You are not wasting your time on these pages

How to find
the EU-wide you
and the you-wide EU

This site introduces us, the citizens of the European Union, to an exciting new kind of social media, where the time spent is an investment in our own lives and in strengthening the Union as a whole.

Personal EU (1-5)

Personal EU is an initiative that responds naturally to the challenges of the EU's Digital Decade -2030 by creating

a completely new, more meaningful and inspiring technical-economic-social daily media for 400 million citizens of the European Union, and
a much-needed structural complement to the effectiveness of cooperation between current Union actors.

This vision puts people at the center.

TEAMFINDER (1)

TeamFinder is the base for Personal EU.

It would allow every EU citizen with a single click to create our own personal EU-wide team: one person from as many different EU countries as possible to complement our strengths.
TeamFinde^s iidea is to create millions of EU-wide daily teams: the huge complementary resources of the indispensable "forgotten organi(c)sation level" of the Union.
TeamFinder must be found in a common, central, credible, pleasant and inspiring place for all EU citizens. That place can only be europa.eu.

Current EU programming projects specializing in group search, teamwork, online history, and artificial intelligence are concrete keys to the emergence of TeamFinder, and it is worth synchronizing them with its challenges already in their planning.

EUROPA.eu (2)

europa.eu should be the European Union's website for 450 million people: a meeting place for the EU's political, public and private sectors and citizens, coordinated by the European Commission, and a place to store and find relevant content, big and small, including the new TeamFinder.

The key challenge for Personal EU is to quickly grow europa.eu from a few million users to tens and hundreds of millions: a more meaningful "living room of the EU" than, for example, Facebook, which has 250 million monthly active users. By organising and updating europa.eu as a competitor to the world of social media, which now frustratingly consumes a huge amount of development resources of EU citizens, it would become a clear winner. Commercial communications, which users crave and are published with consent, also fit into the framework.

In February 2026, Gemini AI was asked how the content of europa.eu is now divided into 1) citizen challenges 2) entrepreneurship challenges 3) governance challenges 4) policy challenges, considering the daily use of citizens? Not forgetting that the roles of "private individuals" are almost invariably also linked to the future of the other three Ps.

The AI answered::

"No official percentage breakdown between the four categories has been published, but based on the content and priorities of the Europa.eu website, information related to citizens' lives (such as rights and work) covers around 35%, support for entrepreneurship and the internal market 25%, policy and strategies 25% and governance and decision-making 15% of the content. This estimate is based on a strong focus on practical rights, economic competitiveness and key policy priorities (2024-2029)."

PPPP (3)

PPPP: The central involvement of the citizen perspective in the development of democracy offers a unique opportunity for the common central square europa.eu to renew its structure and attitude

into a pioneering 4-door meeting place for the political, public, private and personal (PPPP).
Its strength would be the comprehensive and up-to-date technical-economic-social basis of its content.
Activating and inspiring all PPPP components for ideal cooperation would strengthen the self-esteem and success of the Union's citizens and all actors in a shaky global field.

ELEVATOR (4)

The Elevator is an umbrella concept for value-added traffic between the Politic-Public-Private-Person (PPPP) layers.

For Personal EU teams, it would include many existing functionalities, such as citizens' initiatives, ombudsman services, discussions and project connections with members of the Commission and Parliament and national delegations, as well as team-specific collaboration opportunities between the parties.

The Elevator aggregates, multiplies and clarifies daily PPPP collaboration. It is a precise information and ideas broker that moves between EU developers like an elevator.

P4ACADEMy (5)

would act as a common PPPP knowledge and idea bank that breathes in and out, encourages insights and ensures a high-quality development continuum.
It is also responsible for the common tools of the EU teams and PPPP collaboration, such as "Elevator", "Understander", "Voter", "Projector" and "Seller/Buyer".

Why me

Starting a union-wide net team, as envisioned by the "Personal EU" concept, is beneficial for several key reasons:

Foster Interactivity: It is a way to transform the current (and growing) Union-wide interpassivity into intensive interactivity.
Solve Personal and Union-wide Challenges: The team allows every citizen to run their own, even EU27 team, solve personal situations and create Union-wide benefits at the same time.
Complete the EU Structure: It creates the missing Organi(c)zation level to successfully complement traditional administrative and corporate levels in the EU.
Utilize Human Resources: It offers a new view for using 400 million human resources open minded.
Preserve Culture and Innovation: It is essential to keep your language and culture alive to ensure the richness of views in European innovation.
Enhance Global Leadership: It serves as a clear proof that the EU is a forward-looking pioneer and makes the union an opinion leader on other continents as well.

A few side notes to the EU's strategic program for the years 2024–2029

In their 2024–2029 strategic program, the EU leaders set three priority areas to guide the work of the EU institutions:

Note: Institutions work towards various other institutions according to the directive. Since 450 million citizens, i.e. the EU, are not an institution, instructions concerning citizens intended as stimulating challenges are easily filtered in the institutional chains into regulations in accordance with the institutions' own interests.

1. Free and democratic Europe

- fostering European values in the EU

- compliance with EU values worldwide,

Note: Nothing to note. On the contrary: More encouraging common Union-wide tools and content for every citizen's daily life!

2. A strong and secure Europe

- ensures consistent and influential external action

- Strengthening EU security and defense and

- Protecting EU citizens

- preparing for a bigger and stronger union

- following a comprehensive approach to migration and border control

Note: The lasting external impact of democratic values is not achieved by a war of aggression against outsiders. The best way to win an expanding circle of friends is by cooperating with our citizens' values (together with diplomacy and the defense forces).
We have our limits both in terms of terrain and operations, as well as data protection. Let's keep them encouraging citizens to sustainable positive development!
The growth of the Union means both the accession of new member states and strong migration from growth areas. Constructive adaptation and understanding new perspectives are the keys to our development.

3. A prosperous and competitive Europe

- Strengthening the competitiveness of the EU

Note: The collective power of the EU's cultural riches and the quality of free know-how can, with common communication tools, produce a decisively larger number of significant EU-wide startups, business chains and SMEs capable of global performance.

https://european-union.europa.eu/priorities-and-actions/eu-priorities/european-union-priorities-2024-2029_en

In 2005, we were at least 20 years ahead of our time.
Thanks for your support, early birds!

Congratulations to your concept. It is very human and ci. I suggested to Uppsala University and Lulea University (Sweden) to concentrate to your message in a new eGovernement proposal within FP6 IST RTD program.. I will return back soon how we can progress this idea in Hungary..."

