Resilient Smart City Solutions Ecosystem (RECO 2.0)

City of Tampere with Tampere University, Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Business Tampere and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. with local companies in Tampere Region are building ecosystems around energy, construction and ICT infrastructure fields.

Needs of the Hiedanranta district, new housing development district, in Tampere have been used as the base for the project plan. The results from the Transition Arena workshop series in the earlier RECO project were exploited also in the design framework of this new project. The target in the Transition Arena was to compose a road map and steps toward the year 2035 on how to reach and build a new carbon neutral housing district. In the Transition paths the most common combining finds were a need for new business models, how to break 'chicken and egg' situations, data control and open access interfaces and data economy issues, building regulations and codes including land transfer competition rules, and finally the needs of know-how and education of skilled labour in the transforming society.

The huge change and transformation in the society challenges the ways of how things have been done earlier. Complex problems and developing world require new methods to find solutions. The development platform and ecosystem finances as the co-development tools enable ways to find systemic conclusions. The city departments and companies are often working in silos, which can make efficient development work difficult, but this can be helped by creating shared and common ways to communicate and cooperate between important actors. Actions in this project create business opportunities in local ecosystems and also pathways to identified international markets in the most advantageous financial locations. The project enhances low-carbon construction business, urban environment ICT solutions and energy production, distribution and energy efficiency themes that stem from the R&D innovation functions that has potential to become viable business.There will be as project results the new permanent development platform which will bring city departments and their needs in closer cooperation with private and public research and businesses. The community will be gathered to take forward the city development sector. Suitable common project frames will be recognized and research ideas will be taken into finance stage preparation. New business models will be identified for urban data sector in the ecosystems. Smart city block concept will be crafted as part of the long term road map for the sustainable construction. Education needs will be taken into advise for education development organizations, on both government and city level. The knowledge and education cooperation network will be created.