Insights

The extensive joint development of LuxTurrim5G ecosystem led by Nokia and coordinated by Spinverse has reached a key milestone, as the development phase of the smart pole, data platform and related smart city services is successfully completed. The multi-disciplinary consortium of 26 partners has achieved solid results and the development consortium is planning for more extensive pilots in real urban environments and is starting to commercialize the solution.  

The collaboration within the LuxTurrim5G ecosystem, driven by Nokia and coordinated by Spinverse, has progressed nicely despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The extensive company consortium developing a digital platform for the smart city has now reached an important milestone when its key element, the 5G smart pole, has progressed from the development stage into the pre-commercial product. It is in fact a product family of smart poles, which can meet the various needs of cities. The modular structure allows for poles in different sizes, integration of various devices, and implementation of required digital services based on usage and surrounding area. The ecosystem partners are currently working on finalising the collaboration model to bring the product to markets.   

The goal of the European multi-disciplinary ELISE project, recently funded with 12 M€ by the European Commission, is to drive artificial intelligence (AI) by machine learning (ML). The consortium of 23 partners, including Spinverse, will build upon the open and excellence-driven ELLIS research network of top-level and diverse AI institutes that aim to drive adoption of outstanding ML algorithms and research in European companies. Spinverse facilitated the preparation of the funding proposal and will lead the communication and dissemination activities toward European industries at large during the project.

Business Finland launched a competition in early 2020 for leading companies (so called Veturi companies) with international operations to challenge them to solve significant future problems and increase their research, development and innovation investments in Finland. Four leading companies with three projects were announced as the winners of the competition. Nokia, one of the four winning companies will launch a project called “Unlocking Industrial 5G” which allows the company to innovate new products, services and solutions in Finland and develop and commercialise them together with the companies in the local ecosystem.

Spinverse customers Fortum and Metsä Group join forces with Business Finland to create a world-class R&D programme with pulp fibre from renewable and sustainable sources as its node. The 4-year joint R&D programme, called ExpandFibre, aims to develop ground-breaking technologies and smart business concepts that are required to convert straw and wood pulp fibre into novel bioproducts, such as textile fibres. The R&D programme has been granted EUR 20 million from Business Finland. 

Nokia and its partners are targeting the global smart city markets, worth tens of billions of euros.  The LuxTurrim5G ecosystem coordinated by Spinverse has just completed a one-of-a-kind piloting environment that boosts the development of new data-driven services for cities both in Finland and abroad. It covers the route from Nokia HQ Campus in Espoo, Finland, to the nearby Kera railway station. Comprising of 19 smart poles with the latest 5G technology and altogether 250 interconnected devices, it brings super-fast connectivity and extensive sensor network available for practical piloting of digital smart city services. 

LuxTurrim5G ecosystem led by Spinverse and Nokia has recently gained outstanding traction by being awarded with honors in the Traficom 5G Innovation Competition. LuxTurrim5G is an intensive innovation ecosystem of 26 partners working closely together to tackle the critical challenges of urbanization through building the digital backbone for a smart city, which enables a multitude of necessary digital services.

Solving big and complex global challenges in urbanisation, climate change and healthcare calls for innovative and disruptive solutions. These can be achieved only through close cooperation across different industries and disciplines. To succeed in such cooperation, special skills in leadership are in key role. To find out what kind of skills are required for successful leadership of multi-partner projects and innovation ecosystems, we turned to our experienced Ecosystem Leader Markku Heino.

For Finland to thrive, we need continuous growth in knowhow and Finland-based companies that have the ability to create new and globally competitive businesses. Networks and ecosystems play an increasingly important role in the competitiveness of technology companies and are on the agenda for sustainable growth in Finland and Europe. There are already a number of research and innovation ecosystems seeking for the minimum of billion-euro business. Spinverse recently completed an extensive study, commissioned by Technology Industries of Finland. In the study,  some of these growth-seeking ecosystems in Finland were analysed and recommendations to spur their growth were given.

Nokia Bell Labs driven industry group is building key enablers for fast 5G network based on smart light poles, which will form the digital backbone of future smart cities. The LuxTurrim5G ecosystem project has developed the 5G smart pole concept where 5G base stations, a variety of different sensors, video cameras, displays and other devices have been integrated to light poles. This creates a novel platform providing fast, low latency mobile communications and possibilities to exploit huge amount of data to make new digital services for smart cities. The solutions have been piloted already during last two years at Nokia Campus in Espoo, Finland, and now the plans are to expand the piloting to real environment in Kera region of Espoo.