Mrs. Tunde Kallai
managing director
European Project Coordination Office
Budapest/Brussels/Basel/Kosice
tkallai@axelero.hu 2005 /03

"Palaan aikaisempiin keskusteluihimme mainiosta Personal EU-ideasta. Olen edelleen yhtälailla viehättynyt sen perusideasta, tuoda eurooppalainen yhteisöllisyys kansalaisten ja yksilöiden tasolle. Monissa maissa havaittavissa oleva EU-skeptisyys ja suorastaan vastaisuus selittynee tietysti monilla tekijöillä, mutta vähäisin ei liene ilmiön vaikeus ja byrokraattinen institutionaalisuus. Ikään kuin Euroopan unionia rakennettaisiin virkamiesten ja poliitikkojen omiin tarpeisiin. Erityisesti unionin laajetessa sitä uhkaa suoranainen vesittyminen, ellei yhteisöllisyyttä ja arjen tasolla tapahtuvaa kanssakäymistä onnistuta tuomaan lähemmäksi yksilöitä, ilman EU:lle niin tyypillisten virallisten instituutioiden säännöstelevää ja valvovaa läsnäoloa. Ideasi toteuttaa tämä uudenlaisin tietoteknisin ratkaisuin on raikas ja sopii erinomaisesti Suomen puheenjohtajakaudelta muistiin jääväksi pysyväksi virstanpylvääksi. Kuten usein uudenlaisten ideoiden kanssa käy, niiden synnyttäjä joutuu tekemään myös suurimman työn toteutuksessa. Toivottavasti olet löytänyt siihen tarvittavan ajan ja resurssit ja toivottavasti myös innovaatioympäristömme rahoittajat ovat oivaltaneet ideasi merkityksen. Olen mielelläni käytettävissä puoltamaan mahdollisia resurssointiesityksiä."

Seppo Laine
SVP, Inovaatio-ohjelmat
Finpro 2005 /03

"Personal EU on kannaltamme arvokas konsepti, koska se tuo yksilökeskeisyyden yhteisöissä avaintekijäksi kasvun, työllisyyden ja kestävän sosiaalisen kehityksen ratkaisijana . Suomen puheenjohtajuuskaudella pitää tarkastella tietoyhteiskunnan kasvun generaattoreita ja ilmiöitä uudesta näkökulmasta. Personal EU on trendien valossa varteenotettava työkalu tietoyhteiskunnan kestävän kehityksen suuntaamiseksi."

Bror Salmelin
Head of Unit
European Commission
Information Society
New Working Environments 2005 / 03

"Olen tutustunut Personal EU -konseptiin ja puollan sen rahoitusesitystä. Erityisen mielenkiintoisena näen mahdollisuuden yhdistää Learning to Translate -tutkimushanke Personal EU -konseptiin. Niin EU:n yhtenäisyyden kuin kilpailukyvyn kehittymisen näkökulmasta laaja kielikirjomme on ongelma-alue verrattuna vaikkapa Yhdysvaltoihin."

Katrina Harjuhahto-Madetoja
ohjelmajohtaja, tietoyhteiskuntaohjelma
Valtioneuvoston kanslia 2005 /03

"Tietoyhteiskunta on mitä suurimmassa määrin henkilökohtaisen vuorovaikutuksen lisäämistä ihmisten kesken nykyaikaisia viestintäteknologioita käyttäen. Samalla avautuu mahdollisuuksia ja tarpeita sekä itse kunkin henkilökohtaiseen kasvuun että uudenlaisten yhteistyömuotojen synnylle. Personal EU hanke on tässä mielessä kaikki hyvän tietoyhteiskuntakehityksen kriteerit täyttävä idea ja kehityshanke. Erityisen hyvää siinä on mielestäni kansainvälisen (tai toisin sanoin EU-kotimaisen) vuorovaikutuksen lisäämisen idea suoraan ihmisten kesken. Se tekee hankkeesta konkreettisen ja samalla kuitenkin laajakantoisia poliittisia päämääriä edistävän."

Risto Nevalainen
toimitusjohtaja
STTF Oy
(TIEKEn aiempi toimitusjohtaja) 2005 /03

"Personal EU-konsepti on käyttökelpoinen tapa lähentää EU-kansalaisia toisiinsa aivan ruohonjuuritasolla. Projektin vaatima tekninen infrastruktuuri on pääosin olemassa. Tarvitaan vain käynnistävä voima, joka saisi tiedon asiasta leviämään laajemmin EU-kansalaisten parissa ja innostaisi heitä lisäämään kanssakäymistään.

Uudet teknologiat luovat koko ajan uusia ja monipuolisia mahdollisuuksia henkilökohtaisten yhteyksien hoitamiseen."

Jarmo Hallikas

"Aamusella Google Alerts ilmoitti 'Personal EU' keskusteluista -IST2006 -konferenssissa.
Selailtuni aiheeseen liittyviä sivustoja ja blogeja kiinnostuin aiheesta yhä enemmän, ja mieleeni nousikin monia ideoita lähinnä politiikan tutkimuksen näkökulmasta. Tiedustelisinkin, olisiko jollakin tavalla mahdollista liittyä testiryhmän toimintaan, tarjota tiedonhaku-apua tai viedä ideoitanne eteenpäin täällä EUI:ssä? Täällä on noin viidensadan talous- yhteiskunta- ja oikeustieteilijöiden joukko kaikista Euroopna maista, ja idean esittely täällä jonkinalaisen luennon, aivoriihen tai työpajan muodossa olisi hyvinkin mahdollista."

Samppa Rohkimainen
European University Institute
Department of Political and Social Sciences
samppa.rohkimainen@eui.eu 2006 12 02

"I am very glad that we met at the IST-2006 Event in Helsinki on the "Collaborative Working Environment to enable Innovation & Promotion of SMEs Business Competitiveness" networking session. I would like to use this opportunity to express and confirm our willingness to cooperate on the identification, creation, development and any other necessary effort towards FP7 project elaboration, and hope that we are able to find the way to initiate a fruitful cooperation. We value the Personal EU idea, and are ready to cooperate towards its successfull implementation.

Vladislav Jivkov, jivko, v@unisoft.bg
Head of Projects & Programmes Department, UNISOFT BULGARIA SA, 2006 11 21

"Hello again, my Friend! It was really a pleasure and your Project is impressive. I'll try supporting with my humble powers. Good luck and good work! Keep in touch; best regards. Dan."

