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Our latest updates, thoughts, and events — as they roll out.
Demos Helsinki is currently involved in 14 Horizon Europe projects. From exploring the societal impacts of new technologies to tackling climate challenges, these projects reflect a growing demand for research that sparks systemic change. Discover how we are working across disciplines to shape fairer, more sustainable futures.
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These three research projects are: 1) Reducing polarisation via material participation (MaDem); 2) Coastal waters under pressure – safeguarding a healthy Gulf of Finland in a changing geopolitical and environmental landscape (CoWup); and 3) Safe Water for All (WaterFall).
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We are pleased to announce that the UNDP’s Istanbul Innovation Days (IID), taking place in March 2025, will focus on shaping the next generation of public institutions for a secure and prosperous world.
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THERE ARE FOUR THINGS that everyone needs to understand. Not tomorrow, not next week, not next year, not next decade. Today. ONE: The hyperconnected planet is already happening. TWO: Eventually, the technologies presented in this publication will become part of our environment and daily lives. THREE: It will inevitably change…
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The stories of places like Songdo in South Korea or Masdar city in Abu Dhabi fit the classic Smart City mold: technologically highly advanced, newly built cities, planned in a top- down manner by leading architects and technology companies. This, however, is not the reality in which most of us…
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I think this is the key way to go…..rather than thinking of Songdo as the model. – Saskia Sassen, professor, Columbia University, on “Nordic Cities Beyond Digital Disruption” Many urban areas – both buildings, services and urban activity – are dilapidating. Smart urban services provide new jobs and make cities…
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What’s going on with GDP? Rethinking economic success
March 7, 2025
For decades, GDP has stood unchallenged as the primary measure of economic success. As calls to move beyond GDP grow, two approaches have risen to prominence: supplementing it with broader measures, or abandoning it altogether to redefine economic success. What is the best path forward in the debate on GDP?
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Care, ageing, and how to amplify our imagination
December 9, 2024
How do societies make most of the extraordinary good luck of ever-longer life expectancies? How can nations be strategic as they manage the huge demographic shifts of the years ahead? How do we handle the transition of care needed over the next few decades? Demos Helsinki Fellow, Sir Geoff Mulgan, is unpacking these questions below in a personal and cross-functional account.
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The big “how”: New ways to govern industrial policy
July 13, 2023
Effective governance is crucial in the face of uncertainty, not only to resolve problems of coordination but to carve out long-term strategies that don’t risk other crucial societal objectives. We share a series of methodologies specifically designed for coordinating industrial policy despite strategic uncertainty.
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