There is a great need for the reform and development of working life. Finnish working life, its operating environment and practices are changing significantly. Companies are challenged by the post-pandemic period, the impact of new technologies and artificial intelligence on working life, sustainable development and problems with the accessibility and well-being of skilled workers. Innovations in management, organizational practices and the technologies that support them are critical for the competitiveness of companies in the current digital transition situation, as well as people's well-being, creativity and enthusiasm.
The research search is related to Business Finland's missions: Digital Native Finland, Immersive Digital Life and Healthcare Reimaged 2035. The goal of the Digital Native mission is to accelerate digital transformation by building new digital capabilities and practices for Finnish companies, and through them, a global competitive advantage. The Immersive Digital Life mission aims to make Finland an enabler of immersive digital life by 2035. In the Healthcare Reimaged 2035 mission, employee well-being is an important part of proactive health and well-being maintenance.
Research call themes and objectives
The main theme of the research call is digital transformation. Sub-themes that may also be combined in the study include:
1. Digitalization and new technologies at work (e.g. artificial intelligence, data economy, multi-location, immersiveness, metaverse, 6G), such as:
- How are new technologies transforming work and the community?
- How do they enable productivity growth and business competitiveness in a sustainable way?
- How and where will work be done in the future?
- How does digital transformation affect on-the-job learning and knowledge transfer?
- How can digital transformation be used in innovation?
2. Renewal of management and organizational practices in digital transformation, e.g.
- What kind of leadership and new operating methods are needed in the current transformation and future working life?
- What are the new models of leadership and innovation in the world, what could be learned and utilized in Finland and how?
3. The quality of working life and the competitiveness of companies in digital transformation, e.g.
- How to develop a sustainable working life that combines high quality of working life and people's well-being with the productivity and competitiveness of companies?
- How can the attraction and holding power (e.g. diversity) of Finnish working life be increased?
The research call aims at ambitious and multidisciplinary Co-Research projects, the results of which (new operating models, development tools, indicators, example cases, good practices and methods) can be widely used in Finnish working life. New management and innovation solutions can be sought through various methods, such as international benchmarking and corporate practices. In particular, genuine joint projects between different research institutes/groups are invited to apply.
Research projects require high-quality and versatile dissemination measures and exploitation plans (e.g. new services).
Research projects to be funded and business involvement
Only research organizations (universities, universities of applied sciences and government research institutes) can apply for this call.
The call will fund Co-Research projects, which will be planned and implemented in close cooperation with companies. The projects are expected to have a long-term impact on the development of the competitiveness of Finnish companies. In addition, the expertise of research organizations in the field of research relevant to business life, as well as domestic and international research networks, will be strengthened.
Active cooperation must involve at least 3 exporting or targeting companies, as well as other companies that finance and/or otherwise contribute to research (e.g. provide data, software, materials, equipment or act as a case), participate in the project steering group and utilize research results.
In addition, the projects may also involve other forerunner organizations and data utilizers in their field, through which different work organizations are able to develop their operating models and share their expertise. The projects also have societal impact.
Priority will be given to projects with broad utilization potential and active corporate cooperation.
The funding is subject to Business Finland’s Co-Research funding criteria. In the assessment of applications, particular attention shall be paid to the following issues:
- The novelty of research and fitting to the call themes
- Capabilities and resources of the applicant(s)
- Credibility and feasibility of the project plan
- Quality of the result utilization plan, steering group
- The wide-ranging benefits of the results for Finnish working life and the competitiveness of companies
- Corporate involvement and commitment to collaborative research
- Quantity and quality of international cooperation, added value for the project
Read more about Co-Research funding service
Review the general terms and conditions for funding public research
Pitching, applying for funding, funding levels and timetable
Research funding of €10 million will be granted in the call.
Active international cooperation is required from all research organizations. The funding level is 60%. If an individual research project involves close international cooperation (researcher exchange 24 person months or an international joint project), the funding may be 70%. In a joint project between several research organizations, the increased funding level applies only to those parties to the joint project that are contributing to the fulfilment of the criteria for close international cooperation in their own subprojects.
We require that you discuss your plans with Business Finland before submitting your application. The half an hour pitching discussions will take place in Teams from December 1, 2024, to January 31, 2025. A discussion must be booked no later than January 15, 2025. Business Finland does not comment drafts of applications or plans before or after pitching discussions.
At the information event on Thursday, October 24, 2024, guidelines were published for a project presentation material used in the discussion (look at the info presentation in the left column). Send a compact presentation based on given questions (max 3 pages or one slide per question) about a week before the Teams discussion via secure mail to Business Finland, write on the Accompanying letter: Työelämän tutkimushaku pitchaus, BFRK/02/910/2024.
Book your discussion time here: Työelämän tutkimushaun pitchausajat 2024 (lyyti.fi)
The research call ends on Monday, 17 February, 2025. The application is made in Business Finland's online service system. In joint projects, each research organization makes its own application.
Choose Co-Research as the funding service. Please attach the Notification of participation in the project forms filled in by the companies participating in the project funding, cooperation and/or steering group to the application.
