Skip to content

Helsinki

Helsinki Challenges

The applications for the First Open Call Round were closed on March 31st, 2023. Here you can find details on the challenges proposed to applicants and the documents related to the call.

Challenge 1: How to encourage non-Finnish speaker immigrants to integrate into society?

The number of unemployed immigrants has been growing in past years. Especially the immigrants who lack Finnish language skills can easily fall behind in the society if they do not have the needed skills to access the (digital) societal services. The challenge is that many of the immigrants lack the basic digital skills that are expected by the public authorities. In addition, they do not have the societal skills required to deal with some basic life functions, such as paying bills, registering for child care or reaching medical services.

According to current forecasts, in 2030 around 25% of Helsinki’s working age residents will not speak Finnish as their mothers tongue. Therefore Helsinki is looking for web based solutions and content to support learning of these digital and societal skills through means that do not require any (Finnish) language skills.

The clients of Helsinki’s Rehabilitative Work Activities Centres will be piloting one solution awarded with a grant.

Minimum scores and weightenings:

1. Impact

Minimum score: 2 | Weighting: 25%

2. Implementation quality and efficiency

Minimum score: 2 | Weighting: 35%

3. Excellence

Minimum score: (no minimum score) | Weighting: 25%

4. Co-creation

Minimum score: (no minimum score) | Weighting: 15%

Challenge 2: How to integrate long-term unemployed citizens into working life?

The unemployment rate in Helsinki is increasing, and especially the number of long-term unemployed citizens is growing. City of Helsinki offers rehabilitative work activities for long-term unemployed to support their integration into the society and working life. The clients of Rehabilitative Work Activities Centres are dealing with multiple social and/or cognitive problems, and hence they often are unable to work or study. Due to this background, they do not have even the most basic digital skills, and therefore face numerous challenges in entering the labour market.

Helsinki is looking for solutions to support long-term unemployed citizens with little or non-existing digital abilities to integrate into Finnish society. In particular, Helsinki wants to strengthen their digital skills in order to motivate and help them to integrate into working life. 

The clients of Helsinki’s Rehabilitative Work Activities Centres will be piloting one solution awarded with a grant.

Minimum scores and weightenings:

1. Impact

Minimum score: 2 | Weighting: 25%

2. Implementation quality and efficiency

Minimum score: 1 | Weighting: 25%

3. Excellence

Minimum score: 2 | Weighting: 25%

4. Co-creation

Minimum score: (no minimum score) | Weighting: 25%

Challenge 3: How the disabled can improve their social and digital skills by utilising virtual technologies?

Adults – and especially young adults – with developmental disabilities have cognitive and physical challenges that prevent them from engaging with Disability Services provided by the City of Helsinki. According to the prior experimentations, virtual environments seem potential within the target group and are considered as an attractive means of social interaction, for example. Also daily routines, as well as examining new situations and environments of everyday life, can be safely practised by utilising such technologies. 

To prevent marginalisation, a motivating virtual environment is needed, where the people with disabilities can maintain social contacts and develop digital skills. Therefore, the City of Helsinki is looking for virtual technologies to enhance social interactions and to develop digital skills of the disabled citizens.

Minimum scores and weightenings:

1. Impact

Minimum score: 2 | Weighting: 30%

2. Implementation quality and efficiency

Minimum score: 2 | Weighting: 25%

3. Excellence

Minimum score: 2 | Weighting: 35%

4. Co-creation

Minimum score: 1 | Weighting:10%

Challenge 4: What kind of technologies increase the safety of the homecare clients?

In Finland, 80 percent of accidents among people over the age of 65 are the result of a fall. Therefore, a reliable alarm system is needed for the homecare customers so that they can live a safe and independent life in their own homes. In alarm solutions based on cameras, so-called dead corners are difficult to tackle and wearable alarm systems also have several challenges, such as lack of alarm if the customer is unconscious. In addition, the aesthetics and ethics of cameras often raise justified concerns.

Helsinki seeks technologies offering a reliable and scalable solution that increases safety as well as wellbeing of the homecare clients. In order to avoid the negative impacts of cameras and wearables, the system must be based on sensor technology and artificial intelligence. The solution proposed should take into account the special requirements of the home environment.

Minimum scores and weightenings:

1. Impact

Minimum score: 2 | Weighting: 25%

2. Implementation quality and efficiency

Minimum score: 2 | Weighting: 25%

3. Excellence

Minimum score: 3 | Weighting: 30%

4. Co-creation

Minimum score: (no minimum score) | Weighting: 20%