Smart & Clean has arrived!

Writer

Santtu Hulkkonen

Leading Specialist

Published

June 30, 2015

On Wednesday 10 June almost 70 eager Smart & Clean operators from companies, cities and other organisations gathered at Sitra. The theme of the day was to ponder how the metropolitan area could be transformed into a globally leading cleantech reference area and what projects should be started. Prior Oy is currently working on a report that gathers together the top projects in the capital region and the expectations of different parties for the Smart & Clean partnership project. Preliminary results of the report were presented at the workshop: some 92% of respondents thought that an ambitious Smart & Clean goal that raises international interest should be set for the metropolitan area. Enthusiasm and commitment to the development of an international-scale reference area was tangible. Juha Vanhanen of Gaia Consulting orchestrated the day and over the course of a couple of hours we managed to encapsulate the Smart & Clean goals and decide on some of the most important action that needs taking. The message was clear: we need world-class projects that find new ways of combining smart solutions and environmental protection, as well as a strong international brand to support our work and communicate our know-how. Could we, for example, be World SmartClean Capital? The Smart & Clean partnership challenges companies, cities and their inhabitants to work together to recognise and develop projects that have significant positive effects on the economy, the environment and the appeal of the area. The Allas – Helsinki Pool plans for Katajanokka in Helsinki, the geometric pilot heating plant of St1 and Fortum in Espoo, the smart Kalasatama and the sustainable lifestyle of Kivistö in Vantaa are all good examples of such projects. What other clean and smart projects should be developed in the capital region? Now is the time to make an impact, as the ambitious Smart & Clean partnership is only just getting started. If you have a concrete project idea in mind, please contact us. The next workshop will be held on 25 August from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The workshop’s presentations can be found on SlideShare: