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Digital and Sustainability Transitions in Society

Research platform for cross-disciplinary and cross-organisational collaboration

DigiSus Winter Feast 2025 Highlights

Last week, we had the great privilege to host the second ever DigiSus Winter Feast that celebrated a successful year 2025. Thank you for the wonderful presentations and lively discussions! Here we share just a few highlights from the inspiring morning.

In welcoming everyone to the Winter Feast 2025, our director Thomas Olsson applauded the versatility of the events and activities taken place during the year with the support of DigiSus funding. The diversity of activities and projects illustrates our interdisciplinary community and how the intricacies of digitalization and sustainability are a central issue for many different scientific fields and areas of life.

Project highlights

We heard engaging presentations from six different projects, four of which represented Early-Stage Research projects and two Community/Societal impact projects.

  • Towards Sustainable and Equitable Cancer Diagnostics with AI-based Profiling of Tumor Microenvironment: the project presented by Maryam Mohammadlou and led by Kirsi Rautajoki aims at reducing the environmental impact of cancer diagnostics and developing a more accessible and democratic approach that could eventually save significantly more lives globally.
  • Towards Socially Sustainable Platforms: Reeta Pöyhtäri summarized the outcomes from the central event organised by the project where researchers’ role in advancing social sustainability of digital environments was actively discussed. Reeta also revealed that the practical work will continue along several lines, including the TACKLEHATE project funded by the Research Council of Finland.
  • Digital Market Shaping for Sustainable Agrifood: At the core of the project by Valtteri Kaartemo is the idea that markets are not inherently unsustainable – they can be changed to become more sustainable, in which digital technologies can perhaps be useful. Valtteri highlighted upcoming events such as Shifting the System: Market Innovation for Sustainable Transitions taking place in the Netherlands in May 2026.
  • Mobile apps in sustainability education: Children and young people as actors in the sustainable city: Maria Sulonen, working in the project led by Kirsi Pauliina Kallio, described how the BiciZen app has been leveraged as a pedagogical tool in schools, and how children’s future imaginaries of cities are vivid with greenery and animals, whereas the current situation is imagined as grey and car-centric. Future plans to continue the project include involving children and schools more broadly in urban planning and collaboration with the URBAN PROSUMERS project.
  • Connections and Creations: Tiina Vuohijoki gave a heartfelt presentation on how people need to be involved in developments that concern them, quoting “nothing about us without us”, and described how this was done in practice through an event organised with the non-profit organisation TampereMissio.
  • AIDOA: AI for innovative digitalisation, usability, and engagement of older adults in the ageing society: Tuuli Turja explained the work done together with Marketta Niemelä to develop scenarios of AI-based services in the aging society, with the aim of using the scenarios as tools for socetal debate, starting from wellbeing counties. The work underlines how older adults’ abilities and willingness to use digital solutions are continuously underestimated.

Check out all 23 diverse projects funded by DigiSus research platform in 2025.

Plans for next year

We have a strong belief that the brilliant work and interdisciplinary collaborations started in the seed funded projects this and last year will continue and grow. DigiSus also continues to support generation of cross-disciplinary insights into digitalisation and sustainable development. Below are just a few highlights:

Now, we wish you a relaxing and inspiring holiday season, and look forward to seeing you soon again!

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Main photo: Jonne Renvall / Tampere University