Project

New competences and business operations supporting green transition

Project sponsors

Abbreviation
OVI
Project type
Development project
Focus area
Bioeconomy
Implementation time
1.8.2023 - 30.9.2024
Project unit
School of Technology
Financing program
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Project description
Project summary

The aim of the OVI project (New competences and business operations supporting green transition) was to support the implementation of the climate objectives of the land use sector by creating a study module on nature and climate expertise, communicating about entrepreneurship opportunities in the nature sector, and creating a foundation for the forest nature and climate expertise network in Central Finland.

The target group of the project included degree students from the 2nd and 3rd grades, professionals in agriculture and forestry, and together with participants in continuous learning. In terms of communication, the target group of the project also included forest owners and citizens.

The OVI project was implemented in cooperation between Jamk University of Applied Sciences and JYU.Wisdom – School of Resource Wisdom at the University of Jyväskylä. The total cost of the project was 466,500 €, of which Jamk 292,000 € and JYU.Wisdom 174,000 € (a total of 466,466 €). The project was led by Senior Specialist Helena Reiman from Jamk University of Applied Sciences and Professor of Ecology Janne Kotiaho from the University of Jyväskylä. The work packages of the project were WP1 Administration, WP2 Learning materials and their rooting, WP3 Communication and WP4 Networks and rooting.

During the project a study module in nature and climate competence was prepared, which includes three courses. The development of the nature service business- and the Impacts of the use of bogs -courses have been published in the Library of Open Educational Resources (AOE.fi) and the Rural Networks' information bank (Maaseutuverkosto.fi). The basics of biodiversity offsetting -course will be published in the studies of continuous learning by JYU Open University on 1 November 2024. It is a MOOC (Massive Online Open Course) for everyone interested in the subject, placed in the JYU Online Courses -learning environment.

In addition to the partners' external and internal websites, the opportunities of nature service entrepreneurship were widely and multi-channelly communicated at social media and FinnMETKO as well as other events. The project produced a six-part podcast series about opportunities of nature services at Radio Keskisuomalainen, which was published on Radio Keskisuomalainen's website.

The network development was executed with meetings, discussions and workshops with the aim of clarifying the actors' thoughts, needs and wishes on the operating model of the Central Finlands' network of forest nature and climate expertise.

The project's successes included, for example, exceeding the success indicators of the project, instilling the Basics of biodiversity offsets -course as part of the JYU Open University's continuous learning study offering, and new networks and cooperation models. The integration of the study module into Jamk's study offering did not succeed as planned, because the curriculum reform was already practically complete when the project started. This shortcoming in the implementation of the project was remedied by active internal and external marketing of the study materials and integrating them into degree studies in smaller packages. Cooperation between the partners in terms of communication and events, for example, could have been more extensive and concrete, but due to the short implementation time of the project, a clear division of tasks was decided upon. Another challenge was, that in the beginning of the project, neither of the project partners were well-known actors among forest operators and forest owners.

Although a great deal has been invested in the development of the use of peatland forests not only in development money, but also in the everyday work of forest operators in Finland, the transformation work in peatlands is still ongoing. For the continuation and effectiveness of the work of the OVI project, it would be particularly important for the core group of the network of forest nature and climate actors to start goal-oriented operations on the basis of the model and in accordance with the objectives planned in the project. Another important aim for Jamk and JYU.Wisdom is to continue the development work on the theme together and to promote the use of the study materials produced in the project for the upcoming years.

30.10.2024  Helena Reiman ([email protected]) ja Janne Kotiaho([email protected])

Project results
Results and Their Evaluation

 Presentation of Results

The project included four work packages: WP1 Administration, WP2 Learning Materials and Their Integration, WP3 Communication, and WP4 Networks and Integration.

Work Package 1, Administration

The objective of this work package was to ensure the high-quality implementation of the project according to the project plan and decision.

In accordance with the project plan, WP1 focused on the planning and management of project activities, cooperation between partners, and internal communication. The work package established common operating models between project partners and facilitated smooth and interactive project work with partners and other stakeholders. The goal was also to enhance collaboration, discussion, and trust between professionals from Jamk and JYU.Wisdom. Additionally, project partners organized internal cooperation within their organizations to support the project's implementation.

