Finland hosts UN Secretary-General’s Innovation Lab’s Scale Accelerator Programme in Espoo

Finland is hosting the Scale Accelerator Programme in Espoo together with UN Global Pulse, which is the UN Secretary-General’s Innovation Lab, and Finnish partners. The programme helps to enhance solutions developed by the UN for greater impact together with Finnish and international innovation actors. The seven innovative projects selected for the programme from around the world aim to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Finland’s innovation ecosystem is set to play a pivotal role when the Scale Accelerator Programme, an initiative under UN Global Pulse, is organised in Finland. UN Global Pulse established its Helsinki office in 2020. The organisation of the programme in Finland marks a milestone in the long-standing collaboration between UN Global Pulse, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and key Finnish partners, and promotes the UN Secretary-General’s vision of modernising the organisation. 

The Scale Accelerator Programme takes place at Aalto University on 11–14 November. Recognising that developing sustainable and scalable models for social innovation is often challenging, the programme’s multidisciplinary approach aims to promote the innovations of UN teams and to support tried and tested pilot projects for the greatest possible impact. Several UN organisations are participating in the Scale Accelerator Programme, including the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The selected innovations are related to areas such as gender equality, economic equality, circular economy and preparedness for disasters.

The Scale Accelerator Programme is based on a strong partnership between the UN and Finland, with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs as a crucial supporter of applying technology and innovation to the UN’s activities. Finland’s recognition of innovation as a critical enabler of social progress and sustainable development aligns seamlessly with the Secretary-General’s vision of the United Nations of the future.

Head of Office of UN Global Pulse Finland, Tapio Vahtola, describes the collaboration between Finland and the UN: “Finland is a leader in social innovations on a global scale. Finland’s strong ecosystem of collaboration and commitment to the SDGs makes it the perfect partner to support UN Global Pulse’s mission to drive change across the UN. Hosting the Scale Accelerator in Finland allows us to harness the country’s unique strengths in innovation and provide an opportunity for Finnish operators to network with UN organisations.”

“UN Global Pulse is an important partner for Finland in delivering the Sustainable Development Goals through technology and innovation. That the programme takes place in Helsinki is an advantage and gives us a new perspective on the work of the UN. The Scale Accelerator Programme has become an excellent channel for identifying interesting UN innovation projects and boosting their growth. We aim to make Finnish expertise available to the UN through the programme and thus strengthen cooperation between Finland and the UN,” says Kent Wilska, Director of the Unit for Technology and Sustainability at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. 

Finland’s innovation ecosystem as a catalyst

The Scale Accelerator Programme and its partners are creating a conducive environment for scaling UN innovations. The partners of the programme are the City of Espoo, Aalto University and Demos Helsinki. A strategic partner of UN Global Pulse, Demos Helsinki organises and facilitates Scale Accelerator workshops, while creating opportunities for cooperation with Finnish innovation actors. The City of Espoo and Aalto University are hosting the November workshops. As one of the finalists of  the European Capital of Innovation (iCapital) Awards, Espoo provides the perfect setting for the Scale Accelerator Programme.

UN Global Pulse

UN Global Pulse, the Secretary-General’s Innovation Lab, supports the internal reform of the UN as outlined in the Secretary-General’s agenda of action ‘Our Common Agenda’. UN Global Pulse focuses on modernising the UN’s activities and working methods in accordance with the UN 2.0 Strategy. The aim is to utilise innovation, strategic foresight and behavioural sciences, and enhance the use of data and digital tools. UN Global Pulse provides services across the UN with the aim of increasing efficiency. This will benefit all Member States.