In the workshops of Helsinki Smart Experiences project, companies brainstormed service concepts related to sauna and weather. Piloting will start this summer.
Helsinki Smart Experiences project, launched in autumn 2024, brings together tourism companies and AI startups. By bringing them together, new innovative services will be created to attract both tourists and locals to spend time in the centre of Helsinki. The project has held discussions with a wide range of businesses and key people involved in the development of the city centre and identified the first themes for co-creation in innovation workshops.
The first theme chosen was sauna, around which a group of five companies was gathered. Sauna is a very topical and interesting theme at the moment, with a lot of potential for productisation and new business development. From the first innovation workshop, two different service concepts emerged for further development, which will be tested in the centre of Helsinki during the spring by international students studying at Haaga-Helia, among others.
The second innovation workshop focused on weather and how it can be used in business. Six companies took part, including restaurants, bike and canoe tour operators and a representative of the new Superterassi opening in the centre of Helsinki. Facilitated by Haaga-Helia, the companies first came up with ideas for the use of weather data, followed by a description of potential users and the benefits of the new service. In the next stage of development, an AI start-up will be integrated to bring the benefits and potential of artificial intelligence to the new concept. This will hopefully be piloted during the summer season.
The centre of Helsinki is gradually recovering from the loss of customers and tourists caused by the coronavirus epidemic. Helsinki competes for tourist interest and euros, especially with Stockholm, Copenhagen and Tallinn. To attract consumers to the city centre, there should be more than just the same shops and restaurants as in the out-of-centre shopping centres.
Experiences, localism and high quality, distinctive services are key. Companies play an important role in developing attractive travel experiences and attractive service packages that make the centre of Helsinki a unique and vibrant destination for both domestic and international guests.
One of the aims of Helsinki Smart Experiences project is to bring companies together and create a culture of co-development among the actors in the city centre. There seems to be a real need for this, and the innovation workshops that have already taken place show that interaction and co-development brings added value to companies - in terms of new contacts, ideas and bilateral cooperation, among other things. The power of cooperation can already be seen, and it is good to move on from this to the next themes and pilots – by discovering, developing and experimenting together.
Helsinki Smart Experiences project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
