Vuokatti professional Winter Nordic sports, leisure and learning education cluster
Published on 31 January 2018
Finland
Etelä-Suomi
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About this good practice
PROBLEM ADDRESSED: Transforming a winter sports leisure centre into a professional winter sports centre through clustering; long term specialisation & economic growth; combining two types of tourism & its development.
REACHING OB JECTIVES: In 1995, Cohesion funding was used to build the ski tunnel. In January 2004, the Department of Biology of Physical Activity of University of Jyväskylä launched a sports technology MSc program for students with a technical background. In 2005 a doctoral program was also started. Students are primarily taught to understand the interface between human physiology and technology in the areas of sports and wellbeing. This is achieved by combining knowledge from biomechanics, exercise physiology and science of sport coaching and fitness testing. Students are encouraged to produce a master's thesis in co-operation with companies related to coaching and testing equipment, bio signal processing and tools for human movement. In addition, international co-operation, interdisciplinary projects and the proximity of the companies are important issues in the sports technology unit.
STAKEHOLDERS: Vuokatti Sports Institute, Vuokatti-Ruka sports academy, Sotkamo municipality, research and higher education within the region and beyond (University of Jyväskylä, University of Oulu, VTT-MIKES, CSC, Center for Measurement and Information Systems - CEMIS), Regional Council of Kainuu, Vuokatti businesses.
Resources needed
University research activities and education in Vuokatti Campus: they have been supported by structural funds (ESF and RDF) during last and current program period (2007 – 2013 and 2014 – 2020) all together by 4,2 million euros.
Evidence of success
-Turnover from professional tourism: by combining sports and studying (Professional coaches and the flexible school system), for top sport training in top facilities (for example many national teams of cross country skiing use Vuokatti), business and research on sport are created
- New Ph.D.s: 4 PH.D. theses (comment: from JU 3 Ph.D Theses, 3 ongoing)
- Number of specialised graduates that are employed by local businesses: 56 M.A. out of which 37 employed by local businesses.
- New Ph.D.s: 4 PH.D. theses (comment: from JU 3 Ph.D Theses, 3 ongoing)
- Number of specialised graduates that are employed by local businesses: 56 M.A. out of which 37 employed by local businesses.
Potential for learning or transfer
1)The concept of adding leisure activities to professional tourism activities and benefitting from both.
-2)Activating of the professional tourism activities based on research & as the activation of related higher educational degrees, including international operators and participants.
-3)Supporting knowledge-based diversification: parallel to the professional sports activities, the Regional Council of Kainuu funded diversification through knowledge-economy applications; e.g. through a cooperation agreement with the University of Jyväskylä & by supporting the long-term project CEMIS on measurement technology, in which one focus area is the elaboration and productisation of measurement technology solutions for professional sports.
CONTACT PERSON: Regional Council of Kainuu, Jouni Ponnikas, [email protected]; University of Jyväskylä, Vesa Linnamo, [email protected], Anni Hakkarainen, anni.s.j.hakkarainen @jyu.fi, +358 40 777 3103.
-2)Activating of the professional tourism activities based on research & as the activation of related higher educational degrees, including international operators and participants.
-3)Supporting knowledge-based diversification: parallel to the professional sports activities, the Regional Council of Kainuu funded diversification through knowledge-economy applications; e.g. through a cooperation agreement with the University of Jyväskylä & by supporting the long-term project CEMIS on measurement technology, in which one focus area is the elaboration and productisation of measurement technology solutions for professional sports.
CONTACT PERSON: Regional Council of Kainuu, Jouni Ponnikas, [email protected]; University of Jyväskylä, Vesa Linnamo, [email protected], Anni Hakkarainen, anni.s.j.hakkarainen @jyu.fi, +358 40 777 3103.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
Regional Council of Kainuu
Finland
Etelä-Suomi
Contact
Senior project manager