Lavishly illustrated, Helsinki Finland's Innovative Capital tells how a small, rocky seaport in remote Finland developed, within two centuries, into an innovative centre, the home of world famous architects, designers, musicians and scientists and the seat of some of the leading high-tech centres.
It tells how Helsinki acquired its handsome neo-classical centre; how todays internationally renowned childcare and education services in Finland were developed; how the city was saved during the World War II by its innovative defence system, and how the payments of war reparations eventually led to the path that eventually produced e. g. Nokia phones.
It also tells how Helsinki City officials actively sought latest information from abroad about municipal services and how international exhibitions in Helsinki introduced modern materials, machinery and consumer culture to the rest of Finland.