CEO’s Annual Review 2024: Riding the Wave of Innovation Together

The year 2024 was significant and successful for Forum Virium Helsinki. We effectively advanced the development of the City of Helsinki through innovative experiments and new technologies. In line with our strategy, we developed future urban solutions in cooperation with the city, businesses, the scientific community, and residents.

Year of Experiments

Helsinki boldly experimented with new ideas. Drones were given new tasks in traffic monitoring and rescue operations, sensors improved traffic safety, and the city was made even greener. We also developed new tools to support employment and used satellite data to anticipate the effects of climate change. These experiments have shown that Helsinki is a pioneer in urban development.

The Power of Collaboration

Forum Virium Helsinki’s operations are based on strong cooperation. The city, residents, businesses, and the scientific community are all involved in developing new services and technologies. During 2024, we organized ten experiment calls, from which about 30 were selected for implementation in different parts of Helsinki. This shows that we can achieve significant results through collaboration.

EU Funding and Future Plans

We have been very successful in securing EU funding. Last year, we brought in 2.8 million euros in EU funding, which was used to produce innovation and development projects together with businesses and the city. This funding is vital for our operations and enables even more impactful projects.We are also preparing for the upcoming strategy period 2025–2029. Our focus areas are the city’s attractiveness, combating climate change, digitalization, preventing segregation, and security. We have strengthened our project preparation team to better respond to these challenges.

Impactful Successes of 2024

1. The City Got Temporary Greenery: Several temporary green solutions in different parts of Helsinki improved the comfort of residents and benefited nature.
2. Marketplaces Transformed into Event Spaces: New types of local food and drink events at Hakaniemi Market attracted over 1,000 visitors and promoted sustainable food culture.
3. Traffic Safety and Emission Reductions Were Promoted: Traffic monitoring, a new type of distribution center, and supporting light traffic reduced emissions and improved traffic safety.
4. Residents’ Attitudes Towards Drones Were Surveyed: Residents’ opinions on drones were surveyed, and the majority of respondents believed in their benefits.
5. New Tools to Support Employment: We developed digital tools to support employment, such as the Recycling Master course and a digital skills mapping tool.
6. Social Aspects of the City’s Digital Twin: We developed a demo tool that outlines heat and flood risks as well as social vulnerability.
7. Active Experimentation Continued: We organized ten experiment calls, from which about 30 were selected for implementation in different parts of Helsinki.

Read more about our success in 2024 here.

Recognition and Thanks

Project customer satisfaction was at a high level of 4.5 / 5 in 2024. Media visibility was good, and our social media channels grew steadily. Job satisfaction was also at an excellent level of 4.3 / 5. The total over-year budget of all 34 projects was 27 million euros, and we had 57 committed and knowledgeable employees. Thank you to all of them!

Towards a New Year

The year 2024 has been successful, but our eyes are already on the future. We want to continue developing Helsinki with innovative solutions and be pioneers in urban development. Together, we can make Helsinki an even better place to live, work, and visit.

Text: Mika Malin, CEO of Forum Virium Helsinki