AI Finland Raises the Bar with Its 2026 Services
Limited resources must be used strategically. In 2026, AI Finland will transition to serving its members through a continuous, AI-enabled model. Only four main events will be organized, but each of them will be carefully curated and designed to bring the entire membership together. Next year, the opportunities of the Nordic ecosystem will also begin to materialize in concrete ways.
From the very beginning, AI Finland’s goal has been to support the growth of all kinds of companies through artificial intelligence. This year, we have come to realize that growth requires investments and expertise of such a scale that they cannot be found in Finland alone. At the same time, driven by the momentum of major investments by companies such as Nokia and Oura, the Finnish ELLIS Institute and the LUMI AI Factory, as well as a record-breaking year for startup investments, Finland has an opportunity to gain positive international visibility in AI. This, in turn, could attract even more investment and expertise to the country. Now to the barricades – for once, we actually get to brag!
Figure 1: AI Finland’s vision and the strategic themes supporting it.
Growth, however, requires many other factors as well. Individual excellence is no longer enough; teams must redesign their operations. What customer needs – whether internal or external – can AI solve in new ways? How should processes and capabilities be rebuilt to serve this goal?
Beyond teams, entire organizations need the ability to renew themselves. At the organizational level, leadership must have the courage and wisdom to take risks and invest in new service areas and business models. Not all companies can be AI developers, but Finland also needs deep tech companies like Kuva Space, ICEYE, and IQM that use AI to develop entirely new technologies. Conditions must be created to enable their emergence and growth. Finally, infrastructure is required: fully utilized data centers, clearer regulation, 5G/6G networks, and even competitive European language models and cloud services alongside existing ones.
AI Finland’s Services for 2026
How do these ambitious goals translate into concrete services? During our first full year of operation, our activities were divided into smaller events aimed at limited member groups. This year, all events are open to the entire network and represent only one part of our overall activities. Going forward, events will continue to focus on sharing companies’ concrete experiences and tools to accelerate AI transformation.
Alongside events, we will continue to raise the level of AI competence. The AI1000 program has already generated AI-enabled growth initiatives in nearly one hundred executive teams and boards, which will be implemented next year. At the same time, we will continue coaching new companies toward the goal of one thousand, supported by over one hundred of Finland’s most experienced coaches. In addition to executive training, we will expand coaching to the public sector and other Nordic countries, and also offer additional training programs—more on this in the coming year.
The most radical reform in 2026 will be AI Finland’s generative AI–based tool, which connects the needs of companies and the public sector with precisely the right AI-enabled solutions and the service providers that deliver them—product companies, researchers, IT consultants, as well as ecosystem support and funding opportunities. With this tool, our corporate members will be able to find relevant sparring partners from other companies for very specifically defined needs.
The fourth service area focuses on channeling international collaboration to the benefit of our companies. In practice, this includes joint initiatives under the Nordic New Nordics AI Center, promoting themes shared across countries such as the optimization of data centers and energy systems, Nordic language models, and the implementation of regulation.
Less Is More in the Activity Calendar
This year, we organized more than 50 events. Next year, we will focus on four knowledge-intensive flagship events, four networking events, and the publication of two studies. In addition, we will organize the very first annual meeting of AI Finland ry. The highly popular AI Summit & Gala will take place next year on 16 November—be sure to block your calendar already!
Every section of our flagship AI Finland Forums is refined to the highest standard. Each event begins with a curated networking lunch, enabling cross-industry encounters and informal exchange of ideas before the official program starts. Keynote speeches feature some of the world’s leading AI executives sharing their experiences and real-world examples of AI transformation in their organizations. In focus groups, participants can work on the theme most relevant to them from a selection of twelve, through hands-on workshops, roundtable discussions, and clinics. Briefings provide concise updates on the most current AI initiatives in Finland, collaboration opportunities, and key developments across the ecosystem.
Registration for the AI Finland Spring Forum is already open to network members here. On the registration page, you will also find more information about the top speakers at the first event and the full list of the twelve themes. Participation in AI Finland Forums is possible not only in Helsinki, but also through satellite events in Finland’s major cities, as well as virtually—from the comfort of your own sofa.
AI Finland Activity Calendar
Next year, AI Finland’s operations will become legally separated under AI Finland ry. This will enable our members to participate, among other things, in decision-making. We will also renew our membership models so that companies can send participants to events in proportion to company size, enabling broader competence development.
Now is an excellent time to become more actively involved in AI Finland’s activities! Our sincere thanks also to the hundreds of contributors who actively supported our work this year. The knowledge, experience, and expertise you share are everything to our network. Let’s continue this next year and make Finnish companies even better places to work.
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