Kalasatama Urban Lab, a meeting place for urban developers

Kalasatama Urban Lab, opening in late November 2018, acts as a meeting place for companies, residents and the City of Helsinki. Events organized there have the aim of developing the smartest, most climate-positive district in Helsinki. Come and develop the city at Kalasatama Urban Lab or organize your own event!

The Smart Kalasatama project has made the Kalasatama district in Helsinki a model area for smart urban development and a climate objective pioneer, piloting smart solutions for the City of Helsinki. Kalasatama Urban Lab opens its doors in November 2018. The lab is a co-creation space initiated by the Smart Kalasatama project, and it brings the smart urban development efforts of the City of Helsinki close to residents and businesses.

“The smart city development of Helsinki and the smart solutions in Kalasatama have put Helsinki on the world map. Helsinki’s objective of becoming the most functional city in the world is crystallized in the Kalasatama Urban Lab space, which showcases the smart solutions adopted in Helsinki and invites interest groups to develop them further,” says Mika Malin, Managing Director of the City of Helsinki’s innovation unit, Forum Virium.

Urban Lab is a test environment, where new services are being developed for use by residents in an urban setting.

The entire district of Kalasatama serves as a laboratory for new solutions piloted in Helsinki, and the new Lab space offers a place where developers can meet, and events, meetings and networking can be organized.

“Previously, we had a shared space in the Suvilahti area, but we now need our own facilities for the activities. It is great to be able to provide a meeting place for innovators working towards a smarter and more sustainable city. In addition to the City, residents, companies and researchers are all needed to achieve Helsinki’s climate goals”, says Maija Bergström, a community manager for Smart Kalasatama.

Kalasatama Urban Lab is located in the center of the area, in the corner of REDI shopping center. The windows open out onto the new residential area and the center of Helsinki, and from the lab’s terrace, you can see the city grow beneath your feet. You can reach Kalasatama Urban Lab easily by metro, or by hopping on a city bike and riding along the eastern 'Baana' cycling path. The REDI center also features the largest concentration of electric car charging stations in Finland.

We are promoting a smart and climate-positive Helsinki at Kalasatama Urban Lab

A space for co-creation

Kalasatama Urban Lab is a cozy space where thoughts are free to roam, and ideas can be crystallized. Visitors learn about smart everyday living services and the ongoing development in the Kalasatama area.

An arena for climate-friendly events
Kalasatama Urban Lab can be used to host public and private events. The space can accommodate up to 60 people. In the space, people are encouraged to solve climate challenges and utilize digital applications, for example, examine and work on the 3D model of the district.

Smart living showroom
Learn about the agile pilots implemented in Kalasatama and the infrastructure supporting smart solutions as well as the new solutions built on top of it. Experience the most recent climate-friendly and smart living innovations first hand at Kalasatama Urban Lab.

Kalasatama Urban Lab and its events welcome residents, company representatives, city employees and researchers alike. Smart Kalasatama and its events can be followed on social media and on the website. www.fiksukalasatama.fi.

Reserve the space for yourself and open the door using a smart lock

Kalasatama Urban Lab caters to workshops, small events and meetings as well as visitor groups learning about smart cities. You can use the space independently: Smart Kalasatama interest groups may reserve the space for themselves using the Flextila service, and gain access using smart locks. The use of the space is also facilitated by further developing additional services and new solutions connected to independent use, allowing for monitoring of the space and utilization of the data generated.

Please contact us to book events promoting smart and climate-friendly living and urban development.

Photo: Community Manager Maija Bergström and Living Lab Intern Mette Hiltunen at work, setting up Kalasatama Urban Lab, which will be commissioned in late November. Credits: Ruska Tapiovaara

Further information:
Community manager
Forum Virium Helsinki
Maija Bergström
Phone: +358 (0)40 766 1415
maija.bergstrom@forumvirium.fi