Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2016 | Page 36

Photo: Aalto University / Suomen Ilmakuva Oy

Metro Momentum
The heart of Espoo Innovation Garden,
the Tapiola-Otaniemi-Keilaniemi area, has all the right goods
– with connectivity that is about to go through the roof
The fabled innovation hub of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area – Tapiola,
Otaniemi and Keilaniemi in the heart of Espoo Innovation Garden – is
standing on the brink of a brand new era. With the advent of the metro this
year, connectivity – and along with it, creativity – in the area will improve
by leaps and bounds.

T

here is already a tremendous platform
to build on. The Tapiola-OtaniemiKeilaniemi area presently boasts Northern Europe’s largest innovation hub – this
is simply the place where science, culture
and business come together. Nevertheless,
according to the master plan by the City
of Espoo, the success story is just getting
started.
The profile of the area will be strengthened by, for instance, the tallest residential
and office buildings in Finland, tunneled
main roads, a renewed culture and shop34 Nordicum

ping district as well as a new university village for students, researchers and entrepreneurs. With 100,000 people transported by
the West Metro line every day, the City is of
the opinion that there are many good things
on the way.

Running the Show
But what exactly is it about the Espoo Innovation Garden that makes it such a phenomenon both nationally and internationally? Well, first of all you have to take into

account the role Espoo as a real champion
of innovation and economic growth. Besides
being the second largest and fastest growing city in the country, Espoo’s ecosystem
accounts for 50 % of the research and development value for all of Finland.
Furthermore, Espoo companies are
responsible for around 50% of the turnover
in the Helsinki Stock Exchange. The Espoo
Innovation Garden ecosystem is ranked
among the Top 5 rising stars in MIT’s global
research covering over 200 university-based
entrepreneurial ecosystems.
The roots of local innovation can be
traced back to legendary Tapiola, the original “Garden City”. Starting from the 1950’s,
Tapiola has spearheaded the cause of Finnish
urban planning. From its very first stages,
the community has gained domestic and
global fame for its high class architecture
and landscaping, as well as being praised