LET S CREATE THE FUTURE TOGETHER HOW THE ESPOO STORY TURNED INTO REAL LIFE SUCCESS STORIES

Transcription

1 LET S CREATE THE FUTURE TOGETHER HOW THE ESPOO STORY TURNED INTO REAL LIFE SUCCESS STORIES

2 INNOVATIVE INSPIRING INTEGRATED INTERACTIVE IMPACTFUL FOREWORD Describing Espoo with the five award criteria of the icapital is difficult. It is like saying that there is a tower in Paris. Or that Barcelona is a city in Spain. Because the Espoo innovation ecosystem is a globally leading innovation and an inspirational story in itself. We know that Espoo is inspiring because it has been growing fast during the past decades. People. Companies. Universities. Families. Researchers and their facilities. They keep coming to us. We are also recognized as one of the biggest innovation hubs in Northern Europe. Research by MIT tells us that we are among the top innovating ecosystems in the world. This is not least because of Nokia and its heritage. Based in Espoo, the company has during its 150 years history had an ability to adapt to new innovations and change, and to serve as a hub for open collaboration for the surrounding innovation community. Some say that Finns are not social, that we are quiet and hard to get along with. Yet all we see is an ever growing number of happy foreigners not among us but becoming us. This could be called integration. Interactivity what would be more interactive than letting the residents define your story and then design the city s services and organisations to write that story? Because that is exactly what Espoo did. The Espoo of tomorrow is designed by its inhabitants. We know our role in the growing Helsinki Metropolitan area. It is to sow the seeds of a better future. We think that all this happens because Espoo is an impactful, meaningful system. An integrated system of people, services, and organisations. A system with memories and history. A system that enables connections that define and shape us. We are open to connect. We are a curious system. Serendipity is unexpected connections and innovation is about connecting in a new way. That is us. But why is all this happening here in Espoo? Is it because of our unique nature that is all around us? Or our tradition of creating science and technologies that change the way the world works? Is it us, the people looking beyond the horizon? We let you decide. On the following pages we share true stories about life worth living in a city that lives today and builds a better tomorrow. The way it has always done. The future is about people. 2

3 ESPOO STORIES WHAT ARE WE? Jukka Mäkelä, Mayor of Espoo The Mayor of Espoo was born and raised in Espoo and he knows his city. After becoming the mayor, he wanted to invite all residents of the city to write the future story of Espoo. 3

4 ESPOO STORIES WHAT ARE WE? It takes great courage to go to your citizens and instead of presenting a purchased vision statement ask them: WHAT ARE WE? In the early 2010s Espoo was gaining global recognition not just as the location of headquarters of well-known companies or world-leading research taking place in universities and research centres. Espoo started gaining recognition because of what it is: a birthplace of new. All kinds of new created by people. People who are surrounded by beautiful nature, immersed in excellent learning environments, and working with like-minded future-builders. It was then when Espoo decided to let itself be defined by the city itself. 15,000 IDEAS AND REQUESTS FROM RESIDENTS The Espoo Story is Espoo s strategy for Material and ideas for the Espoo Story have been collected in many ways: Online survey open to all 12 April 25 August 2012 Day as Mayor project for pre-schoolers that included a survey comprising all pre-schoolers in Espoo Questionnaires at Service Centres for the elderly Espoo Day workshops for young people and adults Mayor s resident evenings in all city and local centres in May 2012 The material was processed at a seminar of the previous council in November and at two strategy seminars of the new council in early The first story draft was considered by over 700 Espoo City managers at Esimiesareena, the city of Espoo s annual leadership event in May Over 700 managers discussed the draft of the Espoo Story, i.e. the strategy of the City of Espoo. The council groups processed the story draft and the draft was available for comments from residents and personnel in April The Council decided on the Espoo Story on June 10th THE FASTEST GROWING CITY IN FINLAND Espoo s first 500 years were a time of slow growth. It was not until the 1950s that the population exceeded 20,000 people. Today Espoo is the fastest growing and the second largest city in Finland with 265,000 residents.