Prof. Dr. Ing. Danut Iordachescu
Centro Láser-Universidad Politecnica de Madrid
danut.iordachescu@upm.es 2006 21 11

"Seurattuani useamman vuoden ajan Mainostoimisto Takapiru Oy:n Kurt Linderoosin yltyviä ponnisteluja käänteentekevän Personal EU -konseptin toteutumiseksi ja unioninlaajuiseksi julkistamiseksi Suomen EU-puheenjohtajuuskaudella suosittelen mielelläni asianosaisille sekä määrätietoisia ponnisteluja tavoitteeseen pääsemiseksi että Linderoosin edelläkävijyyden ja jatkotyön arvostamiseksi alkurahoituksen mahdollistamilla keinoilla. Hän on henkilökohtaisesti tehnyt merkittävää työtä suomalaisten verkkopalveluiden kehittämiseksi ja edelläkävijäkäyttäjänä, alkaen Suomen ensimmäisistä telefax-laitteista, ja jo 1980-luvulla Elisa sähköpostista ja Infotel Tietoverkosta. Hän on soveltanut Tietoverkkoja omassa ammatissaan, itsensä, asiakaskuntansa ja ystäviensä parhaaksi, ja ottanut ennakkoluulottomasti käyttöön erilaisia uusia verkkoviestinnän välineitä."

Jari Karpakka, tuotejohtaja
Elisa Oyj, Tuotteet –yksikkö, Laajakaista ja ISP
jari.karpakka@elisa.fi 2006 /03

"Tutustuttuani Kurre Linderoosin esittämään Personal EU -ideaan ja seurattuani hänen työtään ajatuksen toteutumiseksi Euroopan unionin laajuisena toivon omasta puolestani, että hanke saisi toteutumistansa varten riittävät rahalliset resurssit. Jo 1990-luvun loppuvuosina totesin EU Agora -projektin puitteissa, että Linderoosilla on vahva tuntuma ja vastuullinen ote kansainväliseen ICT-osaajien verkostoitumiseen. Myös yhteistyömme uuden bisneskulttuurin rakentamisessa Espoon kauppakamarin puitteissa on ollut hedelmällistä. Itse Personal EU -konsepti unionin uutena toimintatasona on sopivan haasteellinen sosiaalinen ja teknologiaratkaisu Lissabonin strategian ja unionin tietoyhteiskuntaohjelman vauhdittamiseksi - ja erityisesti sen Suomen EU-puheenjohtajakaudelle 2006 kohdistuvat haasteet kannustuksen arvoinen tie nostaa maamme kansainvälistä painoarvoa tällä saralla."

Kari Ruoho
elinkeinojohtaja
Espoon kaupunki
kari.ruoho@espoo.fi

"EU:n perustuslakia koskevien kansanäänestyksien yhteydessä on tullut esille huoli siitä, että EU on liian etäällä ihmisistä. Ranskalainen on huolissaan siitä, että valta häneen suoraan vaikuttavista asioista siirtyy keskitetylle hallintokoneistolle tai siitä, että monikielisessä ja -kulttuurisessa Euroopassa hänen huoliaan ja ajatuksiaan ei oteta huomioon. Samat huolet koskevat tietysti kaikkia eurooppalaisia - myös meitä suomalaisia.

Teknillisessä korkeakoulussa 15.-17.6.2005 järjestettävän kansainvälisen AKRR'05-konferenssin yhteydessä tarkastellaan sitä, millä tavalla voidaan kehittää ihmisläheistä eurooppalaista tietoyhteiskuntaa. Aiheelle on 16.6. omistettu koko päivän sessio, jossa puhujina ovat mukana mm. EU:n komission edustaja Stefano Bertolo, hallituksen tietoyhteiskuntaohjelman johtaja Katrina Harjuhahto-Madetoja, professori Kirsti Lonka Helsingin yliopistosta, sekä johtaja, KTT Seija Kulkki Helsingin Kauppakorkeakoulusta. Tilaisuudessa järjestetään myös aivoriihi, jossa konferenssin osallistujilla on mahdollisuus tuoda esille omia ajatuksiaan ja ideoitaan.

Session yksi lähtökohta on Suomen puheenjohtajuuskaudella 2006 julkistettavaksi kaavailtu Personal EU -aloite. Aloitteen perusajatus on, että kukin voisi valita työ-, kehitys- ja harrastusryhmänsä hengenheimolaisistaan useasta EU-maasta. Innovatiiviset tietotekniset yhteistyövälineet voivat tukea tällaisia tiimejä ja niiden yhteistoimintaa sekä auttaa ihmisiä arvostamaan ja ymmärtämään toinen toistensa ajatuksia yli kielimuurien. Euroopan unionin nopea kehitys yhdenmukaistaa tehokkaasti, mutta voi uhata pieniä ja vähän isompiakin kieliä. Kuitenkin kielet ja niiden taustalla olevat kulttuurit ovat rikas innovaatioiden lähde.

Oppivien järjestelmien huippututkijat kokoontuvat kansainväliseen ja monitieteiseen AKRR'05-konferenssiin esittelemään viimeisimpiä tutkimustuloksia, jotka edesauttavat Personal EU -tyyppisten tavoitteiden toteutumista."

Timo Honkela
Teknillinen korkeakoulu, informaatiotekniikan laboratorio
timo.honkela@hut.fi

"Kiitos ideastasi. Jo sopii, laitan sen eteenpäin valtioneuvoston kansliaan, jossa EU-asioiden päävastuu on."

Tarja Filatov
tarja.filatov@mol.fi 2004 07 01

"Kiitokset palavasta viestistäsi, joka todella teki tästä päivästä hiukan erilaisen. Sanat Personal EU sisältävät valtavasti energiaa, itse asiassa saatat olla löytänyt jotain todella merkittävää mutta kuten kaiken energian kanssa on asianlaita, se pitäisi ensin vapauttaa ja sitten valjastaa hyötykäyttöön."

