Pilot projects of the data economy growth programme
Two pilot projects were already selected during the preparation phase of the growth programme. At least one more pilot project will be selected by the end of June 2025.
Automation of the Port of Oulu
The Port of Oulu is the largest general port in the Bay of Bothnia. The port automation project is an important RDI project for business and industry and it will improve security of supply and comprehensive national security. The data economy growth programme supports the port automation project as a national pilot aimed at creating a port automation environment around the operating environment of the new data economy and the ecosystem of those utilising data-based value creation. The implementation life cycle of the pilot project will factor in the potential role of the Port of Oulu in Finland’s NATO cooperation.
The pilot project will also consider the possibility of applying operating models identified in similar international projects, such as the Port of Hamburg. As far as possible, the pilot project will be implemented by using Finnish and European technologies and capabilities.
In addition to data technologies, the project can utilise new data-based technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and technologies enabling the data economy, including the 6G mobile network technology.
Data economy ecosystem of Kainuu
During the discussions on regional development with the Government in 2024, the region of Kainuu proposed that its data centre ecosystem join the data economy growth programme as a national pilot project.
In the project, a model will be built to show how data centre investments can bring extensive benefits to the regional economy and the country as a whole. This will involve:
- creating a sectoral education module extending from upper secondary level to university
- introducing business and RDI cooperation in the sector
- accelerating the development activities of companies and the establishment of new businesses
AI Champion
The universities of Tampere and Oulu, Fira, Granlund and Koja have jointly prepared THE AI Champion development measure, in which needs-based and AI agents are used to develop new business innovations in construction and to improve the productivity and efficiency of construction.
High-quality data and the resulting life-cycle data economy are at the core of this work. The aim is to increase and improve the competitiveness of the Finnish construction sector and actors operating in its networks and value chains.
Collection, management and sharing of data in agriculture
The Centria University of Applied Sciences in Kokkola promotes the data economy by creating new operating models and practical solutions to support companies and organisations. Their pilot project will test how data can be collected, managed and shared fairly and profitably in different sectors, with a particular focus on agriculture. The goal is to increase the competitiveness of companies and generate new business opportunities.
The pilot contains three phases to help companies take the first steps in the data economy. First, data ownership is put into practice, followed by data sharing in the value chain and finally the data is given a measurable value, i.e. a “price tag”. The pilot project will provide practical tools for utilising data and help companies create business models and operations that will grow and remain sustainable throughout the life cycle. This will take place in close cooperation with a multi-sectoral network.
Read more: https://net.centria.fi/en
Digital product passport for the textile industry
A pilot on the textile data ecosystem by the Confederation of Finnish Industries and the Finnish Textile & Fashion Association will build a value network for the sector to enable the introduction of a digital product passport in a cost-effective manner and in accordance with regulatory requirements.
The pilot aims to create solutions that support data-based value creation and circular economy business models and establish preconditions for new data-based business in the Finnish textile industry.
Read more: https://www.stjm.fi/en
Showcase examples
Traffic control company Finntrafic
Finntrafic, or how the Finnish public sector and the data it holds can accelerate the development of business growth.
The traffic control company Fintraffic helps companies to utilise public transport and logistics data resources both in improving the operational efficiency of transport and logistics and in developing new value added services for transport and logistics. Companies operating in the ecosystem Fintrafficin the products and services of this data-based value creation now sell and market around the world, for example as a transport data services export cluster.
Read more: https://www.fintraffic.fi/en/digitalservices
Data economy in Finnish car manufacturing
TOYOTA GAZOO racing World rally Team Oy manufactures not only its own Rally1 rally car production in Jyväskylä, but also Rally2 cars for customer deliveries around the world.
In addition to these manufactured and delivered rally cars, the rally will provide customers with a portal for collecting and using customer-specific data. The aim is that this data would bring significant added value to the owner of a rally car from the perspective of both performance and proactive maintenance and optimal use of spare parts.
The potential of this data-based added value arises in a network with actors from manufacturing companies producing car parts to ICT operators producing digital products and services. The aim is that the value produced by this network from data will generate life-cycle data business.
Read more: https://tgr-wrt.com/
Contact information
Mika Kataikko, Senior Adviser
Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Innovation and Enterprise Financing Department, Technology policy Telephone:0295047116 Email Address: [email protected]