5 ESPOO STORIES WHAT ARE WE? The seeds of Espoo as an innovative city were planted already in the 1950s when the construction of the Tapiola area began, and young families got homes in new residential buildings close to nature. Meanwhile the Helsinki University of Technology (HUT) moved to Otaniemi, Espoo. Nowadays the main campus of Aalto University is located in The Espoo Story, created together with residents and stakeholders, was inspired by Kone Corporation s strategy Otaniemi. Aalto University was founded in 2010 by a merger of three universities, Helsinki University of Technology, Helsinki People flow. The headquarters University of Business of Kone are located in Espoo. and Administration, and Helsinki University of Arts and Design. The city benefits from strong innovative roots of all of these universities in addition to the presence of headquarters of international corporations such as Nokia, Rovio, Kone and Outotec. SUSTAINABLE CITY The city structure of Espoo is based on five city centres with good variety of both private and public services. All of these centres, surrounded by nature, equal to the size of a small European city themselves. We think this is a way to build sustainable cities of tomorrow. Growth of the city for tomorrow will occur mainly through new births and immigration. The foreign-language population is also increasing at a fast pace. The current number of foreign-language residents is close to 30,000, and this number is expected to double by But fast population growth, an ageing Espoo s first Angry Birds activity park was opened on Espoo Day in Mayor Jukka Mäkelä (on the left), current Minister of Finance of Finland Alexander Stubb (on the right) and Rovio s Peter Vesterbacka celebrated the event with the children in Suurpelto. 5 population and a simultaneous increase in the number of children and foreign-language residents increase service needs and present new challenges to existing service production. That was the reason behind the creation of the Espoo Story. We wanted to ensure that everyone is committed to our shared future, in the Espoo way: respecting different opinions, working together and making sure that no one is left behind. And because everything changes, the story must change too. The creation of the next version of the Espoo Story begins in This is our Espoo. Where better future grows.

6 Espoo is determined to be a global leader in the field of education also in the future. To enable this, the city actively participates in testing new methods and technologies and the creation of new content, products, and services. It collaborates with startups in the field of edtech and has an active role in xedu, the first education technology startup accelerator in the Nordics. ESPOO STORIES THE LEARNING CITY THE LEARNING CITY 6

7 ESPOO STORIES THE LEARNING CITY School as a service Learning is the most powerful weapon to change the world and the only sustainable one. But how do you enable this in a world that changes so fast that the only certainty is uncertainty? This is how Espoo rises to the challenge. In Espoo learning is a part of the city s culture and always has been, as the city has been growing so fast and the world around it has kept on changing so rapidly. In Espoo learning is embedded in the local communities rather than in isolated learning hubs. World-class learning has been a part of the Espoo DNA since 1954 when the Helsinki University of Technology moved to Espoo. Aalto University was born in 2010 through a merger of the Helsinki School of Economics, Helsinki University of Technology and the University of Art and Design Helsinki. RENOVATION, INNOVATION, AND TRANSFORMATION Because many of Espoo s schools were built in the 1960s and 1970s, a number of them need to be renovated around the same time. This presents Espoo with a major spatial and financial challenge where will education take place during these renovations? The solution was found through innovative use of new technologies that enable education everywhere, so individual learning can happen anywhere, but for the social learning, space and place matter even more than before. Espoo develops learning environments that support engagement and inspiration in learning. They enable transformation of the physical learning spaces by the users and help them claim ownership of the learning environment. Building for the future, Espoo developed a concept together with Aalto University where education delivery is embedded within Aalto University s communities of learning and becomes a service that can be delivered to a wide network of various physical learning spaces, says Jarmo Suominen, Professor of Service Architecture at Aalto University. This concept will be first implemented on the Aalto University Otaniemi Campus, and coordinated with Aalto University and University of Helsinki. The first practical deployments will take place in With this concept Espoo intends to simultaneously realize both the flipped learning and flexible learning spaces concepts. If successful, the concept will be shared with the city s partners, like the global network of UNESCO learning cities, the UN s Regional Centres of Expertise network, and the ongoing EU Twinning projects. School as a service concept will embed learning to the communities fostering social learning using ecosystem of physical environment to enable that. School is no longer a product with predetermined specifications, but it evolves into a flexible and effective service that utilizes existing resources, says Jarmo Suominen, Professor of Service Architecture at Aalto University. Jarmo Suominen is working also with Tongji University and MIT to develop service oriented solutions and logic in the production driven world of Architecture. A REWARDED LEARNING CITY United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO rewarded Espoo in September 2015 for its exemplary progress as a learning city. Espoo recognizes the significance of learning as a foundation of wellbeing and growth of the city and all its residents. The learning cities have visionary aspirations for both themselves and their residents. They strive to be creative in the changing world and understand that lifelong learning is a key factor in building a sustainable society. 7 A learning city is built on innovations that are created and implemented in cooperation with different partners: residents, educational organisations, enterprises, associations and communities. The City of Espoo offers them a possibility to participate in developing new solutions and locally, nationally, and internationally make effective use of their expertise. The role of the city is to build networks and the best possible foundation for learning.

