How can AI create a true competitive edge? This question, among many others, took center stage at the Finnish AI Region (FAIR) ecosystem event, drawing a diverse audience from startups, mid-sized companies, tech giants, and research experts.
In late October, nearly 200 AI enthusiasts gathered at Aalto University’s Dipoli Hall, creating an extraordinary atmosphere as they explored how AI could give businesses a real advantage. Organized by FAIR, the event convened experts across sectors, from emerging startups to established tech giants and academic researchers.
Throughout the event, one message was clear: AI is no longer just a possibility for the future; it’s now an integral part of today’s business landscape. Finland has become a hub for cutting-edge AI expertise and support services. One key challenge remains: uniting skills with real business needs to deliver benefits where they’re needed most.
FAIR addresses this challenge by building a dynamic ecosystem that not only supports AI adoption but also fosters ongoing collaboration across domestic and European networks.
Aalto University’s Jussi Rantsi opened the event, noting that while AI initially impacted daily life through simple tools like maps, search engines, and chatbots, it is now addressing increasingly complex business needs. Slowly but steadily, companies have embraced AI for business optimization.
Rantsi, who leads FAIR's ecosystem initiative, underscored the need for support in accelerating this transformation. He stressed the importance of providing SMEs with quick and straightforward access to information about available AI services and opportunities.
“It’s essential for SMEs to access practical, actionable information about available opportunities with minimal effort. Examples, use cases, and near-term projections inspire us to act and make better choices,” he said.
Author and founder of Younite, Henri “Henkka” Hyppönen, followed with an engaging talk, urging companies to consider various future scenarios, opportunities, and potential AI challenges like increased free time and business evolution.
“We need to go beyond using AI to enhance old processes; we need to create entirely new ones that shape the world in new ways,” he reflected.
Hyppönen pointed out that AI frees up time, but it’s up to companies to determine how to channel this newly available time into innovation. He drew a parallel with the Industrial Revolution, noting that productivity gains didn’t materialize immediately because industries initially overlooked the potential of new technologies.
As digital transformation progresses, it’s critical to understand the meaning of these changes. To that end, companies had a chance to take the stage. During the “Pitch Marathon,” FAIR’s service providers delivered three-minute pitches, showcasing the capabilities of their AI-based offerings.
The session received positive feedback from attendees.
CEO of BoostWith.ai, Heikki Lehmuskoski, praised the event for offering valuable networking opportunities with startups, investors, and potential clients. He noted a minor drawback that was beyond the organizers’ control.
“The event was exceptionally well-organized, but the timing of our presentation posed a small challenge. Our talk followed Henkka Hyppönen’s powerful presentation—like serving pumpernickel after a Michelin-star meal,” he joked on LinkedIn.
The pitches demonstrated AI’s versatility in organizing large data sets, creating customized virtual robots, enhancing logistics and spatial planning, and supporting healthcare, language modeling, and consulting services. A unifying theme among the pitches was ease of use and improved work management.
The event also featured representatives from major tech firms, including Google and Microsoft, who shared insights on AI’s significance and future potential. Microsoft’s Head of Partner Sales Collaboration Tarja Jernström explained how deeply the company has embedded AI across all its software and applications.
“This integration brings new levels of efficiency and ease to work,” she commented.
Jernström supports Microsoft’s startup network, emphasizing that the next wave of digital innovation may very well come from Finland. Sandra Calvo, Customer Engineer at Google, expressed similar enthusiasm about the rapid growth in the startup sector.
“It’s rare to have events where large and small companies meet. It’s not easy to organize such gatherings, which makes this event all the more valuable. I believe that with startups, we can glimpse the future,” she remarked.
Calvo encouraged attendees to experiment boldly with AI in their own fields. She advised everyone to try prompting—guiding AI with specific inputs. In her view, success with AI depends less on technical mastery and more on a willingness to experiment and push boundaries toward unique goals.
According to Rantsi, the event offered SMEs valuable support for adopting AI in three main ways.
First, it provided inspiration and practical insights into the possibilities AI can bring. Second, participants received clear guidance on what steps they can and should take now to make effective use of AI. Third, the event created valuable networking opportunities, connecting AI solution providers with companies seeking to leverage these technologies.
"Together, these elements aimed to make AI adoption more accessible for SMEs. Finland already boasts strong AI expertise and effective solutions, and this event encouraged SMEs to capitalize on these resources, plan strategically for the future, and find concrete ways to gain a competitive edge through AI", he stated.
Finnish AI Region, or FAIR, provides companies with accessible expertise in AI, augmented reality, high-performance computing, and cybersecurity. These services are free, built on a model of truly beneficial partnerships where FAIR accelerates AI adoption for small and medium-sized businesses.
FAIR is a network of ten partner organizations, including the cities of Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa, Aalto University, the University of Helsinki, Haaga-Helia and Metropolia Universities of Applied Sciences, KIRAHub, CSC (IT Center for Science), and EIT Digital.
FAIR’s affiliate partner is Enter Espoo, with additional partnerships with organizations like ABB, Arcada University of Applied Sciences, HUS (the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District), Microsoft, Siemens Healthineers' Varian Finland, and the Regional Council of Uusimaa. The initiative is funded by the European Union, Business Finland, and the Helsinki Innovation Fund.
For more information about FAIR and its free services, visit:
