From lab to life: FinEst Mini-Piloting Programme for research-based innovations

Artikkelikuva: From lab to life: FinEst Mini-Piloting Programme for research-based innovations

Forum Virium Helsinki launched the FinEst Mini-Piloting Programme in spring 2021. The programme aimed to boost research-based innovations and promote the founding of start-ups. The programme was a part of the FinEst project’s broader pilot programme that accelerates the commercialisation of research-based innovations. In Helsinki, six teams were selected for the mini-piloting programme to test their innovations in real-life conditions.

The open call for applications for the FinEst Mini-Piloting Programme, coordinated by Forum Virium Helsinki, was launched in June 2021. After careful evaluations by the expert juries, five teams were selected into the programme to develop their innovations based on scientific research and to pilot them together with the City of Helsinki. The programme also conducted a non-compensated pilot project, allowing one pilot to be executed outside the official open call.

The funding available for each of the selected piloting teams was 15,000 euros for developing and testing their innovations. In addition to financial support, other support measures were also available, such as guidance for starting a business and an Aalto University course on piloting.

Originally, the timeframe for the FinEst Mini-Piloting Programme was planned for approximately 12 months, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all the pilots were delayed. Consequently, the programme was extended until the end of 2023. Now, one year after completing the FinEst Mini-Piloting Programme, it is time to look back and assess the impact of the programme and see where the six teams are now.

Scientific research catalyses innovation

Unlike need-based innovation, research-driven innovation uses scientific discoveries to develop new products, concepts and services. This type of innovation often involves the challenge that researchers do not possess sufficient competencies or experience of product commercialisation. Similarly, companies may have difficulties interpreting research results and applying them into practice, which makes dialogue and collaboration between science and business difficult. In light of this, one of the FinEst Mini-Piloting Programme’s goals was to gain knowledge of research-based innovation and develop a model for such activities.

The programme attracted teams from diverse academic backgrounds and with varying degrees of business experience. Despite the differences, each team appreciated, in particular, the opportunity to collaborate with the City of Helsinki and co-create their solutions with real users in authentic conditions. Compared to the larger-scale pilot programmes previously organised by Tallinn University in the FinEst project, the Mini-Piloting Programme proved impactful despite its smaller grants. 

Easy-to-use peak flow smartphone app to help with asthma

The smartphone app designed by a doctor-led team aims to help asthmatic individuals identify triggers and exacerbations early, allowing them to manage their condition effectively. The pilot by the UK-based Eupnoos team was carried out in Helsinki with residents who have asthma and other respiratory diseases. The primary objective of the pilot was to track changes in respiratory disease symptoms over 1–3 months by using the Eupnoos Peak Flow smartphone app. The secondary objective was to identify the link between asthma symptoms and indoor air quality.

The pilot allowed the Eupnoos pilot team to advance their product development. The team was able to create a conceptual prototype and gather valuable data for further development of the smartphone app. The team also conducted experiments in the UK alongside the Helsinki pilot to further validate the solution in a hospital setting.

Based on the learnings from the Helsinki pilot, the Eupnoos team further developed the solution and has been successfully selected for several grants. An extensive study on 700 patients was carried out in Singapore, and another research project is underway in Germany. The aim is to introduce a product in the coming years that is designed for private customers and specific public sector targets, such as healthcare providers. 

Radio wave technology to make homes safer

In the pilot by Suomen Digitaalinen tehdas and Sensapp, radio wave technology was used in fall prevention for home care clients. The pilot was organised in cooperation with the Helsinki Northern Home Care Unit, its care staff, and eight home care clients.

During the pilot period, clients’ homes were equipped with radio wave technology based sensor systems which monitored movements 24/7 and triggered an alarm upon detecting a potential fall. In these cases, the system sent a notification to the on-duty care staff, who immediately checked in on the client and assessed their need for aid.

The objective of the pilot was to not only test the radio wave technology, but also to gather feedback and extensive data to further develop the solution and understand the service chain of home care services in the public sector. The pilot revealed that the chosen sensor technology was not advanced enough and that home care was an extremely demanding testing environment, requiring the team to find alternative radio wave technologies. Fortunately, a suitable alternative was quickly discovered in Finland. It was tested in cooperation with Laakso Hospital during the summer of 2023.

Sound analysis system to ensure public safety

With the aim of increasing public safety, OCCDEC tested an AI-based security solution that focused on identifying and reporting sounds in the neighbourhood of Malmi. By utilising sophisticated sound analysis technology, the piloted solution monitored irregular incidents, such as breaking glass or other loud noises outdoors.

The sound analysis system was installed in Malmitalo cultural centre, located by the busy square near the shopping centre and train station. For six months, the system monitored the soundscape in close proximity to the building and collected data.

The team used the data collected over the pilot period to further develop the statistics model for more advanced alarms. They also aimed to analyse recorded activities to draw conclusions about the most common behavioural patterns of Malmi residents. This led to a collaboration with Linnaeus University, where a student developed a customised artificial intelligence for Malmi. The further development of the OCCDEC sound analysis system continues with a team of 4-6 developers from Linnaeus University. A new testing platform was launched in late 2024, with further testing commencing in 2025.

