Tampere honours project leaders as Project Office celebrates 10-year milestone

According to the City of Tampere, Tampere celebrated the Project Office's tenth anniversary at the ProjektiAreena event, premiering a short, humorous film about the office's origins and handing out awards to standout project professionals.

Development manager Sirpa Kolehmainen, now heading Pirha's Project Office, said the film captured a time when "everyone struggled with the same problems alone, and management lacked an overall picture of project work."

A speakers' programme and a panel led by strategy manager Nina Mustikkamäki outlined how the city has shifted toward portfolio management, stronger peer networks and using projects to embed strategic change into everyday operations.

Panelists from Turku, Espoo and the Project Professionals Association emphasised community, shared practice and leadership as keys, and said resource shortages are ultimately a leadership issue.

It was a celebration of the profession. The event closed with awards recognising the city's top project professionals: Best Project Manager Heli Turunen; Most Capable Owner Juha Haapamäki; Most Inventive Developer Elina Pulliainen; Most Active Portfolio Board Member Max Liikka; the city's first IPMA B-certified project manager, Päivi Toivanen; and the 2026 development project award went to the City Hall and Frenckell workplace development. The project follows the City Hall's recent refurbishment and reopening.