Early-stage research funding 2025
We received 33 applications for the DigiSus 2025 funding call for early-stage research. The total sum of applied funding was about 480,000 euros. The applications were evaluated based on how well they fit the purposes and criteria of the call. DigiSus management board made the funding decisions on 24 February 2025.
Funded projects
The funded 14 initiatives are listed below in alphabetical order based on the main applicant’s surname.
SUSTAVIS 2.0: Developing Co-Creative tools and visualisations for Managing Systemic Change towards Circular Economy
Leena Aarikka-Stenroos (MAB), Päivi Hökkä (EDU), Eetu Lehmusvaara (BEN), Joel Stenroos (BEN)
SUSTAVIS 2.0 analyzes sustainability of system changes with stakeholders, develops audiovisual animations and advances the research initiative launched by DigiSUS in 2024. It makes circular economy system changes visible and comprehensible, supporting learning and driving meaningful transformation.
News Diversity Meter manifesting sustainability crisis of the news media
Newsrooms are seeking to support the sustainability of journalish through artificial intelligence. The article produced as a result of this project about the design process of News Diversity Meter and challenges in taking it into use suggests that more than technology is needed to solve the sustainability crisis: the core function of journalism in the digital age has to be redefined.
Digital Market Shaping for Sustainable Agrifood (DiMaSSA)
DiMaSSA focuses on human-technology interactions and market shaping in the agrifood sector. By combining advanced digital innovation (traceability, AI-driven analytics) with user-centric and behavioral insights, the project envisions new market structures that encourage sustainable production and improve consumer well-being. The seed funding will support collaborative workshops, small-scale pilots, and visits to key international partners to develop a shared vision for future large-scale research.
Mobile apps in sustainability education: Children and young people as actors in the sustainable city
Mobile applications provide new multidisciplinary opportunities for environmental education. The aim of this project is to expand the piloting of the BiciZen urban bicycling app to various Tampere schools as well as experiment with other apps such as iNaturalist suitable for environmental education.
Just Transition Imaginaries: Digitalization and Sustainability in the European-Central Asian Resource Frontier (JUSTRI)
This initiative invites Dr. Asel Doolotkeldieva as a visiting researcher to Tampere University for two weeks in autumn 2025. During her stay, we will collaborate on research aimed at steering the digital and green transitions towards a more just and sustainable global direction. We will also work on new funding applications and organize a public lecture and a networking event.
Digital transformation of education and systemic innovation in Southern Africa
Preparation of a large consortium project proposal for Business Finland. The Digital Transformation of Education project that will research and promote a socially sustainable digital transformation of education in Southern Africa through Finnish-Namibian collaboration.
Generative AI for Sustainable Visual Journalism (GENSUS)
Generative AI has received significant negative attention due to, for example, hostile actors using GenAI to produce fake images and videos to cause harm to a group of people or impact political decision-making processes. On the other hand, fake content can be used to remove privacy-sensitive content, such as people or location, from photographs and videos. That supports sustainable journalism that requires upholding high ethical standards and positive societal influence. In GENSUS, we develop novel GenAI tools for privacy-preserving reproduction of visual content.
Towards socially sustainable platforms
This initiative facilitates researcher collaboration to discover means to address problems with social media platforms and to support socially sustainable platforms. The initiative involves a seminar as well as research proposal preparation and interaction between collaborators and other stakeholders.
Towards Sustainable and Equitable Cancer Diagnostics with AI-based Profiling of Tumor Microenvironment
A sustainable, cost-eIective, and accessible approach to cancer diagnostics that ensures equitable and environmentally responsible care. By advancing rapid digital pathology through artificial intelligence (AI), this solution depicts the tumor microenvironment (TME) to promote patients’ health.
Digitalization, precarious livelihoods and urban transformations: street vendors’ usage of digital platforms in an African metropolis
Digital tools can serve to improve urban livelihoods, but more research on their usage and effects is needed, particularly regarding their links with precarity. This initiative aims to develop new knowledge on the role of online platforms for sustainable urban transformation in a global perspective.
Research initiative for a sustainable data center design and implementation framework
Data centers consume vast amounts of energy and natural resources. This project facilitates the design and implementation of sustainable data centers in terms of data storage and processing, computer hardware, and data center infrastructure.
The resource use of digitalization and the digitalization of resource use: New frontiers of digital and environmental sustainability
The initiative examines the dual process digitalization and natural resource use. We ask what is the resource use of digitalization and how resource use itself is digitally mediated. Two workshops are organized to plan for publications and project applications for further research.
Synthetic Images, Synthetic Minds
This research explores the impact of image proliferation, driven by AI, on society and cognition. Focusing on human-machine image interactions, cognitive shifts, and the role of distributed vision, it examines how machine learning and machine vision reshape perception, creativity, and epistemology, linking visual studies, image theory, and neurology.
Arts-based climate change education through digitalization (DIGI-CLIMART)
Developing research project application for climate change education that is geographically and pedagogically accessible via digital tools and utilizes arts-based methods for deeper empathic learning. Strengthening and growing network for long-term collaboration.
Photo by Anitta Lieko / Vastavalo.net.