Background

The project idea originates from November 2001, when director of Biotechnology Institute of Helsinki University, professor Mart Saarma presented his idea of “Helsinki-Tallinn Science Bridge” at the Forum of Helsinki-Tallinn Euregio. The need for closer cooperation in science and e.g. high-tech business development stems from the fact that neither of the capital city areas is big enough to compete alone internationally. Pooling of the resources enables to profit from the strengths of both cities and is mutually beneficial.

Description

The core of the whole concept is to foster cooperation between players in science park environment in Helsinki region (Uusimaa) and Tallinn region (Harju). Potential activities of the programme can be divided into three categories.
Euregio aims to be an active stakeholder to support and to promote inter-regional development and competitiveness, based on complementary strengths and common innovative and creative cultural environment, being a cross-border, triple helix driven tool, aiming to strengthen the regional knowledge based economic development
The gradual development of an integrated cross-border region is based on the principle that both parts gain from intensified connections and cooperation, and that balanced interdependence of the regional economies makes the two Capital Regions together stronger and more visible than alone.

In order to implement the 3rd item, a project called Helsinki-Tallinn Science Twin-City was compiled in 2002 and submitted to Interreg IIIA for financing. It was led by Culminatum Ltd. and ended in February 2005.

Three fields of science were addressed in the project. These were: biomedicine and biotechnology; ICT; and material sciences and new technologies. The scope of the programme can be expanded later as new relevant fields of science and the need to foster cooperation within these fields arise. Interest has already been shown in including areas such as environmental, ecological and social sciences and urban studies in the project.