BBC1 project is moving despite of Covid-19

BBC1 project press release

We are all facing now challenges, both in everyday life and in business and we need to find new ways to act. Because the border between Finland and Russia is closed and we are aiming in the project implement cross-border actions, we are indeed facing obstacles. Remote connections enable everyday communication across borders, but they cannot replace meetings and events in real life.

In BBC1 -project number of events are planned to be organized during the Ecology of Big City Forum in SPb. The new preliminary dates of the Forum are 17.-19.9.2020. The planned visit of Russian business delegation to Mikkeli region is postponed to the end of August. At the moment we are making efforts to boost new business ideas of circular economy and biotechnology among students. We are actively developing and diversifying business cooperation networks and business environments in the both countries.

Our message is: Stay safe and strong, all obstacles are meant to be overcome together.

Contact: Saija Tillgren, project manager
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +358 50 387 2691

The scientific article of the partners of the Green InterTraffic project is published in the international journal Sustainability

Green InterTraffic project press release

The article by Dr. Olli-Pekka Hilmola, Professor of Lappeenranta Technological University, and Oskari Lahdeaho, Junior research assistant at LUT, partners of the Green InterTraffic project, is published in the international interdisciplinary scientific journal Sustainability.

The article entitled “Business Models Amid Changes in Regulation and Environment: The Case of Finland–Russia” was part of the Special Issue “Sustainable Mobility and Transport”. In the study the impact of regulation changes and ways to benefit from those in Finland and Russia are examined.

The full version of the article is available in the section Materials on the project www-site or on the publisher’s website

Project contact person, Ludmila Karelina

My CBC Stories – No stops, but adapting new ways!

We started the My CBC Story -series in 2019, to give Cross-Border Cooperation human faces and to introduce wide range of expertise working in the programme administration, project management and in those various networks which contribute to European Union – Finland – Russia cooperation. The commitment and interest to work for the well-being of people living in the border regions and to support to regions’ development goals, has really showed its true colors in this “Covid-spring”. No stops, but adapting new ways!

We are currently looking for next heroes to the spotlight (there are so many great options!) and editing new stories. Meantime, here is the link-list of the ones already published.

Project manager Jyri Mustonen, Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency
Project coordinator Sonja Miettinen, Programme Managing Authority Lappeenranta
Vice-president Ludmila KarelinaSaint Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Executive director Anna Kiiski, Kotka Maritime Research Association 
Project expert Valentina Chaplinskaya, Programme Branch Office St Petersburg

Warm thanks Jyri, Valentina, Anna, Ludmila and Sonja for sharing Your CBC Stories!

GET READY went WMO on-line Training for Trainers during coronavirus isolation

GET READY project press release

From 2 March to 13 April 2020 the  online Training course for Trainers (ToT) of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO UN) conducted  jointly with State Hydrological Institute (SHI of Roshydromet, St. Petersburg) took place.  It was supported by the GET READY project in the frame of the  Cross-Border Cooperation Programme South-East Finland – Russia 2014-2020. The  project consortium involves also University of Turku,  St Petersburg State University, South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences, Finnish Environment Institute and Kotka Maritime Research Centre.

The course covered the following competencies established in the WMO Technical Regulations as Competency Requirements for Education and Training Providers for Meteorological, Hydrological and Climate Services.

  •          Identify learning needs and specify learning outcomes
  •         Determine a learning solution
  •        Design and develop learning activities and resources
  •          Deliver training and manage the learning experience
  •         Assess learning and evaluate the learning process.

Twenty-nine applications were submitted. and twenty-one participants, who have successfully completed the course, were certified.  They present  representatives of the GET READY project and other academic, scientific and operational organizations.

The course was delivered via Google Classroom with the use of the WMO training resources translated into Russian, which covered the standard ToT Course content.  The final survey has shown that about 53% of the participants assess the course as «good», 37 % – as «excellent». The course is going to be highly recommended by 89% of the respondents and definitely will be repeated for wider audience from Turku, all Finland and Russia especially for those who are involved in capacity building  activities in the field of environmental sciences.

In the online, after course conference, 13 participants discussed  the lessons learned through the course and ways for future collaboration. Certified trainers got great experience on how to deliver training courses distantly for different target groups and in the most effective way, what is especially actual in the conditions of coronavirus pandemia.

Coordinator for training
Maria Mamaeva
, GET READY project Manager at State Hydrological Institute(St. Petersburg)
Project www-site https://eco-getready.com 

SAFECON team visit to the Smart Labor training ground

On March 12, 2020 an international seminar “Actual problems of labor protection” was held at the training base of SPbGASU in Krasnoye Selo in the vicinity of Saint Petersburg. Participants of the seminar, including SAFECON project partners from LAB University of Applied Sciences, visited the only safety training ground under construction in Russia – the main result of the project – and saw that the work on its creation is nearing completion. Feature of the visit and information of the project activities at https://safecon.fi/news/

Video from the site visit (obs. all injured are figures):

SAFECON (Safe, skilled and productive construction sites) project is one the South-East Finland – Russia CBC 2014-2020 first starters and funded from the first round of call closed in March 2017. Project duration is 36 months and now approx. at its mid-way. Project’s total budget is 898 699 euros and its overall objective is to improve work safety competence in the construction industry in a ways that reduce social costs and human harms.

