KYLKI – City Regions and Businesses boosting Nature Positivity

We develop and implement nature-positive solutions for the Helsinki Metropolitan Area in collaboration. We promote profitable and responsible growth of companies and the achievement of cities’ nature goals. We support concrete solutions with pilots, new market opportunities and better information. A nature-positive future is not created alone – it is built together!

Funders

Project information

Implementation time

1.1.2026 – 30.11.2027

Funder

EAKR 2021-2027

Research programme

Service Business and Circular Economy

Project type

National RD

Themes

Digitalisation and Information management in Society

Project Manager

Daria Kautto

The starting point of the project

The decline in biodiversity places new demands on cities’ decision-making and business operations. In the KYLKI project, we work with companies, cities and research organisations to develop nature-positive solutions that strengthen the business operations of companies in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and the diversity of urban nature. We build collaborative networks, tools and operating models that support responsible business operations of companies and help cities achieve their nature goals. We accelerate the development of new products, services and technologies by piloting them in urban environments.

Project objectives

The KYLKI project has six objectives:

We build cooperation between companies, cities, research and educational institutions and other actors to develop and establish nature-positive solutions.
We form an innovation network for ecological compensation and credit markets, where companies can develop, test and commercialize new products and services.
We develop tools for assessing nature impacts so that companies and cities can reduce their nature footprint.
We experiment and implement new environmental measurements and IoT solutions that improve the monitoring, maintenance and planning of the state of urban nature, and support the introduction of new technologies.
We co-develop design and procurement criteria for a natural urban environment.
We accelerate the production and use of domestic wild plants by establishing new meadows in the capital region.

Our solutions are

Business cooperation accelerates the path to total land use sustainability and compensation markets.
Development and utilization of metrics to reduce environmental impacts and create business.
Mapping and piloting innovative environmental measurement technologies for a more diverse urban environment.
Accelerating the production and use of native wildflowers by establishing new meadows in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.

The project results

A network of cooperation between cities and businesses.
There are operating models and tools for assessing and reducing environmental impacts.
Business innovations and technologies for planning and maintaining the urban environment.
The competitiveness of SMEs has been promoted and new market opportunities have been developed.
The implementation of urban environmental goals and corporate environmental responsibility has been supported.

Activities in the projcet

During the project, a cooperation network between cities and companies will be launched. The cooperation network will implement four thematic units promoting nature positivity:

Business cooperation will accelerate the overall non-deterioration of land use and the compensation market.
Development and utilization of nature footprint indicators to reduce nature impacts.
Mapping and piloting innovative environmental measurement technologies for the benefit of more diverse urban nature.
Accelerating the production and use of domestic wild plants by establishing new meadows in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.

Learn more about the activities below, and join the project!

Activities more in detail

Business cooperation accelerates the overall lack of deterioration in land use and the compensation market

We support businesses and landowners in developing and utilizing solutions that strengthen biodiversity. The goal is to accelerate the emergence of compensation markets and help businesses and landowners see what kind of business opportunities the production of nature values can offer.

In practice, this means a cooperation network of businesses, landowners and the city, where we organize events and carry out market and profitability studies. We also test innovative methods and look for pilot areas where businesses can try out their solutions together with the city.

The target group is especially actors who can benefit from the growth of business related to nature values: for example, companies and landowners engaged in spatial information, data and analytics solutions, forestry and agriculture, nature management, environmental services and land use planning.

Contact person: Siiri Söyrinki, City of Vantaa

There are operating models and tools for assessing and reducing environmental impacts

We are developing indicators that help cities and SMEs to better understand the impacts of their operations on nature and to find concrete ways to reduce environmental impacts. The goal is to bring environmental impact assessment into companies’ decision-making and business development. companies to better understand the impacts of their operations on nature companies to better understand the impacts of their operations on nature.

During the project, we offer cities and companies:

indicators and models that organizations can use to assess the impacts of their operations on nature
workshops and trainings that strengthen expertise and support the planning of concrete actions
development processes for companies that want to build nature-positive products, services and business models
open materials and webinars that help lessons and best practices spread widely.

Contact person: Daria Kautto, Laurea

We are piloting environmental measurement technologies to strengthen the diversity of urban nature

We are developing and piloting new environmental measurement technologies that can be used to verify the state and diversity of urban nature more accurately and cost-effectively. By combining new technology, experts and companies, we produce concrete tools and service innovations to strengthen biodiversity.

Who will this bring value to – and how?

For cities: better data, better decisions, more effective nature management.
For companies: the opportunity to test and develop new nature-positive solutions in real conditions.
For experts and educational institutions: new research and development platforms.
For city dwellers: a more diverse, functional and pleasant urban environment.

Contact person Jaakko Lehtonen, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences

We are accelerating the use of native plants by establishing new meadows

The work package will introduce native plants into urban green areas and green area planning! The use of native plants is currently difficult, because there is little supply and few instructions. Plant production is not established, and many operators lack knowledge of where to get seeds or seedlings and how to use them. This is why native plants easily go unused, even if they have clear benefits for nature.

In the KYLKI project, we are accelerating the use of native plants. The work begins with plant mapping, seed collection and the establishment of new pilot meadows. Companies, experts and city operators will work together to develop ways in which native plants can be used in green design.

The result will be livelier green areas, more food for pollinators and seed banks for native meadow plants, as well as new opportunities for companies. Native plants bring diversity to the city – and joy to the city’s residents.

Contact: Riku Lumiaro, Finnish Environment Institute