Regional Council of Päijät-Häme is the statutory regional authority representing the ten municipalities of the Päijät-Häme region in southern Finland. We are responsible for regional development, regional land-use planning, transport system planning and the coordination of regional and EU-funded development initiatives. We work closely with municipalities, higher education institutions, research organisations, businesses and civil society to promote sustainable regional growth and competitiveness. As the regional development authority, we facilitate collaboration between regional stakeholders, support access to national and European funding opportunities and strengthen the region’s connections to European networks and partnerships. We also advocate for the interests of the region and its municipalities at national and European levels. Our current priorities include building competitiveness through internationalisation and sustainability, giving room for nature, creativity and clean industry and enhancing quality of life. We place particular emphasis on cooperation between public authorities, higher education institutions, research organisations and businesses to create new opportunities for investment, innovation and long-term regional resilience.
Contact detail
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Contact person
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Regional Address
Hämeenkatu 9 A
15110 Lahti
Finland
S3 Strategy
Päijät-Häme’s Smart Specialisation Strategy 2026–2029 is built around three themes: Sports, Food and Beverage and Smart Manufacturing, with sustainability as a cross-cutting principle. The strategy is based on the region’s recognised strengths, innovation potential and strong collaboration between businesses, higher education institutions, research organisations, municipalities and civil society. In Sports, Päijät-Häme combines internationally recognised sports and testing infrastructure with a unique concentration of expertise. In Food and Beverage, the region builds on a long-standing Grain Cluster and a strong food system ecosystem. In Smart Manufacturing, Päijät-Häme combines strong industrial traditions with future-oriented solutions. Regional strengths include industry clusters such as Lahti GEM – Green Electrification of Mobility, the Lahti Region Maritime Cluster and the Construction Cluster, while emerging opportunities include industrial AI and dual-use technologies. We aim to strengthen business-driven RDI, support SME innovation, attract and retain international talent, and build new international partnerships and value chains. Active participation in European networks and funding programmes is a key instrument for achieving these goals.
Strategic R&I Projects
Latest Updates
- By Martina Campajola
ERRIN and its members call on the Commission to safeguard the EU Missions and mission-oriented approach in the next MFF
More than 35 regional and local authorities urge EU decision-makers to keep the EU Missions running until at least 2030 and to keep the mission-oriented approach at the heart of Europe's future research and innovation framework. The letter underlines the strategic importance of preserving and strengthening the EU Missions and the mission-oriented approach as central pillars of Europe's competitiveness, resilience and innovation agenda.
- By West Finland
Medium-sized cities delivering Europe’s green transition: Linking EU Missions, Green Capital initiatives and regional energy ecosystems
The session highlights governance models, ecosystem partnerships and policy instruments that enable medium-sized cities to scale climate‑neutral energy and mobility solutions across Europe.