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TUT’s social scientists wish to create Helsinki-Tallinn smart city
Scientists of TUT Ragnar Nurkse School of Innovation and Governance and Finland’s Aalto University have reached the second round of the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 in the so-called Teaming top science centres, which is the equivalent to Oscar nominations in the film industry.
The project of TUT Ragnar Nurkse School of Innovation and Governance and Aalto University, which also the scientists from Tallinn University and University of Tartu take part in, is one of the two Teaming proposals originating in Estonia to make it through to the second round.
The purpose of the FINEST Twins project is to create a cross-border top city centre, with cities as living, economic and innovation environments as its research topics. Scientists, business and innovation clusters, top specialists from public and private sectors from Estonia and Finland are to participate, in order to make use of knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurship of both regions. Project also includes different regions in Estonia and Helsinki’s Uusimaa region. The purpose of the smart city top centre is to develop framework conditions necessary for innovations furthering the city environment, in order to draw international investments and act as a springboard to the international market for innovative solutions and undertakings.
The goal of the project is to create a test environment operating on scientific, innovative and business cooperation in order to improve the living environment and mobility, as well as cross-border services and the quality of life. The test environment is a so-called living lab, where near-commercialisation innovations can be tested out, as well as e-state solutions and other innovations within urbanisation and cities’ ecosystems.
EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 has initiated the so-called Teaming measure, which intends to create new top centres for science and technology in areas currently lagging behind the top European areas. The name of the funding measure refers to the fact that creating these top centres takes place in teams with Europe’s highly qualified science centres participating in the competition. Those successful in the first round will receive 0.2–0.5 million euros for 12 months to draw up their business plan. The business plans will compete in the second round. Projects successful in that round will receive great financial support from the EU for the next five years (15–20 million euros), which the state has to add a significant investment to. 169 applications were submitted to the competition, 31 were selected to the next round.
Additional information:
prof Rainer Kattel, TTÜ R. Nurkse School of Innovation and Governance, phone 620 2661, rainer.kattel@ttu.ee
