Helsinki’s innovation agents scout out the best new ideas

Vendors often find it hard to get their products in front of the right people in cities outside a formal procurement process. Meanwhile, city departments want fresh ideas but can find themselves overwhelmed with solutions that may not meet their needs.

Helsinki aims to help both parties with its team of 'innovation agents'. The city employees act as intermediaries between the city and companies – their goal is to understand and articulate the city’s challenges and priorities and identify companies that can help, then support them to develop their solutions.

Kimmo Heinonen, Helsinki

Kimmo Heinonen, who manages the team of innovation agents in Helsinki, told Cities Today: “As far as I...