Project

Creating Multidisciplinary XR Competence for business processes in Central Finland

Project sponsors

Projektityyppi
Development project
Focus area
Other area
Implementation time
1.10.2023 - 31.3.2026
Yksikkö
School of Professional Teacher Education
Financing program
European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) 2021-2027
Primary home page
http://jamk.fi/kexri2
UN Sustainable development goals
Projektin kuvaus
The project 'Creating Multidisciplinary XR Competence for Business Processes in Central Finland' (XR-osaamisen monialainen hyödyntäminen keskisuomalaisessa työelämässä) aims to develop and enhance multidisciplinary XR (Extended Reality) competence in companies, educational institutions, and development companies in Central Finland, in order to enable effective and seamless utilization of new technologies. It builds on and expands  the XR knowledge ecosystem created in previous KEXRI project.
The goal is to create tools, models, and resources for continuous competence development and knowledge dissemination.XR technologies, such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), offer new possibilities in areas such as marketing, training, onboarding, and product development.However, adopting and integrating emerging technologies into existing business operations can be challenging, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It requires understanding not only of the technologies and their business potential, but also of use cases and support for low-threshold production models and competence development. Focusing solely on technology can also be alienating. Competence in utilizing and integrating XR technologies could help companies in Central Finland to develop their own business operations and, in some cases, it may be crucial for companies whose operations depend on ecosystems of larger companies. Advanced operating models and platforms used by large companies also require multidisciplinary competence, operating models, and resources from smaller companies, without which competence gaps may arise. Local business advisors and educational institutions also play a key role in developing XR utilization competence.

The project aims to achieve its goal of developing multidisciplinary XR competence through four sub-objectives and their work packages.
OBJECTIVE 1: KNOWLEDGEKnowledge and understanding of the application of XR technologies in companies and the factors affecting it will increase.
OBJECTIVE 2: EXPERIMENTATION AND EVALUATIONMethods, models, and tools are developed to help companies effectively utilize XR technologies.
OBJECTIVE 3: INSIGHTS. Future-oriented multidisciplinary knowledge is created at the interface of businesses and experts.
OBJECTIVE 4: IMPACT. The results of the project become interesting, accessible, and impactful tools for skill development and increased interest in XR technologies.

The project is based on the collaboration of educational institutions, development actors, and businesses, such as the Central Finnish XR competence ecosystem KEXRI (A77032) and XPand (S22538) projects. In addition, the project has the opportunity to utilize the experience and expertise of the Finnish Defense Forces.Multidisciplinary collaboration creates practices, knowledge, and networks in a way that promotes the development of XR expertise and utilization skills in the region. The novelty arises not only from the topic itself, but also from the multidisciplinary actor network and the utilization of their expertise and resources in a way that XR technologies can be utilized with a lower threshold in local businesses, and they are provided with tools, models, and support. 

The project is coordinated by JAMK University of Applied Sciences, and the partners are the University of Jyväskylä, POKE Vocational College, Gradia (Jyväskylä Educational Consortium), and Karstulanseutu Development Company Ltd. The Finnish Army and the Municipality of Äänekoski are associate partners.

Contact: project manager Ilona Laakkonen (firstname.lastname@jamk.fi)

Project results

The project carried out benchmarking of XR solutions, providing a broad overview of how XR technologies can be applied across different sectors. The compilation served as a basis for evaluating pilots, producing learning materials, and supporting stakeholder communication.

The project tested an operating model in which project partners worked closely with SMEs by mapping companies' readiness to utilise XR technologies and implementing low-threshold experiments. Job shadowing emerged as a central working method in the project. JAMK collaborated with five of its own partner companies as well as five companies involved through other project partners. Company interest in XR solutions exceeded initial expectations, and experiments were carried out across several sectors.

The collaboration with companies also laid the groundwork for larger-scale pilots. JAMK participated in the design and implementation of a training and onboarding environment pilot as part of the project.

The project organised events where companies and multidisciplinary experts discussed and co-created ideas on the use of XR technologies in business and learning. Four events, branded as Pähkimö, were implemented during the project:

Pähkimö 1: XR as Part of Business, Äänekoski, 13 May 2024

Pähkimö 2: Augmented Reality and Experiential Technologies as a Business Advantage, Karstula, 11 November 2024

Pähkimö 3: Augmented Reality and Experiential Technologies: Future Business and Competence, Jyväskylä, 8 April 2025

Pähkimö 4: XR Technologies in Learning and Working Life, Jyväskylä, 12 November 2025

The Pähkimö events developed into meeting places for idea exchange and wide dissemination of XR competence. Feedback from participants was highly positive.

In addition, the project implemented a learning package titled XR opettajan ja koulutuksen kehittäjän työssä, which utilised the Howspace environment both for delivering webinars and for sharing learning materials, tasks, and discussions. The package also included Kexriä & kahvia sessions organised towards the end of 2025, where the use of XR technologies in education and working life was discussed in a practical and informal manner.

Low-threshold communication formed part of the project's operating approach. Project events and experiments were actively communicated via social media. Project results were presented at the ITK 2025 conference and the Tulevaisuus haastaa oppimisen seminars (both 2024 and 2026). In addition, project partners participated in the MatchXR event as attendees and followed current developments in the field.

The project compiled a comprehensive open learning material package on XR technologies. The material brings together the experiments carried out during the project, key lessons learned, and practical tools, and it served as a basis for launching training for educational institution staff. The material will remain openly available after the end of the project through JAMK's open learning materials platform and will also be published on the opin.fi and aoe.fi platforms.

Updated 1 April 2026