Chips, Collaboration, and the Future of Finnish Mobile Machine
- FiCCC
- Oct 13
- 3 min read
FiCCC Reflections from the event Chips from Tampere x Future Mobile Work Machine.
On a rainy autumn evening in Tampere, industry leaders, researchers, and innovators gathered for a unique event: a joint session between Future Mobile Working Machine and the Finnish semiconductor ecosystem. The focus? Semiconductors; chips, sensors, and the urgent need for Europe and Finland to strengthen sovereignty in designing and manufacturing these foundational technologies.
Why Semiconductors Matter for Finland
The EU Chips Act sets the stage for a new era: Europe wants to reduce its dependence on off-the-shelf components designed and manufactured in the US and Asia. For Finland, this is more than a policy goal – it’s a strategic opportunity. Our vertical industries, especially Future Mobile Work Machines, have the expertise and ambition to become leaders in smart, software-defined machinery. But to do so, we must move beyond simply assembling imported parts. We need to design, innovate, and manufacture our own semiconductor solutions.
Event Highlights & Key Voices
The evening’s agenda brought together a diverse group of presenters and participants:
Sampo Härkönen opened the event, setting out the vision and future needs for the sector. Veijo Kontas continued presenting findings from interviews with mobile machine companies, highlighting both the appetite and the hurdles for adopting Finnish-designed semiconductor technology.
Pasi Pylväs (FiCCC) shared insights from SoCHUB, tracing the history and future of local chip innovation.
Tomi Salo (together with Sweco) issued a call to action: companies must dig deeper into their real requirements and challenges to truly spark innovation and integrate into the local semiconductor ecosystem
Other speakers, including Pekka Yli-Paunu (Kalmar), Verne Hartikainen (Epec), Vesa Kiviranta (Unikie), and Tuomas Lahtinen (SiPFAB, Tampere University), showcased the breadth of expertise and ambition in Finland’s mobile machine and chip sectors.
From Analog to Intelligent: The Transformation Underway
A recurring theme was the shift from traditional, analog heavy machinery to smart, software-defined vehicles – essentially, moving from mechanical giants to “moving computers.” While Finnish companies like Ponsse and Kalmar are making strides, there’s a clear need to accelerate the adoption of advanced electronics, sensors, and AI-driven features. The example of John Deere, which develops custom chips for its machines, was cited as a benchmark, and a challenge for Finnish firms to differentiate themselves through unique, locally designed solutions.
The Collaboration Challenge
The discussion surfaced several key barriers:
Risk and Investment: Companies are hesitant to invest in in-house chip design without a clear vision or guaranteed ROI.
Expertise and Ecosystem: Building a semiconductor ecosystem requires close collaboration between industry and research institutions. A step-by-step approach – starting with joint projects and gradually building internal expertise – was seen as the most realistic path.
Trust and Openness: Sharing challenges and requirements openly is difficult, especially among competitors. The idea of using NDAs to facilitate honest dialogue was raised.
Concrete Steps: Rather than tackling the entire challenge at once (“eating the elephant”), the group agreed on the value of starting small – identifying specific problems, piloting solutions, and building momentum.
What’s Next?
Finland has a national strategy for smart mobile machines, and now it’s time to link this with our semiconductor ambitions. By lowering the barriers to collaboration, leveraging available funding, and fostering open innovation, we can help our vertical industries become global leaders – not just in machinery, but in the chips that power them.
The event ended with a sense of optimism and shared purpose. As one participant put it, “We’re not just talking about machines anymore – we’re talking about the future of Finnish industry.”
Authors: Pasi Pylväs, Sirpa Salmi and Tomi Salo
