Smart Kalasatama is Helsinki's internationally recognised smart urban district, developed on a former harbour and industrial area near the city centre. The project, led by Forum Virium Helsinki in partnership with the City of Helsinki, serves as a world-class model for smart urban development where innovative digital services, sustainable infrastructure, and citizen participation are integrated from the earliest planning stages.
The district's ambitious goal is to save each resident one hour of time per day through smart services and efficient urban design. Smart Kalasatama has hosted over 100 urban experiments through its agile piloting programme, which issues open calls to startups and innovators to test solutions in real-life urban conditions.
Successful pilots have addressed smart energy management, autonomous transport, health and wellbeing services, waste management, and digital community platforms. The district features a smart grid with building-integrated solar panels and shared energy storage, a pipe-based pneumatic waste collection system, and integrated digital services for residents.
The piloting methodology developed in Kalasatama has been adopted by other Helsinki districts and studied by cities worldwide as a model for how urban innovation can be systematised and scaled. The project demonstrates Helsinki's approach to smart city development as fundamentally citizen-centred, using technology to improve daily life.