BUILD Training Sessions for Public Procurers: Insights from the Finnish Procurement Landscape
In the heart of Turku, Finland, a groundbreaking training event unfolded on Wednesday, March 27th 2024. Procurement specialists and public buyers converged for a transformative journey into the realm of innovative public procurement. This free training represents a core activity in the BUILD project. The goal is indeed to enhance capacities of cities in providing innovative and sustainable products and services to their communities, with the lead of local national partners, like the Municipality of Turku and Valonia.
The event, a hybrid session, witnessed the participation of nearly 60 procurers and experts, a signal that the interest in adopting innovative solutions in Finnish cities is not only a need, but also a passionate goal. As the training started, five captivating case examples were displayed, each shedding light on a distinct shade and tool of innovative procurement.
Agenda and topics
The agenda was crafted to offer a holistic perspective, with case studies identifying the real successes and resources available in the Finnish landscape, with the support of cases coming from The Netherlands. From identifying challenges to defining market situations, selecting methodologies, managing risks, and understanding procurement’s impact on the operating environment, each case study delved into the complexities of innovation procurement.
Guiding the discussions were esteemed speakers, including Riikka Leskinen, Director at Valonia; Susanna Sarvanto-Hohtari, Procurement Director at the City of Turku; Ville Valovirta, Senior Scientist at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland; Simon de Roo, Procurement Specialist at Rotterdam City; and Hedy Meinander, Project Coordinator at the City of Turku.
Engaging discussions followed the presentations, thanks to the curated and interactive questions crafted by the training team. This activity reached the ultimate training session’s goal: transcending mere presentations to engage in a real exchange and reasoning on the challenges and opportunities in IP.
Educational materials coming soon
With participants representing over 10 different procurement units in Finland, the event served as a nexus for knowledge exchange and collaboration. But this is only the beginning!
In the months of March and April, other three national trainings took place, gathering direct feedback from participants. These activities are the backbone of the BUILD project’s purpose: study how to engage more procurers in adopting Innovation Procurement, while sharing the results with all the interested stakeholders. You can expect, indeed, a package of useful educational materials, soon to come after the practical analysis and assessment of the BUILD’s activities.
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