8 ESPOO STORIES GROWTH, BUT NOT AT ANY PRICE Transportation emissions will decrease significantly with the arrival of the metro. The metro s connecting traffic will be a test bed for electric buses. The opportunities for decreasing emissions include increasing public transport, cycling, renewable energy production and renovating the suburbs built in the 1960s and 1970s. Sirpa Hertell is a member of the City council of the City of Espoo and the Chair of the Sustainable Development Programme. She is a member of the Committee of the Regions and Vice Chair of its Commission for the Environment, Climate Change and Energy. but not at any price 8

9 ESPOO STORIES GROWTH, BUT NOT AT ANY PRICE To promote sustainable lifestyles, Espoo partners with artisans, craftspeople, startups, students and Espoo residents. Greenhouse gas emissions per capita in Espoo have been decreasing steadily since 2012, and to keep this trend on track, Espoo is currently preparing its new Climate Programme. Espoo s goal is to decrease its emissions by 40% by 2030 and to be carbon neutral by Big goals. However, Espoo has a plan. It has joined forces with the other Capital Area cities Helsinki and Vantaa in a Smart & Clean partnership project, which starts in 2016 and lasts until Under its umbrella, significant development programmes will be launched to promote cooperation between companies and public actors and develop their competence and capacity to implement impactful projects. Smart & Clean focuses on transportation, built environment, energy, water and waste management as well as sustainable lifestyle. ENGAGING RESIDENTS IS THE KEY Espoo was also the first city in Finland to join the Society s Commitment to Sustainable Development, in which communities, companies and the public sector commit to work towards developing the Finland we want in 2050, each with their own sustainable development promises. However, if we want to achieve truly sustainable results, the idea of sustainability needs to be taken to the individual level, says Sirpa Hertell, Chair of the Sustainable Development programme and City Councillor. With this in mind, the Mayor inspires the City of Espoo s employees to do their bit in an innovation competition. In 2014, the competition was won by Energy Information System (EIS), a browser-based service which compares different energy forms. Based on its information, residents and organisations can make informed and sustainable energy choices. The service helps tackle the greatest source of emissions in Espoo caused by heating and electrical energy for buildings. Transportation emissions will decrease significantly with the arrival of the metro to Espoo, as it is to be run with renewable energy. The metros connecting traffic will be a test bed for electric buses, also using renewable energy. Together, they will help cut emissions significantly. To further reduce emissions, Espoo aims to have 15% of all journeys made by bicycle by Today, cycling accounts for 8% of journeys. This requires that travelling by bicycle will be made easier through traffic planning, the construction of bicycle parking areas and maintenance of bicycle routes. PARTNERING WITH THE COMMUNITY On the renovation front, Suvela area in Espoo is trialling energy counselling to help housing companies get started with energy-efficiency renovations. The operating model offers impartial and high-quality counselling to reduce housing costs and increase comfort of living. Next year, Espoo intends to permanently establish the counselling service as part of its operations. To promote sustainable lifestyles, Espoo partners with artisans, craftspeople, startups, students and Espoo residents. The idea is to together create a workspace located in the Kera area that acts as a test bed for new circular economy solutions and products and as a meeting ground for people. The workspace s proximity to the metropolitan area recycling centre encourages the use of recycled materials, says Sirpa Hertell. HOME OF NEW SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS Espoo, true to its innovative nature, is also the home for the development of new sustainable solutions. The emission-free utilisation of geothermal heat is currently being trialled in Otaniemi, Espoo. In a few years, Deep Heat from kilometres deep holes may produce up to 10% of the total district heating needs in Espoo. The Aalto University in Otaniemi is leading the way in the development of black silicon solar cells, which promise to trap light more efficiently than traditional cells. This could increase the yield of solar cells. Researchers at the Aalto University have broken the efficiency record for black silicon solar cells in The Technical Research Centre for Finland provides a world-class piloting centre, called Bioruukki, where new bioeconomy enabling technologies can turn into concrete results. BIoruukki is located in Kivenlahti, where the final stop of the continuation of the West Metro line will be located. 9

10 The role of Espoo Innovation Garden in the development of Funzi was critical. First the startup was selected to become an EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology) startup with access to the whole EU-wide support ecosystem and later they were selected into the Vertical acceleration program. Vertical is a startup accelerator that is solely focused on health technologies and smart life. The City of Espoo was also the first municipality to become Funzi s customer. ESPOO STORIES FUNZI The right learning in the right place at the right time 10

