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Europe cannot simply build its way out of the housing crisis

There is an anticipated challenge in housing that few are talking about yet. The conventional tool that cities have always had to address housing crises — building more — will not be sufficient. How prepared are cities for this scenario? More importantly, how can cities address housing justice while also averting ecological and biodiversity crises from worsening?


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What’s going on with GDP? Rethinking economic success

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

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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16 Horizon projects later, our goal is the same

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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Demos Helsinki is part of three SRC-funded research projects on democracy and water security

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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A time to build – shaping the next generation of public institutions

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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Smart Retro – Novel Way to Develop Cities

The radical development in smart solutions, the ageing of building stock, our need to radically cut our greenhouse gas emissions and many other strong drivers are changing the way we live, faster than ever before. That change is particularly significant in areas with older building stock – but it is…


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Hidden Competences

International skills and competences, developed through international experiences during study or practical training, are an asset on the labour market. Or so we assume. But do we know this? In 2012–13, the Centre for International Mobility (CIMO) and the think tank Demos Helsinki examined how employers rated the skills and…


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Gatekeepers of Sustainable Innovation

Green economy is widely recognized as one of an essential drivers shaping businesses and innovation strategies in the coming years. However, only in very few consumer sector companies sustainability and innovation are interlinked in responsibilities of professionals: sustainability issues are often still too remote or marginal to be a key…


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