Data produced by the City of Helsinki is the most useful and utilised urban data in the world by 2025
The City of Helsinki has adopted an ambitious data strategy. Helsinki's goal is to use data and analytics more effectively to provide more proactive, targeted and individualised services for its residents, when they need them. Using data and analytics also enables data-driven management: It can help the City of Helsinki can make better informed decisions, forecast the effectiveness of different measures, and automate some decision-making procedures.
Helsinki wants to be a public sector pioneer in the utilisation of data. The city's Data Strategy aims to carry out the following changes and benefits, in particular.
The data strategy was approved in 2020 and is valid until further notice.
Using data to anticipate the service needs of our customers
Proactive targeting of various city services to residents who will benefit from them requires the comprehensive utilisation of data and analytics. At the same time, the City of Helsinki commits to the MyData principle, by which residents of the city can control the data that is collected about them. This means that Helsinki residents must have the ability to control the data collected about them by the city, to authorize the city to use it in different services, and also prevent the use of their data, if they wish.
Helsinki decision-making is founded on up-to-date information
Data about the city’s operations, residents and development is constantly being generated, and the city’s reports, statistics and studies provide decision-makers with research information. Even so, this information is not currently being utilised in decision-making to the extent that modern analytics would allow. For example, Helsinki’s digital twin, a digital model of the city, could be used in the analysis of city operations and to simulate of the results of different courses of action in decision-making before decisions are even made.
Optimising city operations and resources with data
Up-to-date data and advanced analytics make it possible to direct resources and the activities of city employees more economically. Software robotics and data can also assist to automate and integrate internal city processes more efficiently.
Boosting the economy with data-sharing
Data managed by the city could be better distributed and utilised as a platform in the city’s larger ecosystem. External actors, such as communities, universities and businesses can use the city's data to conduct research and develop complementary services that Helsinki does not provide. This would benefit all parties.
Data Strategy aims to implement four changes and benefits
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Data allows the city to anticipate and respond to the service needs of its customers in a more personalised way
The city exists for its residents. The city must continuously strive to provide better services for its inhabitants. For residents, these improved services are made evident as more personalised and targeted services that are proactively available when they need them. The proactive targeting of services to city residents requires the extensive use of analytical methods. In addition, people should be able to influence how their data is being utilised, in accordance with the MyData principles.
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Up-to-date data informs city management
To achieve fluidity, quality and efficiency in the management of its operations, the city must also utilize information gleaned from data more extensively and in a more up-to-date manner. Data on the city’s operations, residents and development is being generated at different levels continuously. Already today, a variety of reports, statistics and studies provide research-based and data-based information on many different topics for decision-makers. Even so, we are not utilising this data in decision-making and operative activities to the extent that modern data lakes, data warehouses and analytics make possible. For example, the digital twin model of the city has the potential to stimulate and analyse the city’s operations from many perspectives.
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Optimising the city’s operations and resources with data
Up-to-date data and advanced analytics, such as machine learning, dynamic optimisation and predictive models, also enable the optimisation and management of city employees’ activities and resources in an economically efficient manner. Software robotics and data can help to automate internal processes and make them work together more seamlessly. Different from the above-mentioned goal of knowledge-based management, where the operations of senior and operational management are informed by the latest data, this goal aims to automatically optimise resources using data and algorithms.
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Boosting the economy and utilising external resources with data-sharing
In addition to internal operations, data managed by the city should be shared and utilised as a platform in the communities, universities and businesses in the city’s larger ecosystem. External actors can conduct research and develop services that don’t exist or are lacking in the city’s own selection of services.