FCAI Ecosystem

FCAI, its founding organizations and ecosystem partners collaborate with companies and societies that have an interest in AI. This interest may include cutting-edge research, knowledge exchange or education of the personnel, student collaboration and recruitment of young talents, and technology transfer. FCAI is an open ecosystem that brings together researchers, companies, students and the public sector interested in use of AI.

In addition to company members we collaborate with other organizations that work with us in our mission to create wealth and prosperity through research, education and AI methods that enable analytic data-based decisions.  For the wider audience FCAI will organize networking events to share information about advances and applications in the field of artificial intelligence and to support matchmaking.

FCAI Company members

 

FCAI Ecosystem Members

FCAI currently has close to 50 ecosystem members including:

 

FCAI COLLABORATORS AND ENABLERS

FCAI collaborators and enablers are organizations that provide valuable resources, knowhow and connections to advance FCAI’s research and impact goals.

 

Collaboration

Are you interested in collaboration and do not know where to start? Please contact:

Terhi Kajaste (Aalto University)
terhi.kajaste(at)aalto.fi

Patrik Floréen (University of Helsinki)
patrik.floreen(at)helsinki.fi

Research collaboration and proof of concept services

FCAI and its founding partners Aalto University, University of Helsinki, and VTT do both long-term cutting-edge basic research to tackle the identified bottlenecks of current AI methodologies as well as more short-term applied research and proof of concept services.

FCAI aims to create a wide research ecosystem of partners from academia, industry, and the public sector.

FCAI is not a closed club; we welcome new actors to join the FCAI research programs. FCAI is open for proposals for new profound research activities that are both aligned with its core mission and demonstrate high scientific, economic, or societal impact potential.

In addition to creating collaborations bottom-up, FCAI also maintains institute-level strategic academic partnerships with top-level international partners. They include:

 

Responsible coordinators

Fundamental AI research

Professor Samuel Kaski (Aalto University)
samuel.kaski(at)aalto.fi

AI across fields

Professor Petri Myllymäki (University of Helsinki)
petri.myllymaki(at)helsinki.fi

Applied research and POC services

Executive Vice President Tua Huomo (VTT)
tua.huomo(at)vtt.fi

Knowledge Exchange and Matchmaking Services

For the wider ecosystem audience FCAI offers AI Day, the major annual science AI event in Finland. AI Day brings together around 600 participants: researchers, companies, students, and the public sector. The event promotes matchmaking, information sharing and cross-border collaboration.  Among the participants there has been approx. 70 startups and SMEs and 50 large companies represented. In the results of the 2017 and 2018 surveys, 70% responded: “I found new useful contacts at the event” and “I got new ideas for developing my business”. 

FCAI collects the main AI ecosystem events on the same website for easy follow-up. Many events maintain archive with lecture material and videos.

We also offer annual research insight workshops for the FCAI Company Members, as part of their membership benefits. 

For the benefit of its ecosystem members, FCAI also collaborates with Analytics+  and Allied ICT Finland networks. Analytics+ consists of data analytics expert companies and it is coordinated by VTT. The highlights of the AI offerings of the Analytics+ member companies are available here. 

VTT has published the AI maturity tool that helps both companies and organisations to understand the viewpoints of artificial intelligence and assess their current AI readiness and performance. The tool has been developed based on the work done in Finland’s Artificial Intelligence Accelerator and published as a part of Finnish Digibarometer 2018 (pp. 10–20, in Finnish).

Education for industry and society

University Education and open university courses

There are several AI-related courses at Aalto University and at the University of Helsinki. Both introductory courses in AI and AI-focused computer science, data science and other degree programs on Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral levels are offered.

Aalto Open University and The University of Helsinki Open University offer many inexpensive courses that could be relevant for personnel in e.g. SME as well as wider public interested in AI, including e.g. Machine Learning: Basic Principles course.

 

FCAI aims to provide AI literacy for all – with the best free massive open online courses (MOOCs) in AI. Our efforts include:

  • Elements of AI has been available in English from May 2018 and is now also available in Finnish. The course is intended for everyone interested in learning what AI is, what is possible (and not possible) with AI, and how it affects our lives – with no complicated math or programming required. The course has attracted 85 000 people from 56 countries in the first three months. Learn more >>

  • Buiding AI a programming AI MOOC will be starting in 2019. During the course you will learn more about the actual algorithms that make creating AI methods possible. Some basic Python programming skills are recommended. Learn more >>

  • Machine learning with Python online course starting on 15 April 2019. The course will introduce you to some of the most widely used ML methods such as regression, classification, feature learning and clustering. The course requires only basic skills in mathematics (notion of a function, vectors and matrices ) and familiarity with at least one high-level programming language. Learn more >>

MOOCs

 

Collaboration with education partners 

In cooperation with Aalto Executive Education, FCAI offers a wide range of AI-related trainings for company professionals, including:

Find all the digitalization courses of Aalto Executive Education here.

 

Supporting elementary and high school education

FCAI supports robotics and coding clubs for elementary school students.

As an admission path to studies in computer science, high school students can gain credits by completing MOOCs.

FCAI is preparing a proposal on how to introduce AI-related content in schools alongside teaching programming skills.

 

Responsible coordinator

Professor Teemu Roos (University of Helsinki)
teemu.roos(at)cs.helsinki.fi

Student Collaboration and Recruitment

University Career Services will help companies to

  • recruit a student

  • reach students in regards to career development and open positions

  • participate in recruitment events both in Aalto University and in the University of Helsinki

  • organize an own event for students on campus

For more info see Aalto Career Services or University of Helsinki Employer Services.

See also Cocreation and building networks at University of Helsinki and Teaching collaboration opportunities at Aalto University.

Recruitment is also an integral part of nearly all matchmaking events organized by FCAI. 

For the FCAI Company Members, FCAI also offers an annual meetup event with AI students of Aalto University and the University of Helsinki as part of the membership benefits. 

Entrepreneurship, Startups, and Technology Transfer

Many FCAI researchers are founders of research-based spinouts and stay as part-time employees or advisors in them. Some examples include Ekahau, Spaceify, ZenRobotics, The Curious AI Company, and Etsimo.

The innovation services of universities promote also the commercialization of research, including technology transfer, licensing, and creation of spinouts.

Both Aalto University and University of Helsinki have extensive and impressive entrepreneurship and startup ecosystems and offer also accelerator services, including Aalto Startup Center and Helsinki Think Company.

The matchmaking events organized by FCAI contain typically a special offer for startup companies to support their matchmaking and business.