Partner search: Tohmajärvi municipality are seeking a northern Sweden municipal partner for a focused cross-border comparison project under Interreg Aurora Priority 4.
The project will
- Identify current generative AI-related governance practices
- Compare approaches between two small border-area municipalities
- Produce a concise joint summary note outlining practical considerations
Project summary
This small-scale project brings together Tohmajärvi (Finland) and a partner municipality in northern Sweden to jointly examine emerging digital governance risks in small municipal administrations.
Small border-area municipalities operate with limited specialist resources while facing increasing digitalisation demands and evolving cybersecurity requirements. The use of generative AI in public administration illustrates these emerging governance-related challenges in a concrete and timely way.
Rather than developing new systems or implementing technological solutions, the project focuses on identifying and comparing current practices in order to define practical ways of addressing such risks in small municipal contexts.
Objectives and results
Overall objective
To identify and define practical ways for small border-area municipalities to address emerging digital governance risks, using generative AI in public administration as a concrete case example.
Specific objectives
- To identify current practices and governance-related challenges concerning generative AI use in the participating municipalities.
- To compare these findings and outline practical considerations relevant to small border-area municipalities.
Expected results
- An overview of current practices and governance-related challenges concerning generative AI use in the participating municipalities.
- A concise joint summary note outlining practical considerations relevant to small border-area municipalities.
Activities
- Internal mapping of current practices
Collection of existing examples, procedures and governance-related considerations concerning generative AI use in each municipality.
- Structured comparison session(s)
Online workshops to compare findings and identify similarities, differences and shared governance-related challenges.
- Preparation of a concise joint summary note
Compilation of findings and practical considerations into a short, jointly prepared document.
Partners
Lead partner:
Tohmajärvi Municipality (Finland) – project coordination and documentation.
Tohmajärvi is a rural municipality in North Karelia, Finland, located at the country’s eastern border with Russia, with a population of around 4,000 residents. The municipality is part of the Central Karelia sub-region. The Niirala border crossing, within Tohmajärvi’s territory, is one of Finland’s busiest road and rail gateways to and from Russia, including freight and historical passenger traffic. Although geopolitical circumstances have affected passage in recent years, the infrastructure and border management legacy underline Tohmajärvi’s strategic position in cross-border regional dynamics.
This unique location has made digital competence, cyber-secure public services, and responsible technology adoption (including generative AI) especially salient for municipal administration. The municipality’s experience with cross-border infrastructure, logistics networks, and resource limitations contextualises a shared challenge across rural border regions in North-Europe, making Tohmajärvi a cogent partner for joint analysis, pilot work ad development of cross-border
Partner municipality (Northern Sweden)
Participation in mapping, structured comparison and joint summary preparation.
Budget framework
Total project budget 40,000 € (20,000 € per partner).
The budget supports
- Coordination and documentation
- Limited structured comparison meetings
- Preparation of the concise joint summary note
Cross-border added value
Small border-area municipalities often address digital governance questions independently within their own administrative contexts. While the challenges are comparable, structured opportunities for direct comparison between similar municipal settings across the border remain limited.
This project creates a time-bound and proportionate format for structured comparison of current practices related to generative AI use. The added value lies in examining similar administrative challenges from two national contexts and identifying practical considerations relevant to small municipal environments.
Programme relevance
The project contributes to Interreg Aurora Priority 4 (Specific Objective 4.1) by enabling structured cooperation between two small border-area municipalities on an emerging administrative issue. The cross-border dimension lies in the joint identification and comparison of practices within similar municipal contexts across national borders.
The project strengthens practical cooperation through structured comparison and reflection rather than through development of new systems or policy instruments.
Contact
Ms. Päivi Korhonen, Proposal preparation expert, paivi.korhonen@pdge.eu, tel. +358 50 3030229
Mr. Mikko Löppönen, Mayor of Tohmajärvi municipality, mikko.lopponen@tohmajarvi.fi
