Over one million euros for research on AI and leadership – Aiming to support the digital transformation
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How are pioneers leveraging generative AI in product development and innovation – and what kind of capabilities and leadership does it require? The University of Vaasa, JAMK University of Applied Sciences, and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland will research AI and leadership with funding from Business Finland in autumn 2025. The project will run from 1 September 2025 to 30 August 30, 2027, with a total budget exceeding one million euros, most of which is funded by Business Finland.
Generative AI is expected to significantly transform the way we work and innovate. However, Finland is considerably behind its European counterparts in adopting generative AI: only 18% of Finnish white-collar workers use AI weekly, compared to a 54% European average. Broad adoption of generative AI could potentially boost Finland’s GDP by 20–25 billion euros.
The new research project, AI Leaders, will focus particularly on how generative AI can be utilised in the development of products and services, as well as in managing innovation processes. The goal is to produce concrete tools, recommendations, and models. Product development and innovation activities are crucial for business success and sustainable growth, and the use of AI can accelerate, enhance, and expand innovation efforts while improving outcomes.
– The University of Vaasa is especially interested in how individuals can effectively innovate with generative AI. Through detailed analysis and international benchmarking, we aim to identify best practices, map crucial generative AI skills, and provide actionable advice for both employees and managers, summarises Associate Professor William Degbey, the project’s lead at the University of Vaasa.
– Our goal is to understand how generative AI can empower individuals throughout the innovation process. By identifying key activities and best practices, we can equip employees with the skills and knowledge needed to leverage generative AI effectively, adds Postdoctoral Researcher Maria Pajuoja from the University of Vaasa.
The companies involved in the project have various roles: pioneers, developers, and interested parties. Some companies have been identified as pioneers, whose experiences and practices will be studied, analysed, and modeled. The project also includes companies that will benefit from the results in different ways. International collaboration plays a central role, with particular attention given to leading AI-utilising companies in the United States, Asia, Spain, and Ireland.
The AI Leaders project, coordinated by JAMK and jointly implemented by VTT and the University of Vaasa, will run from 1 September 2025 to 30 August 2027. Its total budget is €1,120,000, of which nearly €900,000 is funded by Business Finland.
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