FinEst Centre for Smart Cities
FinEst Centre for Smart Cities was established in 2019 and is an independent research and innovation centre within Tallinn University of Technology. The main ambition at the centre is to create novel and scalable smart city solutions that improve the quality of life in cities. We believe that the future of happy and fulfilling urban life lies in the well-being of city residents and the creation of an environment that is resilient to change.
Smart City Challenges
Our mission is to help cities solve complex challenges by creating solutions for real urban problems. It all starts with the challenges presented by cities. We then engage teams of scientists and developers who work closely with the community, taking into account local circumstances and needs, to design and test novel solutions and adapt pilots to best help address a specific challenge.
By combining research, technology and community, we create solutions that are tailored, practical and sustainable, but also scalable so that they can be used in other cities around the world.
In total, we have conducted five Smart City Challenge idea competitions and developed significant solutions for cities.
All advisory and digital tools solutions
Smart City Challenge 2025
Smart City Challenge 2024
Smart City Challenge 2023
Smart City Challenge 2021
Smart City Challenge 2020
Pilot projects
Six pilot projects have been implemented through FinEst Centre's pilot projects in collaboration with researchers and cities/municipalities, and five projects are underway as of 2026.
Four pilot projects were implemented in the period 2021-2023 and two pilot projects in 2022-2023.
Events
Our most important event of the year is the Smart City Exchange Forum, where we invite all urban innovators, researchers, public sector leaders and officials, and entrepreneurs.
- Watch the recordings of the 2025 forum on data and AI
- Watch the recordings of the 2026 forum on strengthening the resilience of cities
You can find information about our upcoming events here.
Recordings of previous events can be found on our YouTube channel.