June 9, 2021
AISA project focuses on taking AI-assisted situational awareness to the top of the industrial world
Business Finland today announced the creation of a new public-private partnership to supercharge the adoption of high-speed wireless communication (5G) and artificial intelligence by Finnish industry. The AISA (AI based Situational Awareness) project will bring together leading Finnish industrial companies and research institutes to strengthen their ability to apply these technologies.
Increasing situational awareness for industrial needs
The utilization of situational awareness created by artificial intelligence and versatile sensing – in particular the processing of video, image and audio data streams using modern machine learning methods – are central to the AISA project. Leveraging high speed edge computing and the ultra-low latency power of 5G networks will also ensure that industrial applications have rapid response times.
“The AISA project’s research objectives have been selected on the basis of industrial needs, business opportunities and export potential. The project will create systematic ways for the Finnish industry and research community to achieve global leadership in selected areas of artificial intelligence and 5G applications,” says Ville-Veikko Mattila, Head of Multimedia Technologies at Nokia.
In 2020, Nokia was chosen as one of the winners of Business Finland’s challenge competition. The three-year AISA project, which begins in June, is part of a program led by Nokia, in which Finland will become a trailblazer in industrial 5G networks.
The official partners of the AISA project are Nokia Technologies, Valmet Automation, Mirka, Insta, Top Data Science, Ficolo and the Tampere University. The project facilitator is DIMECC, a co-creation platform for the industry’s digital transformation. The total budget of the project is 12 million euros and it is funded by Business Finland and the participating companies.
Increasing competitiveness in the export industry
Headquartered in Jepua, Ostrobothnia, Mirka Oy is one of the world’s leading companies in surface treatment and precision grinding. More than 97 percent of its products are exported. AISA is a strong platform to enhance the company’s international leadership.
“Our company excels in both chemical and mechanical surface treatment, but when it comes to developing digitalization, cooperating with other companies enables us to achieve more. In the AISA project we improve our products and services using artificial intelligence and 5G solutions. The expertise accumulated around Nokia helps us to increase our export potential,” says Charlotta Risku, General Manager, Coated Abrasives at Mirka.
Valmet Automation Oy is a global leader in the supplying of industrial automation and services. New product features are vital when competing for growth and market share. Artificial intelligence, edge computing and 5G technology open up significant new opportunities in some of Valmet’s core industries in the paper and pulp industry and the energy sector.
The AISA project is expected to be a major driver in the adoption of next generation technologies in Finnish industry.
“Artificial intelligence and new data transmission solutions are already well utilized in Finland. Pioneering companies and research institutes have already achieved excellent results, but investments and speed need to increase. International competition is extremely hard and technology development continues at a rapid pace,” says Dr. Arto Peltomaa, Program Manager at DIMECC.
More information:
Technology expert Dr. Jukka Saarinen, Nokia Technologies 050-4835215, jukka.saarinen(at)nokia.com
Project Manager Emre Aksu, Nokia Technologies 050-3479399, emre.aksu(at)nokia.com
Program Manager Dr. Arto Peltomaa, DIMECC Ltd. 040-551 1434, arto.peltomaa(at)dimecc.com
Link to more info on AISA program
