Historic funding for MilVerse4MDO to boost Finnish defense capabilities

Business Finland has awarded over €10 million in funding to the MilVerse4MDO project, which is developing a defense ecosystem. The project addresses the needs of modern warfare. This is the largest Business Finland funding in the history of Turku University of Applied Sciences.

The three-year MilVerse4MDO (Military Metaverse for Multi-Domain Operations) project is laying the foundations for a new Finnish defense ecosystem. The project aims to develop new solutions for the needs of modern warfare.

The project will explore the tools needed for simulation, training, planning, execution and ex-post evaluation of operations. Material and damage repair logistics will play a key role in the interoperability of weapon systems. The project will develop new technological solutions that can significantly speed up the logistics of repair operations.

“The nature of modern warfare is changing rapidly. We are moving towards machine-to-machine warfare. This will emphasize joint operations between multiple arms and the ability to provide an up-to-date picture of the situation to the people who make the final decisions. Current command and control systems do not adequately address these challenges,” says Mika Luimula, Head of Education and Research at Turku UAS.

The aim of the MilVerse4MDO project is to develop, in cooperation with the consortium and international partners, modern solutions that meet future needs and strengthen the competitiveness of the Finnish defense industry.

The technology enables an unprecedented flow of information from sensors on the battlefield to sensors on the various weapon types, even directly to the different levels of the chain of command in real time.

“Massive amounts of data should be processed to support action at the right time, in the right format and filtered to a relevant volume to gain an advantage. Because the amount of available situational awareness is so vast, critical information will inevitably be lost in the masses without the large-scale use of AI,” describes Timo Haavisto, Senior Advisor at Turku UAS.

The project meets NATO’s needs

A significant acceleration of the learning process for soldiers is critical for NATO’s troop production and the Finnish defense industry. The metaverse environment developed in this project responds directly to NATO’s strategic needs. The training and performance-enhancing environment can be used for realistic scenarios ranging from basic use of individual vehicles and equipment to demanding and multinational operations.

Academic actors in the project are represented by Turku UAS and the University of Tampere. Patria and Nokia Technologies are the leading companies involved in the project. In addition to the locomotive companies, the project involves a wide range of technology partners. Millog, Unikie, Lingsoft, 3D Talo, RumbleTools, Saab, ReOrbit, Vaisala, Ahola Group and Proverse Interactive Oy are developing collaborative solutions.

“With the MilVerse4MDO project, we can highlight the role of the Finnish defense industry as a technological pioneer. The aim is to commercialize the technology and know-how generated in the project to international markets, which will help strengthen our country’s position in the global defense industry. The project will also create a whole new generation of experts with both the scientific skills and the practical understanding to put Finland at the forefront of research and product development in this field,” says Markku Turunen, Professor of Interactive Technology at the University of Tampere.

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