This year, the core idea of FMT Days was to highlight the entire product development chain – from design to tangible manufacturing. According to Antti Järvenpää, Research Director of the FMT Group, the theme emerged from the need to emphasize the significance of rapid development processes, especially in the context of 3D technologies. “We’re showcasing both companies and universities, and with so much to contribute on the topic, this kind of theme works perfectly”, Järvenpää summarizes.
Several projects were presented at the event, including 3DTY, KATI, and IDiD, all demonstrating how ideas can become functioning products through new forms of collaboration and technology. In the 3DTY project, collaboration between RDI expert Antti Alonen from Savonia University of Applied Sciences and Development Manager Kari Mäntyjärvi from the FMT Group particularly emphasized the importance of the design process. They point out that it is crucial to consider manufacturing methods from the early stages of design.
Mäntyjärvi also stressed how important it was for companies to understand how the process flows from product definition to design and production. One highlight of the event was the presentation of a rally car production process.
One of the key themes of FMT Days was the potential of 3D printing – particularly how the technology has leapt from theory to real-world manufacturing. “Printing large components is no longer the future – it’s happening right now”, says Järvenpää. The use of 3D imaging and its transition from research labs to practical tools was also identified as a clear trend.
According to Järvenpää, the greatest breakthrough of 3D technology lies in the flexibility it offers. “When you unleash your imagination, we haven’t even begun to understand all that can be achieved.” This design freedom allows companies to create entirely new products and solutions that would be impossible using traditional manufacturing methods.
Networking was once again a central feature of the event. Both Mäntyjärvi and Alonen emphasize that the strength of FMT Days lies in how researchers, companies, and educational institutions can engage in genuine dialogue and develop new ideas together. “Many new connections were made through these discussions – and that’s exactly why FMT Days exist”, Mäntyjärvi says with satisfaction.
CEO Jussi Tammisalo from Tamspark Ltd. highlighted the commercial value of the event. “It’s a bit like a reverse trade fair – here we get to meet the customers”, he says. For Tammisalo, the most important thing is to talk with the right people and build long-term relationships that enable the development of technology in business as well.
According to Tammisalo, one of the most surprising and perhaps thought-provoking parts of the event was project researcher Justus Reunanen’s presentation on combining medicine with manufacturing technology. The presentation connected biological inspirations – such as animal structures or natural forms – with technological solutions, sparking great enthusiasm. “Nature didn’t invent the wheel, but we can learn a lot from it”, Tammisalo quoted the speaker. Nature offers a source of inspiration that can bring entirely new perspectives to technological development.
Although some participants hoped for stronger involvement from local companies, the overall feedback on the event was highly positive. The variety and quality of the presentations were praised, and attendees felt that the discussions provided new perspectives and concrete development ideas.
“FMT Days 2025 once again demonstrated how important it is to bring together experts from different fields and break down traditional silos. The success stories of the future are born from collaboration, and FMT Days is a showcase of that action”, says Jari Tirkkonen, Development Manager at Nivalan Teollisuuskylä Ltd.
“We no longer ask what is possible – we ask what we want to do. And that’s exciting”, summarizes Antti Järvenpää. FMT Days 2025 will be remembered as an event where vision, technology, and collaboration met in a way that inspires bold thinking and forward-looking action.
The event was organized by the Future Manufacturing Technologies (FMT) research group at the University of Oulu, the joint 3D Printing Project (3DTY), the Implementation of DeD AM in Future Manufacturing (IDiD), the Innovations That Enhance Machine and Vehicle Technologies (KATI) initiative, and Nivalan Teollisuuskylä Ltd, which maintains the ELME Studio RDI environment.
Text and photo: Minna Kilpeläinen
In Kerttu Saalasti Institute's blog we write about the topics of the Institute's research groups, micro entrepreneurship education and the Institute's general topics. The authors are researchers, experts and members of networks.
Our topics are: micro entrenepreneurship, future manufacturing technologies, regional excellence, micro entrepreneurship education