11 ESPOO STORIES FUNZI Espoo has fostered the implementation of a solution that accelerates the integration of asylum seekers with the surrounding society while giving new meaning to their lives. The About Finland service delivers official information and develops skills and attitude that the migrants can apply immediately. Education and learning have always been important to Finns. Because of the rugged weather, our geographical position and lack of resources we have had to build our success on new innovations created with no outside help. The concepts of lifelong learning, co-creation, and living labs were all born here. LEARNING FOR MIGRANTS The current asylum seeker crisis came as a surprise to everyone. When Said Aden, head of employment affairs at the City of Espoo, migrated to Finland from Somalia 25 years ago, there were no service providers like Funzi. I was confused with the society I had joined. I knew next to nothing about Finland. I didn t speak the language and nobody would hire me to even pick strawberries. Things would have been easier if there had been a service such as About Finland. About Finland is a service for asylum seekers that delivers reliable information from official sources to mobile phone users. The users also have access to other courses that are verified to have a life-changing impact. Education is critical in order for asylum seekers to attain jobs, tells Said. Today Said Aden works for the City of Espoo as Manager of Employment, focusing especially on challenges relating to the unemployment of young people, immigrants and highly educated professionals, all areas in which Espoo puts strong focus on. About Finland service is easy to use, free for the user and applies to all immigrants. It is developed by Funzi, an Espoo Innovation Garden startup and it contains trustworthy information from official sources. EXPANDING INTO EU AND THE COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN Though developed initially in Espoo, the About Finland service has big plans. It launched the first entrepreneurial education course in Arabic in November 2015 and after nationwide implementation in Finland localised versions of the service will be launched in most important EU markets including Germany during The mobile learning courses will also be implemented in refugee camps in Jordan in collaboration with Finn Church Aid and various UN organizations, starting with the Zaatari camp in November FUNZI GIVING ACCESS TO LEARNING TO EVERYONE Funzi is a unique mobile learning service with initial focus on emerging markets. This pioneering Espoo startup was founded in February 2014 by a group of professionals who wanted to use their expertise on mobile business and education to create something globally impactful. Funzi makes learning accessible to everyone for free. The minimum viable product version of Funzi was launched in May 2015, and during summer 2015 it has proven to be successful in reaching, keeping, and teaching mobile users in multiple markets. After success with the first services, the company saw that Funzi could provide a solution to the information and knowledge needs among asylum seekers in Europe. The intent is to enable easy access to information for newcomers and to ease Said Aden arrived in Finland in the early 1990s and driven by a determined attitude, first finished adult high school, then vocational school and finally acquired a master s degree. Today Said works for the City of Espoo as Manager of Employment, focusing especially on challenges relating to the unemployment of young people, immigrants and highly educated professionals. the integration process. The first course packages are tailored for asylum seekers and contain information on communications, everyday life and the asylum process. They are delivered in multiple languages. Funzi takes its name from funza, meaning learning in Swahili, and is inspired by Africa the continent of growth. Funzi provides services that result in immediate impact, allowing users to develop new skills and empowering collaboration between individuals and experts. All Funzi services combine the development of knowledge and new skills with the social component of sharing. 11

12 ESPOO STORIES NOKIA S NEW MEANS OF COLLABORATION NOKIA S NEW MEANS OF COLLABORATION Espoo Me & My City is an external initiative in which all sixth-graders in the area are introduced to working life, entrepreneurship and society implementing the objectives of entrepreneurship education as set by the City of Espoo. 12

13 ESPOO STORIES NOKIA S NEW MEANS OF COLLABORATION On September 2nd 2013 a saga came to an end. Microsoft announced it would buy the entire device business from Nokia. Many viewers thought this was the end of the connected device business in Espoo. The Quja Startup Space represents a fresh step in the ways Nokia works with independent startups, making the Nokia Campus a creative melting pot of new ideas and cultures. Senior Manager Johanna Ihalainen, Nokia But what happened to Nokia after the sale of the devices it was so wellknown for? Like so many things in Espoo, it reinvented itself. Today, Nokia is leading industry efforts to develop the advanced mobile broadband technology known as 5G, which will provide consumers with enhanced connectivity, and technologies such as the Internet of Things. These will, as they like to say at Nokia, enable a programmable world where people and things will be connected, and enable the creation of new services that make life easier for all of us. OPENING THE DOORS FROM STARTUPS TO SCHOOL KIDS Sometimes the best things happen a little unintentionally. My supervisor had met with Tuula Antola, Director of Economic and Business Development at City of Es- poo, and together they were convinced that we must meet and bring together our innovative minds. The instant we met with Tuula, we hit it off and brainstormed a whole lot of ideas how Nokia could partnership with the City of Espoo, tells Senior Manager Johanna Ihalainen from Nokia. Just like in the startup scene, only some of the initial ideas actually flew, but they have been a big success. In just a couple of months, Nokia and the City of Espoo had set up two initiatives together. Nokia wants to encourage partnering with startup companies to help develop and shape future technological developments. We created Quja, an open layout startup space located on the Nokia Campus, and invited early-stage entrepreneurs to base their operations there. Currently we have a few startups that have based their operations on Nokia Campus, Ihalainen describes. For startups, locating their business in an innovation hub such as Nokia Campus provides an opportunity to network with industry professionals and gain knowledge of tech trends and developments ongoing within Nokia. The other initiative is Espoo Me & My City, an initiative in which all sixth-graders of Espoo are introduced to working life, entrepreneurship and society. Inside the imaginary city, there are many companies, including Nokia, where the children get to play different roles and learn how a company works. The initiative implements the objectives of entrepreneurship education as set by the City of Espoo. For Nokia, it is another way of reorganizing Nokia Campus and collaborating with the City of Espoo and the surrounding society. The enthusiasm and energy that the sixth-graders bring with them is inspiring. The initiative has received positive feedback also from our own people, who have eagerly visited the village too, Johanna Ihalainen says. The Me & My City doors have also been open for the sixth-graders from municipalities of Vihti, Kauniainen, Kirkkonummi, Raasepori, Hyvinkää and Inkoo. I think these initiatives are a great example of cooperation bringing concrete results benefiting all parties, Ihalainen concludes. 13

