Universities have moved next to the businesses in Niemi. Located on the shore of Vesijärvi, Niemi is a hundred-year-old industrial area that is going through major changes. Now the area is also a campus for 5,000 students. More boating and recreation opportunities are planned for the shore.
The future vision is that Niemi will be a functional complex of jobs, education, research and housing as well as recreation, boating, beaches and green areas on the shore of Vesijärvi. Moving around in Niemi is effortless via walking, cycling or driving. Companies’ transportations can be done by trains and heavy traffic connections. Niemi can also be accessed by bus and by boat. The distance to the city centre is around 2.5 km.
The campus of Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology and LAB University of Applied Sciences was built on the former production facilities of Isku furniture factory along Mukkulankatu. Some of the laboratories and other teaching facilities are located at the nearby Science Park building. The Lahti University Campus and the Lahti unit of the University of Helsinki also operate in Niemi.
The aim is that education and business life would work in tight cooperation in Niemi. The presence of students has already started several other development projects. Niemi has room for new businesses and housing! The first student apartments will be completed in winter 2020–21. The goal is also to improve the walking and cycling connections within the area and from the city centre to the area.
Niemi harbour is an essential home port for small boats on the shore of Vesijärvi. The shore is also significant for its recreation opportunities, and a lakeside road from Jalkaranta to Mukkula through Niemi is being planned.