Smart Work 2026: The Business Reactor Network Model for Promoting Regional Vitality
The Smart Work page presents everyday innovations and success stories developed by the employees of the City of Hämeenlinna.
Facing major change, businesses were concerned about whether they would be able to offer the services and products needed to secure their operations. Since we work closely at the interface between businesses and employers, we wanted to create a solution. This led to the creation of a network model called the Business Reactor, a platform where we bring together experts operating in the Kanta-Häme region to support regional vitality. Fragmentation can, at worst, stall regional growth, weaken the utilization of innovations, and undermine regional vitality, competitiveness, and the willingness of actors to invest.
Objective
We begin by mapping out the current situation. It is important to understand what is missing in the region, and what corrective measures and actions are needed regionally to achieve growth and profitability. Since our goal is to promote regional vitality, we want to use the network to help capture new markets, expand the customer base, and advance internationalization.
We support profitability, with each organization contributing from its own area of operation. This means we are able to support the capacity of regional businesses to create new ideas and develop innovations. Regionally, we want to promote competitive advantage, build a stronger brand within the ecosystem, and offer solutions regardless of a company’s size or revenue class. The Business Reactor is the solution.
The Business Reactor is a service at the interface between businesses and employers. We support the ecosystem as well as partnerships with the public sector and research institutions. We promote regional industries such as technology, food, smart products and services, and the creative industries.
Actions taken
- Shared concept and meetings
- Shared service promise
- Shared communication look
- Extensive network to support operations
- Employment Tuesday – the Business Reactor presented to the Association of Finnish Municipalities
- A few event highlights:
- TyöHäme Employment Area event for multicultural entrepreneurs (authority cooperation)
- “Commercialize Your Ideas” event with HAMK and TyöHäme Employment Area
- Entrepreneurship clinics in collaboration with business development companies
- How do we proceed?
- Joint company visits / leads entering the network
- Project application with HAMK + Employment area
- Steering group 2026
- Presenting the network model to more employment areas
Developers
Johanna Rytilahti, Service Manager
Marika Englund, Special Planning Officer
Carita Viklund-Gee, Communications and Marketing Coordinator