The Transformation of new energy and digital technology project builds a strong research and innovation environment that makes it possible to develop the technical competitiveness of industry in Southwest Finland. Studies carried out in Southwest Finland recommend that investments should focus on research and development activities in fields that are experiencing an economic boost in order to fully benefit from the positive change. This would provide both regional and national impacts.

The outcome of the UEDT project will be a vital, innovative, coherent and networked Southwest Finland with a positive effect on the well-being and competitiveness of Finland as a whole through the maximization of the benefits gained from the positive structural change. This will also result in closer cooperation between the higher education institutions in Southwest Finland in the research and development activities in fields of technology, including an improved level of competence in the region’s companies and their subcontracting networks and better research and innovation opportunities. Indirect outcomes will include higher motivation among employees of growing technology companies, improved appeal of the region and companies’ higher competitiveness.

The measures in the UEDT project consist of investment programmes in accordance with three main themes.

1) Digital Factory 4.0 supports the infrastructure of the digital manufacturing process. The research and development competence related to the use of new manufacturing methods and the application of data collected from production will directly address the needs of sector companies. The investments made by Turku University of Applied Sciences will support education, raise the competence level and be available for the region’s companies and their subcontracting networks in the form of new methods, products and manufacturing processes.

2) The research centre for new energy will focus on the challenges created by the energy transformation. The energy transformation will change the industry’s operating environment in a radical way. The overarching themes of the transformation include the 3D of energy: Decarbonization, Decentralization and Digitalization. To cover the themes, development environments will be provided for sustainable energy production, decentralized energy systems, storing electrical energy, and electrical transport.

3) The AI/AR/VR Centre includes a core formed by artificial intelligence, augmented reality and virtual reality, which will help ensure the competitiveness of business operations and research, for example, by accelerating the product development cycles of complex products and by illustrating the plans. The same technology can be used in service provision in both the public and private sector. The expected outcomes include new innovations, research topics, and application methods that will be jointly promoted by talents from Turku University of Applied Sciences and University of Turku.