New Business Finland leading company programmes open up collaboration opportunities for researchers
In April 2026, Business Finland announced the first funding decisions for new lead company programmes as well as expansions of ongoing ones. These decisions scale up the programme to an unprecedented level and further strengthen the role of research–industry collaboration in Finland.
More than a thousand partnership projects are already underway within the lead company ecosystems. Alongside companies’ own R&D investments, the funding significantly boosts research activity across partner networks as well.
New leading company programmes in 2026
The Business Finland news highlights several new lead company programmes representing major transformations across different industries.
Valmet is launching the Industrial NEXUS programme, which aims to renew industrial work by combining data, automation and human expertise. The programme responds to rapid changes in skill requirements and the retirement of experienced experts, both of which are reshaping the industrial workforce.
SSAB is launching the Sustainable World through Steels programme, focusing on fossil-free steel production and the development of low-carbon materials. The goal is to build a broad research and business ecosystem that supports the transition of the steel industry towards more sustainable production.
Another new lead company programme is Finnish Minerals Group’s More than a Mine initiative. Its aim is to develop mining operations and related value chains in a sustainable way, while leveraging new technologies in material production and processing.
In addition, Meyer Turku is launching the five-year MERiON programme, focusing on the development of the maritime industry and new solutions for renewing shipbuilding and its related value networks.
What does this mean for researchers?
Leading company programmes are not standalone projects but long-term, multi-year initiatives where research is carried out in close collaboration with industry. This means that research topics are directly derived from real industrial challenges, and the results have clear pathways towards practical applications.
For researchers, these programmes provide opportunities to engage early in development work and to build long-term partnerships. At the same time, they offer access to national and international networks as well as new funding opportunities.
An important development in the 2026 funding decisions is that Business Finland is now, for the first time, systematically funding the expansion of existing leading company programmes. This means that the ecosystems are in an active growth phase and are seeking new expertise and research partners.
Experts at the Innovation Centre encourage University of Oulu researchers to review the roadmaps of lead company programmes and identify where their own research could contribute value. We are also happy to support and spar with researchers on this topic.
Contact the Innovation Centre experts:
Maria Juurikka: maria.juurikka@oulu.fi, +358 29 448 7646
Kaisa Still: kaisa.still@oulu.fi, +358 40 150 8741