Early-stage research funding 2026
We received altogether 53 applications for the DigiSus 2026 funding call for early-stage research, which is a steep increase from the 33 applications in 2025. The total sum of applied funding was almost 800,000 euros.
The applications were evaluated based on how well they fit the purposes and criteria of the call, giving weight especially on the potential for long-term impact and legacy. DigiSus management board made the funding decisions on 5 March 2026.
Funded projects
The funded 14 initiatives are listed below in alphabetical order based on the main applicant’s surname.
Jokaisenoikeudet in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Developing Transparent Technology for Sustainable Forest Management
This project will develop a digital game supporting public engagement in sustainable forest management. Using a prototype AI device that is low in energy consumption and transparent for users, it will create an openly accessible technology in line with the principle of jokaisenoikeudet.
Advancing Sustainable and Resilient Supply Chains through AI and NLP/LLM-Based Solutions
This initiative explores how digital tools can strengthen supply chain resilience for sustainability in business networks, using interactive World Café workshops and interviews to examine how digitalization supports sustainable and resilient buyer–supplier relations.
Data-driven optimization of cold spray and UNSM parameters for sustainable densification of porous Ti coatings
This initiative develops machine-learning models to optimize cold spray and UNSM post-treatment parameters to minimize the surface porosities, enabling digital, resource-efficient Ti coatings by sustainable replacement of scarce helium with N2, while improving coating performance and durability.
Recognition in the Algorithmic Society (RAS)
The project develops and applies a philosophical account of recognition in and by data-driven digital systems. It examines why and how algorithmic decision-making and large-scale data extraction shape relations of recognition, and how data-driven systems can entrench forms of misrecognition.
AI-driven second-hand e-commerce: promises and pitfalls
This research project focuses on the emerging tensions in the use of AI tools in second hand e-commerce. These tools ease the reselling processes for consumers but at the same time raise questions about privacy and may accelerate overconsumption habits that contradict sustainability goals.
Digital Welfare Governance and Socially Sustainable Work Careers
This new initiative brings together researchers from multiple disciplines to develop a larger research programme on how digital welfare governance reforms shape equality, benefits, and socially sustainable work careers, using Finnish register data already held by the research team.
Brains Trust and Round Table meetings: Meetings at Chelmsford to open research funding for Tampere University
DigiSus funding enables Tampere University to co-coordinate two UK–EU meetings at Anglia Ruskin University Campus in Chelmsford in March 2026, where researchers, policymakers, and others will design future research infrastructures and funding instruments addressing online child sexual abuse.
CommonArctic: Building a research network for studying sustainable tourism business in the Arctic
The Wastebusters research group seeks funding to build new interdisciplinary collaborations and networks in sustainable tourism, supporting participation in the SRC 2026 call “The Changing Arctic Region” and developing competences and networks for future research initiatives.
Reducing the Environmental impact of Wearable sensing and AI processIng pipelines for Stress Estimation (RE-WISE)
This 2nd year project studies the environmental impact of wearable stress detection systems and related AI processing. We aim to collect a reusable dataset and develop more energy-efficient sensing & computation methods to support sustainable digital health solutions for people experiencing stress.
Towards socially sustainable platforms (Continuation)
The projects enables researcher collaboration seeking means to advance towards more socially sustainable platforms. Funding is used for workshops, a researcher visit to England, and promoting networking, proposal preparation and dialogue with other actors.
Artificial intelligence as a means of supporting the documentation of client-worker interaction in adult social work
We study how artificial intelligence summarizes subtle interaction in client situations that involves different interpretations of clients and workers. Broader focus is on opportunities as well as ethical and social risks in utilization of artificial intelligence in the preparation of client documentation.
Key Ethical Issues and Regulatory Needs in applying AI to Mental Health (Digi-Mind ethics)
Digi-Mind ethics maps key ethical challenges and regulatory gaps related to AI in mental health care. The initiative builds interdisciplinary foundations for studying and developing ethically sustainable, empirically proven, regulation compliant digital mental-health services.
FAIR-ACCESS: Fairness-Aware Digital Discovery for Equitable Access to Health and Social Services
FAIR-ACCESS develops fairness-aware and transparent digital search and recommendation models that help citizens find relevant health and social services more equitably, ensuring that digitalisation supports social sustainability, inclusion, and trust instead of reinforcing existing inequalities.
Distributed Vision and Planetary-Scale Perception
Here we advance the concept of distributed vision (rarely theorised as a cultural-epistemic condition rather than a biological function): the idea that human seeing and knowing are increasingly co-authored by a planet-spanning ecology of non-human image-systems.