Seppo
seppo.laine@finpro.fi 20040612

"Lähetän tässä lyhyen perusesittelyn aiheesta Personal EU. Se on kuvaus suomalaisen tietoyhteiskunnan uudesta tilaisuudesta nousta kansainväliseksi edelläkävijäksi konkreettisesti vuoden 2006 toisen vuosipuoliskon aikana - tämä edellyttää valmisteluiden käynnistämistä ja työtä NYT. Idean "isä" Takapiru Oy ja Kurt Linderoos, joka on esitellyt ja testannut Personal EUta jo monille tietoyhteiskunnan päättäjille ja kehittäjille. Nyt olisi meidän aikamme kuulla lisää ja lähteä mukaan toimintaan valitsemallamme tavalla. Asia esitellään 24.8. Suomen EU-presidencyä valmistelevan sihteeristön vetäjälle valtioneuvos Antti Peltomäelle. Olisi hyvä saada EK:n näkemyksistä kuvaa ennen sitä. Olisiko teillä - Hannele ja Jukka - tunnin verran aikaa palaverille aamukahvin merkeissä?"

Liisa Nakari, KTM, M.Sc. (Econ.)
liisa.nakari@palvelutyonantajat.fi 2004 08 05

"Ajatuksesi eurooppalaisten linkkittämisestä on oiva. EU:n sivujen tarjotessa luonnostelemanne kaltaisia palveluja saattaisi vierailijoiden määrä kasvaa rutkasti ja kävijöille tarttua kaikenlaista hyödyllistä tietoa aivan huomaamatta. Eurooppa voisi maanosana todellakin olla näyttämässä esimerkkiä tällaisessa projektissa, joka ei teknisesti, tulkkausjärjestelmää lukuunottamatta, liene mahdoton toteuttaa. Kyseisen kaltaisia palveluita on kuitenkin yksityisten tahojen tarjoamina olemassa niin maksullisina kuin maksuttominakin. Ongelmana taitaa usein olla keskustelun valvonta ei-toivottujen sisältöjen sytntyessä. 25 keskustelijan yhtäaikainen seuraaminen vaatii kuitenkin todella paljon. Ehkä keskustelijoiden määrästä ja käännöspalvelusta tinkimällä projektista tulisi totuttamiskelpoinen Suomen puheenjohtajuussivustoille. Olen keskustellut asiasta ystäväni FiComin toimitusjohtajan Reijo Sventon kanssa. Hän lupasi miettiä jatkokehittelyä ja olla sinuun yhteydessä."

Paavo Lipponen
paavo.lipponen@eduskunta.fi 20040812

"Kiinnostava aloite. Jotain tällaista varmasti tarvitaan, että yksilötasokin voi kokea motivoitua osallisuutta EU:iin. Nykyinen byrokratian läpitunkema EU:n apparaatti puiteohjelmineen ja rakennerahastoineen ei suosi nopeasta tarpeesta kumpuavaa yhteistoimintaa. Personal EU voisi olla avain siihen, että tietoyhteiskuntaan liittyvä nopeus ja vaivattomuus tulisivat osaksi EU:n mahdollistamaa monipuolista kanssakäymistä oli kyseessä puhtaasti työhön / tieteeseen tai yhtä hyvin harrastus- / kansalaisjäerjestötoimintaan liittyvä tekeminen.

Onnea räjähtävälle hankkeellesi ;-)"

Tatu
tatu.laurila@culminatum.fi 20040823:

"Hienoa että olet ottanut roolin olla uusien tuulien ennakkoluuloton airut. Olen mukana täysillä sillä näen sieluni silmin nimenomaan cAme tapaisen työkalun esiinmarssin, siis todellisen esiinmarssin. Speksistä saa fiiliksen että visio tasolla asiat ovat hanskassa, sillä tavoite krumeluureineen on esitelty, täytyy sanoa, vastaansanomattomasti. Jos jotain tuossa voisi ehkäpä painottaa, niin tuo yksittäisen kansalaisen roolia voisi / tulisi ehkäpä hieman kirkastaa. Näitä kohtia olisi muutama, teknologian, kansainvälistymisvaatimusten, sukupolvi kysymykset sekä käytännön tarpeen (-eiden) esille otto. Myös EU:n halu jalkautua lähelle kadunmiestä askarruttaa aika monia. Visio piirtää runsaalla pensselillä kuvaa sitä että personal EU on tietoyhteiskuntastrategiaa on the highest level. Juuri näin, mutta olisiko pienen ihmisen näkökulma hieman tarkennettavissa ym. mainituissa kohdissa. Minulla on ainainen pelko siitä että hyvät tavoitteet monesti jäävä hautomoasteelle ilman kunnollista käsitystä siitä mikä on tarve konkretialla ja ratkaisuesimerkkejä esittäen. Nopea viittaus vielä teknologiaan – jos oletamme pääsemme liikkeelle ja unionin www-sivuilla löytyy linkki, joka tarjoaa kollaboraatiopolun. Tekniikan tulee äärimmäisen helppokäyttöinen, linkit tietokantoihin ja –liitteisiin saumatonta, laitetuki laaja, eri tietoliikennenopeudet tuettuja. Eli kuten olemme tehneet cAmen."

Mika
mika.kolbe@came.fi 2004 08 24

"Ensimmäisellä lukemisella avautui vasta hyvä otsikko mutta toisella kolahti jo sisältökin. Tykkään ideasta, sisältöön vielä lisää konkreettisuutta jotta menee helpommin perille. Juuri tämäntapaista ajattelua tarvitaan tietoyhteiskunnan kehityspanoksiksi jotta homma ei kutistu pelkiksi pelilaitteiksi joista ei ole hyötyä muille kuin niiden tekijöille."

Jukka
jukka.joutsjoki@metso.com 2004 08 24

"Takapiru Oy:n toimitusjohtaja Kurt Linderoos on saarnannut jo vuosia ideoimastaan Personal EU -konseptista. Nyt konsepti näyttäisi vihdoin saavan tuulta purjeisiinsa. Linderoos arvelee ajan olevan nyt kypsä siihen, että koko unionin kattava yksilötiimien järjestelmä - Personal EU - voisi käytännössä luoda meille eEurope-ohjelman vision mukaisen "maailman valistuneimman tietoyhteiskunnan".Jo 500 miljoonan yksilön yhteisöksi kasvanut Euroopan unioni tarvitsee huomisen ratkaisukseen uuden täydentävän ja tasapainottavan organisaatiotason, euroopanlaajuiset arkipäivän kansalaistiimit, esittää mm. Tietoyhteiskunta .fi'n eEurooppa-osion isänä toiminut Linderoos. Linderoos esittelee Personal EU -konseptin Suomen EU-puheenjohtajuutta 2006 valmistelevan sihteeristön vetäjälle valtioneuvostossa 24 .8. ja peräänkuuluttaa samalla julkisen vallan, elinkeinoelämän, opetusalan ja kansalaistoiminnan avainhenkilöiltä henkistä ja toiminnallista tukea hankkeen toteutumiselle. Aikaa ainutlaatuiseen H-hetkeen, Suomen EU-puheenjohtajuuteen, on enää 677 päivää, muistuttaa Linderoos. Ennen valtioneuvostoa Linderoos kertoo saaneensa konseptilleen kannatusta mm. TKK:n tietotekniikan osastolta, Dipolista, Finprosta, Eteläranta Kympistä, FiComista sekä tietoyhteiskuntaohjelmajohtajalta. Myös eduskunnan puhemies on Linderoosin mukaan rohkaissut häntä jatkamaan asian edistämistä."

