HERVANTA EU-PROGRAMME

The EU-programme of Hervanta in Tampere started last year concentrates on the unemployment and on the development of Hervanta's attraction. Already 16 different projects have been funded and are in action. Hervanta was accepted into the West-Finland objective 2 – programme on the basis of the presentation of the city of Tampere and the Council of the Tampere Region.

The programme idea was set out due to the high unemployment rate of Hervanta compared to the average rate of Tampere. Decisive factors were also the lower income and education rates compared to the city's average rates. During the years 2000-2006 almost 100 million Finnish marks are being invested there. The support will concentrate in the areas of development work and promoting of the structural changes. The essence of the programme is to get the long-term unemployed and the socially alienated into development work. The programme's goal is to create 385 new enterprises and 1000 new working places by the end of the year 2006.

Hertta project seeks new paths to working life and social participation with a group of unemployed. Characteristics of the unemployment of Hervanta are the high rate of the long-term unemployment and the high rate of the unemployed immigrants. Strengthening of self-esteem, motivation and management of everyday life of an unemployed person is very important. With local ideas and help of business development and enterprises support from EU-programme creates conditions for new enterprises to be born in Hervanta.

Significant part of Hervanta is composed of the University of Technology and Hermia Technology Centre. During the EU-programme their image and market value is being utilised. Hervanta is a very compact area and this is the most natural place for the experiments of the 'easy to use' technology. It is important to get the residents along with the information society development. Information technology is an excellent tool which all of us should be able to utilise. At the grass root level this idea is promoted by HerPro-project. For residents HerPro's Cornernet is a place to use computers and a meeting place.