Minister of the Environment Ohisalo visited Kera to learn about the circular economy solutions

Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Maria Ohisalo visited the Kera halls on 25 January 2023 to learn about local entrepreneurship, Espoo’s sustainable development work and Kera’s sustainable urban development solutions. Minister Ohisalo praised the successful visit and the impressive hub created in Kera to realise sustainable urban solutions. Discussions during the visit touched on the circular economy in construction and the role of companies in promoting sustainability.

Pasi Laitala, Director for Sustainable Development at the City of Espoo, and Meri Löyttyniemi, Chair of the Sustainable Espoo Programme and City Councillor, presented the City’s ambitious climate and sustainability goals at the Kera Hub showroom: “Espoo is to be a pioneer in building a sustainable future. It requires cooperation between the City and companies, of which Kera is a great example,” said Pasi Laitala. Meri Löyttyniemi emphasised the importance of concrete emission reduction measures and, in particular, the role of the Espoo community in promoting sustainability.  

The minister and her entourage toured the Kera halls, learning about the area’s history, the business activities at the halls, and Kera’s future plans. “The temporary and final use of the spaces in the Kera halls and the surrounding area is an impressive example of flexible use of space. There is a lot of empty space in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, which could serve different start-up and production operations,” said Development Manager Emmi Kauhanen, participating in the tour. Besides the tour of the Kera halls, another highlight was a visit to the Silmusalaatti (external link)(external link, opens in a new window) homestead, presented by organic farmer Samuli Laurikainen. The Kera halls house a local concentration of urban food producers, the growth of which has been made possible by the final use of the former logistics centre.

Kera is a former industrial area with planned housing for at least 14,000 residents in the next few years. During the development stage, Kera will serve as a platform for pilots and experiments promoting a carbon-neutral circular economy. Besides new construction, the reuse and temporary use of old buildings in the area will be supported. The new Kera will be built sustainably according to the principles of the circular economy, favouring carbon-neutral solutions to cut emissions from the area to about half of what is typical to an area of the corresponding size.