HAMK boosts circular economy eco-innovations through digitalization in Kanta-Häme
The new project of Häme University of Applied Sciences supports small and medium-sized enterprises in the Kanta-Häme region in developing eco-innovations. Eco-innovations are environmentally friendly products, services, or processes that promote circular economy and sustainable development. The project utilizes the opportunities provided by digitalization to support companies in their innovation activities.
Developing a circular economy and sustainable solutions requires close collaboration between different actors, co-creation, and sharing of data. As a platform for this collaboration, we are establishing an eco-innovation system together with small and medium-sized enterprises and other stakeholders in our region. Through the project, we aim to improve companies’ capabilities for innovation activities and efficient utilization of data and digitalization to achieve the goals of circular economy and sustainable development.
Through the project, companies will receive information about the possibilities of digitalization, support in identifying their own innovation needs, and the opportunity to participate in a guided innovation process. In addition, solutions will be tested and modeled in practice to evaluate their benefits and feasibility.
Promoting gender equality in the ICT sector
In this project, we take into account the strong gender bias in the ICT sector, which is why we emphasize the participation of women in developing the circular economy through digitalization. The goal is to attract more female developers to the industry.
Circular economy is not just about recycling materials for us, but more efficient utilization of all resources intelligently through data and digitalization.
Anne-Mari Järvenpää, Project manager
Kanta-Häme as an EU innovation valley
Kanta-Häme has recently been selected as one of the EU’s innovation valleys, so it is natural to establish an eco-innovation system developing digital circular economy solutions here together with our region’s companies! Our activities strengthen the capabilities of our region’s companies to develop their innovation activities and to utilize data and digitalization. The collaboration also supports the recruitment of new talents from among the experts trained by HAMK.
The activities are carried out in collaboration with HAMK’s research, HAMK Design Factory, and the education in circular economy information and communication technology. In practice, the activities are mainly located in connection with HAMK’s Forssa campus.
DAVE – Data-driven circular economy R&D eco-innovation system and demonstration environment
The aim of the project is to create a data-driven circular economy innovation environment that develops environmentally friendly solutions to enhance the use of materials and resources through digitalization, taking into account the entire value chain. Companies will have the opportunity to test and model solutions in practical experiments, which supports the transition to more sustainable practices.
Join us in collaboration!
Anne-Mari Järvenpää
Principal Research Scientist, tenure track