SaIo IoT Campus has officially claimed the title of victor in the Work Environment of the Year competition. The winner was awarded at the REWORK 2019 event held on October 8th. The competition, jointly organized by RAKLI and FIFMA, was looking for innovative and socially impactful work-environment activity during 2018.
Salo IoT Campus was founded in 2017 on the premises and facilities previously operated by Nokia and Microsoft. After the two companies ceased operations in Salo, approximately 90,000 square meters of empty spaces were left empty, but in good condition. In order to avoid the perfectly usable spaces becoming deserted, Salo IoT Campus was established. In turn, the premises began to transform into a communal, multi-user environment. In the two years, since the establishment of the new campus, the area has shown substantial new life.
Participants in the Work Environment of the Year competition included, among others: Elisa, Nordea, Finnair, Pontos, Senate Properties, Tieto, VR and Wärtsilä. “The winner of the competition received gratification and praise from the jury, specifically for the construction and development of the ecosystem and its societal impact,” says Mikko Östring, director of RAKLI Commercial and Public Properties.
The campus environment is designed to provide a flexible working environment for different companies, where everyone can participate in synergies created by the community. On the other hand, it also provides the opportunity for everyone to make their own expertise available to the community. The campus facilities can also serve as a test environment for new innovations.
Nokia's ex-campus model increases vitality
According to the competition criteria, Salo IoT Campus has increased employee well-being and, above all, has had a comprehensive impact on the employment and vitality in the region. Thanks to the campus, skills have been preserved in the city, whereas only work environments and methods of work have seen any change.
“The know-how created by Nokia is the main driver behind this success. However, what truly matters is how the ecosystem is developed,” Östring explains as he opens the jury's perspective.
The work environment of the competition winner included both socially impressive and innovative features. Östring, in addition to a list of the jury's arguments, presents the idea of whether other cities could also create life and competitiveness in areas where growth is not naturally occurring.
The campus, which is open to everyone, employs a large number of technology operators and service companies. Currently, there are more than 85 companies, around 950 employees and 850 students. The campus also operates, among other things: Valmet Automotive battery factory and the cyber laboratory of the University of Applied Sciences, where the first group of foreign students have already enrolled in IoT contract training.
For more information:
CEO: Jukka Vakula, Salo IoT Campus, tel. + 358 40 761 7287, jukka.vakula@saloiotcampus.fi
Campus Director: Mikko Östring, RAKLI The Finnish Association of Building Owners and Construction Clients, tel. + 358 50 301 8933, mikko.ostring@rakli.fi