Cases
4.3.2026
Pornainen was chosen as a pilot site when a Finnish circular economy innovation, an industrial-grade sand battery, began producing clean district heating for the municipality.
Cases
7.1.2026
Wastewater nutrients are being recovered using hydrophobic, or water-repelling, membranes. The method reduces carbon dioxide emissions, protects waterways, and produces valuable fertilizer.
News
19.11.2025
The Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Programme and the roadmap for a carbon neutral Helsinki-Uusimaa 2030 identify a need to transform the region’s food system to become more sustainable. Helsinki-Uusimaa aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2030, and making the region’s food system more sustainable and low-carbon plays a key role in achieving this climate target.
Blog
28.5.2025
Welcome to 2050. The world may look familiar, but beneath the surface, algorithms shape nearly every aspect of life. A new generation has grown with artificial intelligence (AI) as ordinary as electricity. This is the first truly AI-native generation raised in an 'algorithmic future,' a world where complex systems tailored to individual preferences guide decisions, deliver services, and influence relationships. In her blog post Senior Adviser Christine Chang considers how AI is shaping human behaviour, education, and daily life.
Blog
30.4.2025
Lately, every time I scroll through the headlines, it feels like the world is becoming noisier, tenser, and harder to navigate. Under President Trump's second term, the return of aggressive tariff strategies has created an even less predictable environment for international collaboration. Senior Adviser Christine Chang explores how regions like Helsinki-Uusimaa can respond strategically to rising protectionism to strengthen our global competitiveness.
News
22.4.2025
In February, the European Commission published its Vision for Agriculture and Food. The Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council wants to actively participate in the discussion on the guiding principles of the EU's future agricultural and food policy. In cooperation with the Helsinki EU Office and stakeholders, the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council has prepared a position paper that brings together our Region’s views on the Commission's vision.
Blog
28.3.2025
The circular economy isn’t just a technical fix or environmental upgrade. It’s a strategic pathway to resilience, competitiveness, and sovereignty. And it is often regions and cities, working in collaboration with businesses, academia, and civil society, that are best positioned to facilitate this transition. Senior Adviser Christine Chang examies the role of regions and cities in the circular diplomacy.
Cases
24.2.2025
Helsinki-based startup Make a BIM uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically create Building Information Models (BIMs) from architectural drawings. Data is needed to improve the energy consumption and circular economy of buildings as well as reduce carbon emissions.
Cases
13.11.2024
AIATELLA aims to save lives by automating manual tasks in the analysis of medical imaging. The founders’ target is to scale the whole cardiovascular system and shift the current situation from reactive medicine into preventative medicine.
News
29.10.2024
Helsinki-Uusimaa emphasises that the future framework programme must promote place-based regional innovation ecosystems and strengthen cooperation along the entire RDI value chain. The Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council's position on the EU's next Framework Programme for Research and Innovation brings forth the objectives of the region’s RDI actors.
News
1.10.2024
The European Commission has identified the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region as a Regional Innovation Valley (RIV). In cooperation with other top regions in circular economy, Helsinki-Uusimaa is carrying out the project European Circular Innovation Valley, the ECIV.
News
24.9.2024
Mr Eero Venäläinen at the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council started as the new Regional Development Director at the beginning of August. Our operational environment is undergoing great changes, but he believes in the future.
Cases
6.6.2024
The Finnish biotechnology company Enifer's mycoprotein PEKILO® is attracting worldwide interest from as far away as South America. The Espoo-based company is growing fast and has recently secured 36 million euros funding to build a pioneering food-grade mycoprotein factory in Kirkkonummi.
Cases
27.3.2024
Espoo based company Desentum is developing an immunotherapy that can change the treatment of allergies. Their development programs include treatments for birch pollen, grass pollen and peanut allergies.
News
21.3.2024
Finland, a pioneer in circular economy, will be a prominent participant in the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) organised in April. Finland will showcase new circular economy innovations and cooperation models at the Forum. The Helsinki-Uusimaa Circular Hub is also participating in the Circular Economy Super Week.
Cases
5.3.2024
Health Proof Helsinki offers testing environments and expert services for companies in the fields of health and medical technology as well as specialised and primary healthcare. Metropolia University of Applied Sciences provides the ecosystem with learning environments.
Cases
12.2.2024
VTT was commissioned by the Helsinki-Uusimaa Circular Valley to investigate the material flows and business opportunities of construction and demolition in Helsinki-Uusimaa. The results show that the generation of construction waste is strongly concentrated in the metropolitan area.
News
6.2.2024
Helsinki-Uusimaa has set a goal to become the most innovative region in Europe by 2030. Currently, nearly 50 per cent of the research and development expenses in Finland can be found in the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region and research, development, and innovation activities (RDI) make up about 3,9 per cent of the regional gross domestic product. The aim is to increase these investments to five percent of the regional gross domestic product.
Cases
30.1.2024
The river barriers of RiverRecycle are cleaning plastic waste in the globally most polluted rivers and removing it to waste treatment plants. Construction material can be produced from trash that is considered worthless.
Cases
12.12.2023
A production plant that will start producing food from air on an industrial scale. Producing egg white protein from water, sugar and minerals. These are two examples of new innovations that aim to overcome the problems caused by food production.