Useful. Like, for real. How FAIR helps 420+ companies put AI to work – are you next?
Finnish AI Region (FAIR) helps companies turn AI ideas into real products and better processes. From strategy and training to prototypes and supercomputing, we offer expert support at every step, and most of our services are free of charge.
Martti Asikainen | 5.11.2026 | Photo by Adobe Stock Photos
Useful. Like, for real. That has been our goal for every company that wants to put AI to work, and the numbers show it’s catching on. More than 420 companies have already put their trust in the Finnish AI Region (FAIR). We’ve delivered 687 advisory, testing and funding services, and run over 2,400 training activities, from online courses to hands-on events, and more than 14,000 people have joined our ecosystem events.
But this isn’t really about numbers. Behind every one of them is a company, small or large, taking its first or next step with AI. And none of it happens without our experts. They come from the cities, universities and associations across our network, and they cover everything from AI research and data to business development, funding and cybersecurity. Every day, they help companies turn a first idea into a clear plan and a tested solution.
From AI idea to real results
You don’t need to be an AI expert to start. Register with us, and we’ll check your eligibility, assess your AI maturity and build a needs analysis and roadmap for your company. From there, you pick what you need. You can test your idea before you invest, get matched with partners, find funding or train your team through open courses.
With us, you’ll have access to sixty AI professors and their teams, plus expert advice on AI strategy, data and regulation. Run a hackathon, build a proof of concept, or try your product in real city environments through our testbeds in Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa. Believe it or not, through our Try & Buy service, you can even test the LUMI supercomputer, operated by CSC in Kajaani.
And the price? For most services, nothing. They’re funded by the European Union and our partner organisations. A master’s thesis project is worth €40,000, a proof of concept €7,500–12,500 and a city testbed pilot can be worth as much as €25,000, but as an eligible client you get them for free. We do have some services that carry a fee. Our AI Accelerator programme with KIRAHub, for example, is valued at €5,000 and costs €3,500–5,000.
In total, nine partners stand behind FAIR. The cities of Helsinki and Espoo, Aalto University, the University of Helsinki, Tampere University, Haaga-Helia and Metropolia Universities of Applied Sciences, KIRAHub and 28DIGITAL. Our network includes 98 international companies, and companies registered with us have raised €34 million in private equity since joining. That’s their achievement, and we’re proud to be part of the story.
Companies like yours are already moving
Don’t just take our word for it. Finnish B2B sales company Vendre had AI ideas but no clear direction, and a CRM renewal around the corner. Together with Haaga-Helia, we ran an AI maturity assessment, two workshops and an expert analysis. The result was a prioritised AI strategy and a phased roadmap that now shapes the planning of Vendre’s new CRM system. Once its requirements are set, Vendre can choose the idea most worth testing first.
In 2023, our advisory team helped car-relocation platform Biila build AI route-optimisation software that chains individual transfers into longer routes. Since then, the company has become Flovi and expanded to Sweden and Poland, and it reports more than 160,000 car relocations across Finland and Sweden in 2025. That success is Flovi’s own, and we’re glad we helped lay the technical foundation.
Espoo start-up ConfidentialMind offers a private-cloud layer for building generative AI applications. Its platform lets organisations use generative AI while keeping sensitive data within their own infrastructure. We connected the company with investors and customers through Knights of Nordics, a webinar and a one-day technology event, and through these events it was able to raise funding. In October 2024, it was named AI Start-up of the Year at the AI Gala.
Construction and industrial consultancy A-Insinöörit has taken part in our AI Accelerator twice. There, it built an AI tool that uses about twenty parameters to predict whether a sales proposal will succeed, and the tool is still in use across the group. “Getting started is always the hardest part,” says innovation director Pieti Marjavaara. The accelerator’s structured programme is designed to make those first steps easier.
Thesis projects are another route. In one University of Helsinki thesis, carried out with us and the company Twinverse, a student explored how AI can automatically label objects in 3D models of factories, and mapped which parts of the process are ready for practical use and which still need work. A project like this can be worth €40,000, yet eligible companies invest only their time.
Ready when you are
Getting started with FAIR is simple. Register at fairedih.fi, and we’ll take it from there. Or come and meet us in person at one of our upcoming events:
- MatchXR 2026, Helsinki, 12 November
- Knights of Nordics 2026, Helsinki and Espoo, 16 November
- Nordic Supercomputing Summit 2026, Helsinki, 17 November
Our ambition is simple. We want to see Finnish and European companies lead the way in AI adoption. Every company that takes its first step with us brings that goal a little closer. Whether you’re exploring your first use case or ready to scale up, there’s a place for you in our network.
So bring your idea, however rough, and let’s find out together what AI can do for your business.
Useful. Like, for real.