Bringing Together: 16 April 2020 Project Management Group Meeting was held on distance platform

Bringing Together project press release

Despite of the difficult situation with the COVID 19, the project continues! The meeting was held on a distance platform. During more than 3 hours, the Russian and Finnish partners discussed the implementation of the project: the concept of digital border space, the integration of existing platforms, the collection of data and information, the development of special services for entrepreneurs and other project tasks. Project logo and Project leaflet was developed and approved by all team. The mood of the project team is positive, and everyone is set to work actively. And since this project stage involves research, expert work and development, i.e. work on-line, we follow the schedule of the project!

Thank you all and take care!!! 

Несмотря на сложную ситуацию с распространением COVID 19 реализация проекта продолжается! Заседание состоялось на дистанционной платформе. Более 3-х часов российские и финские партнеры обсуждали реализацию проекта: концепцию цифрового приграничного пространства, интеграцию существующих платформ, сбор данных и информации, разработку специальных сервисов для предпринимателей и другие проектные задачи. Настроение у проектной команды позитивное, и все настроены на активную работу, а так как данная проектная стадия предполагает исследовательскую, экспертную работу и разработку, т.е. работу он-лайн, мы следуем четко графику реализации проекта!

Спасибо всем и берегите себя!!! 

Contact: Ludmila Karelina
Email: [email protected]

2021-2027 South-East Finland – Russia Programme preparation was launched on 16.4.2020

First meeting of the Programming Committee (PC) covered the organisation of the Committee’s work, adoption of the programming process and timetable as well the hearing of the organisations(*) taking part to the Committee work. The meeting took also note on state of play of the regulative processes for the 2021-2027 period and preparation of the Financing Agreement. The Regional Council of South Karelia, acting as the Managing Authority (MA) of the CBC 2014-2020 Programme, was given mandate to proceed with the coordination of the programming. The work of the Committee continues with the second meeting at the end of June 2020. Meantime, the MA shall publish more information of the process and consultations including calls for participation for the relevant Programme partners.

(*)The Programming Committee consist of six members from Finland and six members from Russia representing following institutions. European Commission has a permanent observer position in the Committee.

Finland
Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Employment
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Regional Council of South Karelia
Regional Council of South Savo
Regional Council of Kymenlaakso
Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Southeast Finland

Russia
Ministry of Economic Development
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Committee for External Relations of Saint Petersburg
Committee for External Relations of Leningrad Region

Results of the first year of Green InterTraffic project published in the Magazine “Environment of St Petersburg”

Green InterTraffic project press release

The results achieved during the first year of implementation of the Green InterTraffic project are published in the magazine “Environment of St. Petersburg” No. 1 (15) March 2020. The magazine is published with the support of the Committee on environmental management, environmental protection and environmental safety.

The new issue is devoted to the theme of ecology and transport. The issue deals with such aspects as the impact of motor transport on the quality of the air environment, ensuring environmental safety, international cooperation in the transport sector, etc.
The full version of the article is available here:  http://ecopeterburg.ru/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/OS-15-11.pdf 

Contact: Ludmila Karelina
Email: [email protected]

Lappeenrannan kaupunki ja LUT yliopisto yhdessä organisoivat AWARE hankkeen hengessä vanhojen kannettavien tietokoneiden keräyskampanjan

AWARE hankkeen ilmoitus

LUT yliopisto ja Lappeenrannan kaupunki haastavat kaikki Suomen korkeakoulut mukaan paikalliskeräyksiin, auttamaan noin 10 000 tietokonetta vaille olevaa opiskelijaa, jotka kärsivät Korona viruksen etäopiskeluun pakotuksen myötä opiskeluhaasteista. YLEn uutinen aiheesta: https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11300959

AWARE hankkeen puolesta, ja avuntarpeessa olevien nuorten takia, haastamme myös kaikki Etelä-Karjalan alueen toimijat tutkimaan omia kaappeja ja komeroitansa lahjoitustarpeeseen sopivien koneiden varalta ja toimittamaan ne lahjoittajatietolomakkeen kanssa Lappeenrannan kaupungintalon aulaan (lomakelinkki löytyy mm. tästä ES jutusta):
https://esaimaa.fi/uutiset/lahella/d88ee655-677a-4218-883a-ba82fa0194f4

Jos ei muuta, niin arvostaisimme suuresti tiedon jakamista, esimerkiksi tämän LinkedIn kirjoituksen muodossa.

Kiertotalouden ja nuorten asialla tietoa jakaen, Ari H.

Contact: Ass. Prof. Ari Happonen
Email: [email protected]

Article about the Green InterTraffic project published in the Magazine “Baltic Status”

Green InterTraffic project press release

The magazine “Baltic Status” #134 (February-March 2020) published an article about the Green InterTraffic project. The material is devoted to the results of the first year of its implementation. Commenting on the results achieved, Vladimir Katenev, Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation and Chairman of the Council of the Saint Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, highly appreciated the project’s role in building Russian-Finnish cooperation in the environmental and transport sphere.

Read the full version of the article

Contact: Ludmila Karelina
Email: [email protected]