Center of Wellbeing and Health Expertise

Health and safety sectors are strong areas of expertise. In Kuopio, significant research, development, and business activities are dedicated to solving global health and well-being challenges of world-class standards.

At the core of the health sector operates an open innovation ecosystem called Kuopio Health. There are over 5,000 jobs in the health sector in Kuopio, and there are more than 1,000 health-related companies in the Kuopio area. The university campus is located near the city center of Kuopio in Savilahti by the shores of Lake Kallavesi. The campus houses three levels of education (UEF, Savonia, Sakky), with approximately 18,000 degree and postgraduate students.

Due to its top-notch research and expertise, Kuopio ranks among the most significant competence hubs in the health sector in Finland and globally. In Kuopio, cutting-edge international research is conducted in cardiovascular diseases, metabolic and neurological disorders, as well as musculoskeletal diseases.

The University of Eastern Finland is the largest medical and pharmaceutical educator in Finland and coordinates the National Neurocenter in Kuopio, which is a collaborative network for neuroscience research and development in Finland. VTT has also initiated new research activities in the field of digital health as part of Kuopio’s growing well-being and health technology ecosystem. The aim is to create global health technology business in Finland and the Kuopio region. Kuopio is home to a wide range of top companies in the well-being and health sector, such as GE Healthcare, Charles River, and FinVector.