14 ESPOO STORIES TRANSFORMING LIBRARIES TRANSFORMING LIBRARIES INTO ACTIVE SPACES FOR THE CREATORS OF THE FUTURE 14

15 ESPOO STORIES TRANSFORMING LIBRARIES Libraries have a special role in many ways in Espoo. They have transformed themselves from the classic, quiet libraries to active meeting places and activity centres for everyone. Even the locations of the Espoo libraries are different. They are integrated into the active environment, in the shopping centres where both the private and public sectors today offer their services. The goal is to bring the joy of learning back to the libraries. Paja makerspace in Finnish is a new type of service concept for libraries. It brings people together to try and learn new things. New things such as 3D printing workshops, coding, programming classes, and a multitude of other courses are just a few examples of what happens in the Pajas in Espoo. 11 years old Tobias Huczkowski, is thrilled about Paja the library makerspace. My friend told me about the place, how you can just go there and 3D-print. I was like wow, such a place really exists? Tobias has learned how to 3D-print, how to search online for 3D-print designs, how to modify the designs on the computer by changing parameters, how to change the print colour by changing print material, how to transfer the designs to a memory card. I go to a website called Thingiverse, and I search for different 3D-designs available there. Then I choose one I like, a starship or something, modify it in a program and then start 3D-printing it. I put the design on a memory card, pick a suitable coloured plastic for the print and place it in the printer, insert the memory card and start the 3D-printing process. It usually takes a few hours before it s ready. While that happens I read something at the library, do my homework, or hang around with my friends. It would be cool if it were possible in the future to 3D-print a robot or something that moves. Or if you could 3D-print a meal, something edible, Tobias Huczkowski says. He is a 5th grader in the Tähtiniitty elementary school, and a footballer in FC Honka Espoo. Tobias also plays the piano, and enjoys reading and swimming as his other hobbies. His favourite subjects at school are mathematics, English, music, physics and chemistry. CREATING THE CULTURE OF TOMORROW The City of Espoo has a new cultural strategy CultureEspoo 2030 that focuses on the impact of art and culture on future activities of the entire city. As a part of the co-creative process that created this strategy, the future of arts and culture was discussed on many fora during Espoo worked together with global urban planners and consultants to better understand how the new collaboration opportunities between culture and businesses can help the city to become an even more innovative cultural city. The strategy opens new doors for collaboration between art and companies and out- lines the bold and open-minded moves the City s culture sector will make in order to make a difference. The strategy is fuelled by Espoo s unique features such as the city s nature where less than half an hour by car separate the rugged Baltic archipelago from the bear-inhabited forests of the Nuuksio National Park. In great contrast to the wonderful nature are the dramatic changes that new technologies and services have on the way our society works. In such a world culture and arts should be seen as a valuable tool to understand ongoing changes and seek inspiration for new outcomes. But what is the role of the individual in the creation of tomorrow s culture? We know that people excel when they work with things they love and that they donate time and effort when they are engaged. That is why CultureEspoo 2030 puts the residents into an active role in the creation of cultural services. To enable this, Espoo wants to become like a university campus, driving curiosity, new connections, experiments and learnings. That is the future direction for culture in Espoo the city as a Creative Campus. 15

16 ESPOO STORIES GET INVOLVED The only environmental designer in Finland is in Espoo. A few years ago, Niko Riepponen, a carpenter working for Espoo, realised that there was a need for small but significant changes in the city s everyday environment. He studied to be a designer, and now he couldn t be happier as Finland s one and only environmental designer: This has been amazing. I can let my creativity run free, Riepponen says. I get to do truly unique design on a grass root level directly with people living here. GET INVOLVED design your own trashcan! 16

