Mirja Vehkaperä is a prominent Finnish politician and local government leader, serving as the Chair of the City Board and Member of the City Council of Oulu—a city globally recognized for its digital innovation and smart city ecosystems. A former Member of both the Finnish Parliament (2007–2018) and the European Parliament (2018–2019), she brings extensive legislative experience to regional governance, focusing on regional development, circular economy, and digital transformation.
At the European level, Mirja has been an active member of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) since 2020. Representing the Renew Europe group, she sits on the Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER) and the Commission for Natural Resources (NAT). She is also a key member of the CoR's Green Deal Going Local working group, advocating for decentralized funding, sustainable construction, and the integration of smart technologies to help municipal areas meet their climate-neutrality objectives.