Transfer of Publishing Business, and Printing Industry to Republic of Karelia, and to Barents Euro-Arctic Region

Introduction

I have written this report on the 23th March in 1995 during the KEHI -course in Joensuu at Universitas Ostiensis. I have removed some parts of this report, because they include only an unnecessary information concerning myself, and some other possible participants of the project. Who needs that information? Sorry that my English was - and is still now - far from excellent, but there was no time enough to concentrate to perfect expressions of things.

Executive Summary

The main idea of the project "Transfer of Publishing Business, and Printing Industry to Republic of Karelia, and to Barents Euro-Arctic Region" is to transfer gradually the art of printing technology to Republic of Karelia, and join it to the current projects which have been planned, or implemented in the area. There has been the cooperation concerning Barents Euro-Arctic Region, whose country participants are Norway, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and European Committee. There are such cooperative projects in the Barents region between 1994-1999 as e.g. culture, transmission of knowledge, and communication, which all can be associated to the art of printing, and which we shall discuss later. At the first stage of the work it must be made a short preliminary project, or gather together the necessary information concerning the topic, and then the project must be coordinated in order to avoid duplication within different fields.

This is the project type GROUP I, when using the terminology of BARENTS PROGRAM. In fact - this stage of the work is completed at the moment by Timo Kinnunen, without any financial costs. At the second - and present stage, it must be constructed more detailed perennial project belonging to the GROUP II. If it seems to be possible to continue the project further, it should be constructed the long-term investment project. At the moment the first step is to map all the concrete work to do, as e.g. the urgent need of posters, and placards for poster-, and billboard advertising, which other projects in the area are interested in to give an assignment, and order. Also the need of brochures, booklets, folders, prospectus, etc. - ought to be evaluated. All of these works could be made in Finland, and especially the publications needed with a good quality. But the aim of the project is not, however, that these things should be made in Finland forever and ever. Instead, we ought gradually transfer the whole apparatus to Republic of Karelia. The strategy needed there is to apply all the resources which can be found in Karelia, and in neighboring areas at the moment, as well as to apply the mental and material resources available. The project itself has several own material, and mental resources - such as IS- paino in Iisalmi. Among the strengths are the network which we have, such as the previous business contacts, and representation, which IS-paino has had in Russia, as well as the experience which it has achieved. Then there is the close relationship which Universitas Ostiensis and Petrozavodsk State University have had since 1986, and there is the contract between Petrozavodsk State University, and the university of Kuopio, which has been dated in 1990. But of course there are another bilateral contracts with Petrozavodsk State University, as with other Finnish universities, and with universities in European Union and the U.S.

Hence, we can utilize the resources of Universitas Ostiensis in Joensuu, as well as the resources of the University of Kuopio. In the side of Republic of Karelia there is Petrozavodsk State University, who is an initiative participant of the project. By these universities there is a possibility to join to the cooperative projects in the Barets Region 1994-1999 - as into the direction of Transmission of Knowledge, into the direction of Communication, and into the direction of Industry and Economics - and perhaps to other directions, as e.g. of Culture, and Secondary Education, and of Health, and of many more. The reason of that overlapping of the project of "Transfer of Publishing Business, and Printing Industry to Republic of Karelia, and to Barents Euro-Arctic Region" is that very nature of the activity, and its contact surfaces to different fields.

But what about financing of the project? From the programme of Nordic Council of Ministers Working Programmes for the Adjacent Areas 1995 we might consider the target areas Industrial and financial Co- operation (NORDPRAKTIK), and Media Co-operation. From European Union activities we should associate to TEMPUS, and from its objectives to the upgrading of technical facilities, and to the development of new teaching materials and textbooks. There are also such TACIS-supported activities, as development of small and middle-sized enterprises, which ought to be considered. But we ought to consider also financing from FINNIDA, and KIE. The network which is available for concrete work consists of people who are at administrative position, or of people studying at these participating institutes, and of people at the enterprise IS-paino mentioned above. But - as the background - there are also available the network of different ministries, which have been participants at the meetings of Barents Euro-Arctic Council between 1993-1995. The project has several strengths - as its connections to the cross- border cooperation between Finland and Republic of Karelia, which is based upon several contracts - as "Lähialueyhteistyösopimus", which has been founded on the 20th January in 1992. Among the strengths which Finnish participants have in the cooperative work with Republic of Karelia, and its neighboring areas, is that Finnish language - notwithstanding that not so great many inhabitants of Karelia actually speak it. There is that cultural heritage of Kalevala, for example. But it is also the question of common history, which makes Finland and Republic of Karelia close partners, notwithstanding the possible interpretations of history. That is, there are another topics to discuss than only natural resources, and their utilizing. And further, changes in Republic of Karelia affects immediately to Finland, and both of these participants shall suffer, or enjoy of all the consequences of the chooses of neighbor, or changes which are due of any help, which shall be given. Hence, there should be more responsibility, and moral consciousness concerning the effects of activities in the area.

