Ongoing development

The Finnish AI Region (FAIR) innovation hub, operating in the capital region, tackles challenges related to the use of high technology. These challenges affect companies of all sizes, but they are particularly highlighted in companies with fewer than 100 employees. They are often just taking the first steps, especially in terms of utilising artificial intelligence on a daily basis.

The FAIR innovation hub focuses primarily on digital services, smart cities and health. Its aim is to remove some of the obstacles that currently hinder the extensive introduction of artificial intelligence within local companies.

The services of the FAIR innovation hub are divided into six categories:

1. advisory services
2. competence development
3. support in concept and solution development
4. experimentation opportunities
5. networking
6. support in finding investments.

The services are mainly available to companies free of charge. The hub’s activities started in the autumn of 2022 and, during the first three years, the digitalisation of companies will be supported with funding of more than EUR 3 million.

The City of Espoo serves as the coordinator of activities that focus on support in concept and solution development, experimentation platforms and experiments and, together with Enter Espoo, offers events that help businesses find funding and partners. Together with the Business Espoo network, companies are advised to make use of the FAIR services. FAIR works closely with other Finnish and European digital innovation hubs (European Digital Innovation Hubs, EDIHs(external link, opens in a new window)).

In addition to the cities of Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa, the FAIR members include the University of Helsinki, Aalto University, Haaga-Helia, Metropolia, CSC, KIRAHub and EIT Digital and Enter Espoo as affiliate partner.

Further information:

FAIR EDIH(external link, opens in a new window)

Heli Hidén, Project Manager for FAIR EDIH, heli.hiden@espoo.fi

Espoo is looking for new, innovative solutions to develop energy-positive areas as part of a European joint project. A key objective of the SPARCS project coordinated by VTT is energy-positivity, which means increasing local surplus energy production by means of renewable energy production and energy efficiency. 

Our aim is to achieve this by developing energy-efficient regional solutions based on local renewable energy sources for construction and mobility. Solutions are under development in two Lighthouse cities of the project, Espoo and Leipzig, and will be utilized in five successor cities. 

The project is part of a major challenge related to enabling changes in mobility and energy use and practicing a more sustainable lifestyle. In energy solutions, the analysis focuses on regions instead of individual properties. Further improvement goals include electric mobility, functionality of transport hubs and carbon neutrality. The goal is to generate globally significant imprints for the city – new innovations. In practice, companies in Espoo develop and experiment with new solutions first at the local level and then export the best solutions globally. 

Project’s schedule is from October 1st, 2019, to September 30th, 2024. During the first three years, solutions related to energy and mobility will be developed in Espoo and Leipzig and then tested for at least two years elsewhere in Espoo and in five successor cities. 

• Elina Wanne, Project Manager, elina.wanne@espoo.fi 
• Jani Tartia, Specialist (mobility), jani.tartia@espoo.fi 
• the webpage of the Espoo's project
• the webpage of the international project(external link, opens in a new window)

The City of Espoo is involved in an EU project called UserCentriCities, which promotes the user orientation of city services.

The UserCentriCities project is a joint project of nine partners aimed at promoting the availability and usability of digital services in cities. The project has received funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme.

The project is based on the Tallinn Declaration(external link, opens in a new window) signed by the EU Member States in 2017, in which they committed themselves to developing high-quality digital services in a user-centric manner.

As a large part of the public sector digital services are provided by cities, the UserCentriCities project aims to support the implementation of the principles of the Tallinn Declaration in cities.

The project will develop common user-centricity indicators and a view from which to follow the development, as well as a toolbox to support urban development work. The sharing of lessons learned and experiences is of great importance for the project, and various peer learning forums are organised not only for the members of the consortium but also for other European cities.

In addition to Espoo, the other partners involved in the project are Tallinn (EE), Milan (IT), Rotterdam (NL), Murcia (ES), the Emilia-Romagna region (IT), VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, the Eurocities network and the Lisbon Council think tank.

In Espoo, the UserCentriCities project is linked to the improvement of customer service and the MyEspoo project, which aims to develop a new self-service channel for electronic services in Espoo.

• Development Manager Piia Wollsten piia.wollsten@espoo.fi 

The metaverse, or social virtual reality, is thought to be the next stage in the development of the internet. In the metaverse, 3D virtual spaces are combined into an interactive virtual universe.

The project has brought together a network of cities that forms a counterpart to Business Finland's business-focused Metaverse Finland (MEFI) network. The aim of the project is to identify how cities could better utilize metaverse solutions in their development. The intention is also to join European networks, find good practices, and study national and international standards related to metaverse development.

The project is being implemented by the City of Oulu in collaboration with the University of Oulu, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, and the City of Espoo. Tampere is also involved in the collaboration.
Kansallinen Metaversumi verkosto (FINverse)(external link, opens in a new window)

Further information:
Mervi Hämäläinen 
Development Manager 
mervi.hamalainen@espoo.fi 
tel +358 40 6369721

The project aims to create trustworthy digital public services for improved integration of migrants in Finland, hence strengthening Finnish society through increased inclusion and economic vibrance.

