Municipal actors establish KPK ICT and KPK THH to promote cooperation

The municipal service centres KPK ICT Oy and KPK THH Oy were founded on 15 September 2010 at the House of Municipalities in Helsinki through a collaborative effort of municipal actors. It is expected that the ownership base of both these companies will expand considerably during the late autumn as the decision-making process in municipalities proceeds. “The founding shareholders have boldly and concretely started out to promote information cooperation, which will improve both the profitability of public economy and range of service offered to people,” says Antti Kivelä, Director of Sitra’s Municipal Programme.

The establishment of the companies is based on the Sitra-coordinated Municipal Service Centre project, the participants of which have included numerous municipalities, federations of municipalities and shareholders, such as the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities and the Ministry of Finance. Collaboratively drawn-up business plans were made concrete when two companies owned by municipal actors were founded on 15 September 2010. KPK ICT Oy, a provider of information management services, has 21 founding shareholders, and KPK THH Oy, which provides financial and human resources management services, has 11 founding shareholders (*list of founding shareholders).

Expanding ownership base

“The companies have been received unambiguously positively, which has given a boost to their establishment. Over 100 municipal actors have signed a letter of intent to show their wish to be among the owners of the service centres, so as municipal decision-making proceeds, it is expected that the ownership base will expand significantly. The first share subscription period will end on 31 March 2011 and the doors of the companies are open also to the municipalities, who have not signed the letter of intent,” says Antti Kivelä, Director of Sitra’s Municipal Programme.

Board work commences

With the establishment of the companies, concrete operations in accordance with the business plan can commence. Sitra’s President Mikko Kosonen will be the first Chairman of the Board of KPK ICT Oy, while Kari-Pekka Mäki-Lohiluoma, Director General of the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, will assume the post of Vice Chairman. Antii Kivelä, Director of the Municipal Programme, will be the Chairman of the Board of KPK THH Oy with Jaana Kuuva, Financial Director of the City of Kotka, as his Vice Chair.

Towards more harmonised systems

The operations of the companies’ network-like centres of expertise is based on the competence found in the municipalities and its further strengthening, duplication of solutions through cooperation and close internal and external shareholder cooperation. The companies will especially improve the manageability and predictability of operations as well as procurement expertise in the municipal sector. For the public, the operations of the service centres will enable more extensive services over municipal boundaries in the future.

For further information, please contact:

Antti Kivelä, Director, Sitra, Municipal Programme, tel. +358 40 482 7435, first name.surname@sitra.fi

Further information on the Municipal Service Centre project is available at the Sitra.fi website in Finnish.

*List of founding shareholders

KPK ICT Oy

Askola municipality
Enonkoski municipality
City of Forssa
City of Hämeenlinna
City of Imatra
City of Kankaanpää
City of Kotka
City of Kouvola
City of Kristinestad
City of Kuusamo
City of Mikkeli
City of Vaasa
Hirvensalmi municipality
Humppila municipality
Inari municipality
Kangasniemi municipality
Myrskylä municipality
Pertunmaa municipality
Pukkila municipality
Ristiina municipality
South Karelia Social and Health Care Federation of Municipalities
Tavastia Proper Health Care District Federation of Municipalities
The Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities
Ypäjä municipality

KPK THH Oy

Askola municipality
City of Imatra
City of Kankaanpää
City of Kotka
City of Kouvola
City of Mikkeli
Humppila municipality
Enonkoski municipality
Myrskylä municipality
Pukkila municipality
South Karelia Social and Health Care Federation of Municipalities