Joonas, the new InnoCities Coordinator of International Affairs: “Cities are the most interesting arena for innovation work”

The Coordination Team of InnoCities was strengthened when Joonas Lindeman joined the team as the Coordinator of International Affairs on 7 January 2026. 

The InnoCities Coordination Team has received a new reinforcement, Joonas Lindeman, to develop European cooperation on sustainable urban development and increase the recognition of InnoCities. The position includes producing content aimed at European urban developers, monitoring the EU’s urban policy, the forthcoming programming period and funding opportunities, and establishing contacts with international networks and EU actors.

What made you interested in the position of the coordinator of international affairs?

The interesting contents of InnoCities had attracted me even before the vacancy of the coordinator of international affairs was advertised.

Applying for the position felt natural because in my previous work, I already enjoyed those moments when I succeeded in supporting innovation activities by taking a new way of thinking (e.g., about strategic opportunities) across geographical and sectoral boundaries. The now dramatically changing operating environment – geopolitics, technological developments, climate change and so on – poses challenges that should not be faced alone but with good partners and networks. This is what I want to enable in my role as a coordinator.

I also want to be able to make an increasing contribution to ecosystemic innovation work, as it affects issues that are essential from the point of view of society’s functional capacity, the living environment and climate. I have a long-term passion for urban development themes, and I find cities the most interesting possible arena for innovation work.

What is your background in the world of work?

My work has previously involved mainly strategic foresight as well as innovation and technological issues related to the green transition, in particular. In my role as a consultant, I helped my customers understand development trends that are possible in the near future, their significance and impacts, and strategic ways of successfully encountering these developments, especially by means of innovations.

I have been working for various European companies, from the largest ones to medium-sized enterprises, and for public sector organisations such as cities, regional organisations and ministries in Finland and Germany. I have spent a large part of my studies and career outside Finland in Europe.

What does internationality mean to you?

For example, I have lived in four different countries, and a very large part of my social circles is outside Finland. Internationalisation has gradually become such a natural part of my personal history that I sometimes even forget about it.

However, international experience has helped me think more broadly and freely and question long-established beliefs and assumptions that are taken for granted locally. In different innovation projects, it has been very rewarding to enable people to find opportunities in directions in which they have not previously looked for them.

Internationality also means impact: when you are solving challenges of a sufficiently large scale or make efforts to build something scalable or otherwise extensive, it is almost inevitable that you have to deal with international dimensions quite soon.

What do you expect most from your new position?

I aim to raise awareness of international opportunities and developments relevant to InnoCities, and to bring people and organizations together to drive impactful change.

What is your favourite city and why?

There are many, actually, but perhaps the densest concentration of my favourite cities is located in the Netherlands and Belgium. They have some very interesting insights into urban development that encourage people to make more sustainable choices by making those choices easy and even fun. For example, in my old hometown Enschede, cyclists do not have to stop to put their rubbish in small rubbish bins. Instead, they can throw it directly into big ‘goals’ like in handball. In other words, even taking care of rubbish can provide some fun in everyday life in the spirit of the hedonistic sustainability concept.

You can contact Joonas about international affairs with a low threshold!

Contact info

Joonas Lindeman
Coordinator of International Affairs
joonas.lindeman@pirkanmaa.fi
+358 444 222 004