Category: Project news

Working accidents are considerably more common in construction sites than in other fields of industry or other working environments. This unfortenate factor applies both in Finland and Russia. Even these issues have been under development, further steps are still needed to get accident stats look better and to reduce human harms.

South-East Finland – Russia CBC Programme funded SAFECON project is hands-on with this challenge and cooperating with the experienced partner consortium of Saimaa University of Applied Sciences, South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences, Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering and Pushkin Leningrad State University.

Project press release

2-days BUSINESS PROGRAM 13.-14.6.2019

(within the project Green ReMark KS1024 http://greenremark.com/)

13.6.2019 – Business meetings

06.00 Departure from St.Petersburg
12.00 Arrival in Mikkeli and Lunch
13.00 Business seminar
14.30 B2B meetings with local companies (Bioenergy cluster of Eastern Finland etc.)
16.30 End of the seminar
Free time in the city

14.6.2019 – Green Energy Show-How Tour
09.00 Solar Energy, Visit to Sun Mikkeli solar energy plant
10.30 Wood energy, visit to ESE CHP heating (bioenergy) plant
11.30 Lunch
12.30 Waste recycling, visit to Ecosairila waste management and recycling area
15.00 Smart grid, visit at Suomenniemi demonstration
16.00 End of the tour, travel back to St. Petersburg

Registration for participation in the business program: http://greenremark.com/events/b2b-meeting-in-mikkeli

Contact: Karoliina Tanskanen and Olga Kalchenko
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: tel.: +358 44 7678482, tel.: +7 921 5921986

Project press release

CoExist, a collaborative project focusing on the sustainable coexistence of freshwater seals and humans in Finland and Russia, has secured a three-year funding. Launched in April, the project seeks to enhance Finnish-Russian research collaboration and raise awareness of seal-human coexistence among different stakeholders. CoExist is a new larger scale opening in Finnish-Russian seal research in twenty years. The project explores seal behaviour and, in doing so, promotes the coexistence of seals and humans through education and information sharing.

The methods used to study and conserve seals on Lake Saimaa, and the related know-how, will also be made available on Lake Ladoga. The coexistence of seals and humans will be addressed in the context of fishing and tourism in particular through interviews and various events. For example, information on the seal-friendly fishing practices used on Lake Saimaa will be made available on Lake Ladoga. Furthermore, a method developed to identify individual Saimaa ringed seals will also be applied to Ladoga ringed seals. Using satellite transmitters, the researchers will study the movements of Ladoga ringed seals. In addition, an automated identification method will be developed for both seal species. Information about seals will be raised through various events and campaigns organised for the general public and in schools in Finland and Russia. The conservation of freshwater seals is a way to conserve the unique nature environment of lakes and to ensure that people have the possibility to enjoy nature also in the future.

The CoExist project is led by the University of Eastern Finland, with Lappeenranta University of Technology, the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation and Biologists for Nature Conservation from Saint Petersburg as partners. The project constitutes part of the South-East Finland – Russia CBC 2014-2020 programme, which is funded by the European Union, the Russian Federation and the Finnish Government.

For further information, please contact:

Project Coordinator Marja Niemi, University of Eastern Finland, marja.niemi(a)uef.fi
Photo: Mervi Kunnasranta

Project press release

Kick-off meeting on the Environmental impacts of the Krasny Bor toxic waste landfill (EnviTox) project took place on 19 March 2019 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The project implements in the framework of the South-East Finland – Russia CBC 2014-2020 programme, one of the three programmes implemented at the border regions between Finland and Russia under the European Neighborhood Instrument. 

The meeting was attended by representatives of the project Partners, the Committee for nature use, environmental protection and environmental safety of St. Petersburg and St. Petersburg State Unitary Nature Conservation Enterprise “Polygon”Krasny Bor“. The meeting discussed general issues relating to the project activities management, the creation of the Project Steering Committee, reporting, areas of the partner’s responsibility etc.; and specific issues related to the implementation of project activities. The main objectives of the project are to develop feasible recommendations and tools to ensure good quality environment in the area around Krasny Bor toxic waste landfill and to provide up-to-date information on the state of the environment in this area. The EnviTox project will study the state of the environment around the Krasny Bor toxic waste landfill to enhance a safe living environment, to improve the environmental impact management in the surroundings of the landfill and to enhance the protection of the Baltic Sea. 

