Future Hospitality Challenge

Welcome to the Future Hospitality Challenge

Metropolia SmartLab invites teams and individuals to design next-generation solutions that seamlessly connect hospitality services, local businesses and sustainable technologies into one unified ecosystem. The goal is to support the green transition and build a scalable, internationally exportable service concept for the future.

The Challenge

Your Mission is to create an innovative solution that transforms the future hospitality experience into a green, community-powered, digitally enhanced and internationally scalable ecosystem — developed, tested and showcased through SmartLab.

• How does the future of hospitality in spaces look like in the future?
• What kinds of hotel and hospitality innovations will emerge in a world where anything is possible?
• How can digitalization and AI help building greener spaces?

SmartLab Platform

On the Metropolia’s Myllypuro campus is an apartment designed for the development and testing of technology that serves housing. Technologies, interfaces and practices are tested and developed on the smart home platform called SmartLab, which can be used to develop user-friendly solutions that serve housing.

SmartLab is a lightweight, authentic-looking apartment. Behind the home appliances and walls, there is a tangle of technology, sensors and systems that are used to develop solutions that are energy-efficient, resource-wise, economical and increase living comfort.

The user experiences of SmartLab will be utilized in the design of future apartments. In addition to coordinating building technology systems, the project investigates what kind of technology people want and accept in their homes.

SmartLab is a collaborative project organized by Metropolia UAS together with the companies ABB and Skanska. Starting in 2025, SmartLab is evolving into a smart hotel room that provides an authentic, modern platform for rethinking hospitality.

Participating in the Innovation Competition

Who Can Take Part?

Everyone can take part — no ICT or tourism expertise is required. Multidisciplinary teams and diverse backgrounds are welcome.

Benefits of Participating

The winning team will receive tickets to Slush 2026 and have the possibility to collaborate with Metropolia SmartLab to further develop the winning idea.

During the challenge, you’ll meet leading companies (ABB, Skanska, Omena Hotels, Samsung), receive feedback, network with industry and entrepreneurship professionals and build valuable new connections.

Challenge Structure

• Sign up as a team (1–5 people) or individually before 20 January 2026.
• Selected competitors will be announced on 20 January 2026.
• Competitor briefing (hybrid): 22 January 2026, 14:00–17:00 (competitors only).
• Mentoring session (online): 26 January 2026 (competitors only).
• Final event day: 29 January 2026
  • 09:00–12:00 | Morning session for competitors (competitors only)
  • 14:00–16:00 | Final Event (open to audience)
  • 16:00–17:30 | DJ and networking at the Myllypuro Showroom (open to everyone)

At the final event each team will have 5 minutes to present their ideas and 5 minutes for questions.

Join the Competition

Showcase your innovative ideas — register now!

Register to compete in the Future Hospitality Challenge

The Final Event

The final event includes pitches showcasing new ideas for the future of hospitality, along with time for networking and discussions.

Final Event Schedule

Note: The program will be held in English.
We reserve the rights to make changes to the event program.

The Host of the Final Event

Perttu Pölönen is a futurist, inventor and author. He has won EU’s biggest science competition for youth and studied future technologies at Singularity University, based at NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley. In 2018 MIT Tech Review honored him among the 35 Innovators Under 35 in Europe. His book, Future Skills, has been translated to seven languages.

Audience Registration

Everyone is welcome to attend the final event of the Future Hospitality Challenge. Audience registration is now open!

Register to attend as an audience member

Organizers and Partners

This innovation competition is organized by the following projects:

• Vivid – Green Transition and Export in the Energy Sector
• Finnish Hotel of Tomorrow FHOT 2.0
• KITSI 2.0 – Smart Buildings in Smart Communities

Partners: ABB, Skanska, Omena Hotels, Samsung

Judges:

• Jaana Numminen, Project Manager, Metropolia
• Anniina Valaja, Portfolio Manager, Real Estate and Infrastructure Investments, Elo
• Oskar Järnefelt, Segment Manager, Hospitality, ABB Oy
• Jussi Hämäläinen, Business Development Manager, Samsung Electronics Nordics
• Niko Kaihua, CCO, Omena Hotels Oy
• Tuomas Koivula, Development Manager, Skanska Rakennus
• Thomas Kingelin, Senior Lecturer, Accommodation Business, Haaga-Helia AMK

Mentors:

• Fredrik Sirén, Entrepreneurship Expert, Metropolia
• Harri Hahkala, Technology Manager, Metropolia

Contact Information

Anna-Stina Tähkävuori, Project Manager
anna-stina.tahkavuori [at] metropolia.fi (anna-stina[dot]tahkavuori[at]metropolia[dot]fi)

The Future Hospitality Challenge innovation competition has been funded by the European Union's Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), which is the key instrument of the EU's Recovery Facility (NextGenerationEU). The financing has been granted by the Service Centre for Continuous Learning and Employment (SECLE). The Service Centre promotes the competence development of working-age people and the availability of skilled labour. The operations of the Service Centre are overseen by the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.