematic pilots and practices to regions with a similar future development

DEMO Regions Network | Thematic pilots and practices

Theme 1. Housing and regional planning• New housing community models for elderly/communíty• Social planning: process that helps communities identify strengths

and weaknesses and determine ways to improve the quality of life in the community

Theme 2. New technology and services, commuting models• Transportation solutions for seniors• Commuting solutions• New interactive solutions for elderly to give them an opportunity to

live longer at their own homes (e-health and district nurse systems)

Theme 3. New models for arranging social and health services, including new ideas for service supply

• A project for retiring people, who have knowledge, time and experience to work longer -> how can they work after retirement

• Retired people as service suppliersTheme 4. Age management, well-being at work

Example New housing community model for elderly

• LOPPUKIRI is a housing community for mid-life and elderly people in urban surroundings in Helsinki

• The planning phase and architectural designing had begun two years earlier to allow the future residents to get involved and co-design

• LOPPUKIRI is the outcome of a six year project of The Active Seniors Association• Everybody looks after the common home, keep it clean and pleasant. Only the

purely technical maintenance is trusted to an outsider. A common meal is served Monday to Friday at five o'clock

• The community meeting is the decision making body for the LOPPUKIRI community

• Loppukiri, if literally translated, means A final spurt sharing of success to rural areas

www.loppukiri.fi

Example Commuter bus

• Commuter bus between rural and urban areas in Oulu Region

• The bus operates between Oulu and Pudasjärvi (both ways) and is equipped with wireless internet and connecting plug

• The time between home and working place is calculated to the working time

• The model gives people the opportunity to live at the countryside and work at the city or opposite way

support well educated people commuting between urban and rural areas

support economical development in rural areas

Example The well-being at work of older employees

• The National Prize for Innovative Practises in Employment and Social Policy in 2010 was awarded to Ruoka-Saarioinen (Saarioinen Group)

• Saarioinen launched its senior programme in 2004 with the aim of extending the careers of over 55-year-old employees

• Programme included lighter workloads for over 55s if they so wish without decrease in pay

• Over 55s are not required to participate in job rotation unless they wish to be included

• The programme has changed the employee age structure, resulting in an increase of the share of over 60-year-olds from 3.5 to 6.3 per cent in the course of the programme.

Example Age Management, Work Ability, Life course

• Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, FIOH, is a research and specialist organization in the field of occupational health and safety

• Aims to create work ability and social innovations for a better and longer worklife for all generations

• Age management- Sustainable solution (prof. Juhani Ilmarinen)• Good management and leadership that takes the strengths of each generation into

account is in a key position in this respect• Improves the work ability and well-being of employees and strengthens the

productivity and efficiency of work organizations• motivates older employees to go on working• attracts younger generations by taking their needs into consideration• supports each generation’s commitments to work

www.ttl.fi

Work Ability and Operational Environment

©FIOH 2010Ikävoimaa

25 v. 45 v.65 v. 85 v.

5 v.

• Young people come too late to the working life • Discontinuous careers at the middle-age• Aged people retire too early

- official retirement age is 63, reality ~59,5- ongoing political discussion to raise age level up to 65

• We lose 5-6 years efficient working time/person

Generations in the working life

©Juhani Ilmarinen JIC

Conclusion

• The ageing population will have to be viewed as an achievement of our societies and not a potential disaster waiting to happen

• The ageing population phenomenon is offering us an opportunity to develop social cohesion

• Situation creates development potentials for the local economy arising from changes in the public service and changing consumer demand

• Regions network allow sharing of success and thus reduce economic, social and regional differences in development

• Attitudes towards ageing must be changed (attitudinal reform)• The awareness level of managers and supervisors in age-related issues

needs to be improved (management reform)• Better age and life course-adjusted, flexible working life is needed

(work life reform)

Antti KorkkaProgramme DirectorUpper Tampere Regionantti.korkka@ylapirkanmaa.fi

Thank You!

www.demoverkosto.fi

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