» Helsinki-Tallinn Science Twin-City Programme

Project 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 of the programme

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:

1) common curricula, graduate schools and research facilities;

2) exchange/mobility of undergraduate and graduate students and scientists; and

3) high-tech business development (e.g. networking, infrastructural development, start-up, growth and internationalisation phase programmes and other support measures, spin-off mechanisms, incubators, licensing and commercialisation of scientific research results etc.).

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.

Partners

Three different types of actors participated in the advancement of cooperation:

1) Organisations representing science and education;

2) Actors connected with science parks and transfer of the science park concept; and; 3) Authorities responsible for local and regional economic policy issues.

Following activities were carried out:

1. fact finding;

2. brokerage events;

3. cooperation in the supply of office space and other services.

Co-financing of the programme has been provided by Interreg IIIA, Helsinki-Tallinn Euregio, Tallinn City (mobility grants for the students and scientists from Tallinn and Harjumaa in 2002).

The part of the project financed by Interreg IIIA was coordinated by

Kimmo Heinonen

Culminatum Ltd Oy

Project Manager

Tel +358 925 173 111

kimmo.heinonen@culmimatum.fi

In addition to faciliation of cooperation between enterprises Helsinki-Tallinn Twin-City of Science concept aims at enhancing cooperation within higher education, research and development activities between the twin-region of Helsinki-Uusimaa and Tallinn-Harjumaa.

The mapping of the opportunities for cooperation between Helsinki and Tallinn has been funded from the Finnish side as a project among the eight projects within priority 1, “Strengthening competence and a multidimensional knowledge base”, of the Urban Programme for the Helsinki Metropolitan Region titled as “Competence and cohesion”. The Estonian mapping was carried out with financing from Helsinki-Tallinn Euregio.

The long-term vision behind these joint activities is that the two regions will constitute a coherent area of science, education and high-tech business in the future, where the academic and business world is naturally connected through the region to the public sector. Innovation and knowledge based enterprises should be included in a wider concept, including “soft” areas.

Universities involved in the education and science part of the Twin-City of Science project areUniversity of Helsinki, Helsinki University of Technology, and Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn University, Estonian Academy of Arts (especially design), Estonian Academy of Music, Estonian Public Service Academy. Tartu University will be included.

The mapping included identifying Estonian and Finnish innovation policies, policies of educational reforms etc. ( for example Bologna system is in use in Estonia already, but not in use in Finland).

Mapping of the situation in universities included:

Mapping existing cooperation activities and interests, readiness and preconditions of university administrations, relevant faculties and departments to intensify cooperation in the pilot disciplines of the Twin-City project:

1) exchange rates of students;

2) exchange of professors

3) participation in projects

4) international programmes

5) perspectives/plans for future development;

6) identification of bottlenecks;

7) what would be the role of the cities in educational cooperation, if any, in supporting e.g. the mobility of students

The mapping was carried out by:

Merle Krigul – Estonia

mkrigul@hot.ee

Phone: +372 56465405

Markku Kuuva – Finland

markku.kuuva@hut.fi

Phone: +358 94513541

Presently the concept of Estonian-Finnish science and art twin-region programme is led by Euregio as part of its activities towards integration of Uusimaa-Harju regions.

Files :

Science Twin-City concept

Science twin-city projects overview Nov.2002

Education RD mobility Nov.2003

Life Science and Biotechnology Report May 2004

Article on Science Twin-City in Interreg info sheet

Tamkivi-knowledge based business devel.Sept.2002

M.Krigul-Report-University Cooperation Development 2004

Tamkivi-Co-operation in high-tech business devel.2004

TKK and TTU cooperation proposals 11.2004

M.Kuuva-Development of research cooperation 2004

M.Kuuva-Report annex contact list