City strategy
Seinäjoki city strategy 2026–2033
Vision
To be the world’s most encouraging city for business and entrepreneurship, fostering talent, attractiveness, and safety through collaboration.
Values
Community: We foster active participation, inclusion, safety, and equal opportunities for all residents.
Determination: We embrace an entrepreneurial mindset and work together to achieve meaningful results.
Courage: We lead by example, continuously innovating, adapting, and growing.
Responsibility: We act responsibly towards our residents, businesses, economy, and sustainable future.
Strategic priorities and objectives
1. Entrepreneurship-oriented Seinäjoki
The entire City Group is committed to building the world’s most encouraging city for business and entrepreneurship.
Seinäjoki is the center of Finland’s food security and supply resilience. We develop the food system value chain, sustainability, and operational reliability as key priorities of the city’s economic development policy.
We seek to strengthen the operating conditions of primary production through well-functioning infrastructure.
Through proactive economic development policies, we accelerate industrial renewal, increase value creation, promote technological advancement, and support the green transition.
We enhance the operating environment for growth-oriented and start-up businesses, while supporting the internationalisation and export growth of expanding companies.
We strengthen the RDI activities of higher education institutions and increase their impact.
We direct new study places toward sectors with strong business growth potential.
We promote the employment of international students and skilled professionals in companies across the region.
A solution-oriented approach is the foundation of all our business services and land-use planning activities.
We improve the effectiveness of business services and strengthen cooperation across the entire City Group to support companies and their success.
We align employment services to support business growth and integrate employment and business services into a seamless and effective service ecosystem.
We promote entrepreneurship education at all levels of education.
We proactively designate and develop land for business purposes through strategic planning and zoning.
- Seinäjoki as the food capital: Turnover of the food industry by municipality
(Target: the highest food industry turnover in Finland) - Growth in the number of business establishments
(Target: 1% annual growth) - Growth in private sector employment
(Target: 2% annual growth) - Position in business climate surveys and barometers
(Target: ranking among the top three cities in its size category) - Share of regional recruitment facilitated by employment and business services
(Target: to double the current share) - Vitality, retention and attractiveness (VRA) index
(Target: ranking among the top three cities with a population of 50,000–99,999 residents)
2. Growing Seinäjoki
Seinäjoki is growing, driven by an accessible, attractive, and vibrant city centre. Family life runs smoothly, and the city is a safe place to grow up. Nurmo, Peräseinäjoki, and Ylistaro are thriving district centres contributing to the city’s vitality.
We promote investments in the city center and invest in the regeneration of the railway station area.
We develop a pleasant and sustainably accessible city center.
We create opportunities for affordable housing development in the city center.
We enhance the international recognition of the Aalto Centre as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In cooperation with businesses, we will develop architectural tourism services and establish the Aalto Visitor Centre.
We strengthen Seinäjoki’ s position as an international university, student, and event city.
We further develop the conditions for hosting events and promote event-based activities as a key element of urban culture.
We will prepare vitality programs for the district centres of Nurmo, Ylistaro, and Peräseinäjoki.
We safeguard local natural environments and prepare for the impacts of climate change in the development of residential areas.
We improve the quality and convenience of everyday life for families, particularly in relation to housing, local sports and recreation facilities, and access to services.
We strengthen the seamless integration of early childhood education, schooling, and leisure services in the daily lives of children and families.
As a child-friendly city, we ensure safe and well-functioning living environments for children and young people.
We expand opportunities for children and young people to participate in hobbies and recreational activities by supporting associations and investing in sports facilities.
We promote affordable and diverse housing options for different life situations and living environments, from the city centre to rural areas.
Together with our partners, we advocate investment in a double-track main railway line.
In cooperation with the Finnish Government, we develop the Seinäjoki rail yard area and rail logistics center.
We will improve the safety and capacity of Highways 19 and 18.
