Testbed Helsinki | A testing platform for new innovations

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Helsinki’s innovation challenge seeks new concepts for the events sector – experiments to be tested at summer events

Helsinki is Finland’s most diverse and attractive city for events. However, the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic put the events industry under severe pressure and increased demand for more diverse event experiences. The events industry and the City of Helsinki have been jointly seeking new event business concepts as part of the city’s testbed activities. The aim is for new technology to continue to offer new and exciting ways of delivering events.

Aikamatka Suomenlinnaan (‘Time Travel to Suomenlinna’) mobile game teaches history of World Heritage Site in an inspiring manner

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Suomenlinna is a cultural treasure of Helsinki. As a result of the City of Helsinki’s innovation challenge, Suomenlinna sea fortress has received its first augmented reality mobile game for the enjoyment of visitors. The new Aikamatka Suomenlinnaan game brings a new dimension to trips to Suomenlinna.

Urban Tech Helsinki supports start-ups developing sustainable urban solutions

Urban Tech Helsinki is an incubator looking for clean and sustainable urban solutions. The incubator aims to support innovative and high-growth companies that solve urban challenges. The operations are focused on clean energy, mobility, sustainable construction, circular economy/waste management and urban food production. Through Urban Tech Helsinki, the City of Helsinki wants to attract experts and businesses to the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and support and accelerate the creation and early growth of new startups, especially research-driven ones. Now, the Urban Tech Helsinki incubator has started with another round of 11 start-ups.

Circular economy cluster program invites concrete companies to an innovation challenge to test the utilisation of demolition wool in concrete production

There are still few possibilities for reusing buildings’ insulation mineral wool, and in Finland alone, up to 20,000 tonnes of mineral wool ends up in landfills a year. The City of Helsinki's circular economy cluster program is organising an innovation challenge for concrete companies, where companies can test the utilisation of wool powder made from demolition wool in the manufacture of concrete.

Construction boosts circular economy – demolition in Vattuniemi shows the way

The Ministry of the Environment estimates that approximately 1.6 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste is generated every year in Finland. According to the EU’s directive on waste, 70% of this should be reused, but Motiva estimates that the figure stands at only about 50%. This serves as a good reason to promote circular economy in construction, in addition to conserving natural resources and slowing down climate change and loss of biodiversity. The circular economy cluster programme, launched by the City of Helsinki, is also aiming to achieve circular economy in construction.

Innovation agents channel companies’ development potential for the benefit of city residents

Have you already heard about the City of Helsinki innovation agents? Do you know how innovation and agents are related to each other?

A city as a test platform?

Companies and RDI actors can recommend their own solution to the City of Helsinki for testing. We review proposals on a regular basis and aim to respond to them as soon as possible. The proposals are treated with confidentiality.

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