Funded projects 2025

Ripples - photo by Anitta Lieko

In the 2025 call for early-stage research, DigiSus granted funding for 14 different projects with a total amount of 140,000 euros. The aim of the funding is to support development of new ideas, forming new collaborations, initiation of bold new openings, developing research competences in new areas, or continuation of promising starts.

We are also granting smaller funding for community and societal impact projects on a continuous basis.

Read more about the funded projects below.

 

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

Laura Ahva (ITC)

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)

Valtteri Kaartemo (MAB)

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

Kirsi Pauliina Kallio (EDU)

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)

Anni Kangas (MAB)

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

Mika Kautonen (SOC)

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)

Joni Kämäräinen (ITC)

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

Reeta Pöyhtäri (ITC)

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

Kirsi Rautajoki (MET)

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. Read more about the aims of the project.

Digitalization, precarious livelihoods and urban transformations: street vendors’ usage of digital platforms in an African metropolis

Ilona Steiler (SOC)

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

Toni Taipalus (ITC)

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. Read more about the initiative and its call to action.

The resource use of digitalization and the digitalization of resource use: New frontiers of digital and environmental sustainability

Tuomas Tammisto (SOC)

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

Yanai Toister (ITC)

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)

Vilhelmiina Vainikka (EDU)

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. Learn more about one of the workshops organised in the project.

 

Community and Societal Impact funding 2025

In 2025, we distribute up to 25,000 euros in total for community building and societal impact projects related to the broad intersection of digitalisation and sustainable development. The amount of funding is 500–3,000 euros for each project. The call is continuous: we will process applications as they are sent to us, and update the funded projects on this page when positive funding decisions have been made.

 

Funded Community Impact projects

The 2nd Winter School on 3D DigitAInability: Exploring the Combined Effects of Digitalization, Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence, and Additive Manufacturing

Julia Kuosmanen (ITC) & Ahmed Farooq (ITC)

The Winter School connects students, researchers, and industry experts to explore cutting-edge innovations in AI, 3D printing, and sustainability-driven technologies. With guest talks, hands-on workshops, and manufacturing processes, the school bridges academia and industry to foster innovation

Educational leadership conference on critical media and futures literacy

Päivi Mayor (TAMK)

This hybrid conference, organised on 21 August 2025, brings together the current participants of the Master’s in Educational Leadership MBA degree program, alumni participants, TUNI staff members and researches as well as teachers and leaders from local high schools. The idea is also to support networking for the Horizon call on civilization education and improve understanding of the topic among teachers and educational leaders. See the conference program.

 

Funded Societal Impact projects

Digitalizing Dietary Assessment for Sustainable Nutrition Research in Nepal

Tarja Kinnunen (SOC)

The NERC project develops a digital Nepalese Food Composition Database with an integrated, Excel-based dietary intake calculator for Nepalese society. We will further develop the initial version of the calculator, adapt it to the users’ needs, and provide detailed instructions and training for its use. Both the database and calculator will be made publicly available, strengthening nutrition research capacity and contributing to improved public health in Nepal.

AIDOA – AI for innovative digitalisation, usability, and engagement of older adults in the ageing society

Tuuli Turja (SOC)

New technologies such as AI can be harnessed to increase usability for and participation of older adults in the digital society. Based on earlier research, we create and publish scenarios of innovative, interactive and participative solutions that highlight the potential of older adults in engaging digitalisation of ageing society.

Connections and Creations – funding for popularizing research

Tiina Vuohijoki (ITC)

Organizing an event at TampereMissio in a low-threshold community space for individuals with intellectual disabilities and special support needs. The event promotes accessible research, aligning with “nothing about us without us” frame by engaging people with lived experience. Open workshops bring together researchers and TampereMissio community, to exchange insights with the help of interpreters for the speech impaired.

 

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Photo by Anitta Lieko / Vastavalo.net.