Enabling better public services in BSR with immersive, intelligent and innovative solutions

3I solutions for PS

Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology

17 January 2024

Meet the Partners that work together on the 3I solutions for PS project: Project Leader - LUT University, from Finland.

Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT University)

LUT is a Finnish university founded in 1969 that nowadays is bringing together technology and economics in a trailblazer spirit. We have proudly placed 11 among the best small world universities according to Times Higher Education (THE) list of 20 globally. Also, LUT is in the TOP 300 Universities according to THE-ranking, 351 in QS World University Rankings (QS), and TOP 20 among the world’s challenger universities.

LUT’s Offer

LUT offers a range of educational programs with a strong emphasis on practical skills and real-world applications, including bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Besides educational activities, the university is engaged in various EU-based and global projects with the cooperation of academia, industry, citizens, and policymakers: https://www.lut.fi/en/research/search-research/projects. LUT researchers contribute to various topics focusing on solutions to mitigate climate change, recycling of nutrients and waste, and sustainable business activities with high-level research and publications.
LUT is one of the top universities in the world for climate action. Our strategy is focused on scientific solutions for life-giving resources such as clean energy transition, air quality, and complex water treatment needs. Also, the university contributes to the sustainable renewal of business, industry, and society.

See LUT’s main strategy goals for 2030: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU0Ec9hPiIs.

University’s premises

LUT campuses are located in Lappeenranta, Mikkeli, Lahti, and Kouvola – several small cities in Finland. Lappeenranta was awarded the title “Europe’s greenest city” in the 2021 European Green Leaf Award. Kouvola is actively developing innovation in the city, while LUT supports the initiative by opening new innovation-oriented master’s degree programs and engaging students in city development. The university aims to foster close connections between academia and local communities and businesses, which brings valuable contribution and experience to the project on innovative technologies to the small cities in the Baltic region.

LUT School of Engineering Science (LENS)

LUT School of Engineering Science (LENS) acts as an international expert in different engineering areas, including industrial engineering and the management of innovations. It will carry out the coordinator role in the project activities. The team develops interdisciplinary quantitative and qualitative approaches to the design and synthesis of complex systems analysis and synthesis: modern systems as blends of interacting socio-technical elements in various domains (technological, economic, social, environmental, etc.) during a system’s lifetime – from design to utilization. We have variety of experiences in participating and running EU large-scale joint projects such as CONNECT (https://connecterasmus.com/), OIPEC (http://www.oipec.eu/index.php/coilabs/), POETA (https://poeta.mystrikingly.com/), CEPHEI (https://learn.cephei.eu/ ), INDEED (https://www.indeednetwork.com/), MEDIA (https://mediaera.online/ ).

Lead Partner in 3I solutions for PS

As a lead partner in the project, LUT University is responsible for managing and collaborating with all the partners. In addition, our team is also engaged in data collection to understand difficulties and challenges in public services practice. Firstly, creating an overview of the innovative technology applications from secondary sources such as scientific publications, official public services reports and statistics, media sources, and big data collected from all public digital means of interactions between public services and citizens. Secondly, primary data was collected and processed via a survey of public services in the Baltic region. In addition, LUT students are prepared to participate in hackathons and their organizations to support high-tech solution applications for public services. Also, LUT University is responsible for creating and supporting the hybrid course of practical innovation techniques to be implemented in the work of public services and providing the handbook for introducing and deploying advanced technical solutions in public services with clear navigation among developed and published materials of the road map.

As a lead partner and a team of enthusiastic experts from LUT University, we are dedicated to introducing the best research and educational practices into the project. Collaborating with our partners, we aim to produce long-term effects and set examples of small-city development using innovative technologies.