Jyväskylä innovation and growth ecosystem - summary of 2024 activities

How to craft innovation and growth while the world is in turmoil? We all need a sence of shared purpose and systemic approach to learn how to deal with devious challenges offered to humankind at present such as climate change, sense of security and wellbeing of people. 

Sitra released report in August which shows that 60% of company leaders state that support from the goverment is driving force for them to put more effort into R&D.

Jyväskylä is receiving credit for wide impact and maturity of innovation ecosystem with aim to increase the level of RDI (Research, Development and Innovation) investments. Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment in Finland has conducted impact research with MDI and VTT during this autumn. City of Jyväskylä listed among high performing cities in Finland with Oulu, Tampere, Turku and Helsinki metropolitan area.

Jyväskylä was placed second most attractive city for business among big cities in Finland (News: Keskisuomalainen 26.11.2024). Three steps up from 2023 - this is major improvement in just one year!

Jyväskylä has a wealth of uncommercialised sports expertise. Together with Finnish Institute of high performance Sport KIHU, University of Jyväskylä and Jyväskylä University of Applied Science strategic alliance with regional development activities, we are striving to develop both the businesses and the sports innovation. Sport Finland network lead by the City of Jyväskylä branded together the sport technology expertise on national level and provided an window of opportunity for startups to make international go-to-market in Spain this year: An umbrella of Finnish talent – Sport Finland set out together toward opportunities in the world of football.

Football-themed vibes from the spring business delegation trip to Spain. The photo shows the delegation group visiting Athletic Bilbao's training facilities at the Lezama Training Center. For several years now, there has been Jyväskylä-based sports science research cooperation in Bilbao, and recently the aim has been to open doors for Finnish business in the Spanish market to find new solutions.

The ”dual-use” of this expertise to the wellbeing of city dwellers will make the best impact. Less and less excercise in everyday life has an effect on people. Work-life balance and productivity are inter-connected: just like body and mind are interconnected. Solutions to help us cope with health related issues are more relevant than ever before.  On the other hand, population is aging fast and need assistance in mobility. Technology applied to high performance in sport is something to make wider use in programming healthy habits for us all.

Central Finland Mobility Foundation supporting sustainability with urban mobility solutions using hydrogen is pushing us forward with speed! Vireon announced earlier in September that Finland´s first large-scale green hydrogen fueling station will be located in Jyväskylä. Busses running on hydrogen will be released in city trafic next summer. Why is this important? Because 35 % of emissions is caused by heavy trafic. Carbon neutrality before 2030 is ambitious goal for the City of Jyväskylä, but a necessary one. 

In all ecosystem activities crafted together with partners to lock the attention of innovative startups with emerging technologies, impact investors, key industry stake-holders and academia, we aim constantly to improve our valueproposition of creating indispesible support: followed by NPS of 66.7% in targeted audience programmes. 

In January we aim to release our impact report with more data and indepth analysis of this operation with Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment during 2021 and 2024. If you want to read this release among the first, please make sure to subscribe our newsletter!

1 Cityspotting (Mikko Rinnevuori) starting a pitch to investors at the Jyväskylä Business Rally Investor Day.

2 Remoted (Mika Rytkönen) was nominated the opportunity to join a 2-year incubation program at the Yritystehdas at the Investor Day 2024.

3 Finnish company delegation visited San Mames stadium of Bilbao Athletic Club in spring.

4 Hydrogen theme brought entrepreneurs, decision makers and universities' specialists together to discuss about future possibilities of hydrogen in Central Finland.

5 Program Manager Sanna Laakso gave a presentation at Business Networking Day 2024. She discussed how networks can be used to create innovation and thus resilience and security of supply. Jyväskylä is currently developing the Central Finland NATO value network on security of supply and defence, and we are also building an industrial resilience network, supported by a strong cyber security competence cluster. Together we will build a sustainable Central Finland.