HELSINKI DIGITALISATION PROGRAMME

Location: Helsinki 

Country: Finland 

Contact Information: Mikko Rusama, Chief Digital Officer, [email protected], Mob. 050 5722229 

Website Address: https://digi.hel.fi/english/   

  • Project Details:  

Helsinki aspired to be the world’s most functional city, emphasising a seamless everyday life for its residents, visitors, businesses, and communities. Through an ambitious digitalisation programme, the city aimed to harness digital advancements to enhance services, foster a proactive approach, and personalise experiences. Central to this vision was the collaboration between the city and its residents, with a focus on customer-centricity. As Helsinki evolved, it wasn’t just about technology but also about fostering a culture of innovation, enhancing staff skills, and refining management practices. In this journey, Helsinki collaborated with global cities like New York and London, leveraging artificial intelligence, open data, and digital innovation. 

Thematic Area: Digitalisation. 

Thematic Sub-category: Sustainable Mobility, Smart city domains for the citizens in green cities, Smart city solutions and tools  

Type of Actor/Agent: Government 

Typology of Green Urban Site: Urban 

  • Green City Elements used – Public Transport, Shared Mobility and MaaS, Multimodal Mobility, Impacts of Working From Home, Impacts of Climate Change on Tourism, Servitization, Smart Economy, Smart People, Smart Governance, Smart Mobility, Smart Living, Citizen Engagement, Co-creation in Urban Planning, Artificial Intelligence. 
  • Engagement and Consultation:  

Target Group – Citizens 

Public Engagement – Proper public engagement. 

E-tools: 

-Collecting data and going to open data society for better future of citizens. 

  • Innovation and Impact:  

Level of Scale of Innovation: 5 

Abstract of Elements of Innovation – Proactive and Targeted Service: Helsinki aims to be the world’s best proactive city, delivering personalised services. 

  • Timely Service Delivery: Residents receive services as and when needed, efficiently using resources. 
  • Data Transparency: Residents can access their personal data and influence its use by the city. 
  • Automation for Better Customer Interaction: By automating predictable tasks and offering 24/7 self-service channels, employees can focus on direct customer interactions. 
  • Data-Driven Operations: Helsinki integrates data into all operations, supporting informed decision-making, impact predictions, and automated decisions. 
  • World-Class Open Data: Helsinki’s digital twin serves as a premier data resource and service platform, enabling digital-first planning and project implementation. 
  • Collaborative Service Production: Helsinki collaborates with both public and private entities, leveraging open data and the platform economy to innovate and, when appropriate, allowing others to deliver specific services. 

Expected Impact High. 

  • Analysis: – Needs analysis conducted. 
  • Benefits (B) and Challenges (C):  

(B) Improved Air Quality, Improved environmental resilience, Improving physical fitness and reducing depression, Increased cultural significance, Well-being benefits (such as people’s perception of increased biodiversity and improved visual quality of the environment), Social cost savings (such as the impact of reduced air pollution), Creationof green jobs and business opportunities, Adjusting psychological well-being and physical health, Enhancing social ties, Providing educational opportunities, Improving physical fitness and reducing depression. 

(C) Helsinki’s proactive, data-driven city project faces challenges like data privacy concerns and system integration complexities. Employee adaptation, resource constraints, and scalability pose issues. Gaining public trust, especially around data use, is crucial. Collaborative efforts can lead to coordination challenges, and navigating the regulatory landscape is essential. Ensuring equitable benefits for all and adapting to rapid technological changes remain significant hurdles, while external factors can impact the project’s direction. Continuous feedback is vital for refining the approach. 

  • Resources and Transferability:  

Teaching Materials/Resources: https://digi.hel.fi/english/helsinki-city-data-strategy/  

Personal Skills Required: high 

Non-discriminatory Principles Yes 

Transferability Potential High