The Location Innovation Hub will support companies and society at large in using geospatial data, especially in the areas of the built environment, bioeconomy, transport and welfare. Its operations will extend to the Helsinki region, Turku, Tampere and Oulu.
The National Land Survey of Finland (NLS), together with 27 partners and 20 other organisations, will establish the Location Innovation Hub (LIH). Its goal is to expand the use of geospatial data – location-based data – in services, new business and technologies, and produce new benefits for society based on them.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment selected Finland’s candidates, and the European Commission selected LIH and three other hubs for the EU’s digital innovation hub network from among them. They will act as service hubs to accelerate digital investments and digitalisation in the private and public sectors. LIH will commence operations in 2023.
Finland already possesses significant expertise in geospatial data. The Finnish Geospatial Research Institute (FGI) of the NLS was ranked first among Finnish research organisations in the Academy of Finland’s statistics on the state of scientific research that monitor the effectiveness of science.
Support for companies, innovation, and benefits from new technologies
One of the strengths of LIH is the large network that consists of companies, research organisations and universities, as well as the public sector.
‘It will engage Finland’s top specialists in geospatial data, providing companies and the public sector with an excellent opportunity to develop innovation. It supports the goal set in the spatial data policy review to build the world’s safest and most innovative geospatial ecosystem in Finland,’ says Jarkko Koskinen, Director General of FGI.
‘The LIH network will extend to Europe and more broadly across the globe. This network will produce benefits in developing digital twins and applying for funding.’
Geospatial data to provide solutions for climate change and urbanisation challenges
LIH will strengthen Finland’s capabilities in the use of geospatial data by bringing specialists in the sector together under the same roof. It will provide technological and business support for using geospatial data. LIH will also broadly build geospatial data testing platforms, ranging from indoor positioning to test environments for autonomous vehicles, as well as digital test data. In addition, it will develop geospatial data expertise in the fields of AI and cybersecurity. LIH will also provide networks in Europe and beyond.
Innovation based on geospatial data presents opportunities for new business and various needs in society. Benefits come from digital twins – real-world objects modelled in a digital environment.
‘Our long-term vision is to develop data spaces, including digital twins. They help companies develop new solutions for various challenges regarding climate change and urbanisation, for example. In addition, the extensive LIH network will offer an ideal environment for testing new applications,’ says Antti Jakobsson, chief engineer at the NLS.
Check the list of LIH partners here. Select the ‘Candidate European DIHs’ tab and search for LIH:
Additional information
Jarkko Koskinen, Director General, FGI, +358 50 337 2902, firstname.lastname@nls.fi
Antti Jakobsson, chief engineer, +358 50 599 4123, firstname.lastname@nls.fi