Стартовал международный экологический проект EnviTox 

19 марта 2019 г. в Санкт-Петербурге состоялась установочная встреча по международному проекту “Оценка экологического состояния территории, окружающей полигон по захоронению токсичных отходов «Красный Бор» (EnviTox). Проект реализуется в рамках Программы приграничного сотрудничества «Россия – Юго-Восточная Финляндия 2014-2020».  

На встрече присутствовали представители партнеров проекта, Комитета по природопользованию, охране окружающей среды и обеспечению экологической безопасности Санкт-Петербурга, Дирекции по обеспечению безопасности гидротехнических сооружений полигона “Красный Бор”. В рамках установочной встречи обсуждались как общие вопросы, касающиеся менеджмента проектной деятельности, создания Координационного совета проекта, видов отчетности, зон ответственности партнеров и пр.; так и программа работ на ближайшее время. Основными целями проекта являются разработка обоснованных рекомендаций и инструментария для обеспечения комфортной окружающей среды в районе полигона по захоронению токсичных отходов «Красный Бор» и предоставление актуальной информации о состоянии окружающей среды на данной территории. Изучение состояния окружающей среды в окрестностях полигона по захоронению токсичных отходов “Красный Бор” в рамках проекта EnviTox проводится с целью повышения безопасности среды обитания, улучшения управления воздействием на окружающую среду в окрестностях полигона и усиления защиты Балтийского моря. 

Contact information:
Olga Tomilina
SC “Mineral”
[email protected]

Innovative and creative approaches for Cross-Border Cooperation are reviewed and developed in C3E – Contents for Cross-Cultural Event -project leaded by South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (XAMK) with the Russian partners Institute for Cultural Programs, Stieglitz St. Petersburg State Academy of Art and Industry and St Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design. Practical focus in the project is:

• How to make a successful event?
• How to attract new audiences?
• How to increase visibility and recognition of the cultural events?
• How to enhance cross-border co-operation between Finland and Russia?

Official project website and link to first blog

Large Infrastructure Project Vainikkala is contracted and its implementation started on 1st of March 2019. Project aims at improvement of border crossing fluency of legal transports and passengers in Vainikkala border-crossing point and increasing safety on both sides of the border area. Main activities include construction and equipping of a new border-check station next to existing railway station, improving of CCTV surveillance system and adequate lighting along the track section and in the vicinity of the borderline. Train x-ray scanner is also updated to meet current requirements. 

Lead partner: Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (FIN)

(click the picture for more information)

Large Infrastructure Project Imatra is contracted and its implementation started on 1st of March 2019. Project aims at improvement of border crossing fluency of legal transports and passengers in Imatra border-crossing point and increasing safety on both sides of the border area. Main activities include installation of a new missing x-ray scanner for rail traffic, relocation of the tax-free refund office and new layout and reconstruction of the passenger terminal premises to better serve border security activities. 

Lead partner: Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (FIN)

Project release

Green InterTraffic held a successful two days project meeting in Helsinki. Air Quality, Road Weather, Road Safety and Environment were discussed and agreed among project partners/specialists and researchers: FMI, LUT, SPbCCI, SPU, IRAM, TI. New logo for the project was presented. Thank you everyone. There is a lot of work ahead.

Contact: Ludmila Karelina
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +79219441247

Project press release.

The Project «Enhancing environmental safety of road Intertraffic in the border areas of Russia and Finland applying innovation solutions» (Green InterTraffic) was initiated by the Finnish-Russian consortium of partners: Finnish Meteorological Institute (Finland, Helsinki), Lappeenranta University of Technology (Finland, Kouvola), Saint-Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Russia, St. Petersburg), Saint-Petersburg State University (Russia, St. Petersburg), Institute of Radar Meteorology, Transport Integration Ltd. (Russia, St. Petersburg).

The Project implementation period: December 01, 2018 – November 30, 2020.

The project Green InterTraffic specific objective is to elaborate effective measures for developing environmental and transport safety of the Intertraffic in the border areas of Russia and Finland applying innovative solutions and considering the changing climate factors.

Contact: Dr. Ludmila Karelina, Project Manager, Vice-President SPbCCI
Email: karelina(at)spbcci.ru
Telephone: +7 921 944 1247

RiverGo project started on 1.1.2019. Project objective is to increase cross-border cooperation, knowledge and awareness, both in Finland and Russia, to develop sustainable use of River Vuoksi environment and its natural resources. Project covers viewpoints of nature tourism, recreation and the maintenance and preservation of biodiversity and nature values amongst local inhabitants and visitors on both sides of the border. Click the picture and learn more.