Our portfolio (2021–) focuses on four key themes that strengthen knowledge hubs, develop experimental environments, promote innovative procurement, and support the creation of new business services in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The innovation project portfolio currently consists of 17 projects within the four programme themes.
Projects in Ecosystem development and New ventures
The project provides a platform to strengthen collaboration and co-creation in the digital and creative industries. Additionally, the project offers concrete support and guidance measures to enhance the business operations and increase the production of startup companies and those aiming for international growth in the digital creative sectors (AV, XR, audio, gaming).
The project supports the sustainable business, growth, and skills development of creative industry players by promoting the development, application, and implementation of new practices and solutions within companies.
Project partners: Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, City of Helsinki, Aalto University
The project’s goal is to transform the Helsinki metropolitan area into a world-class knowledge hub by supporting the relocation and establishment of foreign growth companies in the region. The presence of these companies will strengthen existing expertise and knowledge clusters with new innovations.
The project creates a new approach to help international growth companies integrate into the local innovation and business ecosystem, enabling them to grow and operate in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
The project is implemented in collaboration with a broad network of partners, including organizations that serve Finland’s vitality and growth, as well as entities that promote entrepreneurship in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
Project partners: City of Helsinki, City of Espoo, City of Vantaa
We coordinate the project portfolio and the HEVinnovations programme.
Project partners: City of Helsinki, City of Espoo, City of Vantaa
The project has ended 12/2025.
The project aims to develop new collaboration opportunities between ecosystem stakeholders to enhance the vitality of cities and strengthen the operating conditions and growth potential of businesses.
The goal is to create business clusters and innovation ecosystems where the cities in the Helsinki metropolitan area broadly develop activities in cooperation to address challenges.
Project organization: City of Vantaa
Innovation ecosystems must evolve continuously to stay competitive. This theme enables the programme to respond to emerging technologies, new business opportunities, and unexpected changes in the innovation landscape.
Projects can explore new growth areas and support the development of innovation and business ecosystems across sectors. Activities may include services that strengthen companies’ technological and business capabilities, as well as initiatives that support internationalisation and collaboration.
By supporting both emerging sectors and cross-industry cooperation, the programme helps ensure that the Helsinki Metropolitan Area remains a dynamic and globally competitive innovation environment.
Projects in Smart and Sustainable Urban Solutions
The project supports the sustainable business, growth, and skills development of creative industry players by promoting the development, application, and implementation of new practices and solutions within companies.
Project partners: City of Helsinki, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, City of Espoo, City of Vantaa
The Food Waste Ecosystem creates a new, network-based approach in the Helsinki metropolitan area to reduce food waste and utilize it more efficiently. The project brings together food and circular economy companies, educational and research institutions, and food aid organizations. Collaborative development creates opportunities for new business ideas.
The project investigates companies’ opportunities to build and develop business from inedible food waste and food waste. As part of the project, the quantity and quality of food waste will be measured. The results will enhance understanding of how food waste can be further processed for commercial use.
This work supports the sustainable development and carbon neutrality goals of the municipalities in the Helsinki metropolitan area, as well as the EU’s sustainable development goals.
Project partners: City of Vantaa, Laurea University of Applied Sciences, City of Helsinki, Natural Resources Institute Finland
The project’s goal is to transform the Helsinki metropolitan area into a world-class knowledge hub by supporting the relocation and establishment of foreign growth companies in the region. The presence of these companies will strengthen existing expertise and knowledge clusters with new innovations.
The project creates a new approach to help international growth companies integrate into the local innovation and business ecosystem, enabling them to grow and operate in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
The project is implemented in collaboration with a broad network of partners, including organizations that serve Finland’s vitality and growth, as well as entities that promote entrepreneurship in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
Project partners: City of Helsinki, City of Espoo, City of Vantaa
https://hevinnovations.fi/circular-buildings/
Project partners: City of Espoo, City of Helsinki, City of Vantaa, HSY
The project has ended 12/2025.
The Food SystemiCity program develops systemically sustainable food innovations in urban and built environments. Food production, distribution, consumption, and nutrient recycling are connected to city life: housing, construction, transportation, logistics, and energy production and distribution.
