Dr Vassilia Orfanou, PhD, Post Doc
Writes for the Headline Diplomat, LUDCI.eu
Introduction:
Artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a transformative force, reshaping diverse economic sectors worldwide. Finland, known for its innovation and progressive policies uses AI to catalyze significant changes across industries.
This article explores the impact of AI in Finland, demonstrating how the country’s proactive approach offers a compelling case study of adaptation and innovation in the face of the AI revolution, from research and science to education, telecommunications, and manufacturing sectors.
AI Robotics and Automation Are Quickly shifting Finland’s Manufacturing Sector, Targeting a Projected US$2,861.00m Market By 2030
Finnish industries are leveraging AI technology for predictive maintenance, process optimization, and robotics. A Statista report highlights that the AI market will reach US$653.50 million in 2024. The market volume will hit US$2,861.00 million by 2030.
Finnish companies are having a share, devising ways to use robots to perform complex tasks like sorting waste, improving safety in mines, fulfilling food orders, and supporting language learning. For example, in 2018, Kuljetusrinki, a Helsinki-based waste management company, acquired a special automated line for sorting demolition and construction waste.
The AI-powered machines, manufactured by ZenRobotics, manned the line, sorting clean, processed, and pressure-treated wood; they sorted non-magnetic materials like brass, aluminum, stainless steel, copper, polypropylene, polythene, hard plastics, and rocky substances. The robots worked independently for 24 hours at a pace exceeding 100 items per minute, saving time and money.
Juko Aro, the chairperson of the Kuljetusrinki board, observes: “We’re helping customers improve the recycling quality of their waste management with this investment; we’re reducing emissions and meeting the EU’s recycling targets.”
Sami Aro, company foreman at Kuljetursrinki, adds: “It’s safe to work with AI-powered robots; we’re investing in this because safety means efficiency—the robots perform dirty, mundane, and dangerous tasks that humans do at a risk.”
Furthermore, Engineering and Technology reports that Rock Solutions and Sandvik Mining are utilizing an autonomous, drone-fitted mapping robot in a pioneering experiment at a test mine located in southern Finland. The robot’s algorithms compare a 3D lidar scanner-generated cloud map with the site situation to flag shifts, bulges, slippages, shrinkages, and other changes. The test mine uses complex data to calculate the mining operation’s productivity in real time.
Andrija Milojevic, CEO and founder, thtRobotics argues: “We’re empowering robots to do things that were previously unimaginable for a machine to accomplish.”
AI Drives Finland’s Science and Research Initiatives, clearly Shaping Investment Decisions
In 2023, Technology Industries of Finland announced a 10 million euro investment in a project intended to accelerate AI’s utilisation in the country. The project aimed to attract AI experts to Finland, increase the development and uptake of AI at Finland’s technology companies and support applied research. Moreover, Centennial Foundation dedicated EUR 3.2 million to establish an AI research centre.
Matti Mannonen, Executive Director, Innovation and Economic Policy, Technology Industries, says: “AI is the fastest-evolving general purpose technology that businesses can harness; anyone adopting AI will be competitive. We want to guarantee our companies’ and Finland’s competitiveness; we want to accelerate AI utilization and facilitate state-of-the-art expertise; we want to pique students’ interest in AI. Ultimately, we’d like to build momentum in research cooperation between companies and universities.”
Mr. Mannonen revealed that Finnish companies were forming strategic partnerships with universities.
AI Reshaping Finland’s Educational Landscape, Transforming Funding Priorities
In 2023, the University of Finland linked up with three universities to launch the Generation AI project, aimed at developing educational, curriculum, and research-based pedagogical models for AI education. The consortium organized the first phase of AI education in schools located in Joensuu, Finland.
Furthermore, in February 2024, Aalto University announced a project aimed at creating 100 new doctoral positions in AI-focused learning in Finland’s universities. The Centre for Artificial Intelligence (FCAI) proposed a multi-university network tasked with creating the new positions and facilitating high-level AI research. Finland’s Ministry of Education allocated 25.5 million euros for establishing AI-based doctoral programs, promoting cooperation across industries, and encouraging the utilization of AI in science.
Arno Solin, Aalto University’s assistant professor of machine learning and the doctoral program’s director, praised the move, terming it a “fantastic initiative that will strengthen high-level research on artificial intelligence.”
“We’re excited to launch a world-class PhD program focused on quality supervision, mobility, and multidisciplinarity,” he stated. The consortium incorporates the universities of Tampere, LUT, Helsinki, Eastern Finland, Oulu, Jyvaskyla, Turku, Abo Akademi, and Vaasa. The first cohort of students enrolled in this program is expected to commence in August 2024.
AI Revolutionizing Finland’s Telecommunications, Pioneering 6G Technology Facilitation
Finland pioneered the rollout of the 6G test network in 2018.
“Finland leads innovation in the artificial intelligence space, big data, the internet of things, 5G, cyber security, and virtual reality. There’s a boom in sectors like smart buildings, gaming, smart cars, smart health, software, and electronics,” says Chee How Goh, a project manager, at the Nokia office in Oulu, Finland. IDC predicts generative AI will bring $26 billion to the global GDP by 2027.
Petteri Svensson, Director of Mobile Business at Elisa, Finland’s leading telco, argues: “Ai will become part of mobile solutions. You work efficiently and enjoy an enhanced experience with a device that helps you search for information, manage customers, and place orders smoothly using AI technology.”
Conclusion
The AI revolution is not just a technological evolution in Finland; it’s a catalyst for profound industry transformation across sectors. By strategically integrating AI into research, education, telecommunications, and manufacturing, Finland exemplifies how proactive adoption of AI can drive innovation, enhance competitiveness, and create sustainable economic growth wherever we live.
Call to Action
To stay ahead in the AI revolution, businesses and policymakers worldwide must prioritize integration and investment. By learning from Finland’s example of proactive adaptation and collaboration, industries can harness AI’s transformative power to unlock opportunities, drive efficiency, and take the lead in the global marketplace. We must embrace AI to shape a more innovative and resilient future for mankind.
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Featured Photo: Kindel Media: https://www.pexels.com/el-gr/photo/ai-9028881/