17 ESPOO STORIES GET INVOLVED They are everywhere in the city but you only think about them when you can t find one a trashcan. They are an essential part of every city but seldom a pretty sight, as they are often vandalised. In Espoo these everyday necessities were recently reinvented, when the city s own environmental designer Niko Riepponen brought up the problem in the city s sustainable living group. Last year the group came up with the idea of having children tune up Espoo s trashcans. The idea evolved into collaboration between the city s traffic sign department, schools and NGOs. We designed a sticker that would cover the surface of the trash can. The sticker consists of two layers: a printed art piece and an outer surface, which protects the art and withstands chemicals in other words it cleans up easily, says Riepponen. The sticker is cheap and helps prevent vandalism, so it had a big impact on how our surroundings look. It is a very cost efficient way to build up Espoo neighbourhoods. In only one year, the group created 154 unique trash cans in collaboration with 12 schools, two NGOs and two art schools. About individuals were involved in designing the trash cans. The designs vary from art pieces to interactive environmental educational content with QR codes and slogans. The sticker can, for example, turn the trash can into a Trashcan dude that says Fill my belly with delicious trash! One school designed a teaching path for parents that had themes from the history of the residential area, the Scouts, games and the Baltic Sea. Many of the designs were made by the schoolkids in true entrepreneurial spirit. The kids and schools love the project. We have arranged courses for other cities in Finland, so they could adopt this approach that seems to have endless possibilities, Riepponen says. 17 TAKE PART AND SHAPE YOUR WORLD! Participatory Espoo is a developmental programme included in the city s strategy for Espoo wants its inhabitants to have a genuine possibility to have a say in what s important to them. Espoo actively promotes the involvement of its inhabitants in the city s decision-making. New methods have been taken into use to make the most of the residents ideas in developing municipal democracy. As a result of many engaging actions, Espoo now has inhabitants who are more satisfied in their city and their possibilities of participation than the inhabitants of Finland s largest cities on average. One example of Espoo s initiatives is how Espoo has built interaction between its technical department and school children from This Shape your world! concept brings together participatory budgeting, curriculum and co-design in a most innovative way. Since the beginning of the project, Espoo has spent over euros on seven schoolyards and three assisted living buildings in ten different areas, engaging over residents in the development and building of their neighbouring area. The results have been amazing: The areas have not suffered from vandalism, and school communities have gained from the project which brings together different age groups to design and make something together. The project also aims to foster active citizenship by offering a feeling of I can shape my world!

18 ESPOO STORIES CO-CREATION FOR COMMUNITY Espoo intends to share its problems and challenges and seek solutions from educational institutions, business enterprises and other partners. CO-CREATION FOR COMMUNITY 18

19 ESPOO STORIES CO-CREATION FOR COMMUNITY In the end, it is the whole ecosystem that defines the success of Espoo. The Espoo Story will have a happy ending only if the city succeeds in bringing everyone together and motivating them to work together towards creating a better future. An innovative and collective approach is mission-critical for Espoo Innovation Garden. To engage young and creative minds in co-creation, the City of Espoo decided to collaborate with Aalto University s Product Development Project (PdP) course, which is an interdisciplinary course held since The PdP course is an integral part of Aalto Design Factory, located in Espoo Innovation Garden that encourages and enables fruitful interaction between students, researchers, and professional practitioners. Many well-known companies have commissioned their real-life projects to course participants with great success. In 2014 the City of Espoo participated for the first time in the course when it gave the students a complex challenge to solve. ENHANCING METRO USER EXPERIENCE The new Aalto University metro station in Otaniemi is a gate to Espoo Innovation Garden. The goal is to give Otaniemi visitors an experience that indisputably shows that the visitor is entering a space that is innovative and exhilarating, and where science, art, economy and internationalism blossom. To achieve this, the City of Espoo and Länsimetro Oy (West Metro Company) commissioned the design of an innovative and interactive application to enhance the user experience at the station to a group of 11 students from 8 countries in the Product Development Project course. A key focus of the concept was to discover how to enhance the sense of community in the surrounding area and to bring together local and global companies, research, art and cultural institutions, Aalto University and the City of Espoo. The outcome was Out of Sight, a concept that uses augmented reality to turn the metro station into an art gallery. It is a rotating exhibition of works from EMMA, Espoo Museum of Modern Art, and student art works from Aalto University. The virtual art gallery becomes visible and available with a free mobile app that has been developed in Espoo Innovation Garden. NEW SOLUTIONS FROM PARTNERS COMBINING THEIR EXPERTISE A skilled and versatile team took the challenge; a team that represented the professionalism and international attitude that is at the core of Espoo Innovation Garden. The students work shows that the metro stations and Espoo Innovation Garden will be excellent platforms for new solutions emerging when various partners combine their expertise. The City of Espoo plans to engage external partners in the development of the City more frequently in the future. Espoo intends to share its problems as challenges and seek solutions from educational institutions, business enterprises and other partners. The Product Development Project collaboration is a great example for this kind of collaboration. We had the task to design an unforgettable user experience concept of Aalto University Metro station, Otaniemi, Espoo. A key focus of the project was to discover how to enhance the sense of community in the surrounding area, bringing together local and global companies as well as research, art and cultural institutions, Aalto University and the City of Espoo together. Adewumi Oluwaseun, a member of the Aalto University Out of Sight project AALTO UNIVERSITY ON THE LIST OF 50 TOP UNIVERSITIES IN ACQUIRING EU RESEARCH FUNDING Aalto University has ranked among the 50 best universities in acquiring EU Framework Programme funding. If research organisations and companies are included in the comparison, Aalto ranks 68th on the list of Horizon 2020 grant beneficiaries. By June 2015, Aalto had been awarded a total of nearly 14 million euros in Horizon 2020 Programme grants in just under a year. The result clearly demonstrates that the research work carried out at Aalto is of a high standard and internationally competitive. The top universities on the Horizon 2020 list only include representatives from 10 European countries. Aalto University s diverse activities promoting entrepreneurship have also borne fruit. Every year, new companies spring from the innovation ecosystem that has been created in the Otaniemi area, in the heart of Espoo Innovation Garden. 19

