The innovation fund will make the urban space of Pärnu more modern and user-friendly

The town of Pärnu working with the Tehnopol Science and Business Park is running its first innovation competition to support smart solutions for the urban environment in Pärnu. Companies will receive up to 63,000 euros in total to put their smart ideas into action in Pärnu.

The innovation competition is designed to support companies that will make the Pärnu urban space more modern, more user-friendly and more sustainable by creating completely new solutions or developing existing products and services further. On top of the financial support, the town is offering contacts, infrastructure and a test environment for the solutions proposed. The innovation competition is open to providers of solutions from all across Estonia, and each project will be able to receive up to a maximum of 20,000 euros in support.

“The innovation fund is helping talented and enterprising people to develop and make real their ideas for smart solutions for the urban space in Pärnu. It is important for residents of the town to be able to see these innovative solutions clearly, as the point of those solutions is to improve their quality of life”, said Deputy Mayor of Pärnu responsible for the urban economy and development, Irina Talviste.

The innovation competition run by Tehnopol has already been run successfully in Tallinn and Kohtla-Järve. Smart pedestrian crossings made by Bercman Technologies, fully automatic sports pitches from MyGames, smart food distribution cupboards from FudLoop, street lamps powered by solar and wind energy from Solintel, solar panels for buildings from Go Vertic, and other projects have all been brought into the urban space by the competitions.

“We are very pleased that we can expand the work of our innovative technology companies to Pärnu as well and help make the summer capital stand out not only for its sandy beaches and summer evenings, but also for its smart solutions. Companies get not only financial help and contacts but also the chance to test their solutions in the urban space, getting real-time feedback from real users and using the town of Pärnu to show off their products and services”, said Anu Puusaag, Smart Tech Manager at Tehnopol, adding that the goal for Tehnopol is to support world-changing technology companies and innovation, and that is why the innovation fund was set up.

The deadline for applications is 13 November. The innovation fund will support up to six teams, with each company able to receive a maximum of 20,000 euros. The projects should be connected to smart city solutions and focus for example on optimal traffic management, energy efficiency, waste handling, or similar issues. Applications to the innovation fund will be reviewed by the end of November, after which the companies chosen will be invited to make a presentation to the assessment committee. Decisions on financing and contracts will be reached with the companies this year.

If you have any questions regarding the competition, please contact Kristin Puusepp (kristin.puusepp@tehnopol.ee). You can also find additional information from this website (in Estonian only).