Nokia and VTT accelerate smart city development through cooperation 

The development of smarter cities is a combination of many factors in which various operators from residents to companies, research institutes and the city organisation play their important roles. Nokia and VTT have a long history of co-creation projects with each other. “I think we have been developing smart urban solutions together for about six years,” Juha Salmelin from Nokia reminisces. “Back in the day, we noticed that there is much to be developed at city level in terms of sustainable development and digitalisation, and no one can do it alone,” he adds.  

The work on smart cities between VTT, Nokia and their various partners started in the Kera district and has gradually expanded around the Otaniemi district. The aim is to facilitate the development of city services that promote the green transition and urban digitalisation. Technology, such as 5G and 6G, is used to support this aim. At the moment, the productisation of a smart city concept is underway. In the concept, the lampposts in the city are turned into smart lampposts by using sensors. They form data that is needed for urban digitalisation and smart services and that will be equally available to all service developers. 

However, it has been noted that the productisation is only the beginning when it comes to the digitalisation of smart cities. The development of the Otaniemi area and the expansion of the cooperation environment will lay the foundation for new progress. Opportunities will also open up for small and medium enterprises – a good shared brand and a functional platform help companies aim towards the global market, and, as such, these elements are worth investing in. “In Finland, operators trust in cooperation, which also benefits us. The digitalisation of cities is such a complex and vast concept that all types of operators are needed to solve the problems,” Salmelin says.  

Building a carbon-neutral society requires bold thinking and new approaches. Espoo has the ability to take up this challenge. Join us in developing future solutions in Kera, Otaniemi and Kiviruukki! The Implementation Pathway for Environments that Accelerate Sustainable Growth KETO project boosts cooperation between businesses, schools and research organisations, and creates concrete development environments that promote the green transition and digitalisation. The project is run by the City of Espoo, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Aalto University and Omnia, together with several business partners. Project is funded by European Union’s REACT-EU ERDF and is part of the European Union’s response to the covid-19 pandemic.