Smart cities, economic geography, and innovative urban technologies

Development of information society has created needs to understand better the mechanisms like intelligent systems and their development and significance in the progress. Research on the smart cities and innovative urban technologies is multidisciplinary. The research builds on long tradition of existing analyses and includes economic growth, technological innovations, and social and political aspects of technological progression in urban environments.

There are new emerging inter-relations between urban development, urbanism, and information networks changing the daily life. Interesting question to ask is that in what ways do digitalization and smart technologies (e.g. IoT and AI) have an effect on city culture, the usage of public spaces and urban development? Technological innovations are in a central role especially in the internal development of cities (traffic/mobility, waste, and planning management).

Research focus areas

Developments in wireless information technologies have affected information distribution on all geographical scales from global satellite transmission to local indoor networks. Cities, whether thought as physical spaces or administrative structures, have been influenced by the growing demands, and also potential, brought about by technological progress. Emergent new solutions to providing location-based services have been seen as one of the major market potentials for software and service developers.

The research has three focuses under which urban condition (extent, process and future potential) is analyzed

  • spatial analysis of enterprises producing and selling digital/innovative/smart services and solutions (e-commerce); and identifying the key-players having an impact on urban technologies
  • end-user behavior, technology adoption and the future prospects of change in differentiated national and regional contexts
  • sector (stakeholder) collaboration, joint-ventures and PPPs as a current condition and future designs: interaction between local and national governments and their position among international benchmarks.

Tommi Inkinen

International Geographical Union (IGU) Commission 16.13 Geography of Information, Innovation and Technology, Chair.

Editorships of scientific journals

  • Journal of Open Innovation (International journal, Springer). Associate Editor
  • Terra. Geographical Journal. (National journal). Editor-in-Chief, 2010–2013.

Editorial board memberships in scientific journals

  • International Journal of Electronic Government Research (Web of Science, WoS)
  • Journal of Urban Technology (WoS)
  • NETCOM. Networks and Communications Studies
  • International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development (WoS)
  • Asia Pacific Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (WoS)
  • Terra. Geographical Journal (Geographical Society of Finland).

Research projects

Sample of previous research projects

Academy of Finland: Geography and Innovative Competitiveness? Finnish Knowledge Regions in European and Global Economy. 2009–2012. Project number 127213. 

Helsinki Metropolitan Region Urban Research Program. Business perspective on innovative urban growth, parts I and II. 2014–2016. 

MAKERA (Maatilatalouden kehittämisrahasto, the development fund for agriculture, Workpackage) 2016–2017. 

 

Publications

Clusters, Geographies, Economies, Innovations

[C2] Inkinen, T. (ed. 2020). Clusters, Geographies, Economies, Innovations. Journal of Open Innovation. 

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/JOItmC/special_issues/Clusters_Geographies

Sustainable Mobility and Transport

[C2] Inkinen, T, Yigitcanlar, T. & M. Wilson (eds. 2020). Sustainable Mobility and Transport. Sustainability. 

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability/special_issues/Mobility

Start-ups, business investors and flow of music: contrasting two creative events in Helsinki, Finland.

[A3] Inkinen, T. & S. Jokela (2020). Start-ups, business investors and flow of music: contrasting two creative events in Helsinki, Finland. In Di Vita, S. & M. Wilson (eds): Planning and Managing Smaller Events: Trends and Opportunities for Downsizing Spectacle. Routledge, London. (JUFO: 3)

https://www.routledge.com/Planning-and-Managing-Smaller-Events-Downsizing-the-Urban-Spectacle/Vita-Wilson/p/book/9780367218157

Special Issue: Smart Cities and Innovative Urban Technologies

Inkinen, T., T. Yigitcanlar & M. Wilson (2019). Special Issue: Smart Cities and Innovative Urban Technologies. Journal of Urban Technology 26:2 (Routledge, WoS, JUFO:1)

Geographies of Disruption. Place Making for Innovation in the Age of Knowledge Economy

[C1] Yigitcanlar, T. & T. Inkinen (2019). Geographies of Disruption. Place Making for Innovation in the Age of Knowledge Economy. 326 p. Springer, New York. (JUFO: 2) DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-03207-4

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03207-4

Smart Cities and Innovative Urban Technologies

[C2] Inkinen, T., T. Yigitcanlar & M. Wilson (2019). Smart Cities and Innovative Urban Technologies. Journal of Urban Technology 26:2, I-First. (Routledge, WoS, JUFO:1) DOI: 10.1080/10630732.2019.1594698

https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/cjut20/26/2?nav=tocList

E-capital and economic growth in European metropolitan areas: Applying social media messaging in technology-based urban analysis

[A1] Kiuru, J. & T. Inkinen (2019). E-capital and economic growth in European metropolitan areas: Applying social media messaging in technology-based urban analysis. Journal of Urban Technology 26:2. (Routledge, WoS, JUFO: 1) DOI: 10.1080/10630732.2019.1579513

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10630732.2019.1579513

Knowledge-based environments in the city: Design and urban form in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area

[A1] Ponto, H. & T. Inkinen (2019). Knowledge-based environments in the city: Design and urban form in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development 10, forthc. (Inderscience, WoS, JUFO: 1)

http://dx.doi.org/10.1504/IJKBD.2019.101004

Money matters? A qualitative study of the funding organizations as a part of smart cities and innovative development

Inkinen, T. & H. Ponto (2018). Money matters? A qualitative study of the funding organizations as a part of smart cities and innovative development. In Rodríguez Bolívar, M.P. (ed.): Smart Technologies for Smart Governments. Transparency, Efficiency and Organizational Issues, Public Administration and Information Technology 24, 169–189. Springer, New York. (WoS; JUFO: 2) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-58577-2_9

