Duration: 1.4.2023 – 31.12.2023

Project partners: Coordinator University of Turku and partners Turku University of Applied Sciences and Turku Science Park Ltd.

Funding: The total budget is EUR 241 399. Turku Science Park Ltd.’s share is EUR 40 327.

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Digital Twin technologies are in a promising development phase. The potential for Smart City development with Digital Twin technologies and solutions is broad with benefits to society, economy, business and environment. The Smart City Digital Twins project focuses on making better use of public sector open data and thereby promoting sustainable economic growth in urban areas in Finland. The project explores the potential of the digital twins to promote the green transition, support equal working life and improve the well-being of citizens, and facilitates adoption of advanced technologies in the subsequent larger project.

The project supports the improvement of research and innovation capabilities and the introduction of advanced technologies in terms of R&D activities as follows: (1) by strengthening know-how, foresight and innovation activities by promoting development related to digital twins, piloting capabilities, the introduction and utilization of possible commercial applications based on the development model of the Public-Private cooperation model, (2) by supporting the implementation process of introducing new innovative and smart solutions in the regional development context, (3) by supporting the development of piloting and development environments of cities and municipalities regarding the implementation of digital twins, (4) increasing know-how regarding innovative and sustainable public procurement and their utilization, and (5) promoting a green, socially just green transition to technological innovations, business innovations and social based on the planned introduction of innovations. The general goal is to increase the effectiveness of R&D activities.

The project in itself implements and develops the RDI cooperation model, because the project is implemented in cooperation with the University of Turku, Turku University of Applied Sciences and Turku Science Park. The project aims to increase and develop cooperation between business life and research in Finland. The applications processed within the scope of the project support working life-oriented applications related to the quality of working life, innovations that improve citizens’ well-being and work productivity, and nature-saving applications that are important for the green transition. The project has a clear connection to smart specialization strategies in Finland. The connection to the smart specialization strategy (S3) consists of identifying relative advantage factors, supporting resilience factors and taking into account the innovation investments made. These three strategic S3 variables to support the entrepreneurial new development process (Entrepreneurial Discovery Process, EDP) in regional economies. In this concrete way the project is supporting high-level innovation potential in Finland. The parties implementing the project have done a basic study of Finland’s smart specialization strategy in their previous studies, and these studies have also been taken into account elsewhere in Europe.

As an increasing proportion of work is related to data utilization and information work, there are many indirect effects, for example, on improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Utilizing open data is also related to improving the business and business opportunities of companies. In this sense, the project pays special attention to Public-Private-People cooperation and its potential. The value of data, including open data, is not realized if it is not utilized in value chains. The value of open data is based on the assumption of matching supply and demand. Identifying the matching problem and presenting clear solutions are part of the project’s objectives. The development of smart urban development models requires a better solution to this problem.

Duties of Turku Science Park Ltd.: Turku Science Park Ltd. is responsible for company cooperation, international cooperation, networking, workshops and info sharing.

Contact person in Turku Science Park Ltd.: Michael Lindholm

Workshop info
We have scheduled four workshops as follows, please note that you register to all workshops and networking on the same registration page. Also note that the city specific content can vary a bit.

Register here

Speakers
Jari Kaivo-Oja Adjunct Professor, (Faculty of Sciences, University of Helsinki, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lapland), Research Director Jari Kaivo-oja is expert working in the fields of foresight, planning sciences and innovation research. His special fields are foresight and innovation management methods and methodologies in sustainability analyses, in international energy economics and general societal development. He has special expertise in energy economics, innovation research, climate change analyses and security politics.


Tero Villman is a futures researcher and a foresight practitioner at the Finland Futures Research Center in the University of Turku, Finland. His work includes regional and international futures research projects, collaborative strategic foresight engagements with organizations, and development of foresight services and tools. Within the futures and foresight field, his research themes have varied from mobility, industry and manufacturing, organizational and corporate foresight, scientific research and education, and capability development to visioning and societal transformation.  

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Michael Lindholm (Micce) works as a Network Manager at Turku Science Park Ltd. Michael is a former ICT entrepreneur who has worked with various SaaS solutions for both the public and private sector. Miccce has ran several tech projects in the region such as the regional AI network, this project and a new called New Digital Business Models. Micce an certified IRP instructor helping starting and growing companies in their path to success.

Turku 22.11.2023 workshop content (Meeting room Helena) starting 12:00 EET

Keynote speakers

From Smart Cities to Local Digital Twins (LDT): Enabling decision-making support for city stakeholders
German Castignani, Digital Twin Innovation Centre Manager LIST Luxemburg

From Artificial Intelligence to Digital Twin for what-if Analysis
The evolution of smart city solutions from data aggregation tools to smart asset management and decision support systems is mandatory for costs reduction in monitoring and planning beyond sustainability. The solutions have to guarantee the improvement of city services’ quality and efficiency as well as the reduction of costs. The exposition will overview the Snap4City platform with its recent innovations on Digital Twins, Smart Applications, Artificial Intelligence (respecting data-ethics and AI-ethics), Explainable AI to support decision makers, mainly in the contexts of asset management, security/safety, energy, mobility and transport, environment, and tourism.
Paolo Nesi, is full professor of the University of Florence.
Paolos research cover big data analytics, artificial intelligence, explainable AI, IoT, formal models, knowledge engineering; in the domains of Smart city, Industry 4.0. He has been scientific coordinator of large international research projects such as: Snap4City H2020, Resolute H2020, Sii-Mobility, AXMEDIS, ECLAP, etc

Modular Smart City Digital Twins
In this presentation, we provide the initial results from the research of modular SCDTs, covering standardization and key enabling technologies. Modular hardware and software architectures pave way for efficient maintenance as well as scalability and portability to new application domains. We will look into future possibilities.
Michael Lindholm – Network Manage, Business Turku
Eero Immonen – Adjunct professor, D.Sc. (Tech.), Turku University of Applied Sciences

Metaverse platform
Introducing the Finnish leading Metaverse platform originated at the University of Applied Sciences. We also have a chance of trying this out after the workshop!
Mika Luimula – Ph.D. (Adj.Prof.), Turku University of Applied Sciences

Workshop
The needs of the near future
The analysis of near-future needs helps to understand what kind of fast-coming needs exist in different cities. This helps to target the development and possibly find common needs that can be met quickly: systems to be developed, challenges, interfaces, modularity and data, and assessments of environmental effects.

Visions
What kind of SCDT services can we expect in the future. Future opportunities and challenges are envisioned: different SCDT visions are described, what kind of research and education is needed to implement the visions, how standards, open-source codes, modularity and data repositories can have an impact, and assessments of environmental effects.

Networking and possibility to try the Metaverse platform

16:30 End of the day

Public materials
View all public materials at the Marketplace