Helsinki-Uusimaa Innovation Ecosystem

Aalto Design Factory is an interdisciplinary product design and learning hub at Aalto University. It brings together students, researchers, educators and industry partners to explore novel approaches to product development and design-based development collaboration. Its activities combine interdisciplinary learning, applied research, hands-on prototyping and experimentation across business, design and engineering. Image: Aalto DF

The Centre for Radical Creativity is an interdisciplinary unit at Aalto University that explores what radical creativity means for individuals, organisations and society. The centre conducts research, education and experimentation while creating opportunities for collaboration between researchers, companies and other partners. Its activities include collaborative projects, learning programmes, practical tools and shared spaces designed to strengthen creative capacity and foster new ways of thinking. Image: Centre for Radical Creativity

Led by Metropolia UAS, Creative Dimension is an open collaboration platform for companies and organisations that want to develop new ideas, concepts, and services together with students and experts. The collaboration platform brings together expertise in the creative industries, design, media, culture, and technology, helping to turn ideas into practical solutions. Through projects and initiatives, companies can pilot new solutions, discover creative perspectives on business, and contribute to the training of future professionals. Image: Metropolia

Creve is a nationally operating creative industry business service and entrepreneurship learning environment of Humak UAS. You can participate in it as an entrepreneur, artist, student, job seeker, or employed individual. The services highlight the current themes of both the creative economy and entrepreneurship: digitalisation, adaptability, responsibility, international readiness, as well as project and financial expertise. Image: Humak

EIT Culture & Creativity is the institutional partnership dedicated to helping Europe’s cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI) become more sustainable, resilient and competitive. Its North Regional Hub, based in Helsinki, connects cultural and creative sector stakeholders across the Nordic and Baltic countries. The Hub fosters innovation, entrepreneurship and creative talent through its network of more than 1,300 partners and members. Image: EIT Culture & Creativity

Helsinki XR Center is a leading European RDI and innovation hub for emerging technologies — especially XR and AI — supporting startups, entrepreneurs, companies, and innovators through co-creation, real-world experimentation, collaborative RDI projects, and community building. Image: Helsinki XR Center

Humak is a national university of applied sciences specialising in community development, cultural production, and linguistic accessibility. The Helsinki campus is home to the cultural management, community education and interpreter degree programmes, a large part of Humak's administration and services, and the student union office. Image: Humak

Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Finland’s largest university of applied sciences, educates future professionals in the fields of Business, Culture, Health Care and Social Services, and Technology. Metropolia's all operations of Culture and Arts are centralized in Arabia, Helsinki. Image: HeliFoto Oy

TiLA! is a community workspace for artists, creative professionals and creative entrepreneurs in Espoo. Operated by Aalto University, it combines shared workspaces with peer learning, mentoring and access to entrepreneurship support services. TiLA! connects its members with expertise in research, arts and entrepreneurship, while linking them to the wider innovation and cultural ecosystem of the Helsinki region. Image: Aalto University / Mikko Raskinen

The Uniarts Hub pre-incubator program offers a comprehensive overview of entrepreneurship in the arts and creative industries and provides support for developing your own business idea. The pre-incubator is a free 12-week program featuring lectures, workshops, mentoring, and peer support. Uniarts Hub is best suited for arts professionals who are already working in the field or nearing the end of their studies. Image: Uniarts Hub

Uniarts Helsinki is a university specialising in music, fine arts, performing arts and writing. Through its Academy of Fine Arts, Sibelius Academy and Theatre Academy, it combines artistic practice, research and education. The university advances artistic research, interdisciplinary collaboration and new forms of knowledge creation, while exploring the role of the arts in addressing societal challenges and supporting cultural renewal. Image: Tuomas Uusheimo

VirtuLab is a virtual nature research infrastructure operated by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) in Helsinki. It enables multidisciplinary research on virtual nature experiences, environmental change, wellbeing and the acceptability of natural resource use, using immersive audiovisual technologies such as 360-degree environments and virtual reality. The facility supports experimentation, technology development and collaborative research on digital nature solutions and their impacts. Image: Tuomas Kari