Finnish AI Region EDIH 2026-2028

ongoing

Finnish AI Region EDIH (FAIR) provides free or subsidized services mainly to SMEs, but also midcaps and public service organisations (PSOs) to advance their adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), High-Performance- Computing (HPC) and Extended Reality (XR) on an open, transparent and non-discriminatory basis. FAIR focuses on health, smart city and digital services industries, but still serves all. FAIR also connects to cyber security and quantum computing, as well as other emerging technologies with big impact potential. Geographically, FAIR services cover the whole Finland and utilizes existing competencies and infrastructures in the region, as well as European AI infrastructure and other relevant resources needs based. The partners of FAIR come from the following groups: 1) Finnish higher education institutions and RDI operators Aalto University, University of Helsinki, and University of Tampere; the Universities of Applied Sciences Haaga-Helia and Metropolia. Aalto University and University of Helsinki operate the Finnish Center for AI (FCAI) with the Finnish research center VTT, and Aalto University also coordinates the ELLIS Institute Finland, 2) Two major capital region cities, Helsinki and Espoo, as beneficiaries, along with Enter Espoo as an Affiliated Entity, 3) infrastructure and ecosystem operators, including the computational service provider CSC - IT Center for Science Ltd which operates the LUMI AI Factory and AI Regulatory Sandbox, KIRAInnoHub for the built environment, and EIT Digital as the access to finance lead organisation. FAIR has deeper collaboration with selected EDIHs inside Finland and in Europe, but intends to collaborate with and strengthen the whole EDIH network to best support the development initiatives of FAIR clients. Thus, FAIR will be able to offer an extended set of services. In addition, FAIR cooperates with many actors, including with DEP projects and multiplies the outcomes of DEP and HE projects.