Despite the rapid pace of AI development, the vast majority of related projects never deliver real business value. Estimates suggest that as many as 80 percent of projects never make it past the pilot stage. The core idea behind the AI Research Center, AIRC, is to connect research and real-world application in a way that takes AI solutions from pilot to production.
“Collaboration with LUT University is extremely fruitful and of strategic importance to us. As a rapidly growing company targeting international markets, we bring a practical perspective to research and the ability to move solutions quickly into production,” says Jarkko Multanen, CEO of Virnex.
“LUT's research expertise and access to large-scale research and funding opportunities give us a unique chance to develop solutions with real international impact.”
Virnex to build an ecosystem around the AIRC
Virnex aims to build a growing ecosystem around the AIRC, where companies in the field can easily participate in research projects and strengthen their competitive edge through university collaboration. The ecosystem produces continuously evolving AI agents for design, programming, testing, and cybersecurity.
The AIRC is built on a platform-based collaboration model that brings together expertise from different university disciplines and connects specialists who might not otherwise cross paths. It supports companies’ long-term development projects aiming for international business growth while encouraging researchers to focus on questions that matter to businesses. The goal is to speed up the development of solutions incorporating AI and reduce companies’ risk in large-scale system overhauls.
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Researchers and companies at the same table; R&D funding enables a large scale
According to LUT, a key challenge in utilizing AI is the disconnect between research and companies’ development work.
“Companies and universities often operate independently of each other, which means ideas don't meet or scale into wide-spread practical use. The AIRC brings these together and enables solutions to be put into practice quickly,” says Petri Ajo, chief growth officer at LUT University.
The AIRC focuses on those areas of AI at LUT that specifically support the business needs of companies like Virnex. The goal is to launch multidisciplinary projects ranging from practical studies to strategic business research. According to Ajo, a central part of the AIRC's work is taking advantage of external research and development funding.
“We actively utilize national and international funding instruments, such as Business Finland, Research Council of Finland, and EU programs. This allows us to scale up our work significantly and bring more resources to companies,” Ajo says.
Aiming for international impact
The AIRC will initially operate out of Lahti, but the plan is to expand collaboration internationally.
“In an uncertain world, it is more important than ever to strengthen European cooperation and build our own capabilities around AI. Now is a good time to develop solutions that are not dependent on any single market but can scale broadly for international use,” says Ajo.
According to Ajo, AI is not just a concern for individual industries. The research center welcomes companies of all sizes from different industries – including those that are just beginning to explore the possibilities of AI.
“In practice, AI touches every business. If you are running a business, AI should matter to you. The role of a research center like this is to offer an easy way to get started,” states Ajo.
More information:
Jarkko Multanen
CEO, CRO, Virnex Group
tel. +358 40 764 3274
Jarkko.Multanen@virnex.fi
