New Research and Development Project Promotes the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing

Although interest in artificial intelligence has grown significantly, adoption is still slowed by challenges related to cybersecurity, skills, and system interoperability. The PaJarvis project addresses these issues through research activities and company pilot projects.

According to Vesa Rahkolin, Project Manager at Oulu University of Applied Sciences, one of the project’s key objectives is to develop solutions that meet the real needs of companies.

“Collaboration between universities, research organizations, and companies helps ensure that the AI solutions examined in the project are based on the needs and experiences of real production environments,” says Rahkolin.
The pilot projects will evaluate the suitability of AI for applications such as generating work instructions, programming assistance, production monitoring, error detection, as well as the programming and control of production equipment.

Research for Safe Industrial AI

The rapid development of generative AI has created new opportunities for information processing and production support. However, its application in industrial environments still requires further research and practical experimentation. The project will investigate, among other things, how AI can be used safely alongside production equipment, how confidential company data can be protected, and what requirements industrial environments place on AI solutions.

According to Kari Mäntyjärvi, Development Manager of the Future Manufacturing Technologies (FMT) Research Group at the University of Oulu, the rapid advancement of AI offers significant opportunities for industry as well.

“The development of artificial intelligence has been extremely rapid in recent years and has opened up new opportunities for industrial applications. In the PaJarvis project, we want to explore in practice which of these opportunities are worth utilizing, while ensuring that the solutions are safe, reliable, and genuinely beneficial,” says Mäntyjärvi.

As part of the project, a research and pilot environment will be developed where companies can test different AI solutions and assess their suitability for their own operational environments.

Strengthening Competence and Adoption

The objective of the PaJarvis project is to generate knowledge about the opportunities offered by AI in manufacturing and to develop operating models for evaluating and implementing new solutions. The project will produce research reports, training materials, demonstrations, and pilot results for companies to utilize.

The PaJarvis project is carried out in cooperation with Oulu University of Applied Sciences, the Future Manufacturing Technologies (FMT) Research Group of the University of Oulu, Vaasa University of Applied Sciences, and the Education Consortium REDU. The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the Innovation and Skills in Finland 2021–2027 Programme, with funding granted by the Economic Development Centre of Eastern Finland. Participating companies also contribute to the project’s financing.

The project will be implemented from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2028, with a total budget of €1.14 million. The project is coordinated by Oulu University of Applied Sciences.

Further Information:
Vesa Rahkolin
Project Manager
Oulu University of Applied Sciences
vesa.rahkolin(at)oamk.fi

Kari Mäntyjärvi
Development Manager
University of Oulu, Kerttu Saalasti Institute, FMT Research Group
kari.mantyjarvi(at)oulu.fi