tECHnOLOGiEs unitE PEOPLE the possibility for people to interact with each other and with communities, regardless of time and space, is sincerity at its best. it might not be such a coincidence that mobile communication was developed in Finland, where people live far apart and distances are long. nokia is the indisputable figurehead of Finnish companies and a world-class benchmark. Design has played a major and multifaceted role in nokia’s success from the beginning. For nokia, design means both the alluring and ergonomic design of their devices and the shaping of the mobile services and the company’s strategic models. A mobile phone that fits in a purse or a pocket and includes solutions such as internet access, email, sms and a camera are part of everyday life. not so long ago they were still science fiction. nokia headquarters in Espoo as well as its many central operations are based in the Helsinki region. the architecture of the headquarters shows us the different ways in which design can improve business activities. Half a year in the dark makes natural and artificial light utilisation an essential challenge for the designer. Half a year of cold weather sets increasing demands in terms of internal air quality and the energy efficiency of buildings. Linux is an excellent example of how a small actor can serve the global community and of the strategic value of an enduring idea. Linux has taught us, and the world, a great deal about the power of a communal way of life and the efficiency of the open source ideology on a scale that breaks all boundaries. the operating system, created by Linus torvalds from Helsinki and continuously developed by its users, offers the only real alternative to the market-dominating Windows. On the Helsinki horizon, open source, open innovation and open design are expressions of the same way of thinking in different contexts. For Linux, open source enables open design as an endless, renewing process. Linux has something that reminds us of a perpetum mobile. HELsinki sErvEs tHE intErnAtiOnAL COmmunity in the north, we encounter harsh and cold emptiness; however, long-distance networks will reach beyond that. Axel Erik nordenskjöld, an explorer who set out from Helsinki, proved in 1878–79 that the northeast Passage existed by being the first to sail around the whole Eurasian continent. the shortcut to Asia that he mapped out is now opening for commercial shipping and sailing. Our location at the edge of the world is a paradox. this city is the closest destination from Europe on the way to the markets of the Asian giants – China, india, Japan and korea – and a halfway stop between north-America and Asia as well. business is now and has always been the best way to network people and communities. in this case, my open city provides valuable services for its inhabitants, for Finland, and for the international community. We are developing Helsinki as a traffic link to the East. Above all, this link has to be functional, which means two things: good service and safe service. Helsinki succeeds in both of these tasks. Helsinki is one of the world’s safest metropolis and Helsinki-vantaa international airport has been ranked among the top airports in Europe and the world by both passengers and professionals on numerous occasions. Open Helsinki — Embedding Design in Life World Design Capital 2012 Application