Forum Virium Helsinki

Co-Creating Urban Futures

henkilöstö 2024

Forum Virium Helsinki is the City of Helsinki innovation company. We co-create urban futures with companies, universities, public sector and Helsinki residents.

Finances and decision-making

Forum Virium Helsinki is an in-house non-profit innovation company of the City of Helsinki. Forum Virium Helsinki’s strategy is in line with the City of Helsinki strategy. Forum Virium Helsinki mainly operates with external project funding. About two thirds of the company’s funding comes from financial instruments of the EU. We are one of Finland’s most efficient users of European Union innovation funding. In 2022, Forum Virium Helsinki received EUR 1.9 million in core funding from the City.

Forum Virium Helsinki’s Managing Director is Mika Malin. FVH’s Board of Directors consists of representatives of the divisions and subsidiaries of the City of Helsinki. The Chair of the board is City of Helsinki Chief Digital Officer Mikko Rusama.

We pilot and develop urban innovation in projects, the solutions of which are scaled for the use of the entire urban community. Our projects may result in new companies, new services, new data or new practices. We typically have 30–40 projects running at a time.

Key indicators

The Board of Directors sets annual performance targets and indicators for Forum Virium Helsinki. The impact of the company’s activities is monitored and reported in effectiveness reports every six months.

  2019 2020 2021
 Budget 6,5 M€ 8,6 M€ 8,7 M€
 Personnel 48 60 60
 Projects 35 50 43
    

HR and environmental responsibility

Forum Virium Helsinki currently employs 58 experts. Our employees’ job satisfaction is at a good level with a rating of 4.2 / 5.

We support carbon neutrality targets of the City of Helsinki. We prefer vegetarian food at events and avoid unnecessary flying.

Forum Virium Helsinki strategy

FVH_strategy_image_3000px (3)

Service promise

Co-creating urban futures.

Values

Open cooperation, commitment to objectives, discovery. Read more about our sustainable values.

Mission

Forum Virium Helsinki spurs on smart city development by introducing new technologies, operating models and initiatives to the city community. 

Vision

Helsinki is the most functional smart city in the world. 

Strategic objectives

1. Strengthening the City of Helsinki’s ability to utilise data, new technologies and digitalisation.

  • We seek projects that facilitate the City’s digitalisation and climate objectives.
  • We scale our co-creation model, project solutions and conclusions so that they can be utilised by the city community.
  • We maintain understanding of new technologies and the needs for change in industries.

2. Helping companies utilise Helsinki as a test bed.

  • We offer a platform and an open ecosystem to companies for the piloting of their own products and services.
  • We offer a co-creation model and expertise to companies.
  • We offer funding opportunities to SMEs in particular. 

3.Being a renewing and agile expert organisation.

  • We maintain and develop our top-class project and funding expertise. 
  • We continuously develop our employer image and brand. 
  • We foster an open work atmosphere, continuous learning and customer-orientation.

CEO’s annual review

Read our CEO’s Mika Malin’s annual review here.