Demonstrointihanke

Demonstrointihanke is a term used in Finnish policy and public administration to describe a time-bound project designed to demonstrate the feasibility, performance, and value of a new technology, service, process, or policy within a real-world setting. The aim is to produce practical evidence that supports decision-making about broader adoption or scaling.

Derivation: the word combines demonstrointi (demonstration) and hanke (project). In Finnish governance and EU innovation programs, demonstrointihankkeet are used to bridge research and deployment, often funded publicly or with mixed financing. The concept is equivalent to pilot projects or demonstration projects in English-language policy literature.

Typical features include clearly defined objectives and success criteria, a defined geographic or organizational scope, stakeholder involvement from civil society, industry and public sector, a structured risk assessment, and an explicit plan for data collection and evaluation. The project typically has a fixed duration, budget, and governance arrangements; a procurement process may be undertaken to select partners or vendors.

Outcomes focus on feasibility, performance, interoperability, and transferability of results. A key challenge is preventing scope drift and ensuring that findings are transferable to larger-scale deployment. Adequate funding, alignment with procurement rules, and a credible exit or scale-up strategy are essential.

Common domains for demonstrointihankkeet include energy and climate solutions, smart city and digital public services pilots, water and waste management demonstrations, and health or social services innovations. While the term is most widely used in Finland, similar concepts exist under different names in other countries.