heli.alen@outokumpu.fi 2004 08 30

"Kaiken muun melskeen keskellä olen jonkin verran ehtinyt keskustella "Personal EU" -ideasta täällä valtioneuvoston puolella, lähinnä Valtioneuvoston tiedotuksen väen kanssa. Valitettavasti en ole itse ollut yhteydessä Markkuun, mutta olen ilomielin yhteydessä häneen - samoin kuin Harjuhahtoon täällä VNK:ssa."

Antti Peltomäki
antti.peltomaki@vnk.fi 2004 08 30

"Mietin, mistä päästä pitäisi Personal EU-puuhun kiivetä. Verkostojen muodostamisella pitää yleensä olla yhteinen tarve, teema, joka ryöpsäyttää kommunikoinnin liikkeelle. Viestintä ei ole verkostoissa välttämättä jatkuvaa vaan se tulee tarveryöppyinä. Näitä tarpeita voivat olla esim. yhteinen opiskelu, matkailu, yhteisen julkaisun toimittaminen jne. (kuten sinäkin jo olet luetellut). Kerran käydessäni Arabiemiraateissa eräs opettaja kertoi ideastaan perustaa maailmanlaajuinen lehti, jossa paikalliset koululaiset/opiskelijat olisivat toimittajia. Lehti kertoisi tavallisten ihmisten asioista tavallisten ihmisten vinkkelistä. Tällä hetkellähän elämme globaalien uutisten aikaa, jolloin näemme maailman vain CNN:n ja Reutersin suodattimien läpi. Samat uutiset leviävät ympäri maailmaa ja ne kertovat mitä tapahtuu suurissa kaupungeissa ja kriisipesäkkeissä. Pienten paikkakuntien uutiset eivät läpäise. Yksi ajatusmalli Personal EU:sta voisi olla nettijulkaisujen toimittajaverkosto, jossa tehtäisiin uutisia tavallisten ihmisten näkökulmasta. Jokainen toimittajaverkosto voisi keskittyä johonkin yhteiseen teemaan, joka voisi olla harrastukseen tai matkailuun tai luontoon tai opiskeluun tai ruokaan tai peleihin tai ... liittyvä. Näin muodostuisi EU:n laajuinen Personal-julkaisu, joka sisältäisi tavallisten ihmisten tarinoita tavallisille ihmisille. Toimittajaverkostot kommunikoisivat aktiivisesti uusia sisältöjä suunnitellessaan. Lisäksi tarvittaisiin kääntäjäverkostoja (ei välttämättä robotteja). Aina porukassa olisi useamman kielen taitajia tai opiskelijoita, jotka kääntäisivät tarinoita ja juttuja. Pioneeriryhmät voitaisiin ottaa nuorista - koululaisista ja opiskelijoista. Tämä voisi olla uusi ja tehokas tapa opiskella vuorovaikutteisesti uusia yhteisiä asioita, uutta viestintää, erilaisia kulttuureja sekä kansainvälistyä. Ja kun käännämme tämän opiskeluelementin aikuisille, silloin saamme mukaan yrittäjät, yritysten työntekijät, ikääntyvät jne."

Eero
eero.pekkarinen@tokem.fi 2003 10 31

Draft: "Personal EU and European Network of Living Labs 2006":

1.Basic FactsOrganisation and Legal entityItemValue Living Lab full namePersonal EU Host organisation nameOy Personal EU United Brains Ltd. Host organisation VAT numberFI-0630180-8 Host Organisation type (University/Research/SME/Other Business/Public/Other)SME Postal addressNiittymaantie 13 C 26 Zip code/cityFI-02200 Espoo CountryFinland Telephone+358 500 704464 Web-site (URL)www.personaleu.eu Living Lab established [year](2005)
Contact Person
ItemValue First nameKurt Last nameLinderoos TitleCEO Postal addressNiittymaantie 13 C 26 Zip code, cityFI-02200 Espoo CountryFinland Mobile phone+358 500 704464 CountryFinland E-mailkurt.linderoos@personaleu.eu
2.Motivation2.11. EnoLL would give the concept of Personal EU the needed visibility, as it aims in interlinking persons across Europe, as the EnoLL links Living Labs services.2.12. The open community-lead approach of the Personal EU can be a valuable asset also for the emerging toolset for interlinking EnoLL sites, to better develop user-centric service models.