The program builds a regional food system that supports the development of innovations and businesses. Both large and small operators receive support for forming collaborations, developing innovations, and piloting them.
As a result of this work, new sustainable businesses and collaborative offerings will emerge, along with teams that develop and commercialize systemic product and service solutions for global markets.
Project partners: University of Helsinki, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Aalto University, VTT
The Sustainable Future Neighborhoods project creates solutions to address societal challenges, particularly through green transition initiatives.
The project will establish experimental environments to develop built environment solutions based on localism, self-sufficiency, and fossil-free practices.
The City of Espoo is implementing the project in collaboration with pioneering companies. The solutions primarily focus on neighborhoods in Espoo, but the goal is for these solutions to be applicable elsewhere in Finland and globally in the future.
Project organization: City of Espoo
The project supports the Helsinki metropolitan area in becoming the world’s best environment for experimentation and innovation. The aim is to turn innovations into practices and promote open innovations in the built environment.
The project establishes a model for systematic experimental collaboration, where the built environment serves as a testing platform. On this platform, an innovative procurement model is implemented to enhance knowledge sharing and the scaling of innovations between cities.
Project organization: City of Vantaa
Cities are living laboratories for solving the most complex urban challenges. Under this theme, Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa collaborate with companies, universities, and research institutions to develop smart and sustainable solutions for the urban environment.
Projects focus on areas such as energy-efficient buildings, low-carbon construction, regional energy systems, circular economy solutions, urban food production, and sustainable mobility. The cities provide diverse development and testing environments where companies and researchers can pilot new ideas in real urban settings.
By strengthening innovation hubs and bringing urban challenges closer to businesses and RDI actors, we accelerate the development of solutions that support emission reduction goals and create new business opportunities.
Projects in Wellbeing and Health Technology
The project has ended 09/2025.
The spearhead of the project is to develop urban and built environments that encourage movement and support health and well-being, in collaboration with industry companies.
As part of the project, experimental platforms will be established in various city districts to develop innovative solutions that promote well-being, health, and mobility. In Helsinki, the project trials will be conducted in urban renewal areas (Malmi, Malminkartano, Kannelmäki, Mellunkylä), while in Espoo, the new campus of Laurea University of Applied Sciences in Kivenlahti will serve as a pilot area.
The goal is to create innovative solutions that open new markets for companies and strengthen their competitiveness. In the long term, these solutions will support the well-being of city residents.
Project partners: City of Helsinki, Forum Virium Helsinki, Laurea University of Applied Sciences
The Helsinki Metropolitan Area is a strong hub for wellbeing and health technology innovation. Through this theme, cities collaborate with companies, research organisations, and service providers to develop and test new solutions that improve health and wellbeing.
City services, facilities, and real-life care environments provide valuable testing grounds for product development and innovation. Projects support knowledge hubs, experimental environments, and business services that help companies develop, pilot, and scale their solutions.
The focus ranges from health technologies to preventive wellbeing services and solutions that help reduce health inequalities. By bringing together industry actors and enabling shared learning and resources, the programme supports the growth of innovative companies in the sector.
Projects in Learning Environments and EdTech Solutions
The project has ended 09/2025.
The project strengthens business opportunities for companies in the education services sector. Development work is carried out within an ecosystem that produces services, products, and technologies for shared physical and virtual innovation and learning environments.
The sharing economy and smart use of resources support goals related to responsibility and sustainable development.
The project enables the development of shared learning and RDI (Research, Development, and Innovation) environments by combining the expertise of multiple stakeholders. The project includes four sub-projects.
Project partners: University of Helsinki, City of Helsinki, Aalto University, Aalto University Campus & Real Estate (ACRE)
The Helsinki Metropolitan Area offers an exceptional environment for developing educational innovation. A world-class education system, strong higher education institutions, and advanced digital expertise provide a solid foundation for EdTech development.
Under this theme, schools and learning environments act as development and testing platforms for new educational technologies and learning models. Universities, educational institutions, and companies collaborate to create digital solutions that support future skills and learning.
Projects also support companies and institutions aiming to scale their educational services internationally. By strengthening co-creation between educators and businesses, the programme helps turn educational innovation into sustainable business opportunities.
