Can a city leverage innovation and technology like a software company or a leading construction firm? With a background in those sectors, Tiina Talvitie has demonstrated how digital twins can serve as a platform for renewal and innovation in Helsinki’s Urban Environment division.
I first met Tiina at the 2015 AEC Hackathon. She had transitioned to the engineering and construction sector after working at construction software companies. Her visionary yet practical approach to innovation made an impression. Those qualities became vital when she started as Helsinki’s City Geodesist and Head of City Survey Services in 2020.
Tiina has brought a dynamic and innovative energy to the Urban Environment Division. She has played a key role in leading a major cultural and organizational shift toward innovation and data-driven decision-making.
One milestone in this journey occurred in 2024, when Tiina founded and now leads the new GIS development and digital twin unit.
Leading with information
Helsinki’s strategic goal is to lead with information. In the urban environment, this means having access to all relevant and timely data, such as city plans, building permits, and other key records, for informed decision-making. For a large, functionally dispersed organization, that is a tall order.
Helsinki already has an open 3D city model that provides a visual foundation. Tiina realized it needed digital twins as companions that city professionals could use to securely and easily combine data from different sources and visualize scenarios and plans.
Under her leadership, the Urban Environment Division started experimenting with digital twin technologies. This led to the creation of the Concept Laboratory within the GIS development and digital twin unit. The lab functions as a hub for innovation and experimentation, coordinated by Liisi Matilainen.
A systematic model for innovation
The Concept Laboratory helps urban environment professionals ideate, conceptualize, and test digital twin use cases. It offers a structured process that has already produced several Proof-of-Concept (PoC) projects, including those focused on building permissions, city planning, urban air mobility management, and vegetation planning.
During the process, participants pitch their PoC proposals much like internal startups. If needed, the lab can also provide financing for approved proposals.
Talvitie emphasizes how this innovation model encourages people to move from siloed work to cross-departmental cooperation. It also ensures that technical expertise and knowledge, which she refers to as “hidden capabilities,” are brought to the forefront.
The future of digital twins
Recognizing the need for commercial platforms to support digital twins, the Urban Environment Division established a dynamic purchasing system to procure solutions that meet its rigorous requirements.
Through market consultation, the city selected two digital twin platforms, Kunta3D and 6DPlanner, that are scheduled to roll out in autumn 2025. These will provide a practical way to turn PoCs into established practices.
The platforms also support Helsinki in meeting new regulations on BIM-based building permissions, which come into force in Finland in 2026.
The leader’s role
Tiina’s mission is the continuous development of operations and aligning technology to support core functions. This ultimately helps achieve the strategic goals of the Urban Environment division.
Innovation activity remains in early stages and requires ongoing support. Management backing and integrating innovations into daily routines are key factors for success.
By implementing a structured, user-focused approach to innovation, Tiina is guiding Helsinki’s urban services toward achieving the city’s goal of smarter, more responsive services for its residents.
You can watch videos on Helsinki’s Urban Environment’s experiments on YouTube.
View the original article and our Inspiration here
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