The activities of Work Package 1 included, among others:

Agreeing on project communication practices and establishing and utilizing an internal Teams channel, especially for planning, implementing, and documenting activities (August 2023–December 2024)
Project staff meetings, 8 in total, between September 2023 and October 2024. Discussions in the project steering group were also based on presentations. Presentations covered the following themes:
  • Orientation to the creation of study modules and designing learning for change, Senior Specialist Tarja Moilanen, Jamk
  • Forest Nature and Climate Expertise Network, Senior Specialist Markku Paananen, Jamk
  • Ecological Compensation, Professor Janne Kotiaho, JYU.Wisdom
  • Opportunities and Competence Needs in Nature Entrepreneurship, Business Advisor Risto Mulari, Finnish Forest Centre
  • Experiences and Thoughts on Obtaining Market-Based Funding for Nature Work, Field Manager Seppo Niskanen, MTK
  • Jyväskylä City's Forest Program 2030, Chief Forest Specialist Reijo Puttonen, City of Jyväskylä
  • Project steering group meetings, 4 in total, between September 2023 and October 2024. In addition to representatives from project partners, the steering group included representatives from the Finnish Forest Centre (Veli-Matti Virkkunen), Northern Central Finland Vocational College (Pekka Janhonen), and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Satu Rantala).
  • Discussions on OVI project themes in two meetings of the Täsmäsuo project collegium (October 13, 2023, Luke's Core Issues of Peatland Forests 2035, January 30, 2024, Development Needs of Expert Services and Machine Operators for Peatland Forests)
  • Meetings of the creators of the project's learning materials, 5 in total, between September 2024 and February 2024.
  • Final reporting (September–October 2024)


Work Package 3, Communication

The objective of this work package was to communicate the entrepreneurial opportunities and benefits in the field, especially in Central Finland.

According to the project plan, WP3 focused on external communication and multi-channel communication about the benefits of forest nature work for forest nature and the entrepreneurial opportunities of forest nature services in Central Finland. Additionally, the work package emphasized disseminating the knowledge produced by the nature and climate expertise study module and the Hiilestä Kiinni projects through multi-channel communication.

The communication of the work packages was carried out according to a communication plan that followed the principle of multi-channel communication. The communication plan included the core message, a list of communication channels that reach the target groups, and a timeline for communication. Multi-channel communication included, in addition to the partners' external and internal websites, the following communication channels: Radio Keskisuomalainen, Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, blog posts, publications in print media, and participation in events. Multi-channel communication was challenging because the partners' own communication channels did not sufficiently reach the project's target groups, i.e., current forest operators and forest owners. Jamk and JYU.Wisdom also do not have contact information for forest owners and operators.

The activities of Work Package 3 included, among others:
  • Creating a communication plan (including core message, target groups, channels, planning of events and marketing campaigns)
  • Communication on partners' websitesNew Skills and Business for the Green Transition (OVI) | Jamk
  • New Skills and Business for the Green Transition (OVI) | University of Jyväskylä (jyu.fi)
  • A six-part podcast series 'There Are Many Opportunities in Nature' produced with Radio KeskisuomalainenThe themes of the series were:Forest owner's thoughts on nature work. Interviewees: Seija Tiitinen-Salmela, Forest Engineer & MSc, and Markku Salmela, Forest Engineer
  • Management of traditional environments and groves. Interviewees: Marjaana Hassani, Maa- ja kotitalousnaiset, Landscape and Nature Management Specialist, and Maija Suutarinen, Hakamaa Sheep Farm, Farm Owner
  • Opportunities in nature tourism and natural products. Interviewees: Leena Pölkki, Senior Specialist at Jamk, and Mikko Ilmoniemi, Rural Entrepreneur at Jyväs-Hamppu
  • Work related to mitigating climate change: restoration and ash fertilization. Interviewees: Reijo Hokkanen, Environmental Specialist at Metsähallitus, and Salla Laukkanen, Project Manager at Metsäkeskus
  • Forest owner's opportunities for new income sources and funding for nature work. Interviewees: Seppo Niskanen, Field Manager at MTK, and Panu Halme, Lecturer at the University of Jyväskylä, Department of Biological and Environmental Science
  • Development of nature services and nature work. Interviewees: Seija Tiitinen-Salmela, Forest Engineer & MSc in Ecology, and Henri Mommo, Sales Manager at Päijänteen mhy
  • Article 'Restoration Delights and Angers' in Puumies magazine
  • Communication and marketing on social media (Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn)
  • Communication at events and meetings. For example, FinnMETKO, Natural Scientists' Day at the University of Jyväskylä's Agora building, Tarvaala Bioeconomy Campus Day