Sectoral and technological systems of environmental innovation: The case of marine scrubber systems

Makkonen, T. & T. Inkinen (2018). Sectoral and technological systems of environmental innovation: The case of marine scrubber systems. Journal of Cleaner Production 200, 110–121. (Elsevier, WoS, JUFO: 2) DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.07.163

Variations in the adoption and willingness to use e-services in three differentiated urban areas

[A1] Inkinen, T., M. Merisalo, T. Makkonen (2018). Variations in the adoption and willingness to use e-services in three differentiated urban areas. European Planning Studies 26:5, 950–968. (Routledge, WoS, JUFO: 2) DOI: 10.1080/09654313.2018.1448756

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2018.1448756

Containers, facilitators, innovators? The role of cities and city employees in innovative activities

[A1] Makkonen, T., M. Merisalo & T. Inkinen (2018). Containers, facilitators, innovators? The role of cities and city employees in innovative activities. European Urban and Regional Studies, 25:1, 106–118. (SAGE, WoS, JUFO: 2) DOI: 10.1177/0969776417691565

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0969776417691565

Cost aggregation in export logistics chain

Hämäläinen, E., E. Twrdy & T. Inkinen (2017). Cost aggregation in export logistics chain. Journal of Open Innovation 3:26, 1–14. (Springer, JUFO: 1) DOI: 10.1186/s40852-017-0077-9

How to generate economic and sustainability reports from Big Data? Qualifications of process industry

Hämäläinen, E. & T. Inkinen (2017). How to generate economic and sustainability reports from Big Data? Qualifications of process industry. Processes 5: 4, 64. (MDPI, WoS, JUFO: 1) DOI: 10.3390/pr5040064

Predicting innovative growth and demand with proximate human capital: A case study of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area

Kiuru, J. & T. Inkinen (2017). Predicting innovative growth and demand with proximate human capital: A case study of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Cities 64, 9–17. (Elsevier, WoS, JUFO: 2) DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2017.01.005

Port waste management in the Baltic Sea area: A four port study on the legal requirements, processes and collaboration

Svaetichin, I. & T. Inkinen (2017). Port waste management in the Baltic Sea area: A four port study on the legal requirements, processes and collaboration. Sustainability 9:5, 699. (MDPI, WoS, JUFO: 1) DOI: 10.3390/su9050699

Economic Geography of Knowledge Intensive Technology Clusters: Lessons from the Helsinki Metropolitan Area

Inkinen, T. & I. Kaakinen (2016). Economic Geography of Knowledge Intensive Technology Clusters: Lessons from the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Journal of Urban Technology 23:1, 95–114. (Routledge, WoS, JUFO: 1) DOI: 10.1080/10630732.2015.1090196

Knowledge-based development of city-regions: the Finnish perspective

Yigitcanlar, T., T. Inkinen & T. Makkonen (2015). Knowledge-based development of city-regions: the Finnish perspective. DisP – The Planning Review 51:3, 62–77. (Routledge, WoS, JUFO: 1) DOI: 10.1080/02513625.2015.1093352

Reflections on the innovative city: examining three innovative locations in a knowledge bases framework

Inkinen, T. (2015) Reflections on the innovative city: examining three innovative locations in a knowledge bases framework. Journal of Open Innovation 1:8, 1–23. (Springer, Scopus, JUFO: 1) DOI: 10.1186/s40852-015-0009-5

Geographical and temporal variation of regional development and innovation in Finland

Makkonen, T. & T. Inkinen (2015). Geographical and temporal variation of regional development and innovation in Finland. Fennia. International Journal of Geography 193–1, 134:147. (WoS, JUFO: 1) DOI: 10.11143/46476

Spatial scaling of regional strategic programmes in Finland: A qualitative study of clusters and innovation systems

Makkonen, T. & T. Inkinen (2014). Spatial scaling of regional strategic programmes in Finland: A qualitative study of clusters and innovation systems. Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift - Norwegian Journal of Geography 68:4, 216–227. (Routledge, WoS, JUFO: 1) DOI: 10.1080/00291951.2014.924551

Innovation quality in knowledge cities: Empirical evidence of innovation award competitions in Finland

Makkonen, T. & T. Inkinen (2014). Innovation quality in knowledge cities: Empirical evidence of innovation award competitions in Finland. Expert Systems with Applications 41:12, 5597–5604. (Elsevier, WoS, JUFO: 2) DOI: 10.1016/j.eswa.2014.02.010

Urban WLAN solutions in Finnish cities

Inkinen, T. & J.S. Jauhiainen (2014). Urban WLAN solutions in Finnish cities. Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, 6339–6346. Third edition. Information Science Reference, Hershey. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-5888-2.ch623

Managing e-government: Stakeholder view from public administration service developers

Inkinen, T. & M. Merisalo (2014). Managing e-government: Stakeholder view from public administration service developers. In Rodríguez Bolívar, M.P. (ed.): Measuring e-government efficiency. The opinions of public administrators and other stakeholders, 171–189. Springer, New York. (WoS; JUFO: 2) DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-9982-4_10

Innovative capacity, educational attainment and economic development in the European Union: Causal relations and geographical variations

Makkonen, T. & T. Inkinen (2013) Innovative capacity, educational attainment and economic development in the European Union: Causal relations and geographical variations. European Planning Studies 21:12, 1958–1976. (Routledge, WoS, JUFO: 2) DOI: 10.1080/09654313.2012.722968)