Trust-M is a partnership between City of Espoo, Aalto University, University of Helsinki and Tampere University. trustmproject.aalto.fi(external link, opens in a new window)

Further information: 

Project Manager Irena Bakic
irena.bakic@espoo.fi
tel +358 40 6343409

The City of Espoo has been a pioneer in impact-based leadership since 2019. This innovative approach was launched during the pandemic when Espoo introduced the first city-level impact map to address new knowledge management needs. Impact leadership is Espoo’s way of ensuring that the city’s strategic vision, the Espoo Story, is realised and evolves in line with current demands.

In collaboration with the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT), Espoo is developing precise metrics to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the strategy within a dynamic urban environment. Pilot projects, built on system theory, gather valuable data that enables us to analyse impact and make better decisions for the benefit of Espoo residents. These pilots utilise both existing and new data sources, such as mobile data.

Developing expertise in impact assessment is a key component of Espoo’s success. For the third time, the city is offering its employees impact assessment training, allowing them to deepen their skills and learn how to address complex social challenges through data-driven approaches. This training prepares our staff to respond to future challenges proactively and systematically.

Impact leadership not only enhances city operations but also promotes green business and fosters innovations that support sustainable development. When actions are socially and environmentally responsible, Espoo can deliver better services to its residents. The end result is more efficient operations, financial savings, and more targeted decisions that benefit both residents and the city organisation.

Further information:

• Anni Orttenvuori-Ganter, Development Manager, anni.orttenvuori-ganter@espoo.fi
• Marko Karttunen, Data Analytics Consultant, marko.karttunen@espoo.fi

The Digital Agenda's aim is to promote the digitalisation of municipal services, utilisation of new technology, introduction of electronic services and adoption of new operating methods. These are the goals we are implementing in the Digital Agenda programme 3.0 which is a continuation of The Digital Agenda 1.0 and 2.0. It is based on experiments that last from a few months to a year. In the experiments, we test product and service ideas and develope them with companies, educational institutions, research institutes and customers in the spirit of co-creation.

More information:

• Digital Agenda
• Valia Wistuba, Development Manager, valia.wistuba@espoo.fi

HyteData 2.0 (short for ‘Vaikuttavuutta hyvinvoinnin ja terveyden edistämisen tehtävien johtamiseen’ = enhancing effectiveness in managing health and wellbeing promotion tasks) is being implemented in cooperation with the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County and HyTe ry. It has received a total of EUR 440,000 in funding from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, allocated from the budget for health promotion. The project will last for two years and will be completed by the end of 2026.

The main objective of the project is to improve the availability and quality of data on residents’ health and wellbeing. Increasingly detailed data by population group and geographical area is needed for assessing service needs, targeting measures, allocating resources and monitoring the achievement of objectives – both in municipalities and wellbeing services counties. High-quality wellbeing data is also an important tool for preventing segregation. Non-governmental organisations are also key actors in promoting health and wellbeing, as they gather a wealth of experience-based data on residents’ wellbeing.

The project aims to create a comprehensive and high-quality knowledge base on health and wellbeing promotion (Hyte data), as well as related analytics and reporting solutions that support decision-making in both municipalities and the wellbeing services county. In addition, the project supports leaders and experts in utilising data and strengthening competence in data-driven management, for example through training and co-creation.

• developing user-oriented reports needed for health and wellbeing promotion management, and improving their data content;
• a data analytics pilot combining data from Espoo and the wellbeing services county, focusing on the service needs of multilingual youth and the prevention of social exclusion;
• training on data-driven management and the use of data analytics tailored to support the organisation’s own development goals;
• strengthening cooperation and developing processes, especially in information sharing and production between municipalities, the wellbeing services county and NGOs.

The data needed for managing health and wellbeing promotion is currently scattered across different sectors, organisations and information systems. This makes it challenging to form a sufficiently comprehensive picture and to understand cause-and-effect relationships. The purpose of the HyteData 2.0 project is to ensure that decision-makers and experts have access to sufficiently up-to-date and high-quality data and the necessary competence to interpret the data.

The project is led by the City of Espoo and implementation is guided by a broad steering group that includes representatives from all Western Uusimaa municipalities, the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County, and HyTe ry.

• Wilhelmiina Griep, Development Manager, wilhelmiina.griep@espoo.fi  
• Taru Ikäheimonen, Wellbeing Manager, taru.ikaheimonen@espoo.fi

The HyteData 2.0 project is a continuation of the earlier HyteData 1.0 project, which created, among other things, a cooperation model, a knowledge base description, and a handbook on data analysis processes at interfaces. The new project takes development to the next level and enables even more effective management through the use of data.