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Pirkan Helmi operates in the southern part of
Tampere region in sub-region called South Pirkanmaa. The region of
South Pirkanmaa consists of the towns of Valkeakoski and Akaa and the
municipalities of Kylmäkoski and Urjala. The total area of the
region is 1191 km². The region has good connections formed by the
Tampere to Helsinki and Tampere to Turku highways, together with the
busiest railway line in Finland.
There are about 43 000 inhabitants in the region of South Pirkanmaa.
Out of these, close to a half lives in Valkeakoski and one fourth in
Akaa. Akaa and Kylmäkoski are growing in population, while the
populations of Urjala and Valkeakoski are expected to decrease. As a
whole, the region of South Pirkanmaa is growing, but the growth is
concentrated in Kylmäkoski and Akaa, while Urjala and Valkeakoski
at the same time are losing inhabitants.
The service sector provides the most opportunities for employment in
South Pirkanmaa, as is the case in the whole of Finland. However, the
share of services is smaller than the average for the entire nation,
while the share of industry is bigger. South Pirkanmaa is the most
industrialised of all the sub-regions of Tampere region. Primary
production is somewhat more important on an average than in the whole
of Finland. The municipalities have different sources of livelihood:
Valkeakoski and Akaa are mainly industrial, while Kylmäkoski and
Urjala are characterized by agriculture.
The strength of South Pirkanmaa is its central location immediately
south of the major city of Tampere, and the fact that traffic
connections are excellent. Living in the region is cheaper than in the
city area, which is a marketing advantage for drawing in new
inhabitants. The high unemployment rate in the region is a weak point.
The area is also strongly dependant on the existing major industry, and
new small enterprises are welcomed. The acquiring of new
inhabitants to the region is seen as a possibility. This would lead to
new members taking part in the activities of associations. The
development of culture and tourism in the region creates possibilities
for entrepreneurship, which in turn creates jobs into the countryside.
A risk in the future is the ageing of the population, which weakens the
economy of the municipalities. The weakening of the economy of
the municipalities leads to less services, especially in the
countryside.
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AREA
