From textile industry to technology companies
The Turku Science Park originated with the construction of DataCity in 1988. The idea behind it was to bring high-tech companies in Turku and academic research under the same roof. The project began with the idea of developer and real estate councilor Juhani Lunden for an "IT building," which was named DataCity.
The history of the ElectroCity property in the textile industry
The history of the ElectroCity property is linked to the textile industry. In 1928, August Laurén founded Kudos Oy Silo, which operated in the knitwear industry. In the 1930s, Silo established its position as the second-largest knitwear factory in the country. The first factory was built in 1942 in the industrial area between Kupittaa Park and Kupittaa station along Lemminkäisenkatu. The old Silo industrial property was renovated and expanded into premises for high-tech companies in 1989. ElectroCity underwent a major renovation in 2015, which also marked the start of the operations of the coworking space Werstas.
BioCity, the most modern biotechnology center in Finland upon completion
BioCity, built in the early 1990s as an extension to a three-story spinning mill, was the most modern biotechnology center in Finland upon its completion. The initial idea for the new project was to establish a biotechnology center in Turku, as significant growth was expected in the bio and pharmaceutical sectors. This required more laboratory and production space. In addition to securing the growth of the bio-industry, the basic idea was to utilize the expertise of universities and research institutes and apply it in practice. In addition to bio-industry players, BioCity houses a meeting and congress center named after the Turku-born statesman, President Mauno Koivisto, which was inaugurated at the end of 1993 and renovated in 2013.
PharmaCity was completed in 2002
PharmaCity was completed in 2002 at the corner of Lemminkäisenkatu and Itäinen Pitkäkatu, next to BioCity and ElectroCity. The growth of the bio and pharmaceutical sector created an acute shortage of R&D premises. To address this need, PharmaCity was built, with laboratory and office spaces designed to meet the requirements of future users. Two low buildings were demolished at the site: HK Ruokatalo's production facility and old warehouse spaces. The area previously housed a slaughterhouse for HK's predecessor, LSO Osuuskunta, with history dating back to 1913.
The history of the Intelligate office buildings dates back to 1992
The history of the Intelligate office buildings dates back to 1992, when an architectural competition was held for the design of the entire Kupittaa center. The winning plan included the Kupittaa railway station, a commercial building, and an office complex. The station building was the first to be completed in 1995. The Intelligate complex includes three interconnected office and commercial buildings, the first of which was completed in 2006 and the second in 2013. The third Intelligate was finally completed in 2020, when Sokos Hotel Kupittaa opened in the property.
In 2006, ICT-City was built on the site of the former Anni Helena grain silo
The building centralizes information technology education from the University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University, and Turku University of Applied Sciences. Turku University of Applied Sciences centralized its teaching in the Science Park (excluding the Arts Academy) when the new campus building EduCity was completed in 2020. The upper floors house business premises, and today EduCity is home to, among others, Nordea and Cloetta.