Helsinki as Innovation Platform: Benefits Visible in Residents' Lives and Companies' Product Development

"Our goal is to promote growth that makes the world a better place. We focus on innovation, especially on developing smart and sustainable solutions in the fields of learning technology, intelligent transport, the built environment, circular economy, and health and wellbeing," says Team Manager Kimmo Heinonen from Business Helsinki.

Business Helsinki coordinates and carries out the City's development and testbed activities in close cooperation with the City's divisions, as well as companies and unincorporated county enterprises under the Helsinki Group. One key partner in implementing the practical testbed activities is the City's own innovation company Forum Virium Helsinki.

The testbed supports companies' product development and the creation of new business opportunities. At the same time, residents benefit from the new innovations.

Learning environments for supporting learning and wellbeing

Challenges have been identified in early childhood education and school facilities: open spaces are not always optimal for early childhood education, and schools need spaces that facilitate concentration and wellbeing. Solutions were developed together with businesses, daycare centres and schools through trials. Daycare centres tested new ways of dividing open spaces, while schools tested spaces for calming down during the school day. Companies received valuable feedback on product development, and the feedback from daycare centres and schools was positive:

"It was great to be part of the trial! Our wishes and needs were heard from the very start. Now the situation is 100 per cent better," say Deputy Director Anne Mollberg and Director Tiina Marjoniemi from Daycare Centre Korento.

The trials were carried out as part of the EU-funded JAVIST project. Work on developing learning environments continues in the Immersive Learning Ecosystem (IMMO) project, which is building a network of digital and simulation learning in the Helsinki metropolitan area.

Wellbeing innovations for children and young people

How could the physical activity levels and wellbeing of children and young people be improved in the city? The winning companies tested their solutions in Malminkartano, encouraging physical activity in local nature, skateboarding, participation in community-based local exercise and gamification of urban space.

"We have been thinking with ‘adult brains’, but now, based on these lessons, we are refining our offering to better suit the target group. This has been an easy way for the company to try out new ideas," says Tuomas Ilander from Blokgarden.

The experiments were carried out as part of the KauKo project, co-funded by the European Union. Work continues in the Urban Wellbeing Lab, which combines data, innovation and the urban environment. Businesses can develop and test their wellbeing solutions, while residents can gain access to tools to improve their everyday wellbeing.

Understanding the flow of people at the airport

Helsinki Airport tested a technology that measures customer flows in the check-in hall anonymously in real time. The data will help improve the customer experience, facility utilisation and anticipation of maintenance needs. The trial is based on extensive collaboration on innovation.

"Now we can measure how people actually behave and move around. This information can be fed back into the design of the facilities. Going forward, the lessons learned from the experiment could also be used in Helsinki in designing other congested environments or e.g. in event management," says Osmo Mattila from Business Helsinki.

Learn more about  the airport trial(Link leads to external service)

International collaboration in circular economy of construction

The Helsinki City Strategy 2025–2029 states that promoting circular economy in construction is one of the City's economic focal points. The City Strategy emphasises the role that circular economy in construction plays in sustainable urban development and underlines that Helsinki should be a pioneer in accelerating building solutions that support circular economy.

In Belgium, Helsinki's circular economy cluster explored local progressive solutions that all demonstrated innovative thinking and bold implementation. Belgium also has a lot of old buildings and a tradition of selling old building parts for reuse. Additionally, many modern storage facilities and marketplaces for reusable building components have already been created.

"Circular economy is strongly based on collaboration, and your thinking often broadens when you see how things are done elsewhere," says Lari Sirén, Project Manager of the Helsinki Circular Economy Cluster Programme.

In both Finland and Belgium, regulation lags behind development: an innovative new solution may already be well advanced, but its implementation is prevented by the lack of flexible operating models. In Helsinki, the successes have come from the City's role as a pilot platform and from business collaboration.

Learn more about  the learning excursion of the Circular Economy Cluster(Link leads to external service)

Smoother hubs and a more comfortable public transport culture

Helsinki is involved in the SOLMU project, which focuses on developing business activities in mobility services. The aim is to identify services that can be implemented at transport hubs to make public transport and travel chains more attractive, and mobility more equal and accessible.

One example is the SOLMU Showroom at shopping centre Tripla in Pasila, where smart transport and sustainable mobility operators can co-develop new product and service innovations. The space has a continuous application period until 31 March 2026.

Join Testbed Helsinki

Does your business have an innovative solution that you would like to test in a genuine urban environment with real end users? Are you looking for product development ideas? Read more about our activities and propose a trial on the Testbed Helsinki website.

Propose a trial (link to an external service)(Link leads to external service)