“Finland has lacked a reliable and up-to-date list of artificial intelligence companies, which could be used, for example, by parties looking for AI application partners or companies to invest in. Finland’s AI Accelerator wanted to maintain such a list, which had already been outlined by various parties. This is the story behind Finland's AI Landscape,” says Antti Poikola, one of the persons responsible for Finland’s AI Accelerator.

Finland has lacked a reliable and up-to-date list of artificial intelligence companies.

Only top companies meeting the strict criteria were accepted to the list prepared by an expert panel. Out of 60 proposals, 15 companies were included. The companies are divided into three categories: companies developing AI-based products or services, AI consultants and providers of enabling technologies. The expert panel includes, for example, representatives of investors, the software industry, AI companies and parties utilising AI.

"Software companies have a great number of data teams, but only companies who actually focus on AI and have international growth potential have been included in this list. The list will be updated regularly: proposals on companies that should be added to the list can be submitted through our website faia.fi,” says Poikola.

Finland’s AI Accelerator, which was established in autumn 2018 by the Technology Industries of Finland as part of AI Finland, a project by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland, helps companies to deploy AI applications widely. As part of the Accelerator’s operations, companies will be sparring each other to increase their speed through groups formed based on common topics. The first group, which focuses on speech recognition in Finnish, has already started its operations. 

[[{"fid":"6328","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","alignment":"","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"2":{"format":"default","alignment":"","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"2"}}]]“The recently published AI Landscape shows that there is still work to be done in order for us to fully utilise the benefits of AI,” says Ville Peltola, Director, Digitalisation at Technology Industries of Finland.

For companies and the public sector alike, the key is the ability to initiate and scale up projects and experiments that are based on the use of artificial intelligence.

In addition, RDI funding related to artificial intelligence is vital for the promotion of AI projects. Funding and investments are needed, in particular, for scaling up experiments. Close cooperation between the private sector, public sector and research will ensure that AI will be utilised in a sustainable manner and its benefits will be evenly distributed in society.

“In addition, perseverance is important: continuity over terms of government must be ensured in the promotion of AI projects. The work already carried out in the AI Finland programme serves as an excellent base for the work that will be carried out by the next government,” says Peltola.



Further information:

Download Finland's AI Landscape (pdf)

faia.fi/landscape

Antti Poikola

antti.poikola(at)techind.fi

+358 44 337 5439