We promote the testing and development of new clean and smart solutions in an urban environment. Solutions may relate to, for example, construction, the promotion of energy efficiency, energy production, air quality, as well as the utilisation of new technologies (e.g. IoT, 5G) in an urban environment. Are you interested in co-creating a smarter and more sustainable city environment? Please contact us!
What do the test platform activities offer to businesses?
We offer both companies and RDI actors of different sizes and stages of development the opportunity to develop, experiment, and pilot smart and sustainable solutions in an urban environment together with city experts and residents. The solutions place special emphasis on enabling smooth everyday living, as well as on environmental and climate goals.
In the built urban environment, smart and clean businesses are promoted in several ways. We offer smaller experimentation challenges, as well as with wider scalable solutions through competitions and market dialogue.
Testbeds for the built environment
The City of Helsinki actively promotes smart, energy-efficient, and climate-smart solutions in their renovation and infill construction sites. They are developed and implemented in residential and service construction sites. Both individual buildings as well as at the block level are utilised. The Urban Environment Division, the City of Helsinki Housing Production (ATT), and Helsinki City Housing Company (Heka Oy) are central players in these projects.
In cooperation with various business partners, the City of Helsinki has conducted numerous experiments with smart technologies, related to e.g. 5G and extended reality, to be utilised in the urban environment. The aim is to find solutions that can be scaled elsewhere.
- New concepts for the events sector were seeked in an innovation challenge by the City of Helsinki, Fullsteam Agency and Helsinki XR Center. Solutions utilising virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), camera technology, and motion sensing were tested in summer events 2022.
- New sound beacons for metro stations and other sites were searched through an open call for agile experiments. The open call was carried out as a collaboration between the City of Helsinki and Helsinki City Transport (HKL). Companies produced solutions for more accessible public space by making it easier for different user groups to move and function independently.
- The Health Outdoor Premises for Everyone HOPE project developed, among other things, air quality measurement technology and Helsinki’s air quality measurement network. It also offered new real-time local measurement data for companies to utilise together with their partners. The project is funded by Europe’s Structural Fund’s Urban Innovative Action program.
To whom are the solutions developed for?
With the help of new, sustainable and smart solutions, a more functional and enjoyable city is built for Helsinki residents. Companies participating in the test platform activities are able to develop their business. The need-based nature and quality of their products and services improve.
