Projects

MORE was established through the merger of the Moreeni business area in Hämeenlinna and the Rastikangas business area in Janakkala. The development of the area began as early as the turn of the millennium, meaning there has been successful business activity in these areas for a long time. A development agreement was signed between the City of Hämeenlinna and the Municipality of Janakkala in 2017, which also marked the start of the preparation for coordination and pilot projects. The work related to the development of the area has been guided by a working group with members from Hämeenlinna, Janakkala, Linnan Kehitys, the Regional Council of Häme, and Häme University of Applied Sciences.

The City of Hämeenlinna and the Municipality of Janakkala have invested over 30 million euros in the development of the area over the years. Since 2012, companies have invested over 200 million euros in the area.

Nearly 100 companies, employing approximately 1,500 people, are located in the current area of almost 700 hectares. About 60 plots are available. A new interchange was completed in the area in 2026. The vision for this nationally significant project is to grow into an area of 1,100 hectares and 1,500,000 square metres of building rights. The goal of the area’s development is to enable a total of up to 3,000 jobs in the area.

Several projects are underway for the development of the MORE business area and its services in cooperation with municipalities, the university centre, and local entrepreneurs. The projects focus, for example, on developing circular economy, logistics, production, and energy solutions in the area.
The area has a diverse range of services serving local companies and visitors. Services include lunch canteens, meeting and office facilities, vehicle and property maintenance, refueling, and various services related to the circular economy.

The project supports the city strategy objective of being a flexible partner for companies.

Agrimpact (1 September 2025 – 31 December 2026) is a cooperation project led by the city’s economic development company, Linnan Kehitys, aimed at developing a new cooperation and incentive model and a smart agriculture ecosystem in Kanta-Häme. The goal is to support rural entrepreneurs in transitioning to more sustainable and impactful operating models.

The project’s measures increase expertise and the prerequisites for sustainable production, renewal, and internationalisation. In addition, the current state of rural enterprises and farms is mapped from the perspective of smart agriculture. This information is utilised to support the identification of new opportunities and business development. At the same time, the current state of the smart agriculture network is mapped, which is being built into an ecosystem through facilitation and co-development.
The project supports the city strategy objective of being a flexible partner for companies.

In a cooperation project led by the city’s economic development company Linnan Kehitys (1 May 2025 – 30 April 2028), young growth companies (under 5 years old) operating in various sectors are supported in identifying their dual-use potential and orienting themselves towards the defence and security sector through a jointly structured, international cooperation programme. The project implements a six-stage pre-acceleration programme for companies, covering orientation, management consulting, business model development, product development, and integration into EU and NATO innovation ecosystems.

The goal is to produce 25 new companies offering dual-use goods for the defence and security sector in the Baltic Sea region, while promoting innovation, transnational cooperation, and improved resilience and competitiveness in the defence and security sector.

The project supports the city strategy objective of being a flexible partner for companies.

DEFINE is a defence sector innovation ecosystem coordinated by the City of Riihimäki. Its goal is to develop new solutions that have applications in both defence and civil society (dual-use technology). The ecosystem brings together defence sector companies, educational institutions, and research institutes and supports their cooperation. DEFINE aims to accelerate the creation and commercialisation of innovations and strengthen the competitiveness and turnover of companies in Kanta-Häme. One key objective is to build international networks, particularly towards EU and NATO countries. This creates new opportunities for funding, research, and the export of technologies.

Key partners include Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK), which is responsible for education and research; Millog, which provides testing and development environments; and Sako, which contributes industrial expertise. Also involved in the operations are the Finnish Defence Forces, the cities of Hämeenlinna and Forssa, and regional development organisations. Furthermore, DEFINE has been accepted as a member of the official EU defence sector network, ENDR (European Network of Defence-Related Regions).

The project supports the city strategy objectives of being a pioneer in security and a flexible partner for companies.

Experiences to the Fore – growth for tourism through the experience economy is a regional project that promotes the business and digital expertise of rural experience providers. The project provides operators with information on business development, the significance and options of digital platforms, and opportunities for internationalisation. The project’s objectives include increasing business expertise, improving the digital visibility and purchaseability of experience products, increasing internationalisation readiness and the region’s international visibility, utilizing funding opportunities to support development, and communication to various stakeholders.

The main implementer of the project is the economic development company Linnan Kehitys, supported by Forssan Yrityskehitys. The City of Hämeenlinna is involved in the project as a stakeholder and partner.

The project supports the city strategy objective of being a flexible partner for companies.

A project led by the City of Hämeenlinna and Parasta Lapsille ry (1 February 2026 – 27 September 2027) prevents youth crime and violence through a multidisciplinary approach in the OmaHäme region. The activities are divided into three entities: preventive work carried out in schools, small group activities, and research. The goal of the school-based activities is to increase well-being and safety in schools. The project offers support to children and young people in grades 4–9, as well as targeted assistance to students and schools where disruptive behaviour, risk of social exclusion, or substance abuse occurs.