In JYU.Wisdom's communication, the community's own channels, the University of Jyväskylä's channels, and the Open University of JYU's channels were used. These channels communicated about the project itself, its events, and results. A project page for the OVI project was created on the University of Jyväskylä's website at the beginning of the project, and a press release about the project was distributed through the university's social media channels and offered to the media. JYU.Wisdom communicated about events such as the 'New Business from Forest and Nature Entrepreneurship' event, the ecological compensation lunch colloquium, and FinnMETKO in its newsletter, email list, and its own X account. Messages were also shared on the social media channels of the Faculty of Mathematics and Science, and event pages were created on the University of Jyväskylä's website. The Basics of Ecological Compensation course was marketed and will continue to be marketed after the project in collaboration with the staff of JYU's Open University. In early autumn 2024, brochures about the course were distributed at events such as the Central Finland Circular Economy Fair and the University of Jyväskylä's Business Day. On the campuses of the University of Jyväskylä, a roll-up produced in the project will be used to market the course from campus to campus. Additionally, the course will be marketed on the Open University's website in the form of a news article, blog post, and marketing page. The news about the course will be published on the university's website at the beginning of November 2024, so that it will be visible, for example, under the Open University and the Faculty of Mathematics and Science pages. The news will be shared on the university's main channels and the Open University's channels. Google advertising is also planned to be used for marketing the course after the project

Work Package 4, Networks and Integration

The objective of this work package was to lay the foundation for a Central Finnish network of forest nature and climate expertise. The long-term goal of the network is to establish itself as a national center of excellence in forest nature and climate expertise.

According to the project plan, Work Package 4 focused on meetings, discussions, and workshops with key stakeholders to understand their thoughts and wishes regarding the operational model of the Central Finnish network of forest nature and climate expertise.

The description and documentation of the network work are included in Anna-Stina Kuula's Master's thesis 'Recommendations for Network Work in the Renewing Forest Sector - Development Study of the Central Finnish Network of Forest Nature and Climate Expertise.' The thesis will be completed in 2024.

The activities of Work Package 4 included, among others:

  • Workshops for stakeholders, 4 in total (Jyväskylä Educational Consortium Gradia, Central Finland ELY Centre, Regional Council of Central Finland, Northern Central Finland Vocational College Poke, Finnish Forest Centre, Jamk, and the University of Jyväskylä) on a permanent operational model to increase nature and climate expertise
  • Workshops/webinars for forest and nature entrepreneurs, 2 in total
  • Collaboration meetings/events with the NatureHiili project of the Regional Council of Central Finland and the Nature and Climate Knowledge Management for Central Finland's Strength (LUMOAVA) project of the Regional Council of Central Finland and the Central Finland ELY Centre
  • A study conducted by students of the Jamk Future Factory's Work Life Project course on 'Forest Nature Service Entrepreneurs' and Forest Owners' Thoughts on Forest Nature Services and Their Service Markets'
  • Webinar 'Ecological Compensation in Permitting – Polluter Pays or License to Destroy?' at the University of Jyväskylä's Tietoniekka room and streamed on Moniviestin and Yle Areena
  • The integration activities of Work Package 4 included, among others:
To ensure the continued utilization of the OVI project's results, two development projects continuing the themes of OVI were prepared for Jamk's part. The 'Skilled Restorers' (TeOs) project for the Central Finland JTF/TYOS call ending on 11.9.2024. The project was prepared with the Work Efficiency Institute (TTS) at TTS's initiative. In this project, Jamk is the main applicant. The training section of the project would utilize the nature service business material created in the OVI project. The 'Knowledge-Based Management as a Tool for Promoting Climate-Smart, Biodiversity-Conscious, and Forest Damage Risk-Aware Forest Management' (Tieme) project for the Central Finland Rural Development Fund call ending on 30.9. The project was prepared with the Finnish Forest Centre at the Forest Centre's initiative. In this project, the Forest Centre is the main applicant. The communication section of the project would utilize the experiences and expertise in communication from the OVI project.