Smart City Tórshavn

Inhabitants: 21.127
Jobs: 12.500

Since 850 AD, when the Vikings first began gathering on a small spit of land jutting out into the bay to conduct their summer Ting deliberations, Tórshavn Municipality has been at the centre of growth and development in the Faroe Islands. It became an independent municipality in 1866 and was granted provincial town status on 1 January 1909.

Tórshavn is surrounded by a huge water area. Havnin, as Tórshavn often is called, offers daycare centres, elementary and middle schools, high schools and a university, as well as sports facilities, a hospital and other health services. There are senior centres and retirement homes, as well as long-term care facilities.

Today, the Municipality has a population of around 21.120. Over the last few years, many of the existing municipalities in the central region of the country have merged. This merging has provided an opportunity for Tórshavn Municipality to expand and develop not only the building options available but also the opportunities for business development in general. The increase in population also makes it possible for the Municipality itself to take on many different tasks that otherwise fell to the national government.

The capital offers various cultural centres, a diversity of high street shops, a vibrant business community, and hotels, restaurants and much more. Tórshavn also hosts many of the country’s governmental administrative offices and agencies. Tórshavn is thus a modern city that is continuously developing and growing.

Even though the capital is a modern city, many living reminders of history bring a unique energy to the town. Historic homes nestled along a twisting, narrow pathways, speak of a time long ago. In Tórshavn, the old and the new rub shoulders all the time, especially in the city centre where it is still easy to find yourself standing on stones tread by Viking chieftains a 1000 years ago.

Tórshavn has set out to become a growth centre in the North Atlantic regarding digitalization and development. We want to open our city for businesses as a testing hub for Smart City solutions and quality-of-life improvements for our citizens. Tórshavn has ventured on this process and we are proud to now be a part of the Nordic Smart City Network.