The work includes preventing bullying, intervening in challenging situations, and strengthening the sense of community by engaging in classrooms and during breaks. The goal is to create clear, uniform methods for the prevention of bullying and violence in basic education in Hämeenlinna. These methods are scalable for wider use.

The project supports the city strategy objectives of being a pioneer in security and an attractive hometown for families with children.

The Amazing Villages – Wonderful Villages in Häme cooperation project (1 January 2026 – 31 December 2028), led by Hämeen Kylät ry, aims to strengthen the vitality of villages in Kanta-Häme by combining the development of rural housing and tourism, expanding housing options, and lowering the threshold for moving to the countryside, as well as strengthening the role and expertise of local communities. The project is built around a theme village concept, where villages are profiled based on their own strengths and highlighted from the perspectives of both housing and tourism.

The project also develops new forms of housing, such as short-term housing and home-like accommodation, and strengthens the expertise and digital readiness of associations.
The beneficiaries are the region’s municipalities, village associations, tourism operators, local and multi-local residents, young people, leisure residents, and those considering moving to the countryside. The project promotes sustainable development ecologically, socially, and economically, and its results will continue to live on in the activities of Hämeen Kylät ry, municipalities, and local communities. The theme village activities can also be expanded nationally and into the activities of Suomen Kylät ry. The City of Hämeenlinna is involved in the project as a stakeholder.

The project supports the city strategy objective of being an attractive hometown for families with children.

The Village Safety Project (1 September 2024 – 31 December 2026), implemented by Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Häme University of Applied Sciences, and Hämeen Kylät ry, encourages and guides local communities and the third sector in work that promotes safety, supports the building of new networks, and strengthens local expertise. The project builds the role of village communities as part of the network of authorities, municipalities, and other safety operators. The project contributes to the creation of local projects in the region’s village communities. The project supports safety-related cooperation and information exchange, for example, between the villages’ and municipalities’ own preparedness and contingency work.

The Village Safety Project develops an operating model specifically with stakeholders from three pilot village areas. These are Hauho from Hämeenlinna, Länsi-Loppi from Loppi, and the villages of the Koijärvi area from Forssa. Activities with the pilot areas are organised so that stakeholders from other villages can also participate in many of the measures. The City of Hämeenlinna is involved in the project as a stakeholder.

The project supports the city strategy objectives of being a pioneer in security and an attractive hometown for families with children.

The City of Hämeenlinna and Häme University of Applied Sciences announced their joint plan to move the campus to the centre of Hämeenlinna in early 2024. In June 2026, it was decided that the campus would be located in Hämeensaari. Currently, the facilities and campus buildings are located in Visamäki.

The city’s funding contribution to the project is 30 million euros, and the project is by far one of the city’s largest vitality projects, bringing approximately 2,000–5,000 teachers, students, researchers, other staff, and visitors to the city centre area daily. The total scope of the new campus in the initial planning stage is approximately 20,000–30,000 square metres.

The Quickly to Work project is an ESF+ project implemented between 1 December 2024 and 30 November 2027, which implements the Innovation and Skills in Finland 2021–2027 EU regional and structural policy programme.

The goal of the project is to promote the rapid employment of international jobseekers and improve their employment opportunities in the Hämeenlinna region. The project aims to remove or mitigate barriers to employment through two measures:

1. by creating the ‘Opin’ coaching model that promotes employment and integration, and
2. by developing a language-aware orientation and workplace guidance model together with employers.

There are three Opin coaching programmes: OpinTie, OpinTyö, and OpinPa. In the coaching, clients’ Finnish language skills, social knowledge, and digital and job-seeking skills are strengthened. In addition, in OpinTyö, participants have the opportunity to develop and demonstrate their skills to employers through language-aware work placements.

The project supports companies and employers in creating direct connections with international jobseekers. Through the coaching programmes, companies find employees suitable for their recruitment needs. The project’s mentors help alleviate concerns related to understanding, occupational safety, and orientation. The project’s Finnish language teacher supports the development of the Finnish language skills of those participating in work placements and offers language awareness training to employers to promote interaction.

The project supports the city strategy objectives of being a flexible partner for companies and an attractive hometown for families with children.

Keys to Inclusion is a project implemented between 1 February 2026 and 31 December 2027, aimed at strengthening the inclusion, well-being, and everyday functional capacity of ageing immigrants over the age of 60 in the Hämeenlinna region. The project receives a government grant from the health promotion appropriation granted by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

The project develops participant-oriented and culturally sensitive operating models that support community, self-reliance, and a safe everyday life.

In the project:

• low-threshold group activities are organised to strengthen everyday skills, linguistic functional capacity, and social relationships.
• participants are supported in engaging with association and hobby activities through guided accompaniment.
• a permanent cooperation model is built between the municipality, the wellbeing services county, and third-sector operators.

The project supports the city strategy objectives for social and cultural sustainability and inclusion.