Frequently asked questions

WISE stands for Wide and Intelligent Sustainable Energy and we explore how the energy sector can be decarbonised through wisely generated balancing power. By joining the ecosystem, you will gain access to a diverse professional network that promotes collaboration and valuable connections with industry experts. You can actively participate in workshops and webinars, share your expertise, knowledge, and ideas, and engage in various projects. Additionally, your visibility will increase through our channels, allowing you to showcase your WISE journey and achievements. Furthermore, you can stay updated on the latest news, projects, events, and industry trends through our website and newsletter.

Collaboration is the cornerstone of the WISE ecosystem. By uniting diverse experts and innovators, we can accelerate the transition to sustainable energy solutions. Our ecosystem thrives on the synergy of technology providers who propel advancements in energy technology, energy and power plant experts who provide critical insights into evolving energy systems, academia and research institutions that lead groundbreaking research to expand technological frontiers, equipment manufacturers who develop essential tools for modern energy solutions, software developers who create the digital infrastructure crucial for energy operations, and industry partners and consultants who offer strategic insights and expert guidance.

To join the WISE ecosystem, you can find the contact form at the end of the landing page or by clicking on “Join the Ecosystem” in the navigation menu. Upon registration, you will receive an email to confirm your membership. This automatically subscribes you to our newsletter and other types of communication. The newsletter, sent out quarterly, will cover topics such as upcoming events and activities, thought leadership content, and open calls for joint projects and collaboration opportunities.

Autonomous power plants are facilities that can operate independently with minimal or no human intervention. These plants utilise advanced technologies such as cyber-secure connectivity, real-time data streaming, cloud infrastructure, and IoT and AI data to monitor, control, and optimise their operations remotely. The goal is to achieve full visibility on power plant health, predict maintenance needs, and enhance reliability of equipment, enabling the power plants to function efficiently and safely without constant human oversight.

Sustainable fuels are those that minimise environmental impact, particularly carbon emissions. They can be either carbon free or carbon neutral, meaning the CO₂ released during combustion is balanced by the CO₂ removed during production. E-fuels, or electro fuels, are synthetic fuels made using renewable electricity, water, and possibly CO₂ and nitrogen. Examples include hydrogen, methanol, ammonia, synthetic diesel, and methane.

Business Finland has granted funding for the WISE programme. Business Finland is a public organisation providing internationalisation and funding services to companies, accelerating sustainable growth, and generating prosperity and well-being for Finnish society. Business Finland helps customer companies grow and succeed globally, develop solutions for the future and renew their business operations boldly. The aim is to promote collaboration between companies and research groups so that new endeavours can develop into international business ecosystems.

Veturi stands for a leading company ecosystem programme. The leading companies are committed to solving major challenges of the future and making an essential contribution to increasing Finland’s competence, competitiveness and investment in RDI. A leading company programme, a so called Veturi, is funded by Business Finland. Business Finland offers partnership funding services for research, development, and innovation projects in leading companies’ ecosystem themes. The Veturi instrument exists to create awareness, facilitate matchmaking, identify gaps and initiate the preparation of new R&D projects through collaboration with ecosystem partners. Business Finland will naturally only provide funding service opportunities for Finnish entities.

The Veturi ecosystem programme consists of three distinct development project categories – funding services:

Co-innovation: Co-innovation projects provide funding for research organisations and companies to collaborate on joint initiatives. These projects require participation from at least three companies. In most cases there is one or several research organisations joining as well. For companies, research and concept development, including proof of concept, are generally considered as eligible costs for funding. Product development, industrialisation, documentation etc., are generally not considered eligible costs for funding when utilising the Business Finland Co-innovation funding services.

Co-research: Co-research projects aim to generate new knowledge that can serve as a foundation for new business opportunities or co-innovation projects. The research results should have economic and business potential. A minimum of three companies is required, the research organisations will receive 80% funding from Business Finland. The participating companies will generally contribute with 10% cash funding – to show commitment to the research topic in question.

Single Innovation Projects: Single company projects are for Finnish companies that apply for concept development funding under the Veturi umbrella. Ecosystem members can independently propose projects within their respective groups.

Project ideas can be proposed through the contact form on the WISE webpage. The contact form can be found at the end of the landing page or by clicking on “Join the Ecosystem” in the navigation menu. Project ideas can be explained in the field labelled as “Briefly describe your idea or question.”

Non-Finnish companies can benefit from the Veturi ecosystem programme in several ways. By networking and collaborating with Finnish innovation value chains, they can gain overall visibility of and access to the Finnish R&D landscape. This provides better insights and connections to existing and upcoming projects, allowing companies to stay informed about new opportunities. Additionally, they can share thoughts and ideas with others who share the same vision for a decarbonised future.

However, Business Finland funding is only available for Finnish companies and companies with a subsidiary in Finland.