Prestigious board of advisors to support the impact of the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence

The Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence FCAI has named an Impact Advisory Board with a broad spectrum of expertise.

The Impact Advisory Board (IAB) for the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence, had its kick-off meeting on April 15, 2019. Antti Vasara (CEO, VTT Oy) was selected to chair the board. The other members include Risto Siilasmaa (Chairman of the Board of Directors, Nokia and F-Secure), Academician Ilkka Niiniluoto, Ilona Lundström (Director General at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment), Henry Tirri (CTO, InterDigital Inc.), and Ilkka Kivimäki (Venture capitalist, Maki.vc). 

FCAI is a competence center for Artificial Intelligence in Finland, initiated by Aalto University, University of Helsinki, and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland in 2018. It gathers top researchers from different disciplines around a joint artificial intelligence agenda. FCAI aims to ensure that the innovations generated by excellent research will be taken in use and applied in business life and society. In addition, FCAI has a central role in carrying out the national artificial intelligence strategy.  

IAB supports FCAI to create impact by giving new viewpoints on the research agenda and by advising on impact creation on business and society. 

”FCAI is totally unique in connecting research excellence in artificial intelligence to applying the results in renewing the society and industries”, says Antti Vasara. “Artificial intelligence offers unlimited opportunities, and the versatile experience of the IAB members helps FCAI to direct these opportunities to build a better future.”

The Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence has been granted over €8.3 million in funding from the Flagship Programme of the Academy of Finland. The first four-year funding period started in January 2019. Flagship status is granted to very few selected centers of excellence with high societal impact. The flagship status also strengthens the social standing of artificial intelligence research in Finland. The Flagship Programme includes six competence clusters in total.

FCAI Impact Advisory Board members Ilona Lundrsröm, Risto Siilasmaa, and Ilkka Kivimäki together with the chairman of the board, Antti Vasara (second from the left). Photo: Matti Ahlgren / Aalto University.