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Apply for Tekes funding for digital research, deadline 30.3.2017

Tekes will open a call for research proposal on New business from Digitalisation in January.

The purpose of this call is to hasten the development of new digital business across the borders of traditional business fields. The total Tekes funding for research organisations in this call is max. 8 M€.

The Tekes call is open 17.1. – 30.3.2017. Tekes representatives are happy to discuss the project ideas already in the planning stage. Applicants should send a free-form 1-2 page research project summary to Tekes ([email protected]) by 20 December 2016, if they want to organize a private discussion section on the proposed project. These project discussions will take place mainly in January 2017.
                             

Projects as collaborations between companies and research organizations 

The projects can be either joint projects implemented by companies and research organizations or research projects networked with companies.

  • Joint projects implemented by companies and research organizations are company-led projects, which may include parallel sub-projects conducted by several companies. In parallel to the companies’ projects, research organizations conduct their own research projects in support of the companies’ research. The results of these projects must have wide utilization potential.
  • In the research projects networked with companies, research organizations alone create new knowledge and propose new solutions to support the research and innovation needs of companies. Also in this case, the project results must have wide utilization potential, especially by companies. Benefitting companies support the project by covering at least 10 % of the project's overall funding costs and at least three funding companies must be involved. SME's involvement is encouraged.
                            

Six main call themes

Tekes encourages applicant to use multidisciplinary approaches in e.g. behavioural and economic sciences. Important aspects include the importance of customer value solution, the study of usability, changes caused by digitalisation in the studied network, demand-driven business operations, customer involvement, the formation of new ecosystems through, for example, an on-demand or platform economy, etc.

The six themes of this call are:

  1. Utilisation of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, software robotics, intelligent machines and production systems in various application areas.
    • The aim is to resolve the challenges associated with new applications in terms of features (cooperation between people and machines, security, learning), technologies (intelligent software, sensor technology, mechanics), business opportunities and work organisation.
  2. Value from data: use of Big Data, as well as the development of new smart and efficient analysis methods as a basis for digital business solutions and services.
  3. Use of IoT and wireless technologies in various application areas of digitalisation.
    • The research should take into account e.g. the energy efficiency and security of ICT solutions, system interoperability, as well as new business areas and revenue models.
  4. Application of virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality as enablers in new businesses, revenue models and service solutions.
  5. Further utilisation of results developed in the EU-funded digitalization projects, in the Finnish industry.
    • Transfer of knowledge to Finnish companies from projects that either study of exploit digitalization. The project should be primarily EU-funded and already completed or due for completion in 2017. Partners in such projects can apply for funding via this call for applications.
  6. The funding is also directed to international joint calls: e.g. EUREKA-ITEA3 and CELTIC+.
                            

Applications’ evaluation criteria

  1. The projects must be research-challenging and create innovations for the market within the theme of the call. The results aspired in the project must have international novelty value.
  2. The projects must be planned in cooperation with companies using the companies' research needs and views as bases for the project.   
  3. In the research projects networked with companies, at least 10 % of the project's overall budget must be provided by the companies and at least three funding companies must be involved. In addition, also other beneficiaries (such as public operators) can fund the project.
  4. A clear and versatile exploitation plan must be presented in the project plan. SME's involvement is encouraged.
  5. The project should involve versatile expertise from research teams and credible resource allocation.
  6. Tekes does not fund research which overlaps with research already funded by the Strategic Research Council or the Academy of Finland.
  7. The parallel project applications must be clearly identified as belonging to the same project to speed up the application evaluation.

New Online services

Tekes renewed its online services in the beginning of November. The service login still requires either your personal banking ID or varying SMS passwords. Remember to reserve enough time when you are filling the application. In the new online service, the application is divided into five main sections (Basic information for application; Project goals; Project implementation; Budget and funding; Summary and sending of the application) and every section has several questions. You do not need to fill the application all at once and many people can fill the same application, but not simultaneously. However, the application can be submitted only once.
              

Further information

More information is available from the call for applications. Help and advice for preparing the applications can be found in the Inside pages of the Research and Innovation Services or by contacting the research liaison officer of your school. Explore also the Tekes frequently asked questions in the Inside pages.

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