3.Living Lab DescriptionOverall description and profile3.11. Mission/objectives of the living labThe personal EU inspires individuals to be “perfect EU citizens” and link across the Member States (and even beyond) with similar-minded persons. The concept supports development of community tools, following bottom-up principles fulfilling the needs of the individuals, teams and groups when they interact in their different roles (private and professional ones) in their everyday life.This interlinking of “similar minds” can be a valuable asset also as component in the new user-centric innovation paradigms so much needed for the development of user-centric services in the knowledge society. Hence this action could well be a part of the EU PPPP policies for the coming years. (Politic – Public – Private – Person collaboration.)To allow every EU citizen personally with pleasure to understand his/her union citizenship and steering EU directives and a richer union-wide living level by having an own personal union-wide team CONSISTING OF “SOMEONE LIKE ME” FROM UP TO EACH EU COUNTRY.The EU should adopt the Personal EU concept to be an official part of its future PPPP collaboration (Politic. Public. Private. Person.)
3.12. Sector and/or regional coverage, development strategiesThe pan-European dimension can already be verified through the Personal EU forums on e.g. Facebook, where it has found friends from ALL countries of the union. Tools, methods and practises will be developed and demonstrated by the network in various European contexts.The concept covers all sectors, regions, ages (except babies).It should be developed step by step as a normal practice inside and between all EnoLL Living Labs and should be followed up as a part of all coming EU presidency themes.
3.13. Role in context of regional/national/European innovation systemCollaboration between similar-minded individuals adds new activity to their roles as consumers and as producers: They inspire each others to buy together specific products and services. They find very soon their individual roles and common challenges as result units of unique union-wide business ideas.Personal EU teamwork inspires to a new value society thinking and produces new advanced networking on all levels from local to pan European. This makes the Personal EU team members to an essential potential as drivers of the social networking.The Personal EU networking gives an extraordinary development environment for development of network tools, services and new qualified value networking. The Personal EU principles are essential for every EU citizen, offering large scale challenges for all businesses involved in any EnoLL Living Lab.All this supports the EnoLL concept and helps it to ensure its future success.Every single citizen (whatever her/his role in the society is) is a unique base unit of human life. No one else can live instead of her/him. The most living labs live between the ears. The shortest way from this base to the union is a union-wide Personal EU team.“All business is local”, as local as the person making it is. Personal EU is person-centric and covers “all businesses” of every single EU citizen (except secrets regulated by laws and moral).Personal EU’s role in the local and regional innovation system is to motivate and activate citizens to be in a new way union-widely self-organized when solving their personal 24/7/365 problems and turning them into victories and benefits for themselves and their public/private neighborhood.In the national innovation system the Personal EU concept gives special value to the unique national resources of every single citizen.The national roots and cultures form an essential part of the citizen’s unique innovativity for the present and future. Every language in the union is an unique describer of nuances in that innovative richness. The Personal EU concept aims at saving all the European languages and at using their richness as unique elements in the national AND union-wide innovation upgrading. By seeing that the union valuates the citizens personal national identity as a real and honest value, the citizen easily starts to like the union and likes her/his new extended role.For the union’s member states the future of national languages is a question of life or death. The Personal EU concept is proud of every single European language – and sees a future European “anylanguage-to-anylanguage” translation/interpretation system development to be extremely essential for making the “European Dream Society” come true. Now the union’s innovation systems waste a power of 200 million citizens who can not communicate (not to mention innovate) in any language union-widely with each others.In the European innovation system the Personal EU concept as a “missing star” and missing organization level could inspire 500 000 000 individuals to lead a more meaningful life in daily Personal EU team collaboration. The “someone-like-me-from-each-union-country” team idea could mean (up to 10) millions Personal EU teams. The steps of the collaboration could be• finding the inspiring union-wide “someone-like-me-from-each-union-country” reality• finding more and more daily level solutions to essential issues/problems• finding the idea of qualified buying together (because of similar needs)• finding the idea of doing/selling together (because of similar expertise and synergy requirements and the fact that “we are an union-wide company”).• finding corporations as friends (because they need precisely right good union-wide skills and entrepreneurship as resources – and as target groups).• finding the EU with its all organization levels as a friend (because the union loves and needs challenging people who can think, work and innovate union-widely in good understanding).• finding their role and team friends in the outer world (for making EU “the worlds most advanced innovation society).3.14. Technology/service/application focus/area(s)The Personal EU concept offers a grateful starting point for the open source development of a natural but still missing tool totality - for eliminating essential gaps: “EU gap”, distance gap, language gap, viewpoint gap, opinion gap, daring gap, investing/earning gap, challenge level gap… towards a ”world’s most advanced innovation society”. Examples of missing tools:
ESSENTIAL NOW
a “Personal EU Team Finder”: bringing to you “the one like You” from as many EU countries as possible. A tag cloud based engine could exist in an open ID-safe AMI@Work/ Enoll member area. Such a tool would be essential, because without it collecting a big amount of Personal EU teams is almost impossible.
ESSENTIAL NEXT STEPS

a Personal EU “Understander”, translating/interpreting EU-widely anylanguage-to-anylanguage, allowing every European use own language for best possible interactivity. This is essential for the success of Europe’s future and a common challenge for all personal, local, national, “eunal” and global EU levels. To come true this vision needs strong and enthusiastic PPPP collaboration. The rising quality and result level of translation research and technology makes it realistic to set a very high preference to reaching this “Wonderful European Understanding”. Developing this service takes 10-20 years challenging collaboration and is worth it. That’s why it should be in the route map from the first beginning.

a Personal EU “Comparer”, illustrating local national facts by showing them together with corresponding facts from other EU countries. This is meant to work as discussion opener for team members from different countries by opening new closer views and comparison opportunities to “foreign” subjects.

a Personal EU “Voter”, allowing team members to vote about whatever subject and visually presenting the detailed structure of the summary. Time stamped results could with permission of the teams be saved in an union-wide “opinion bank” for future needs. The result profiles in bigger scale have immediate use as route marks for many kinds of union-wide projects/processes on all ENoLL levels.

a Personal EU “Projecter”, analyzing the expertise descriptions of the team members and visualizing a work organization where common challenges are described as the team’s “union-wide business idea”, and suggesting to each team member a natural and profiled role when running common operations.

a Personal EU “Team Buyer/Seller”, to be based on cost sharing/profit agreements between the team members, and to be used as a banking system when buying and selling whatever together. This system including a good visual deal choice function should be developed in collaboration with European banking groups.

a Personal EU “Elevator” for innovation traffic to/from the floors of the European Parliament, Council, Commission, Member states, Industry, EnoLL, the Living Labs. The Elevator is meant to be an input/output shortcut when presenting essentials or receiving them.

a Personal EU “Academy” for making EnoLL’s all PPPP levels understand and develop the collaboration of a Personal EU era. As a decentralized organicsation the Academy could guarantee to all EnoLL individuals high class union-wide (virtual and physical) courses and meetings.