20 ESPOO STORIES CATCHBOX TO DESIGN IS EASY To come up with new ideas that truly change the way we work is difficult 20 During the nine week programme the team validated their business case, worked on endless prototypes of the product and tried to figure out a working business model, says Pyry Taanila, co-founder of Catchbox

21 ESPOO STORIES CATCHBOX Encounters the source of innovation Startup Sauna is an accelerator program that is run twice a year in Espoo Innovation Garden. It targets the most promising startups in Northern and Eastern Europe. The city of Espoo supports Sauna s Summer of Startups incubation programme. The Startup Sauna co-working space in Espoo Innovation Garden is the meeting point for the most driven entrepreneurs in Northern Europe. The 1500 sq. meter renovated industry hall is open for everyone. International, talented Aalto University students met at Aalto Design Factory. They became friends. In order to pass a course organised by Aalto and Stanford University, they needed to create something new. And they noticed a problem that many had, but no one had noticed. They had succeeded in posing a new question. At countless lectures and conferences it was difficult for audience members to ask questions. To solve this, the team set about to create the world s first throwable microphone that could be easily passed from one audience member to the next. The idea for Catchbox was born. THE CITY OF ESPOO HELPS STARTUPS GROW The team was excited about their idea. To see how far they could fly with it they applied for participation in the incubation programme Summer of Startups organised in the neighbouring Startup Sauna and supported by City of Espoo. During the nine week programme the team validated their business case, worked on endless prototypes of the product and tried to figure out a working business model says Pyry Taanila, co-founder of Catchbox. Many of the things the team built failed, but they kept working hard and to their own surprise they were declared winners of the programme. CHOOSING THE WRONG BUSINESS MODEL After Summer of Startups the team got an office where they built a few throwable microphones. Everybody loved the concept. You could feel the tension of the entire crowd when the microphone was mid-air. Will she catch it? was the question no one spoke out loud. Catchbox really revived the Q&A sessions. After a successful crowdfunding campaign, the team young and inexperienced as they were could move forward but chose the wrong business model: renting the Catchboxes. It didn t work that well. 18 months of hard work led to a better design and product. The tailorable skin of the product made it best suited for professionals who organise events. And the surrounding ecosystem including the City of Espoo with active links to global players helped the team succeed. PRESIDENTS, MINISTERS BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY ENTHUSIASTIC VOICES The City of Espoo was one of the first Catchbox customers and storytellers. Today Catchboxes are used by happy customers around the world. The customers are served through a network of global partners. Sales happen either on the Internet or via established sales channels. Today, Presidents and ministerial delegations get to see and experience Catchbox in action when they visit the Espoo Innovation Garden. Or Slush. Or Aalto University. But that is not enough for Pyry Taanila and the rest of the Catchbox team. How to engage the audience is a question they may have answered today. But could they bring the Catchbox experience to virtual meetings too? The moment when the audience has a voice? THE IMPORTANCE OF DESIGN IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT A WAY OF THINKING Design has been an essential part of Catchbox from the very beginning. At Catchbox design is a way of thinking. We are not the only ones many companies have realized the importance of design integration, from startups to large corporations. In June, Catchbox received the Red Dot Product Design award, and more recently Pyry Taanila, our lead designer, was awarded the title of Young Designer of the Year 2015 in Finland. 21

22 ESPOO STORIES HUAWEI S ESPOO STORY HUAWEI S ESPOO STORY As a venture capital investor from China seeking startups to invest in, Espoo was a complete stranger to me when I landed at Helsinki Airport in April It was during that visit that I was recommended to join Espoo Innovation Garden s Facebook group as a Gardener. At first I didn t pay attention to the word Gardener, so I nonchalantly glanced at the information about activities and events. Every now and then joined the events virtually, like Demo Day of Startup Sauna, Breakfast at Aalto Design Factory, or the Innovation 2.0 conference. Soon the events from Espoo Innovation Garden filled my calendar, and I was positively surprised by the amount of activity in the small city of Espoo, comparing it to the much larger Shanghai. After interviewing several startups and attending different events, I met with some active people and understood that they are Gardeners too. It was then when I started to follow the Gardeners activities and their posts in the Facebook group with more interest and was able to understand their secrets. It seems that they all have three key factors: a pair of smart eyes, passion of heart and positive motives. Gardeners are experts in their special field. They can look at new technologies and position them into existing systems. They are involved both in the off- and online worlds. They let people around them feel their passion, and they have understood that innovation is the force driving positive development for both individuals and the system. Slowly I started to apply my passion and wisdom to become an active participant in the Garden, making friends and finding startups like Catchbox. My current goal is to become an online to off-line Gardener in my own ecosystem. Since July I have stayed in touch with Espoo Innovation Garden every day. Espoo Innovation Garden is active; it collects the wisdom from the Gardeners and shares it back as inspiration. It impresses me deeply with its diversity and the vitality of innovation. I love Espoo Innovation Garden. Innovation Garden is an open network of residents, companies and communities. One does not even have to live or work in Espoo to join this initiative as an innovation gardener. Anyone can become a gardener science and research organisations, companies, cultural and sports organisations, city employees, students and the residents. Bringing a mindset of collaboration, co-creation and open innovation is a must. Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, established in July 1992, is one of China s first state-level high-tech zones approved by the State Council as well as the core park of Zhangjiang National Innovation Demonstration Zone. City of Espoo and Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park signed a MoU on 2013 related to startup collaboration and investments. Huawei Kong is a Chinese early stage investor from Zhangjiang Ventures. His special focus is on medical and gaming industries. He stayed in Espoo for three months in 2015 to get to know the Espoo Innovation Garden ecosystem and its actors, including potential investment targets. 22

