Business Finland has launched new funding calls for the renewal, sustainable growth, and digitalisation of the creative economies. The three separate calls have application deadlines in August and September 2023.

The aim is to increase the RDI intensity of the creative economy in the long term and to strengthen cooperation between companies and research organizations in the creative economy, thus promoting the renewal of the creative economy. Funding will be allocated in particular to projects that modernize companies’ digital business environment and promote the green transition.

Read the call text here.

In particular, the funding is used to promote the following themes:

  • Success stories from creative cross-sector contents through IP expertise:
    • Research projects investigate research questions related to the production, brainstorming/conceiving and commercialization process of production consisting of different types of (typically digital) content.
  • Leverage of the creative economy in different industries
    • Research projects investigate and develop new leverage opportunities brought about by creative skills and methods in order to gain a competitive advantage in established industries.
  • New opportunities of the CreaTech area
    • Research projects look for new expertise to combine the opportunities offered by future immersive solutions with a deep customer understanding into winning business models and implementation packages for the creative economy.

The projects must aim at the development of the practices currently used by the Finnish creative industry and the application of new digital solutions. The aim of the projects is to contribute to the promotion of digital practices and the use of technology in different sectors of the creative industry.

With regard to the content of the funded projects, the key criteria are their innovative nature and the impact of the expected results on the international competitiveness of the Finnish creative industry.

Funding

The implementation package consists of three calls with separate application periods:

  1. Co-Research projects: open call from 6 March until 31 August 2023
  2. Piloting and pilot projects: de minimis call open from 1 August until 29 September 2023
  3. Research-based business projects or joint projects: open call from 6 March until 15 September 2023

Projects funded in this call must be completed by December 2025 at the latest.

Co-Research project funding may be granted for research projects conducted by research organizations. One or more research organizations together can apply for funding. All participants must apply for funding separately to cover the costs of their own contribution. The funding level is either 60 or 70%.

Funding for Research-based business projects or joint projects will be targeted at independent research projects carried out by companies or Co-Innovation projects implemented together with research organisations. The size of the projects is not limited. The funding level of research institutes is 70 or 80%.

More detailed information about Piloting and pilot project funding will be published on the Business Finland website the end of May.

More information about the themes and the separate calls can be found here.

Application

Basic applicant and application information is completed in the Business Finland online service. Before submitting an application always contact Hanken’s research funding Services well in advance. Business Finland must also be consulted.

More detailed application instruction can be found here.

Please contact research@hanken.fi  if you are interested in this call.