What is Testbed Helsinki?

Helsinki is a testbed for new innovations. The City of Helsinki provides companies and RDI actors a wide variety of development and testing opportunities for new innovations, products and services. The key content areas of our testing platform activities are EdTech, Smart Mobility, Built Environment, Circular Economy and Health & Wellbeing.

Helsinki aims to be an enticing place for testing out new solutions in an urban environment – as was stated in the City of Helsinki’s 2021-2025 strategy. Also companies and RDI actors have wished the city to take an active role in test platform activities. At Testbed Helsinki you will find diverse opportunities the City of Helsinki offers for developing new solutions. We promote business opportunities for companies and create well-being for all citizens of Helsinki.

The city’s development and testing platforms are also known as testbeds. They are physical or virtual environments, in which development activities are accessible for all partners of the city. The development and testing of new products and services is carried out in real-life conditions. This happens in close collaboration together with companies, city staff, end-users, universities, polytechnics, and research institutes. The city’s resources, such as buildings or data, as well as service units, such as schools and health centers, are utilized as product development environments in the development and test platform activities.

The Economic Development department of Helsinki City Executive Office coordinates and implements the city’s development and test platform activities. We closely co-operate with City Divisions and companies and businesses belonging to Helsinki City Group. Helsinki’s innovation company Forum Virum Helsinki works as a central partner in implementing the practical test platform activities.

Please note! The test opportunities offered by the City of Helsinki to companies are not a route to the city’s procurement. If a test that is carried out in co-operation with the city is linked to a procurement implemented by the city, this will be clearly communicated separately.

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