Peurunka and Freia introduce a new way for organisations in Finland to build a sustainable workplace wellbeing culture – a research-based concept is put into practice
Peurunka Oy and Freia Oy are launching a strategic partnership to create a new, research-based and long-term concept for managing workplace wellbeing for companies and other employer organisations. The partnership combines Freia’s service concept, based on a nine-year doctoral study, with Peurunka’s research-based expertise, service delivery capabilities and customer environment.
The commercial partnership agreement was signed at Peurunka on 29 October 2026. Peurunka is the first licensing partner in Finland for Freia’s research-based service concept. The partnership supports the renewal of Peurunka’s wellbeing business and enables the expertise of its personnel to be developed into new, long-term service solutions.
The partnership addresses a recognised challenge in working life. Workplace wellbeing is widely discussed and substantial amounts of data are collected, yet actions and information often remain disconnected, while results are expected too quickly. In Peurunka and Freia’s research-based approach, workplace wellbeing is managed as a long-term investment that connects objectives, implementation, participation and impact.
A nine-year doctoral study created the foundation for the partnership
A doctoral study published at the University of Jyväskylä in September followed a comprehensive workplace health promotion programme over nine years. The study examined the programme’s design and implementation, employee participation and lifestyle changes, changes in health risks, sickness absence and financial effects.
- 67 per cent of participants reported a successful lifestyle change.
- Sickness absence decreased by 38 per cent from baseline.
- The programme reached 58 per cent of the entire workforce over the multi-year process.
- The reduction in sickness absence generated estimated savings of approximately €780,000 for the employer.
In the partnership between Peurunka and Freia, the research findings provide the foundation for planning, leadership, targeting and impact evaluation. Customer-specific objectives, indicators and outcomes will always be defined according to each organisation’s starting point and needs.
Peurunka renews its wellbeing business
Peurunka aims to differentiate itself in the market as a bold innovator and trusted partner in workplace wellbeing management. Research shows that workplace wellbeing development is not based on individual campaigns, but on data-driven analysis that responds to customer needs, long-term implementation and continuous evaluation. Peurunka contributes its long-standing research-based expertise, customer environment and ability to deliver practical service solutions.
“We are bringing companies and other employer organisations a new way to build and manage a sustainable workplace wellbeing culture. The work is carried out in close collaboration with company management, supervisors and personnel, so that workplace wellbeing does not remain a series of isolated actions but becomes part of the organisation’s everyday operations, leadership and strategic development. By combining Freia’s research-based concept with Peurunka’s research-based expertise, we can build solutions whose implementation and impact can be monitored over the long term,” says Apa Salmi, CEO of Peurunka Oy.
Freia’s research-based concept scales through partnership
Freia contributes its research-based service concept, impact-oriented approach, workplace wellbeing and work ability steering group model, Playmaker model, and a selection of expert services, including executive team coaching and JobFit assessments. Freia’s role is to support customer acquisition, ensure implementation in accordance with the concept, and help customer organisations build multi-year plans, monitoring practices and leadership structures. Most of the actual service delivery will be carried out by Peurunka’s personnel.
“A key finding of the recent doctoral study was that the effects of investing in workplace wellbeing emerge over years. Research findings therefore need to be translated into management decisions, practical services and continuous implementation. Peurunka is a strong first licensing partner for us because it has a long tradition of using research-based methods, extensive experience in meeting people as individuals, an engaging service environment and a clear ambition to renew its wellbeing business. Together, we can put the research findings into practice on a much broader scale than either company could achieve alone,” says Antti Äikäs, CEO of Freia Oy.
The goal is to build a sustainable workplace wellbeing culture
The services developed through the partnership are intended for companies and other employer organisations that want to strengthen employee wellbeing and work ability, manage sickness absence and the costs of lost productivity, and develop workplace wellbeing management over the long term.
The service solutions combine work with management teams and supervisors, development of work ability management processes, services targeted to employee needs, coaching, community-based initiatives and impact monitoring. More detailed information on the service offering and the first customer initiatives will be presented as the partnership progresses.