Working with Eurocities
The City of Oulu has been a full member of Eurocities since 1998, making it one of Oulu’s longest-standing European city networks. Eurocities has served as a key platform for European cooperation, policy advocacy, peer learning, and strategic positioning of Oulu within the European urban agenda. Oulu’s journey towards becoming European Capital of Culture 2026 further strengthened the city’s European cooperation.
Since 2015, Eurocities has provided an excellent platform for building networks, sharing expertise and developing the capabilities that supported Oulu’s European Capital of Culture programme and continue to benefit the city beyond 2026. Examples of this collaboration include hosting the Eurocities Culture Forum in 2016, participating in the Culture for Cities and Regions Coaching programme in 2018, and committing to the Eurocities Lille Call to Action initiative.
Alongside culture and creativity, innovation, digitalisation and smart cities have been key themes in Oulu’s work within Eurocities. The city has actively participated in the Eurocities Digital Forum and has taken leading roles in several working groups. Oulu has also been involved in activities linked to the Living-in.EU movement and chaired this work from 2023 to 2025.
Over the years, the City of Oulu has actively participated in the annual Eurocities Awards and has won the award three times. Most recently, Oulu won the 2026 award for Urban Climate Action. The award recognised Oulu’s Sustainable Future Learning Stream model, which integrates climate literacy and sustainability into education and everyday life across the city. Even being shortlisted for the Eurocities Awards enhances Oulu’s visibility as a European city committed to innovation, development, and continuous improvement.
Eurocities has been one of Oulu’s most important European cooperation platforms, enabling the city to influence policy, exchange good practices, build strategic partnerships and showcase Oulu’s expertise in digital transformation, culture, sustainability and innovation.
Oulu has actively participated in exchange and mentoring activities that facilitate the transfer of knowledge and good practices between European cities. Such activities demonstrate Oulu’s dual role as both a learner and a contributor within the European urban community. Through the network, Oulu has promoted the perspectives of northern and Arctic cities and strengthened its visibility in European urban policy processes.
What people need to know about the city
Oulu is the capital of northern Finland. The Oulu Region has about 250,000 inhabitants and it is the fastest growing region in Finland.
Oulu combines northern hospitality, nature and culture with modern technology. Oulu values education, research and innovation and the city welcomes everyone to contribute to these dynamics.
In Oulu, the urban city and the wilderness coexist. The modern seaside city culture is combined with a lively countryside and beautiful nature. There is the ocean, the river views and city lakes. Residents practically have nature on their doorstep.
With the changing of the seasons, Oulu’s view and activities change too: a summer sailing trip becomes an ice road in the winter. Autumn is when nature is most fresh and giving, while in spring tens of thousands of migratory birds fly over the Liminganlahti bay. Even Finland’s southernmost fell, with skiing and travel centres, is situated only a 90-minute drive from Oulu.
Oulu is the fastest growing city region in arctic Europe, and among Europe’s youngest, as the average age is just 38 years. One in three people have an academic degree and they are the happiest in the North when it comes to quality of life.
Oulu can count on its solid foundation to become a smart city. It is an education and trade city with 50 years of know-how in radio technology. It has a multidisciplinary university doing extensive research and product development, and, for centuries already, the city has made its mark in international trade by exporting tar, paper, and technology solutions. Products coming out of Oulu have made locals’ day-to-day lives smoother and gifted the world with smart solutions.
On a daily basis, 2.6 billion people use mobile technologies developed in Oulu. Today, the city is at the forefront in 5G network development – and fast going towards 6G.
Oulu’s future is a carbon-neutral and resource-friendly urban environment where well-being and ageing, as well as know-how and culture, are acknowledged. Using people-first digital solutions offers many opportunities, for example, for supporting the elderly in living at home.
Oulu is the leading hub in northern Scandinavia for business, education, and culture, recognised especially for innovations in information technology. Visitors can find cutting edge education and technical expertise to raise business’ know-how to a new level.
High-quality art and culture are present and active in Oulu, its surrounding areas and northern Finland. As a bidder for European Capital of Culture 2026, Oulu wants to emphasise the significant role of culture as a factor in improving the quality of life and in re-connecting people.