User/Citizen involvement3.21. Type/size etc of users/citizens (groups) engaged• International multilingual value based teams and groups, consisting of about max 30 persons.• Mentor structured “help desks”. F.ex. Facebook’s group of interest has at the moment members from 49 countries, including ALL EU countries. It proves the functionality of cross-team volunteer mentors, representing his/her country (EU countries, neighbor countries, other countries globally). A mentor system helps individuals to find information and inspiration in their own languages. Especially in waiting for the essential the “Personal EU Team Finder” such pilot forums are a must as opinion leaders.The next mentored helpdesk step could be a structured interactive web magazine contenting top 10 Q/A, newest good practises, national views to “eunal” challenges, discussion forums by challenges…
3.22. User driven approach used• Your Personal European Union• Anything I can do we can do better• Solve your essentials with someone like you from each EU country• You-centricity towards the “world’s most advanced innovation society”• Grow personally to an union-wide success level
3.23. Specific experience from users/citizens engagement• The interactive Personal EU group in Facebook already has members from ALL EU countries and 19 other countries. Experiences: http://groups.to/personaleu/• A LinkedIn network around the Personal EU questions (by Kurt Linderoos) has 940 business contacts and a discussion flow about collaboration and tool development. Http://www.linkedin.com/in/personaleu• Earlier Personal EU pilot teams (cAme team application, www.collaboratum.fi). The teams consisted of citizens from up to 11 EU countries. The enthusiasm was great and innovativity good, even if the person profiles were very different. A “Personal EU Team Finder” however is needed to allow the possibility to multiply the concept and create groups with “someone like you” from up to each EU country.
Service creation and business model (services offered by your LL)3.31. Kind of services offered• Now presentations about the Personal EU era vision, route, role in the ENoLL: www.personaleu.eu• Opportunity to join some Personal EU “testbeds” (Facebook’s Personal EU group, collaborative teams using cAme, without EU27 finder or other tailored tools)• My resources over the net in finding the right “orchestra” for next steps (as described in 3.14.)
3.32. Primary stakeholders• As the community and individual notion is so strong in the Personal EU concept and actions, it has to be seen as one community, supported by its members and the actions done within the community. This incorporates all EnoLL: owners, developers, investors, users. Essential stakeholders can be found from AMI@Work circles, software components from some early supporters and existing EnoLL labs/projects, from EU’s own structural ICT developments and challenges.
3.33. Values cr eated per stakeholder• All values created will support birth of a completing success factor and citizen-centric “organi©sation” level for the European union.
3.34. Who pays for the services?The revenue model of such a modern open innovation project is based on the community offering itself and its common experience for development environment for services, but also on using the developed tool sets commercially outside the core community. Because union-wide individual Personal EU teams are unic and attractive target groups for international business activities, this social networking tool revenue model can also base on selective commercial “sidebar” operations, as soon as the traffic intensity is high enough.

Owner of the Personal EU conceptDevelopers of the Personal EU concept
Other agreements with the Personal EU concept You (as an EU citizen)Personal EU team (1 person from 3 to all union countries)Stakeholder of any Living LabENoLL(PPPP adm)DonatorsSellers/buyersMember states The base unit of the union’s successThe key in developing the “world’s most advanced innovation society”Investors in their own international future businessesThe union-wide PPPP admin and coordinator of the networked citizen-centric EU R&DWrite themselves into the history of the Personal EU processAnnouncing their messages to selective union-wide potentialSupporting their national nuances to the union-wide innovation society Every EU citizen should as EU resource own 1 of Personal EU’s 400 million sharesShould have right to find each others through a “Personal EU Team Finder”Should get financial, organizational and mental safety to their investmentsShould earn the confidence and inspiration of all parts by drawing strong citizen-centric future lines Should not pay money for growing to a good EU citizenShould benefit from teamwork by getting better Personal EUShould have opportunity to growing value addedUncommercial (l)earning centre of the new era

Infrastructure3.41. Who makes what and how
• The base idea, popular pan-European Personal EU teams in structured free of charge collaboration with all kinds of essential partners, requires use of real person facts, reliable ID- and banking-safety and after that interactive openness towards all PPPP collaboration parts. Open source development in a most challenging European way should be the route of Personal EU.• Personal registration and challenge profiling however should be the only way to entry and interactivity – independent from user’s position in any organisation. To reach optimum PPPP collaboration the work and private info profile are significant: in networked western future times there is no return to closed hierarchies and work/person separation any more. This openness means unseen individual challenges for resources of all present organization levels “from top to root” – in frame of law and one’s authority certainly.• All EnoLL/LL program declarations and their “to do’s” have to be signed by valid response/contact persons, who also can be found in the ENoLL registry. Also presenters of commercial “sidebar” messages to the Personal EU teams should register at least their response/contact persons in the EnoLL system.
3.41. Availability, usage and dependence of particular infrastructure (IT-networks, buildings and other specific environments)• The Personal EU membership and base challenge/service should be open and free for every EU citizen – using even simplest dotcom machines and connections, mobile phones or interactive tv. The availability should be completed by public library services and school connections on all education levels. Commercial licenses of the Personal EU format could be hired to amusement places (restaurants a.o.).• The ENoLL network of networks is an ideal surrounding for the Personal EU because of same user and challenge base.• The Personal EU concept doesn’t need specific buildings to be great. A simplified “real life” reminder and symbol for the Personal EU era however could be created to the cities of (at least) every EU capital: Personal EU Meetpoints. On a square in the city center a circle (diameter 25-50 m) signed with all member state names.

