Researcher dedicated to Espoo
Minna’s team of eight takes care of research and statistics. The team compiles statistics on the population and its changes, education, immigrants, housing, unemployment and employment, among other things.
“We make sure that the city’s management, planning and decision-making parties have up-to-date information at their disposal. We also prepare the population projection, which is a really important tool for many people,” Minna says.
Research activities require close cooperation with the city’s management, various industries and neighbouring cities, universities and research institutes, among others.
Information benefitting many
Minna has worked as the City of Espoo’s deputy research director since autumn 2020. Prior to that, she has worked as a specialist in urban research of Espoo, for example.
“My job description relates, for example, to the development and orientation of our unit and, at the same time, of the city-level research activities – as well as to various research projects and cooperative research activities. My work combines the work of an immediate supervisor with that of hands-on research and statistical work.”
It is precisely this combination that makes the work extremely interesting.
“It’s great to be able to produce information that is genuinely useful to so many people. I like it that I get to work with different parties, but I can also immerse myself in writing and in a more traditional role as a researcher.”
Information for knowledge-based management
According to Minna, other big cities have similar units.
“In order to run a city on a knowledge basis, we must possess competence and possibilities for reliable information and its production,” Minna emphasises.
The importance of the work also helps to cope, after all the city is a key component in people’s lives. Minna finds inspiration also in the fact that the city, as an operating environment, is constantly changing: there are always new, interesting phenomena that can be studied and on which statistics can be compiled.
This article is an abbreviated version of the article published in the City of Espoo staff magazine Espressi 2/2021. Original text Pi Mäkelä, photos Roope Permanto, Otavamedia.
City of Espoo staff magazine Espressi 2/2021 (not accessible(external link, opens in a new window))