EU aid for urban development

Support for innovation activities in cities – ecosystem agreements

Sixteen Finnish cities with universities will strengthen their innovation ecosystems, i.e. innovation based on cooperation networks. Development is based on agreements between the cities and the central government. Their common goal is to develop city-led solutions that are based on a low-carbon and resource-wise use of digitalisation and technological change. The measures are divided into green transition, digitalisation, and wellbeing and health. The development is part of the Innovative Cities and Communities programme, which is coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Council of Tampere Region. Link Innokaupungit

More information (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment):  Olli Voutilainen, olli.voutilainen(at)gov.fi and Mika Pikkarainen, mika.pikkarainen(at)gov.fi

URBACT – European cities exchange experiences and learn from each other

URBACT is a Community Initiative Programme of the EU that promotes the exchanging of experiences between European cities. The aim of the programme is to collect and disseminate good operating models for urban development through experience-sharing networks and by aggregating skills and knowledge.

The current URBACT IV programme is based on the previous programming periods. The programme will complement the European Urban Initiative (EUI), for which Spatia, the Centre for Regional Research, serves as the national information hub.

More information (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment): Olli Voutilainen, olli.voutilainen(at)gov.fi

Urban Innovative Actions (UIA), EU financing instrument for innovative urban projects

Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) is an initiative of the European Commission, in which the aim is to find new innovative solutions for urban challenges. Financing for UIA comes from the ERDF. The programme allocates significant funding to projects organised by cities in Member States. UIA encourages cities to take risks, join forces with partners and to apply more innovative and creative solutions to challenges that they are facing. For the programming period 2021–27, the initiative will continue under the name European Urban Initiative