23 ESPOO STORIES THE FUTURE IS BUILT TODAY THE FUTURE IS BUILT TODAY 3D City Model Hackathon was organised in October 2015 as a joint effort of the City of Espoo, Sito and Aalto University. The goal of the Hackathon was to create an application related to city planning, urban digitalization, living, traffic & transportation, energy and environment that utilizes the 3D City Model of Espoo and open data provided by the organizers. 23

24 ESPOO STORIES THE FUTURE IS BUILT TODAY Quo vadis, Espoo? The Mayor knows that the Espoo Story will never be ready and new chapters will always be added to the story. He also knows that Espoo wants to be five years ahead of its time also in the future. The implementation of the first edition of the Espoo Story will be ready by 2017 just in time for the centenary celebration of Finland s independence. METRO LINE ACCELERATES GROWTH In 2016 the new metro line connects Espoo with the rest of the Metropolitan area. The investments in the West Metro line of over 1.8 billion euros drive investments of over 16 billion euros on the surface. This biggest ever investment by Espoo will result in the creation of a Growth Corridor. The Growth Corridor will make it easier for companies, people, families, migrants, and tourists to find their way to and within Espoo. This new people flow will create completely new growth opportunities, which create new jobs and new well-being. The West Metro has an impact that goes far beyond Espoo. It will be the main catalyst for growth and new development also for the whole Metropolitan area and Southern Finland. This Growth Corridor makes the Aalto University, VTT, the Otaniemi science community, the vibrant startup ecosystem, and the international companies in the area even more accessible to the people who live and work there, creating the innovations of the future. DIGITALISATION DRIVES THE SERVICE CREATION However, in today s digital world it is not enough to develop the physical infrastructure. That is why the city has in the beginning of 2015 started the DigiEspoo project that will apply design-thinking and the use of next-generation digital tools to reinvent the public services to meet the requirements and surpass the expectations of the city s residents. Using design thinking and modern technologies in collaboration with the agile startup community, one can solve problems faster, better, and more efficiently than with traditional methods. DigiEspoo will prove that lean thinking and methods can be successfully applied to a city too. Espoo is determined to be a front-runner in the creation of next-generation municipal services and, according to the Mayor of Espoo, Jukka Mäkelä, digitalisation is a prerequisite for developing them. Crowdsourcing, hackathons and co-creation in partnership with various stakeholders will drive the development of these services. Mäkelä points out that the sustainability gap in public finances and the growth in the demand for municipal services require new strategies in service production. Espoo is a fertile seedbed for innovation. I encourage our partners companies, researchers and developers to find fresh solutions to Espoo s challenges. We want to develop our operations in collaboration with our partners and also act as a reference for them, he says. EXPANDING THE LOCAL NETWORKS TO GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS Espoo is also in addition to reinventing itself claiming its position in the global context. One example of this is the recently signed partnership with the Stanford Peace Lab where different parties Espoo Innovation Garden is the highest quality innovation and science centre in Northern Europe, inspiring and providing new ideas for starting the establishment of an innovation office. Aalto University is not only trying to inspire young people to receive education, it is also encouraging them to think about ways to transform education into real projects and companies. Andrej Kiska, President of Republic of Slovakia collaborate to find solutions to global societal challenges. Espoo Innovation Garden and its dynamic community also welcome other international actors to come and build the best innovation environment in Europe. One of these actors is Slovakia, which opened its first foreign innovation centre in Espoo in October 2015, aiming to foster innovation, technology and start-up collaboration between the two countries. The centre will serve Slovakian startup companies in Finland as well as research organisations, universities, industry and venture capital funds. To celebrate its role in today s Finland and as a part of the official Finland 100 years celebrations, Espoo is preparing Future Garden, a showroom that will showcase the leading innovations from Finland. All stakeholders of the Espoo Innovation Garden including Aalto University, VTT, large corporations, startups and financiers and investors invite everyone to join us in creating a better future for us all. Together. 24

25 Where future grows Additional stories: