Luke to have a more compact facility structure and improve its facility efficiency 

Today on 15 November, the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) initiated cooperation procedure to reduce its current facility costs and restrain the increase in facility costs in the future. 

Luke’s facility costs threaten to increase because several locations and research infrastructures linked to them require extensive repairs.  The goal of the negotiations is not to reduce the number of personnel but to offer work to the personnel working in the locations subject to this change in Luke’s other locations. The planned reorganisation concerns a maximum of 90 people in seven locations.  The locations subject to the negotiations are investigating the opportunity to relocate their operations in full or in part and to shift to a partnership model.  

“We are committed to supporting our personnel in the midst of these changes and will be engaged in an active dialogue with our regional partners to minimise the impact on research and cooperation,” says Ilkka P. Laurila, Senior Vice President of Administrative Affairs at Luke.  

Locations subject to the change  

The renovation of Luke’s aquaculture facilities in Enonkoski would require significant investments. In addition, the office building is underused. Luke is investigating the option of transferring the operations to other aquaculture facilities and shifting to a partnership model. The changes do not risk Luke’s activities concerning threatened fish species in the Vuoksi water area. 

The use of the experimental fish research facility in Paltamo will be discontinued due to high facility costs and significant repair needs. A new operating model will be sought for research in cooperation with business and research partners.  

Operations in Suonenjoki will be reduced and the facilities will be made more compact by discontinuing the use of the main building. Laboratory operations will be transferred to Luke’s other locations. The research infrastructure that supports berry and forest seedling research will remain in Suonenjoki.   

The Haapastensyrjä facilities will be made more compact, and the use of the current main building will be discontinued. Laboratory operations will be transferred to Luke’s other locations. In the future, the location will mainly focus on forest breeding and the protection of genetic resources.  

The use of the Ruukki barn for beef cattle research will be discontinued when the current lease agreement ends at the end of 2028. An operating model based on a research partnership will be investigated to continue beef cattle research. The internationally significant research infrastructure for peat field research and material flows will remain in Ruukki for research purposes. 

The use of the fieldwork bases in Parkano and Kannus will be discontinued, and facilities that support fieldwork in the region will be placed in Seinäjoki. 

The estimated savings in rent of roughly EUR 1.8 million will be realised in approximately four years when the lease agreements end, and no repair investments are made. As a result of these changes, savings can also be achieved in other expenses arising from downscaled activities.