Collaboration is Tampere’s Superpower
Let’s Build the Smart City of the Future Together!
I’m Jouni Markkanen, a family man, active citizen, and Deputy Mayor of Tampere.
As a candidate in the municipal elections, I want to continue working for Tampere’s vitality, sustainability, and technological leadership.
Tampere is already known for its limitless collaboration. Let’s develop the superpower that combines people’s ideas, a safe and sustainable everyday life, the possibilities of technology, and humane decision-making.
Remember to vote in advance or on election day, April 13th, 2025.
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Jouni Markkanen – A Pioneer in Tampere’s Digital Policy and a Tireless Builder of Collaboration
I am Jouni Markkanen, Deputy Mayor of Tampere, responsible for the vitality service area. I have work experience in the development of digitalization in public administration. I have also been involved in developing city-level finances and vitality.
Collaboration is Tampere’s superpower. The city cannot succeed alone, but together with its residents, businesses, and communities. My daily work is divided into three levels of influence:
In Tampere: As Deputy Mayor for Vitality in Tampere, my most important role is to connect actors between politics, officials, and other stakeholders. I am responsible for the service area, and together we are advancing development work on the themes of city-level digitalization, employment and business services, and university and innovation collaboration. I have been involved in launching several projects utilizing digitalization, and now we are creating collaboration, for example, to utilize data as a tool for improving services, as a management tool, and as a business enabler. I am also active in the National Coalition Party and, for example, I was the chairman of one of our program working groups, ”Smooth Everyday Life.”
Nationally: In an expert role, I contribute to national data policy in the parliamentary data policy collaboration group, through which, for example, the foundations for the current government program’s digital entries were written (https://tietopolitiikka.fi/2022/12/19/tieto-ja-teknologiapolitiikka-suositukset/) and a vision for Finland’s role in AI development was created (https://tietopolitiikka.fi/2024/11/14/kasikirja-tekoalysta-paatoksentekijoille/). In national-level politics, I have been responsible for municipal and working life issues. Thanks to this, I also have good connections to national decision-making.
Internationally: On behalf of Tampere, I actively work, for example, in the UN’s ITU (International Telecommunication Union) initiative focusing on virtual worlds and artificial intelligence (https://www.itu.int/metaverse/virtual-worlds/). The goal is to build better digital regulation and urban development for the future on a global level. We must work for a rules-based world order, because in that world, people and even small countries matter.
In my free time, I am a family man and an active exerciser.
In addition to digital policy, I am known in my kitchen as an experimental cook – and yes, AI is also my assistant in recipe development!
In my CV you will find more detailed information about my education, career, and other milestones in my life.
Municipal Election Themes 2025
My themes for the municipal elections are based on the common questions I encounter. I am happy to discuss the themes in meetings with voters.
I also address the themes in more detail in my presentations and on social media
- A Thriving Tampere for Citizens – People First, Digital as an Aid
Question: How can we improve the well-being of citizens?
My Answer: Technological development brings new smart opportunities to politics to increase well-being, but only under human leadership can technology serve the city. ”Digital as a servant, people in the driver’s seat” is my starting point in all decision-making.
Tampere must comprehensively deepen the utilization of digitalization and artificial intelligence. They can be used to improve the productivity of all the city’s services and are the best way to solve financial challenges. At the same time, it must be ensured that the right benefits are produced: less unnecessary work, a smoother everyday life, and humane decision-making. - A Vibrant City – Fewer Barriers to Employment, More Jobs
Question: How do we build a Tampere where entrepreneurship flourishes and jobs increase?
Answer: Close collaboration between education and working life takes into account the skills needs of companies. We want to bring new jobs and growth entrepreneurship to the city. The city actively attracts talent and investments to increase vitality. The best ways are found through collaboration. As Deputy Mayor, I am launching a stronger dialogue between companies and the city through a business policy committee, as proposed by Pirkanmaan Yrittäjät (the local entrepreneurs’ association).
High-quality housing suitable for different life stages and smooth urban traffic create an attractive city for residents. For companies, diverse business plots and high-quality services build an encouraging city for businesses. - Sustainable Development and a Safe Smart City
Question: How do we make Tampere a global leader in sustainability and a safe smart city?
Answer: Data is an important tool for achieving leadership in sustainability and safety, and let’s use it to its full potential! Artificial intelligence has already been used to improve security at major events, such as monitoring audience behavior at the Ice Hockey World Championships. In addition, optimizing public transport reduces congestion by improving routes and schedules.
We can utilize AI more broadly in the future to improve the everyday digital services offered to residents. In addition, the sustainability and vitality of our city can be improved by enhancing urban and traffic planning with the help of AI.
We must be pioneers in environmental matters. Global warming and biodiversity loss are global challenges that need solutions! The most impactful solutions for Tampere are those that work here and also elsewhere, creating business opportunities and at least goodwill. The city should act as a testing ground for solutions and help export the solutions found to the world. Saving the planet brings well-being to Tampere at the same time! - Limitless Collaboration
Question: How do we get residents, businesses, and organizations all working together for the success of Tampere?
Answer: Artificial intelligence or an Excel spreadsheet doesn’t know the heart, so strong ways of collaboration are needed. These also include open action and sharing of information, when it is possible and safe. The limitlessness of collaboration also means openness to new ideas and the courage to experiment.
A smart city not only digitalizes, but also improves sustainable everyday life and creates security for everyone through limitless collaboration. The smart city of the future – and therefore also Tampere – must be ecologically sustainable, economically stable, and socially just.
Jouni Markkanen as Deputy Mayor of Tampere
The Deputy Mayor is responsible for their own sector in the city’s management, development, and decision-making. They work under the City Board and promote strategic goals in cooperation with the City Council, officials, and stakeholders.
Jouni Markkanen has served as Deputy Mayor of Tampere since 2024.
Strengthening Cooperation: Tampere’s political decision-making is based on close cooperation between political officials, civil servants, and experts. For example, in 2025, the entire City Council unanimously approved both the city’s budget proposal and the continuation of the tramway.
Promoting Digitalization: Tampere is one of Finland’s leading cities in data-driven decision-making and the utilization of digitalization to organize services. The establishment of a digitalization cooperation group between the parties has been a significant reform to increase agility. Now, we are creating goals in cooperation between officials and politics, so that development will continue in the next council term as a direct continuation of the excellent work already underway.
Reform of Employment Services: The reform of employment services has transferred employment services from the state to the municipalities. Further development of the services requires Tampere to cooperate closely with the municipalities in the surrounding area. Work is now being done through the employment strategy and data collection to build an entity where unemployment decreases and the right talent is found for jobs.
Entrepreneurship and Business: The city is a pro-entrepreneurship operating environment. Tampere has been actively involved in opening up development opportunities related to the international smart city theme for businesses. Growth-oriented companies can already utilize Tampere’s city business services, ecosystems, testing environments, and open data. Cooperation will also be strengthened through the joint committee of entrepreneurs and the city, which will be launched in the spring, where I will serve as chairman.
Developing University Cooperation: The 2020 cooperation agreement with the University of Tampere has strengthened the cooperation between the city and the university community. Especially in the utilization of research, commercialization of innovations, and increasing regional impact. Much remains to be achieved. Stronger utilization of research in the development of operations and closer cooperation in building startup and scaleup activities are examples of things that are already underway.
Contact
Do you want to influence the future of Tampere? Get in touch or donate to the campaign!
📧 Email: jouni.markkanen@tampere.fi
📱 WhatsApp: +358 40 542 9514
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Donate to the campaign:
Yhteisöllisen Tampereen puolesta ry
Bank account: FI28 5731 6520 1663 58