Expertise3.51. General Living Lab management expertiseNo one has full expertise in managing a future era. Best system and technology management for Personal EU can be found inside the ENoLL lab owners. My personal mgmt expertise:• 33 years as owner and expert team leader of Takapiru Oy, a mgmt consultant in cooperation of the inner and outer corporate profile. Expert• 3 years as “Mr. Personal EU” after establishing of Oy Personal EU United Brains Ltd., 2005.
3.52. Co-creation facilitation expertise and experience• I’ve raised the Personal EU concept from scratch, beginning 1998. As creative generator and moderator I could be useful board member of the coming Personal EU organization.• CV of key person Kurt Linderoos in an appendix
3.53. Methods, Tools and ProcessesGenerally – for involvement and engagement (motivation) of users/citizens: Making them remember/understand that everyone personally is base unit of life and citizen of the entire European union (50% of laws come from EU level) and that they could have a stimulating personal tool to grow their value and innovativity to an union-wide level.To get involvement and commitment of other stakeholders: Making them understand that all their future plans could reach new success levels by creating and supporting better citizen/individual/personal involvement.To facilitate collaboration and co-creation in-between different stakeholders: Making them allow partial use of their operations to cross-labs union-wide Personal EU teams.To manage living lab related data, information and knowledge: collecting mentors, discussions, team feedback and method wishes to a helpdesk and developing it to a Personal EU academy.
Organisation and GovernanceImportance of importancesYouYour Personal EU teamYour Living LabENoLLYour businessYour research centerYour countryThe European union
3.61. In Personal EU’s business-citizens-government partnership the Personal EU teams should find response and support to their most essential challenges – even if those aren’t as high ranked on the other part’s lists.The nature of the Personal EU concept is to be the essential shortcut between the citizen and the union. Therefore it should not just be a Living Lab but a common EnoLL philosophy and tool to do things through all Living Labs.The business-citizens-government partnership should be “individual-driven” co-operation where• the business and government help every single citizen to find his/her “peers” in all other EU countries (the way of doing, a Personal EU team finder)• the business and government benefit from the common sense and synchronised growing buy/sell power of a coming Personal EU era.Governments role is to guarantee the atmosphere for a continuing PPPP collaboration inside EnoLL and to confess its mental support to the process through its projects and processes.Businesses involved in different Living Labs usually already know the power of “citizen-driven” business ideas.The Personal EU concept means PPPP collaboration at its bests. The government accepts, publishes and (mostly) mentally supports the process as a partner (“Eunally”, nationally, regionally and locally). The public and private sector collaborate actively using the Personal EU concept to develop their future human-centric plans into large scale European (and global) victories. The citizens all over the union participate actively in the process, because the Personal EU way of doing gives them personally an fascinating immediate daily union-wide level – for personal, regional, national and “EUnal” success.The Personal EU concept challenges the ENoLL to be a real1) citizen (individual/person) centric2) union wide life development process for all EU citizens – towards a “world’s most advanced innovation society”.It requires1) keeping the common challenges of every single Personal EU team as bases for their LL choices2) offering just the suiting parts (if any) of each LL’s “to do’s / to get’s”3) allowing each unique Personal EU team collect from different Lls their unique challenge combination – those f.ex. 10 “to do’s / to get’s” which are the most essential for each specific team4) allowing each unique Personal EU team a pleasant way to make their problem solving question by question to those Lls (without being forced to handle questions which not are essential for them) – for getting the newest union wide conclusions and progress4) allowing each unique Personal EU team easily to report their workspace and work flow ideas and wishes to the LLls and to the coordinating ENoLL development system – for continuous work flow and workspace development
3.62. What kind of commitment exists?There is a strong commitment by the developers, and increasing interest showing e.g. by the growing Personal EU group on Facebook. Politically the strong user/individual-centricity is difficult to capture, but on the other hand it is evident that the signals coming from the open innovation community are reinforcing the approach of Personal EU.“Almost successes”: Collaboration in the AMI communities, union-wide OpenGov-Personal EU proposal 2005, theme of the IST 2006.
3.63. Established national and international collaborationAs above. Added to it: Personal EU’s parallell session day “Towards a human-centric European union” in the intl AKRR05 conference. Key note speaker from Commissioner Viviane Reding’s cabinet. Good relationship but not officially with EnoLL circles.
3.64. Other specific assets and arrangements such as IPR-principles (if any)…To create a more specific and reliable springboard for the Personal EU concept I concentrated my resources in establishing 1.1.2006 Oy Personal EU United Brains Ltd and working full time for it (instead of 50% time for Personal EU 1999-2005). Owner of the domain www.personaleu.eu (more than 100 illustrated pages in English and Finnish) and email @personaleu.eu.
3.65. Relationships with the main stakeholders: research organizations, companies, funding organisations, users/citizens, buyersWide network connections (AMI@Work, LinkedIn, Facebook, Messenger, Skype, GoogleTalk), debate in the union’s and national discussion forums, interactive blogs in English and Finnish (Wordpress, Blogger, Kauppalehti…), participating in several union-wide seminar/conference meetings and discussions yearly. “Good but unofficial relations.”

References and Track record3.71. Significant results and impact generated by your Living Lab so farThe Personal EU concept has “promising recognition” in AMI/ENoLL circles.
3.72. Scale and type of key activities performed (regional/national/EU)Personal EU pilot teams (manually collected). Collaboration in the AMI communities, proposal union-wide OpenGov-Personal EU project, candidate to theme of the IST 2006.

Future plansBecause the theoretic maximum of future Personal EU teams is ~10.000.000, there are many ways to develop it.The common trend should be building an individually inspiring interactivity between the citizen and the union.
3.81. Brief description of direction and future plans• To direction Living Labs:The most living labs live between the ears – where the human life lives. As a citizen/user-centric process the EnoLL clearly should chrystallize its mission to be the shortest way from the individual to the EU – that means from the individual to ”someone like me” in all other countries of the union. As an advanced PPPP (Politic. Public. Private. Person.) organization/process ENoLL with all its Living Labs is an extremely essential opportunity to make 500 000 000 human resources grow up to an union-wide level where they should be to make the ”worlds most advanced innovation society” come true. My plan is to start the chain reaction to make ENoLL to choose this route. On organization level it should mean a common citizen-centric cross-labs database, equipped with a ”Personal EU Finder” and an individual-centric working group system: based on the person’s profile description the common labs database picks a list of challenges from ALL ENoLL projects – for individual choice.• To direction EU Presidencies:I see the presidencies as racers in the union’s relay race, where the Personal EU concept is the baton and a Personal EU era the finish line. Originally the message in the baton was the essential thing – and so it shall be in the themes of the presidencies, too. After having once ”almost succeeded” in putting the Personal EU message in the presidency baton (Finland 2006) I try to r catch all coming presidencies.
• To direction Personal EU era:All details and routes described above aim at an era, where the European union is completed with the missing organi(c)zation level: the Personal level. In my vision the union officially has accepted the Personal EU team level to be a piece of the collaboration puzzle – just like the president, parliament, council, commission, member states now are. In my mind the Personal EU level could be seen as a corporation with one share owned by every citizen of the union. The straight connection ”I – EU” and its new benefit levels to all is Personal EU’s ”name of the game”. The only goal of my plans is to make this accepted and supported by all PPPP levels in the union.
• To direction Next Owners:The Personal EU era concept is too big for a ”one-man-corporation”. Much bigger players are needed to forward the development and position in essential EU circles. Therefore Oy Personal EU United Brains Ltd. AAnd its contents must be connected to names of stronger EU collaborators to be an essential part of their visions, missions and next operations.Deals with suitable partners have not yet been done.
ReferencesPersonal EU homepage www.personaleu.eu (with links)The Personal EU route map, (illustrated above), presented Feb 05th 2005 Brussels, in the international workshop of the Commission’s New Working Environments office (Archive of the AMI Communities)