Transition monitoring and analysis of management models

Socio-economic wellbeing of the population of Ida-Viru County and labour force monitoring

The aim of the project is to analyse how the transition from an oil shale-centred to a new economic model is taking place in Ida-Viru County and how the opportunities of locals to benefit from the changes can be increased. We are looking for ways to support the entrepreneurial spirit of the region's inhabitants, their willingness to retrain and innovate, the retention of young people in the region, the development of services and the maintenance of optimism, based on surveys of businesses and local residents and on the experience of other countries.

We will develop:

1. A methodology for monitoring and forecasting regional labour demand in cooperation with the Estonian Qualifications Authority. This will support the retraining of local motivated people and the preparation of new professionals who could come to the region.
2. A methodology for mapping and monitoring the socio-economic wellbeing and innovation potential of the local population, which can be used by: new entrepreneurs when preparing their business plans; foundations and NGOs working to improve the local environment when preparing applications; tourism, education, etc. clusters, local authorities and other bodies when preparing their development plans.

Assessing the future-proofing of technologies

Shifting from an oil shale-centred economic model to a more diversified and sustainable economy will involve interconnected innovations in science, technology, policy, everyday life and culture. Stimulating new technological niches will play an important role. Research projects and measures to increase the knowledge intensity of the economy, supported by the Just Transition Fund, will play this role in the transition in Ida-Viru County.

The aim of the project is to examine the results of knowledge-intensive activities in the economy of Ida-Viru County. Specifically, the focus will be on what new technological niches will be created in the course of the just transition, both in start-ups and research projects, and what stage of development they will reach during the project period. However, researchers are also interested in what factors, from people to regulatory frameworks and subsidies, influence the progress of these niches.

The survey maps technology readiness and business readiness indicators for new technological niches, helping to assess the success of knowledge-intensive activities in Ida-Viru County and providing policy recommendations for the future.

Health impact assessment of the transition

Societal change has a direct impact on people's health. Current data show that the health of Ida-Viru County residents is worse than in the rest of Estonia: lower life expectancy, fewer years lived in good health and more chronic diseases, including asthma in children. At the same time, medical care is often more difficult to access in Ida-Viru County than elsewhere in Estonia, and the Russian-speaking population in particular often lacks information on healthy lifestyles. 

The project will examine the health and health service utilisation of the residents of the Ida-Viru region, identify the weaknesses of the healthcare system in Ida-Viru County, and put together a measurement methodology to monitor health changes in the population of Ida-Viru County, predict trends and plan interventions in an evidence-based manner. 

On the basis of the data collected, we create the most likely roadmap of how the health of the population will change under different future scenarios for the healthcare system in the region. The results of the survey will be integrated into the environment and health monitoring barometer, which will help monitor and predict changes in the future.