Introduction and understanding of the situation

We know that there are some printing art activities in Republic of Karelia already, and that there are also e.g. Apple MacIntosh computers, electronic post, as well as facsimiles in use at Petrozavodsk State University. That is: there are available communications, and editing machinery, by which to produce raw- material for printing books, and other literal material for different purposes. One of the alternatives is that we try to enlarge the use of Finnish printing houses, but we know that existing printing houses e.g. in the Federation of Russia don't like that Finnish printing houses get their works to do. How to accommodate together the interests of local printing houses, and the interests of Finnish participants of the project? Obviously there must be founded enterprises, whose participants come from both sides of the border, or there must be accommodation, and mutual cooperation with independent enterprises, with their own risks. Then there is the question: why to transfer any technology there, if there is more utility to produce literal material only in Finland, and make business with Russian, or Karelian customers? The simple answer is that there is no development, if we try to fill markets with Finnish, or European products, and if we don't try to create any Karelian trademark, or design. The possible answer for these questions depends on e.g. of whom we are discussing when talking about future customers, or producers of literal material, or the creators of trademark, or design. If we want to expand only the among of customers, there is the need of financing the activities, all kinds by funds - especially when expanding the field of customers to common citizens, or to small ethnic groups, or when advancing economical welfare, or when diminishing the socio-economical "biodiversity".

There is the need of funding when founding local enterprises, or when transferring appropriate technology, and knowledge - with which it can be produced locally literal products, which can satisfy both the needs of local authors, and foreign enterpreuners. The former need funding which is different kind, and the latter doesn't need that. However, these topics are out of scope of the project. Because there are not all kinds of activities, or infrastructure in Republic of Karelia, and because there is the growing need of more resources, and of capacity at that field in future, there is a demand for that very activity which the project is carrying on. That is: to offer a material, and firm basis to other, more sophisticated social activities. In order to expand the local capacity, it must be created more business- and cultural contacts, and enlarge schooling at the field of printing art. But it is expectable that local resources are not enough, if there shall be growing international activities in Barents Region, and in other regions of the Federation of Russia. Notwithstanding that all the local enterprises have used all of their resources, there shall be still an opportunity for all from outside to make investments, and new enterprises, after they have transferred appropriate technology to local use. Any enterprise which is coming along, make certain conditions to it. One of the most important is that demand of economical profitability within the project, and that the project is not a risky operation. Without the presence of enterprises, it could not realized any more sophisticated goal, however, and fulfill more complicated cultural needs. The project "Transfer of Publishing Business, and Printing Industry to Republic of Karelia, and to Barents Euro-Arctic Region" is a part of soft- but still industrializing tendency, and a part of increasing the self-sufficiency of the society.

Consultant and supporting organizations

Barents Euro-Arctic Region:
Universitas Ostiensis The university of Kuopio, IS-paino. [see chapters 1., and 2]

Approach and methodology

The general strategy of the project is to use the knowledge which we have, as well as physical machinery and equipments - and accommodate them to the surrounding, and to the form of life of Karelian people, who shall with them fulfill their cultural-, and educational needs, and who shall choose with them the variant of future they want. In this sense, we are not transferring any values, attitudes, or opinions, or any ideals of life. The first stage of the project is to prepare the literal material in Finland, whatever the institutions, or citizens of Republic of Karelia, Murmansk, and Arkhangelsk want. The second stage is the stage of schooling, and transferring a technology, and establish a model factory, to where to put the necessary machines. The place is probably somewhere in Republic of Karelia. The third stage of the project is to expand the activity to other regions, and perhaps to other departments of Russia. A close companion of this activity is to expand the field of Finnish business

Project organization

Advocates of Republic of Karelia, and Barents Euro-Arctic Region form a background who gives the necessary objects. Universities in Finland, and in Republic of Karelia make a follow-up group. IS-paino, with other possible advocates of printing industry shall produce materials needed.

Resources and staffing

Sorry, but there is no longer any need to print that information there, because there was no project to go on.

Time schedule and references

First there shall be a perennial project for a year, which is followed long-term investment project. More detailed schedule concerning the latter shall be given later. Then there are available CV:s which have been written in English.