West Avia is developing Seinäjoki Airport into the region’s gateway to the world, where businesses and research, development and innovation (RDI) organisations can develop new aviation solutions.
- Population growth, including natural population increase, net domestic migration, and net international migration (target: 1% annual growth)
- Growth in the population of the city center area (target: +300 residents per year)
- Construction volume measured by total floor area covered by granted building permits (target: more than 80,000 m² annually)
- Accommodation sales revenue of lodging establishments (target: 2% annual growth)
- Climate change mitigation performance (target: annual reduction in CO₂-equivalent emissions per resident and total emissions)
3. Seinäjoki of wellbeing and education
Seinäjoki is a safe and inclusive community that provides its residents with a smooth everyday life and high-quality services at every stage of life. We respond to demographic changes by developing our services flexibly and strengthening community cohesion.
We support mental wellbeing, prevent social exclusion, and provide opportunities for leisure activities, personal growth, and development.
Together with the Wellbeing services county, Seinäjoki ensures that residents have access to high-quality and effective services.
Early childhood education and schooling form a high-quality educational pathway that reaches every child and young person. Equity and continuous improvement are at the core of our work.
Literacy and other fundamental skills are the foundation of our educational services. Cultural education is an integral part of every child’s learning journey.
The library, adult education center, and cultural services serve as shared community spaces and accessible learning environments for all residents.
We actively collaborate with NGOs, associations, clubs, parishes, and other community organisations. Partnerships strengthen both service provision and community spirit.
The diverse needs of older people and individuals with mobility or functional limitations are considered in decision-making.
We strengthen community engagement and resident participation within neighborhoods so that everyone can feel they belong to our shared city.
Together with civil society organisations and community groups, we develop stronger forms of community engagement and initiatives that help prevent social exclusion.
We develop and maintain community facilities that serve as accessible meeting places and learning environments for residents.
We enhance neighborhood mobility and leisure facilities as places where people of different ages can meet and interact.
Our service pathway supports the integration and long-term settlement of immigrants in Seinäjoki.
We strengthen Finnish language education and employment services targeted at immigrants.
Integration takes place through everyday life, communities, working life, and opportunities for participation.
- Municipal health and wellbeing promotion coefficient (HYTE coefficient) (target: 75)
- Participation rate in early childhood education (target: 100% of children aged over 3)
- Performance of primary and lower secondary schools in national assessments above the national average
- Net migration of foreign-language-speaking residents between municipalities (target: positive net migration)
4. Skilled Seinäjoki with a strong and sustainable economy
A highly skilled and thriving workforce, together with a balanced economy, enables the city’s sustainable growth. We align our service provision with demographic developments and future needs
We invest in the competence, development and well-being of our personnel.
We strengthen leadership at all levels. We are determined, courageous, and accountable in our actions.
We encourage initiative and learn from experience and mistakes.
We will strengthen the city’s financial position and curb the growth of operating expenditure. Our services and organisational structures are designed to meet future needs.
We align investment levels with available revenue financing while investing boldly in initiatives that enhance the city’s attractiveness.
We improve service productivity by leveraging digitalisation, artificial intelligence, data, and innovative operating models.
We assess finances and operations from the perspective of the overall interests of the City Group.
We utilise community-based and preventive approaches that promote well-being and support a sustainable service structure.
We renew our operations and implement our strategy by leveraging external funding, particularly EU funding, and by strengthening international partnerships and networks.
- Sickness absence
(Target: fewer than 17 days per full-time equivalent employee per year) - Share of permanent employees in the workforce (headcount and FTE)
(Target: over 80% by headcount and over 85% by FTE) - Accumulated surplus in the balance sheet
(Target: parent city at least €35 million and City group at least €140 million) - Loan portfolio per capita
(Target: parent city no more than €4,850 per resident and City Group including liabilities no more than €9,000 per resident) - Amount of external project funding secured per year
(Target: at least €2 million per year)