Joensuu approach is to be a platform and collaborator to facilitate new developments and smart city solutions. We use public investments and procurement to facilitate development. In 2018, ever fifth city purchase and practically all major investments (e.g. schools and day care centers) should contain innovative elements. As an example, two new schools have obtained green financing certificates and we have just developed a learning environment which assists to study the carbon footprint at school. The approach combines sensor technology and measurements, which are saved in a cloud, with analysis and learning programme and tutorial. Currently we are opening up the sensor data. Open Data approach as a whole is under development, e.g. all city purchases have been opened to increase transparency.

Joensuu has a 3D city model being developed for versatile use. The model has been fundamental e.g. for the creation machine control models for excavators. The machine controls allows the excavator operators to speed up the process and increase the quality – machine control models have been a requirement for city’s street construction since the beginning of 2017.

We are a frontrunner town in cycling and even in winter cycling. Automated pedestrian and cyclist counters assist in the traffic planning – and also local entrepreneurs use the data when choosing a suitable location for the business. An innovative plot lease competition was just carried out, in which the price was fixed and the competition was solved based on the smartness of architecture, planning and innovative aspects. Such a competition allows new solutions to be implemented and also boosts the private companies to innovate.

Late 2017 we will open a competition in which 200,000 euros is used to implement smart pilot projects in the city center. Companies will be invited to present ideas for the implementation.