The campus and premises strategy is created in cooperation with the university

The owner meetings we held during 2020 covered the need for open and interactive cooperation between the property owner and customers. Our goal is to enable cost-effective solutions that support our customers’ activities.

Annual campus and premises strategy discussions were adopted as the new operating model for meetings between SYK and its university owners. The discussions participated in by the management of universities and those responsible for facility matters were launched in the autumn of 2020. The discussions with universities took place in September-November.

The overall picture is created through open discussion

At the same time, these discussions also started the campus and space strategy review, carried out university by university. The aim of the reviews is to create common roadmaps and an overall picture of the future spatial needs of each university.

Through an open debate, we survey the perspectives of universities for the future, creating common guidelines for matters related to premises. We aim to provide the customers with premises that best meet their requirements, both functionally and financially.

“The discussion helps both parties, the university and SYK, to see both development needs and interests more clearly. This makes it easier to create a common overall picture, around which both parties can commit to campus and space development better than before,” says Customer Relations Manager Kaisa Pitkänen.

“In the university’s operations, the premises are one of the prerequisites for success, and space solutions support its core operations. As the premises constitute a large element for the university, both physically and financially, it’s good that we draw up and review the strategy together,” says Päivi Seppä, Director of Finance and Services at the University of Jyväskylä.

A three-stage time review helps to see what’s close, and what’s far away

The aim of campus and real estate strategies is the joint management of premises and properties. The campus strategy sets objectives and guidelines for the next 6 to 10 years. These may include the development of the area, the use of premises, sustainability and the service network.

In the real estate strategy, a target-specific review is carried out jointly every 2 to 5 years, with target setting and planning for the sites. In addition, the goals of premises strategy are reviewed annually, and the key focus areas and related goals and measures are determined for the coming year.

In customer meetings held four times a year, the premises strategy paths are key factors guiding the operations. In addition to the meetings, strategic discussions take place annually between the managements of universities and SYK. This ensures that we are moving in the agreed direction, and that any changes are taken into account in the plans.

“When planning in the long term, the challenge is that the premises cannot change or expand quickly. For example, the need for peaceful working in designated premises used to be emphasised. Now people are studying and working remotely a lot, so users wish to see more premises that enable encounters,” Seppä describes the change in space planning from the University of Jyväskylä’s perspective.

This work will continue in 2021

The campus and premises strategy process is advancing to the next phase. The themes highlighted in the first campus and premises strategy discussion will be further specified in future discussions. The universities and SYK will jointly prepare action roadmaps for each campus, real estate and premises strategy level, with schedules and designated persons in charge.

“The real commitment of universities is important for the implementation of the campus and premises strategy. This means creating a long-term picture of how the activities and education developing in different fields of science will be developed, allowing premises to be developed to better meet the needs,” Seppä concludes.