Turku University of Applied Sciences' MarISOT is the Best Learning Solution From Finland 2023

Text and photo: Siiri Welling

MarISOT, developed by Turku University of Applied Sciences' Futuristic Interactive Technologies research group, has been selected as the Best Learning Solution From Finland 2023. The final of the competition was held in Tampere on Monday. 

– This win warms my heart and reminds me of the 2019 Finnish  Game Awards , where we won the award for the best Finnish utility game. With this and many other awards, it has to be said that this can no longer be a coincidence, but that we have done something right in our research group. Finland is now known as a technology and pedagogy expert, and this country brand can now be used to market our expertise, says Mika Luimula, head of the FIT research group and principal lecturer  at Turku University of Applied Sciences, delighted with the award.

MarISOT is a VR training application with artificial intelligence designed in the backend system to analyze user performance. The application is used to practice the collision situation of a cargo ship at sea. According to the competition jury, "the technically sound simulator serves its purpose and has considerable commercial potential". In addition, the jury praises the fact that the promotion of sustainable development is clearly presented from many different perspectives. Luimula thanks the members of his research group for their excellent work. 

– It's hard to find words to describe how privileged I am to be part of such a work community. Naturally, I would also like to thank our partners, especially Business Finland, who once again trusted us and provided an opportunity for such success. 

The MarISOT application will be commercialised after winning the competition. According to Luimula, discussions have already taken place with various parties, but alternatives have not yet been finalised. Those interested can contact Luimula for more information. 

Juha Saarinen at the award ceremony.

The MarISOT application was represented in the competition by Project Manager and Turku UAS Lecturer Juha Saarinen. Both Luimula and  Saarinen praise  the activities of the Association of Finnish eLearning Centre and  the competition jury, which seemed systematic and thorough. The research team had the opportunity to present the application several times, and the jury was genuinely interested in every detail. 

–  At the end of March, the MarISOT equipment was taken to Tampere and Helsinki during the preliminary competition phase to be tested by a jury. Based on this preliminary competition, five finalists were selected to present their programmes to the public at the ITK fair held in Hämeenlinna. The final part was a private interview arranged for the jury, where each finalist was allowed to answer pre-submitted questions and the jury members were allowed to ask more detailed questions. It is nice to be recognized for a very successful project. Thanks for the success go to everyone who participated in the project, including those who were not involved in the actual technical development work, says Saarinen.

Five finalists, two from Turku UAS

Another application of Turku University of Applied Sciences'  FIT research group, fire safety game Virpa Palomestari ,  also competed in the finals for the title of best learning solution.

– The chances of the Virpa Palomestari app winning the competition were probably weakened by the fact that this year's theme was strongly related to sustainable development and the Virpa app focused more on fire safety. However, the fact that we had two finalists is a huge result and underscores our team's versatile expertise as both an expert in interactive technologies and a developer of commercial games, Luimula continues. 

For the first time in its history, there was also another winner: Learning Life – Mysteeri 24/7, co-developed  by Kajaani, Laurea and Häme University of Applied Sciences. Luimula congratulates the team for their excellent work in game development. 
The Best Learning Solution From Finland competition has been organized since 2001. The aim of the competition is to highlight Finnish expertise and learning innovations. The competition is organised by the Association of Finnish eLearning Centre together with its partners.