The MAKING-CITY consortium gathered in Oulu, Finland for the project’s 9th plenary meeting, the first in-person meeting in three years. Partners were thrilled to see new and familiar faces and to hear each other’s voices out loud.
The meeting began with a kick-off dinner at the City of Oulu “Rusthouse”. Presentations were given about the city and its future as the 2026 European Capital of Culture. This was followed by dinner and a show – a trio of violinists and an accordion player made a guest appearance. To top off the day the Finnish way, consortium members were invited to go to a sauna.
DAY 1
The first full day began with presentations from each work package. Key progress and results were shared, as were upcoming actions for the next six months. Following the presentations, two workshops were held.
The first workshop focused on PED design and was held by Beril Alpagut (DEM). The workshop consisted of a roundtable discussion
The second workshop, held by Sander (R2M), focused on business models and exploitation. MAKING-CITY partners practiced pitching the technologies and concepts developed and/or implemented in the project.
The day ended with a tour of the city. Partners bundled up to discover the stories and landmarks of Oulu, including the Ajan Kulku bronze statues in front of Cityhall, the Oulu Cathedral, the city center, the Kauppahalli market and Toripolliisi statue.
DAY 2
The second day started with a visit to the Kaukovainio PED. The consortium visited the rental house, the school and the supermarket to get a close look at the technologies powering these buildings and others beyond. Then, the visit continued on to the replication case in Karjasilta. This specific district is not yet a PED, but has the potential to become one.
Then, the MAKING-CITY partners took a bus to the Pehkolanlampi cottage where the lunch and researcher meeting took place. I presentation was given on district heating in Oulu and then the partners broke into groups to explore potential research opportunities around city planning and energy systems.
The 9th plenary meeting was a success, in large part due to the city of Oulu’s hospitality. The MAKING-CITY consortium looks forward to the work that lies ahead and to meeting again in person soon.