Physio acoustic mattress to enhance the wellbeing of dementia patients

The pilot team sought to evaluate a physio acoustic technology for the purpose of alleviating symptoms in individuals with dementia and subsequently publishing scholarly articles based on the findings of the pilot study. This multidisciplinary team, composed of scientists and entrepreneurs, engineered a bed-mounted mattress employing low-frequency vibration with the aim of enhancing patient well-being.

The solution is based on scientific research demonstrating that low-frequency acoustic vibration can affect bodily fluids, which can help alleviate some health conditions. The vibration is also proven to lower stress and improve circulation, with promising results for further benefits like reducing inflammation and mitigating secondary infections in COVID patients.

The original plan was to validate the radio wave technology and treatment concept through a real-life experiment in collaboration with Kustaankartano Senior Centre and its clients who had dementia. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays, limiting component availability and closing Kustaankartano to external visitors, which significantly hindered both prototype development and the piloting process. Despite this, two prototypes of the physio acoustic mattresses were produced and presented to the care staff, who assessed their functionality. Client testing was ultimately not feasible.

Unfortunately, because the real-life experiment was not conducted due to COVID-19 related challenges, there were no grounds to write any clinical research articles. Further development of the physio acoustic mattresses was also impossible due to the lack of client feedback and a shortage of funding. The pilot team is currently seeking additional funding to complete the development of the mattresses and gather the necessary data for publication.

Monitoring system to make bike rides safer

Soilum Oy’s solution aimed to improve the safety of city bike users by offering a system that identifies a bicycle’s speed based on the variations in the intensity of the light from its front spotlight. This system, called the speed monitoring platform, was developed by a team of two researchers from Aalto University. In addition to developing the platform, the team aimed at publishing a conference paper on using machine learning methods to estimate the bike speed. They also wished to reliably identify other features and parameters relevant to intelligent transport systems.

The solution was tested in cooperation with HSL during fall 2022 using Alepa City bikes. The field trial was conducted at Malminkartano Railway Station, where numerous bike accidents had occurred. When a bike rider was approaching a dangerous crossing point at a relatively high speed, the speed monitoring system triggered a visual signal or sound notification to alert them about the situation.

Despite the founding of a company and plans for further development, the monitoring system was never commercialised, nor were any scientific articles published.  Although the principle used to infer speed from the city bike worked in practice, the mini-pilot revealed its limited potential impact on real customers.  Nevertheless, the same signal processing algorithms that were studied to determine the bicycle’s speed are now being considered for application aiming at the localization of radio frequency transmitters.

Care robot to support nurses and entertain patients

A pilot began in Laakso Hospital in May 2023 to test an advanced-technology care robot in an authentic hospital setting with the Scotland-based Touchlab team. The pilot was carried out to find out what patients and the hospital staff would think about the robot and in what kinds of tasks the robot or the technologies it included could prove useful. The robot, named Välkky, featured cutting-edge technology developed originally for NASA.

During the real-live experiments, Välkky’s movements were constantly controlled by a nurse, so the robot never worked without the supervision of a professional. Nurses controlled the robot via haptic gloves, a haptic suit or a control chair. Through the robot’s electronic skin, both the nurse and the patient were able to sense each other’s touch.

After the non-compensated FinEst pilot period, the care robot pilot received funding from the City of Helsinki in order to learn more about care robot usage in hospital environments and gain sufficient experience using the care robots to support the nurses’ work. Valuable knowledge was gained on the requirements of the technological environment in terms of robotic solutions, which will be especially useful for the future joint Laakso Hospital. Based on the pilot periods in Laakso Hospital, Touchlab will deepen its expertise with the artificial skin technology, in particular. It is about to introduce a related product to the market during 2025.

Impact assessment

The analysis of the final reports for the participating teams showed that the FinEst Mini-Piloting Programme provided valuable support to the teams, aiding both the development of solutions and academic research. Most teams reported gaining new ideas, expanding networks, and improving innovation skills. A majority of them significantly advanced their solutions and entered new markets. The teams also praised the programme for supporting research-based concepts and facilitating connections with strategic partners and funding opportunities. 

However, despite the positive feedback, the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant setbacks for all six teams. Component shortages and logistical problems led to delays and unforeseen technical challenges. Travel restrictions hindered staff training and installations, preventing in-person meetings and visits to the pilot sites. 

While all teams reported highly positive experiences of participating in the programme, the FinEst Mini-Piloting Programme’s impact on the teams and their companies’ plans for the future varied. As a rough generalisation, it can be said that the academic teams primarily planned to continue research and publish articles and were not very enthusiastic about moving from academia to business. Conversely, companies were more open to reaching out to academia for collaboration. For example, OCCDEC initiated a research collaboration with Linnaeus University thanks to their participation in the FinEst Mini-Piloting Programme. Eupnoos was able to use the developed prototype in a proof of concept to advance discussions with academic partners in the UK as well as in fund raising discussions.

The next piloting programme in the FinEst project, led by Helsinki, will begin in spring 2025. It will open six fascinating challenges for businesses. The piloting programme aims to especially strengthen the twin city cooperation between Tallinn and Helsinki. This can ensure scalability of innovations developed by companies and offer new business opportunities around the Baltic Sea.

Additional information

Project Manager, Communications Specialist Anne-Mari Sandell

Anne-Mari Sandell
Project Manager, Communications Specialist
+358 40 903 1922
anne-mari.sandell@forumvirium.fi

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