Ecosystem agreements

The central government has concluded long-term agreements with university cities regarding the strategic allocation of public and private RDI funding to strengthen globally competitive ecosystems.

The agreements will strengthen cooperation between public and private operators in research and innovation activities in accordance with the objectives of the parliamentary RDI working group and the national funding plan for R&D. Implementation of the agreements focusing on the devel-opment of innovation ecosystems will primarily take place with the EU’s resources for sustainable urban development in the programming period 2021–2027.

The objective of the agreements is to build innovation ecosystems, in other words, to intensify cooperation within networks, strengthen key competences and increase effectiveness.

The agreements also aim to bring research projects and networks using them together into larger, mutually reinforcing competence clusters. A common factor for the cities involved is that their progress is based on high university-driven competence and its utilisation.

The state has signed ecosystem agreements with the Greater Helsinki area and other university cities and towns. Participating cities and towns are Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Rovaniemi, Vaasa, Joensuu, Kuopio, Jyväskylä, Lappeenranta incl. Imatra, Lahti, Pori, Seinäjoki, Mikkeli, Kajaani incl. Sotkamo and Kokkola.

Press release 9 February 2021: Agreements between State and cities to speed up innovations in carbon reduction, digitalisation and wellbeing

News item 11 February 2022: Boost from EU funding for urban innovation agreements and area innovation networks

Further information: mika.pikkarainen(at)gov.fi, katja.palonen(at)gov.fi and olli.voutilainen(at)gov.fi