Wood construction and industrial tourism were advanced with brisk
The NOHEVA project set out to strengthen Northern Ostrobothnia’s visibility as a hub for massive wood construction, where companies across the value chain collaborate through low-carbon solutions. It also supported industrial tourism by bringing together businesses and professionals in the tourism sector. In addition, the project’s outcomes help local decision-makers better understand and adapt to various crises and climate-related changes.
The work focused on three main themes: 1) industrial wood construction and promoting building with wood, 2) industrial tourism and 3) municipal crisis and preparedness capabilities.
“To promote industrial wood construction, we organized several webinars on topics such as the impacts of climate change, legislative updates, and responsibility. We also explored industrial wood construction in practice by visiting sites in northern Sweden. In addition, we held workshops where we worked with companies to develop the Nivala wood studio concept and to envision the future of massive wood construction,” says project manager Ulla Lehtinen from the University of Oulu’s Kerttu Saalasti Institute.
A concluding panel discussion explored the advantages of industrial wood construction, future prospects, and responsibility in the construction sector. The speakers emphasized the ecological benefits of wooden buildings, noting that building lifespans should stretch across centuries. They also highlighted the need for standardization in industrial construction. As panelist Ilmari Mäenpää from Olokoto pointed out, high quality and careful planning should take priority: “As long as things are planned poorly, they will cost more.”
Workshops with tourism-sector businesses and operators explored how industrial tourism could be further developed in Northern Ostrobothnia. The project gathered information on the topic and visited existing tourism destinations. A compilation on industrial tourism has been published on ISSUU.
Dialogue and planning strengthen crisis preparedness
Another goal of the NOHEVA project was to support wood and tourism sector companies in preparing for crises and exceptional circumstances. The project reviewed the crisis and preparedness capabilities of municipalities by interviewing those responsible for preparedness in ten municipalities across Northern Ostrobothnia. It also examined municipal attitudes toward wood construction.
“Based on the interviews, municipalities and local companies should increase dialogue, and municipalities across the region should strengthen cooperation on preparedness and crisis readiness. Sector-specific preparedness plans should also be developed,” Lehtinen explains.
The interview results are available in the report Crisis and Preparedness Capability of Small Municipalities in Northern Ostrobothnia (in Finnish).
The project was funded by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Northern Ostrobothnia (ERDF), Nivala Industrial Village Ltd, the City of Nivala, and other actors and companies from Nivala and nearby areas. The main implementer was the University of Oulu’s Kerttu Saalasti Institute.
Project publications and other content (all in Finnish):
Reports:
Anna-Mari Simunaniemi ja Laura Veikkola: Puurakentamisen toimialan nykytila, riskit, lainsäädäntö ja tulevaisuuden näkymät. Oulun yliopiston Kerttu Saalasti Instituutin julkaisuja 1/2024
Martti Saarela, Ulla Lehtinen ja Laura Veikkola: Pienten kuntien kriisi- ja huoltovarmuus Pohjois-Pohjanmaalla. NOHEVA – Puurakentamisesta ja matkailusta rakentuvaa vähähiilistä kriisivalmiutta -hankkeen raportti. Oulun yliopiston Kerttu Saalasti Instituutin julkaisuja 3/2025
Ulla Lehtinen: Teollisuusmatkailun kohteita ja kehittäminen Pohjois-Pohjanmaalla. ISSUU-publication. 12.10.2025
Laura Veikkola, Ulla Lehtinen: Nivalan puurakentamisen studio. ISSUU-publication. 15.10.2025
Ulla Lehtinen, Laura Veikkola: Ilmastonmuutoksen aiheuttamiin riskeihin varautuminen ja kriisivalmiuden parantaminen – opas puu- ja matkailualan yrityksille. ISSUU-publication 17.11.2025
Podcast:
Puu rakentamisessa - Ilmastoteko ja omavaraisuutta tukevaa liiketoimintaa: listen in Transistor (here also a transcript) ja Spotify
Videos:
Panel discussion on the NOHEVA project
Ulla Lehtinen´s summary: NOHEVA - Puurakentamisesta ja matkailusta rakentuvaa vähähiilistä
kriisivalmiutta
Read also:
NOHEVA project in LinkedIn
Photo: Ulla Lehtinen